Lovely interior with couches and fireplaces, so beautiful. The food was exceptional. Bone marrow with escargot - yes, put more of my favorite things together please! The halibut was the star dish for me. Great dessert too. We had a lot of things on the menu and nothing disappointed. read more

The atomosphere is nice ,historic buikdung but small iverpriced portions of bad food ,the worst sopused gormet food i have ever had and i have traveldd the world . read more

Oh my goodness, there aren't words to describe how wonderful this experience was. Our servers Jacob and Brenda were absolutely incredible and started everything off on the best note, I would come back again solely for the customer service! Jacob checked on us often and had such a sweet sense of humor that made us feel so welcome! While this is true, I would come back for the food too!! Everything was delicious and innovative, things I had not had before and we were blown away. The pasta and trout were delightful and the strawberry matcha panna cotta was unforgettable honestly. Warm and inviting atmosphere we will not forget! So so happy to have had this experience! read more

Sucks but after my first visit, I'd give this place a 4.5-5 rating....my second visit brought me down to a 3. Here's why: Right off the bat, the place was dead and we asked to move from the very stuffy, almost moldy smelling room inside to the outdoor patio. There was hesitation and almost push back but they ultimately agreed to move us outside. Next, the service was insanely slow. I'm talking beyond European dining slow. We were there for 3 hours, didn't even order apps, and back to my point above, there were maybe 4 parties there total for dinner service. Yikes. The cherry on the top was the wine program changes - options moved away from local wines to mainstream Safeway collection. Harsh, but in the Mecca of Virginia's wine region, I don't understand the shift. Sad experience. Hope yours is better. read more

Do. Not. Go. Here. Yelp should offer an option of less than one star. Super over-priced drinks and food for super sub-par drinks and food. Never again. read more

1799 doesn't miss. My wife and I celebrated her birthday here last week for the first time. We were so impressed by the food, cocktails, and the decor that we agreed this is the new top spot. Blows Alley Light, Marigold, C&O, Fluerie, Duner's and other similar restaurants out of the water. I don't say that lightly. This is not a paid review. We just enjoyed ourselves that much. read more

Anniversary dinner at 1799 last night was perfect! We got there a little early to enjoy cocktails at the bar. Sam, the bartender, made great drinks and we had a great time talking to him while we sat there. Katie, our server, was excellent! She was knowledgeable about the menu and very personable. The bread service was yummy. I loved the little cracker things. I could've eaten 100 of them. I had the bone marrow and escalator appetizer and my husband had the tuna. Both delicious! For dinner he had the lamb and I had the trout. We enjoyed them a lot. Desserts were ok. We would've preferred a crème brûlée or lava cake as the lemon cake and the canule (spelling?) didn't wow us. After dinner we returned to the bar and met some lovely people here for their wedding. Sam was on point again and really nice! The only con for me was the La Marca Prosecco. For such a high end restaurant I would expect a higher end Prosecco. The champagne I had with dinner I enjoyed. La Marca is a little sweet for me and has a weird after taste. Overall 10/10 highly recommend and would definitely go back! read more

1799 Restaurant - Bone marrow and Escargot - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Well, this place was a huge disappointment, to say the least. First of all, they don't seem to want to bother updating their menu on either their own website or anyplace else so when you go in you are going to be winging it in terms of what to expect selection wise. The vegetarian options are poor at best; although they have said they will make anything vegetarian, you are basically left with one or two items on the menu that are inherently vegetarian that don't need to have substantial ingredients removed in order to be "made" vegetarian. The prices are average for the area but the food was a mixed bag at the table. Two of my friends love their meals where I thought my main course was ridiculously overpriced and almost flavorless. Our server was pleasant but completely indifferent and long gaps of time passed between each visit for her to check in on us, even though we had one that needed pouring and were not a smaller party than the other tables we saw her serving Here's the part we were most offended by: our waitress either outright lied to us or the kitchen is terribly disorganized and the restaurant is cheap and needs some major rethinking in terms of guest service. 3/4 of the way through the meal we ask for some more bread because one person at the table had eaten pretty much all the bread and two of us had not had a chance to try any. The waitress told us there was no more bread because the restaurant "only prepared enough to cover their reservations". WHAAAAHHT???? So they don't allow any walk-in diners or the walk-in diners are not allowed to have bread? Or if you accidentally drop some of the bread on the floor they will not replace it? Or if there was a child at the table that will only eat bread and there isn't any left they will not offer more?? Or if you ordered a meal that has lots of gravy or sauce and you were dying to sop it up but you have already eaten your rolls then that's just tough s**t? Can't say any of us had ever run across such a cheap and cheesy 'policy' (if that was really true) and certainly not at a fine dining restaurant which supposedly has a reputation in the area for being of good quality. If the alternative, that the waitress lied to us, was true, then that is just as bad or possibly worse because we were foolish enough to tip her thinking that she was telling us the truth. No matter which way you look at it this is 100% unacceptable and just cheap as hell. A good restaurant would certainly plan for a little bit of overage without being wasteful, knowing that there were going to be circumstances when people might want a little bit more or there might be higher walking traffic than expected or anything. Not being prepared for such basic eventualities smacks of amateurism in the kitchen or just complete cheapness which you don't even get at McDonald's when you ask for extra ketchup! read more

