The Conservatory

Ambiance 10/10 but food was nothing special and not worth the price. Wouldn't eat here again

We arrived at 9pm and the Conservatory was perfect for late dining. Grilled wild mushroom is out of the world. Crab cake, grilled sausage, burger with Pollack wine and Potter cider helped end our long traveling day in the most satisfying way.

The service was terrific. My salmon was very over cooked, the fennel was bitter and the sauce was bland. My husband enjoyed his chicken and waffles

There was nobody to greet us/seat us or confirm reservation, just a bartender. Food was just okay, and certainly overpriced for quality, and service was slow and bad. Drinks forgotten, meals for table delivered 10 min apart. Call yourself what you are - a hotel bar that serves food. You shouldn't take reservations if you can't service the tables.

A nice setting in the Omni hotel. We came for restaurant week and had good service and decent food. We didn't love the creme brulee- it was grainy but otherwise the food (we got salmon and a burger) was good.0

My husband and I decided to try The Conservatory at the Omni for Restaurant Week this year, hoping it might defy the more critical reviews we’d seen. Unfortunately, our experience confirmed many of the concerns others had raised — and then some.

From the very first course, it was clear we were in for a rough dining experience. I ordered the roasted cauliflower, which was unfortunately overwhelmed by an unpleasant chimichurri sauce that did it no favors. My husband’s crabcakes arrived lukewarm, though he did note they seemed to contain real crab meat.

We both selected the steak and fries for our entrée. Despite ordering different levels of doneness — rare and medium — both steaks were burnt and overcooked, tasting more like dry, charred meat than anything resembling quality steak. I can say confidently it was the worst steak I’ve had in Charlottesville. The fries were passable, but nothing memorable — just enough to keep the meal from being entirely dismal.

Dessert was our last hope for some redemption. We ordered the flourless chocolate cake, which was described as being served with salted caramel and fruit. In reality, it was topped with store-bought Hershey’s chocolate and caramel sauces. The cake itself was the most enjoyable part of the meal, but only because it was sweet and had a decent texture — not because it stood out in any real culinary way.

The only redeeming aspects of the evening were the lovely ambiance at the Omni and our waiter (and food servers) who were warm, attentive, and genuinely kind. It’s a shame that the service and setting are let down by food that simply doesn’t measure up.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

I read the reviews and came in with the expectation that the food wasn’t going to be good but the atmosphere was incredible. The atmosphere was awesome! The tall wall with windows and comfy chairs make this place very nice. I had the trout appetizer, chicken and waffles for main course and apple pie for desert. Everything was full of flavor and exceeding my expectations! No idea what those reviews were about…

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Do not order the Smoked Trout Tartine. It was in actuality two scoops of very salty trout sitting on two small pieces of toast. Terrible!

We were 5 people so they set up 2 square tables for us, which allowed each person more room than the round tables. We each had a very comfortable chair, rather than a sofa seat, to sit on. The Conservatory decor has many different decorative parts to it; we couldn't decide the theme, although it seemed to fit together. The food was very good, tasty, and sufficient for our early evening meal. The tables are cloth-covered , with cloth napkins, etc. Waitress and man who assisted her were attentive. The Conservatory has a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere, lots of seating available within and nearby. Currently there is free parking and you're located at the beginning of the Downtown Mall, great for walking, browsing, and shopping at not-run-of-the mill stores and restaurants.

Limited menu. Our table was next to a music speaker making it difficult to hear and talk. Food was unremarkable. Crab cakes could use more Crab and less mayo, mac and cheese could use more and sharper cheese sauce. Servers were attentive and personable. Probably won't come back.

The service was slow, the food sub par, the menu was limited and the room was drafty and cold. Otherwise, perfect.

I know people only leave reviews if something is either really good or really bad. In this case, our meal at The Conservatory was very bad. First off the service was super slow. Took 20ish minutes before someone came to greet us and get our drinks. Our drinks from the bar were also super slow. By the time I got my Whisky the big ice cube had melted. Then no one came back to our tables for close to 45 minutes. Didn't check if we were ready to order or get another round of drinks. We finally had to flag down someone else to take our order. Things happen and places have been short staffed so was willing to let the food speak for itself. We should have paid attention to the red flags. We ordered the steak and fries, mushroom small plate, and an Ahi Tuna salad. The Steak was so overcooked and insanely small for the price. I can't remember ever sending a dish back but had to get the steak removed from the bill. The mushrooms were not seasoned at all. For a 13 dollar small plate it was flavorless. My wife mostly enjoyed the Ahi Tuna salad. I mostly write this hoping the restaurant makes some adjustments. The restaurant itself is very cool and cozy. A nice place to be a night, but it can't survive on vibes alone. Best of luck. Hope it gets better.

We enjoyed the steak frites, chicken and waffles, and salad nicoise, but the cocktails stole the show! Our server possibly forgot about us one or twice and brought a wrong drink, but the staff was so friendly which coupled with the ambiance more than made up for it!

Was not a fan of the mushroom appetizer 😕 it was basically mayonnaise and mushrooms. When I mentioned it to the server he offered me another app which I enjoyed (cheese plate) the service and the rest of my meal were great and I would recommend this place for a nice quiet date night

We enjoyed a 3 course meal during Charlottesville Restaurant Week and it was our first time there. We were immediately impressed with the lovely ambience. The server was tops and the food delicious.