Doesn't disappoint. My husband and I were here last year and had a fabulous dinner. Came back this year for a weekend away and had a repeat experience. Love the Clifton. We arrived for our 7:15 pm reservation early and decided to have a drink before we sit down for dinner. John the bartender is an expert at his craft and super friendly. I remember him from our previous trip. For dinner we ordered the oysters. The jalapeño mignonette is miraculous! I could have eaten the oysters and would have been satisfied. For my entree, I ordered scallops, which were perfect. I love scallops and these were sweet and tender. So good. Since we stayed at the Clifton we also had breakfast. The eggs Benedict is super and they make a really good Bloody Mary. read more

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We came for my birthday dinner and our server made it such a fun celebration. Hubby and I both ordered from the pre-fixe 3 course meal and we they gifted us a little birthday cake and two flutes of champagne! The food was fantastic (with generous servings), service impeccable. The next morning we were still so full that we boxed most of our complimentary breakfast pastries up to enjoy later. read more

Restaurant is infested with nants in the standard restaurant area. I was unable to eat my food as the nants were swarming and landing on my plate, food and wine glass. I had to leave. They also then cancelled my reservation in open table so that I could not leave a review. It was clear that they knew that it's a problem because the manager quickly said we will take care of everything. This is a food safety issue and needs to be addressed. read more

My home away from home the Clifton 1799 is one of my favorite, usually I have my dinner every night when am staying at Clifton. Fast service, great food, some gift collection form the Chef which I like a lot, to taste new food new options, like a French cosine, small portions but great presentation and tasty. I know I'll be back here every time am in traveling to USA. read more

Overall I would have to say our experience at 1799 was disappointing. The parking lot is a poorly lit gravel one quite some distance from the main building. The estate is beautiful with a lovely view of valley below. We were greeted and sat quickly and the restaurant seemed to be at 10% capacity. The chairs were uncomfortable and the table setting was rudimentary. Our server seemed prompt and pleasant, but all of the food items were incredibly slow to be brought out. The first course of salad of the three course menu took 45 minutes to be served. The preset menu was incredibly overpriced at $69. At 90 minutes our main entrees were served. My pork tenderloin was greasy and the seared portions were hard to chew, I couldn't finish it despite the small portion. My partner's seafood dish seemed over cooked and she complained that the bread served with it was burnt. The server and manager both apologized for the slow service and our dissatisfaction with our entrees. The manager gave us two complimentary cocktails with dessert, which were appreciated. Although the setting is pretty and the ambiance is nice. It was definitely not worth the cost and I would not return. read more

Best restaurant in Charlottesville! In such a historic one of a kind setting:) Perfect service accompanied by out of this world food by the acclaimed Michelin starred chef Matthew read more

About a 1-1.5: Yikes! Our experience at The Clifton wasn't a great one. While we did not stay at the inn, we did come here to celebrate a special occasion by having dinner here.  Reservations were made in advance, but the timing seemed off, as we waited past our reservation time to be seated. We finally were seated, which felt like close to 45 minutes, in the 1799 dining room. We ordered from their 3-course pre-fixe menu: the Escargot & Bone Marrow (with lemon, pernod, and country toast; this was way too greasy and had an off-putting smell); the Fermented Butternut Squash Soup (with brussels sprouts, pear cider milk punch, sage butter, and almond crumble; this soup was creamy and was flavorful, but it was served cold); the Pear & Arugula Salad (with Bosc pears, arugula, Point Reyes bleu cheese, candied pecans, and saba; this was a great salad with tasty bits of bleu cheese and the pecans; a typical salad that I really enjoy!); the House Dry-Aged NY Strip (with fermented mushroom and walnut granola, Yorkshire pudding, radish, roasted carrots, mushrooms, and a red wine gastrique; this was actually returned 2 times as the temperature of the steak was not met and was not cooked (overcooked on the exterior while inside was all raw)); the Braised Lamb Shank (with toasted oat crepe, mint, frisee, green peppercorn and cranberry biscotto, and coffeed parsnip and mousse; the lamb was gamey, but it was also extremely tough, considering it was braised; I know that another party seated next to us sent this dish back); the Spanish Cheesecake & Red Wine Poached Pears (with bay leaf zabaglione, port wine puree, and orange cookie crumbs); and, the Meyer Lemon Tart (with caramelized sugar, blood orange, and whipped cream). Our server was friendly, but she would disappear for long periods at a time; I think she was newer, but it was difficult to touch base with her throughout the evening. When we left, the hostess/manager apologized profusely, but, it is what it is, you know? Restrooms could have been kept well as there were toilet paper strewn all over the floor, the trash bin was overflowing, and there was a lack of paper towels to wipe. The waiting area is comfortable, but some are facing the concierge desk, so it can get a little awkward? There's parking in the gravel lot, but you'll have to walk to the main building; if you're having dinner, the area is not well lit, so just make sure you have some type of a flashlight on! +avoid the pre-fixe menus! +inconsistent service +small store/boutique by the entry area +gravel lot away from main building +parking area not well-lit read more

I have heard so many exciting things about the Clifton inn but was sadly disappointed. My friend and I were so pumped to try it out! We came for the Easter prix fixe brunch ($69 for 2 courses and a dessert buffet). Granted perhaps packed Easter Sunday brunch is not the best day for this restaurant to shine but still for that price we were expecting a lot more. We showed up early for our seat and the wait was long and chaotic for our reservation. That's fine we got a cocktail at the bar and waited it out (excellent cocktails and bar service btw) When we did get seated it took easily 15-20 minutes before a staff member appeared to fill our water glasses or take our order. Though they were super friendly when they did appear, they just seemed stretched pretty thin). For starters we had the cream of leek soup and the smoked salmon and roe over garlic pancakes. The smoked salmon was a creative idea but didn't have enough sauce resulting in a dry dish. The soup was yummy. For the mains is where we were disappointed. I got the braised lamb shank over manchego grits and artichokes. It was a sweaty fat riddled HUGE hunk of meat just plopped on top of a little mound of grits. My vegetarian friend got artichokes and snap peas over farro. The sauce was good but the farro practically raw. I will say the desert bar was the saving grace with four little options to choose from. So my props to the pastry chef. Of course the grounds are stunning. I'd like to return and give it a second chance but at those prices I'm wary. read more

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Fabulous dinner. Beautiful view (if you sit outside, don't forget sunglasses). Fantastic, professional service from Sam. Perfect. Now the food. App: snails and bone marrow- unctuous and superb. Split this one. 5 Star. Entree 1: Pancetta wrapped trout, 5 star. Entree 2: Braised short rib. Delicious, lean for short rib, could have used more liquid for late in the eating, 4.5 star. Surprise standout: Roasted brussel sprouts in red wine syrup. A showstopper. 5 Star! read more

The historic building has beautiful vintage decor, with glamorous style when you enter the lobby. Welcoming staff to greet you. We had dinner on 12.29.21. Three course meal. The selections were delectable. We had pear and arugula salad and one of the egg dishes for small plates. All very tasty and fresh. For the main course we had a medium cooked NY strip steak with vegetables and sesame seed blackened tuna. Great presentation and delicious flavoring. Everything cooked perfectly. We cleaned our plates! Our server Carlos was on point with drinks and checking on us and food delivery. Very friendly and professional. Dessert was the pecan creme brulee and the pastry with pears (can't remember the name), both of which were superb. We had an enjoyable and memorable dinner. Thank you. read more

1799 Restaurant - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I have not dined at Clifton's restaurant in quite sometime. Understood the Executive Chef had changed and thought giving the restaurant a try would be fun. The restaurant is nicely appointed however the parking lot is a disaster. Not paved, dusty with rocks over which one must walk from the parking area to the restaurant. Once inside the restaurant, I found comfortable chairs although the table for 2 is small and can become crowded with glasses, bread service, bread plates, etc. Full bar is available and the drinks were well prepared. Ordered the Pear & Arugula Salad and the House Mixed Greens. Both were very good. All was going well until we received our main courses of Steak au Poivre and the Burger. Here is where things began to disappoint. The steak, although a nice cut, was tough, difficult to cut and chew. While the menu did not state the cut, I was expecting something akin to a tender filet and not a sirloin. The three onion rings that accompanied the steak were somewhat soggy. The burger was seasoned with "herbs and lemon" which gave the otherwise nice burger a strange taste. Dining companion said the taste of citrus was overpowering and they did not finish the meal. A good example of trying to do too much with a burger that is best kept simple. We ordered a side of Brussel Sprouts which were the hit of the meal. Charred in a red wine syrup. The combination was outstanding. Wine list is long and, not to be picky, difficult to read. Quite a few blank pages one has to page through. The service was outstanding. Attentive without hovering. Prices are no higher than other higher end restaurants. So while I gave 1799 3 stars, it's likely I would not return. As beautiful as the location is, the parking challenge and the misses on the main courses detracted from the dining experience. Nothing that can't be overcome by Clifton and 1799 Restaurant. read more

Came for a birthday celebration. The restaurant told us they didn't have our reservation even after showing them the confirmation email and we were staying at the hotel. Got a table inside finally since it was freezing outside. Prix fixe menu/Person is $70. Prices aren't listed on the menu but whoa. This is NOT worth $70. We got the tuna and the clam chowder as our starters which were great. However, the burger was not. Something had way too much of a rosemary flavor. The steak was fine but not worth the cost. For desert we got cheesecake and the cookies and cream. Also WAY overpriced. Too many flavors that didn't go together on the cookies abs cream and the cheesecake was just fine. For a $200+ dinner, NOT worth it. read more

We came here for my 50th Birthday meal and it was spectacular. First being greeted outside by the hostess was very special and since our table want ready yet they offered us complimentary drinks. The Old Fashion was very good but they had an even better drink made with blueberry moonshine that I should have gotten as it was really good! The meal was amazing and the service spectacular. We will definitely be going back. read more

1799 Restaurant - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Good food and ambience at this restaurant, which is located in a 19th century home. The wait staff was very accommodating and they had great patio seating due to COVID. The inn itself is also a great stay if you don't feel like driving home after dinner! read more

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The 1799 Restaurant at the Clifton Inn was an absolutely luxurious, peaceful, picturesque and historical setting paired with delightfully tasting, classy dishes. The Chef, Sous chef's, management, and waiting staff treated our large group reservation as though we were family. They accommodated our needs for both young children and older adults. We were surprised by multiple "complements of the chef," exposing us to treats never before experienced. Our 14 person group each agrees that the experience was 10/10. We recommend for events, celebrations, &/or for a delicious quality meal! read more

I waited a week to write this to see if I had cooled off. The 3rd star is courtesy of my cool-off and their pretty good, nicely presented grub. Let me also preface this with, you don't have to do much to get 20% from me and my husband. We are NOT picky about service. We live about 5 minutes from The Clifton and were so excited to go once we were settled in our home. The first time we went, the service was pretty bad. It was our anniversary and it took about 15 min to even be acknowledged. Then, we came back and just did happy hour and meals at the bar (right before everything shut down this year). They redeemed themselves, or so I thought. We decided to always eat at the bar if possible after that. Fast forward to last Friday. We made reservation for 3 in the bar area because we had a family member staying with us. We sat in the bar area (bar itself is closed). They have a $65 pp set menu. A little pricy but my husband was told we could do that or ala carte since we would be at the bar. We get there and the hostess disagrees with me that the reservation is for 3. She wasn't outwardly mean, but her annoyance at sitting us at the larger table was pretty evident. She also told us it was pre fixe only. No exceptions. That was fine, just sort of not what my husband was told. Then, 10 min later, when the bartender has decided to stop socializing while he dried glasses, he comes over to take our orders...at least drink orders. I asked about wine and he said, no joke, "I'm a bartender, I don't really know wine..." He got me someone else who knew only a little more about wine. I'm not a snob, but 1. A bartender should learn a little about wine 2. "They have very similar flavors" is not helpful when comparing 2 Pinot Noirs. The apps and drinks came quickly after that. And they were delicious. Things were looking up and we were willing to put the rest behind us. Then the lull to end all lulls. It took what felt like eternity to get our entrees. Complete with "They're working on your entrees," told to us about 15 min in and then taking another 10-15min. We had fish and steak and, by the time we got them, almost everybody in the restaurant had left for the night. No apologies, watched the bartender socializing and drying glasses while nobody checked on our food. We had been there about 2hrs (just under) by the time we got entrees. Then, to get what are most likely pre-made desserts (house made but made prior to dinner service), it took about 15 more minutes. Said and done, this meal took about 2.5 hours! If this took so long because it was a 5 course, culinary experience, or even if we had gotten an apology, I probably would have just let it go completely. But none of that was true and we spend over $300 (because we, much to my husband's dismay, still tipped over 10%). We even wrote on the receipt to give us a call to discuss the whole thing. Nobody did. Nobody seemed to care about us the entire time and it was like we were at the lost table being in the bar area. We watched people come and go and have long conversations with staff. I can't say we will be going back unless we hear something had really changed. Maybe for happy hour AT THE BAR and not with that bar tender from last week. So sad this beautiful place can't get its service together... read more

Beautiful setting, gorgeous interior and OUTSTANDING drinks. With that being said, I think my favorite part of our food experience was the complimentary bread and A.muse-bouche. They were thoughtful and well-presented. Service was outstanding. COVID precautions seemed like second nature to this restaurant and was much appreciated. The reason for 3 stars is due to the actual cuisine. For starters, my wife had the steak tartare and I had the "pear and arugula salad. She enjoyed the steak tartare but my "pear salad" had about 4 very thin slices of pear, two small chunks of bleu cheese and around 4 candied pecans, all nestled within what seemed like a heap of arugula. Tasty, but a little much. For the entrees, my wife had the NY strip which seemed tough with visible knobs of un-rendered fat. The rest was good but not memorable. I had the ultra-gourmet burger that was just alright. I rather enjoyed the lemon tart and my wife swooned over the apple dessert. Overall, for the amount of money spent, one would expect a nicer cut of beef on both accounts. However, as I said before, the ambience and drinks were outstanding and it merits a trip back just for that! Have also heard good things about the brunch. read more

Eric, the bartender was fun and easy to talk to - not to mention he made delicious drinks!!! Our server was sweet and attentive. The food was beautifully presented and yummy - but be prepared to shell out some $$! The ambiance was cozy and intimate - great for a romantic dinner for two! read more

We were very excited to try this restaurant - on our first evening in the Charlottesville area. The setting is beautiful as is the decor. However, our experience left us unimpressed. Our server, while friendly, just wasn't of the caliber one might expect at a restaurant of this caliber. The food was good but not great and definitely not what one expects from a Michelin star chef. It is overpriced for the experience. read more

My husband and I were visiting Charlottesville, and decided to have a fancier dinner at 1799, especially because it was restaurant week. There was no one at the front door when we walked in, and it was very unclear where the host would greet us. After we were seated, we waited 15min without anyone coming to our table, even though people seated after us were waited on, even ordering food. We had to find the manager, who was very apologetic and attempted to improve the evening for us, but the service continued to be lacking throughout the night. The food was creative and interesting, but we were not overly impressed, especially for the prices. We were very disappointed with our experience, and we will not be recommending this restaurant to anyone. read more

I have dined at many of the nice restaurants in the Charlottesville area, and our meal at 1799 was one of the best. They are currently doing a 3 course prix fixe menu which includes a starter, entree, and dessert. The complimentary bread was phenomenal. The rolls were some of the best I've ever had -- they were pillowy soft, slightly sweet, with a flavorful topping. They came baked in a very cute mini Staub cast iron as well. For a starter, we tried the arugula and pear salad and the prawns. The pear and arugula salad was simple but prepared very well. The way they cooked the prawns yielded a texture that I didn't love, but their flavor and sauce they came with made up for that. For entrees, we got the New York strip and the halibut. The steak was cooked perfectly and was one of the more tender New York strips I have every tasted. It came with some excellent potatoes and green beans. The halibut was also cooked perfectly. It had an incredibly crispy skin and delicate flesh. The crispy lemon meringue on top was a fun, albeit unnecessary, addition. For dessert we tried the apple cider doughnuts, chocolate cake, and the creme brulee. All of the desserts were good, with the chocolate cake being my favorite. It came served "deconstructed" so you did not get a huge amount, but it was not overly sweet and had a very rich, dark chocolate flavor. The presentation of every dish was truly artistic. We noticed the chef harvesting some greens from the garden earlier in the day which I assume made it onto at least one of our plates. Although the meal was not cheap, we loved everything and felt it was well worth it. read more

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My girlfriend took me to 1799 at the Clifton to try to cap off a wonderful birthday weekend with an Easter brunch, but what we found was certainly not a "brunch" (you'll find out why the apostrophes in a second). First of all, my girlfriend was told that the Prix Fix menu would be available 10 days prior to the "brunch", however after several phone calls to the restaurant, the staff were unable to give her the menu ever, even the DAY BEFORE the "brunch". I've never dined at a restaurant that did not have a set menu in advance, however even this lack of preparation didn't dissuade us from attending - trying to give the staff & chefs the benefit of the doubt. We looked at the regular brunch menu & assumed (wrong move) that this "brunch" would be in line with that. Nope. Now I wish we didn't. When we got to the restaurant, I can certainly tell the aesthetics were the selling point - beautiful setting. However, when we sat down it became apparent that the only "brunch" aspect of this menu happened to be the Eggs Benedict (and mimosa). The only Easter aspect of the "brunch" was all the lettuce that came with our lackluster Eggs Benedict - I certainly felt like a rabbit eating all of it directly after the salad course. The rest of the menu was more geared towards a dinner at a experimental kitchen in TriBeCa, instead of a beautiful, historic inn in the mountains of Virginia. Now, if we were prepared to consume menu items like this, we wouldn't have had an issue with it, however this was definitely not the "brunch" vibes we were going for. Service was okay and slightly awkward - honestly on par with a local Applebee's, and not as attentive as a High-End restaurant should be. We didn't even get a refill on our waters until after the check arrived. Don't think we'd be back any time soon - and certainly will NOT be recommending this "brunch" to any one we know. read more

What a great spot! Lovely brunch for a group post-wedding, kind and thoughtful staff, and a beautiful establishment!

This place is the worst. We booked a hotel room and dinner out. We got childcare and everything. We drove up to the hotel to find a note on the door saying they had no power. One week after a snowstorm hit Charlottesville. They never bothered to call anyone who had reservations to tell them. There are many great establishments in Charlottesville you can spend your money in, but this one definitely should not be anywhere on that list. I can't imagine having any sort of event at a place with service this terrible. read more

We came for Easter brunch with 11 people and nobody enjoyed much on the buffet. We were very disappointed.

My husband and I stayed at the Clifton Inn to celebrate our one-year anniversary and the inn is absolutely STUNNING. We loved everything about our stay but we felt that dinner at 1799 was just OK- of course, I am probably judging it more harshly since I had high expectations. Restaurants boasting high quality, high priced food (although $65 for 3 courses is not a lot, relatively speaking) naturally raise my expectations so I was excited to dine here but a lot of the meal fell flat. None of my three courses were outstanding enough to try again. I don't remember what my first course even was and I had the halibut in a clam-bacon 'vinaigrette' for dinner which was definitely the highlight. I tried the apple cider donuts for dessert which were OK but not amazing... the peanuts were a weird choice. After reading the menu over, it seems like they were trying WAY too hard to be 'gourmet'- for example, I really wanted to try the scallops but nothing about scallops in chocolate mint kombucha appeals to me and I eat pretty much anything (read my reviews). Overall, the place is gorgeous, the food, even if not incredible, was very fresh, and our service was excellent. Would I return? yes but only if staying at the Inn. read more

This was the type of experience that my partner and I will talk about for years, because it was so bad that it will make for a great laugh. In good news, we got through it with our relationship intact, so it was a great test for us! We had been to The Clifton before to talk the grounds, and I had heard fantastic things about the restaurant. On a recent trip to Charlottesville, I booked the Valentine's Day set menu experience for my fiance and I. It was an expensive dinner ($90+ a person), but living in D.C., we love having a fantastic meal every once in awhile, and this seemed like a great treat. My goodness, was this disappointing. We each selected our five courses and sat back. The meal started with a free amuse bouche, which was a nice touch, in theory. In fact, for a crostini, the bread was soft and soggy, and the mouse on top was so sweet that it tasted like dessert. What's more, the person bringing the plate out let the crostini flip on its side, spilling the contents everywhere, and rather than actually bring me a new one, he laughed, shrugged, and set it in front of me to sort of reconstruct. The first course--a squash soup--was very good, if a little oversweet. It's here that the trouble started. It took 50 minutes for our second course (of 5) to arrive. 50 minutes. We watched in horror as other guests received multiple courses. Our lovely waitress, who did a wonderful job, periodically came out to assure us it was coming, but that she didn't know what was causing the delay. At one point, she just randomly poured us glasses of champagne to make up for it. We appreciated the effort. But we got our second course at 7:30... an hour and fifteen minutes into dinner. And what's more, it was terrible. My scallop tartar wasn't actually chopped, so it was stringy bits of scallop that looked like they had been hacked. And my partner gave me a look after trying his fettucine of bewilderment. He asked me to try it; I did, and... it was bad. Worse than country club buffet bad. There were unmelted globs of butter, and the pasta was cold, meaning that it tasted only of congealed cream. I'm not sure how this happened, but it was wild. Next came "seed risotto." Except that it was not risotto at all; it was a small pile of seeds and quoina with foam. I love molecular gastonomy, but you can't use words like "risotto" if it bears no resemblance whatsoever to the dish. Then lamb. It was utterly unspectacular. Pulled pieces of lamb over white beans, with some type of a fruitcake bomb on the side that was the same color as the lamb, so at points I just got a forkful of dessert. Dessert itself was actually great! I had a chocolate bombe that was extravagent; my partner had a creme brulee that was very nice and well balanced. Huh. I have to give praise to our waitress, who really was kind and understanding. She also gave us extra free drinks with dessert as an apology, and explained that she had never seen the kitchen like this. Apparently there was some problem with the staffing that was having a profound effect on service. I appreciated her talking to us very much, and she certainly tried her best. For this price, this was an insane meal. We thought about getting up at multiple points in the evening and simply going to a Taco Bell, even though it would have basically amounted to burning close to $300 in sunk costs. The wine list looked great. The decor was nice. That was about it. read more

We had dinner here at the Clifton Inn and it was one of the best dinners I've had in a while! We had a risotto that had carrots and peas and many other flavors in it--it was to die for! For my main course I had a chicken breast with turnip potato gratin and a little salad that had spinach, ham bits, and pickled ramps! It was absolutely amazing! The flavors all worked together so well and the service was great, too! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone! 10/10 experience! read more

Good food, but they added on a 20% gratuity in a table of three for our Christmas Eve dinner PLUS a $50 "service fee"... then when the credit card slip came, the total said "pre-tip" amount. I'll be having a conversation with the manager about this tomorrow. Ridiculous rip off! read more

Surprisingly bad. The service was sloppy, our courses were served properly but they blew the orders at tables to either side of us. One guy waited 15 minutes after his wife finished eating because they forgot his entree. Crazy! The server could not describe to another table what was on the plate. Lots of confused looks among staff. And then there was the food itself, nicely presented but cooked either too much (meat) or not enough (green beans) and postage stamp portions, laughingly small; by the time the $12 dessert came, with 4 one inch squares of cake, and 3 blackberries cut in half of all things, scattered across the plate, we laughed together. Style but no substance. We have another night here but we will eat elsewhere. read more

This review is for the food only. Portions were small which is ok, but the quality and taste of the food was poor. The bread was the best part of the dinner. Steak was bland and overcooked, swordfish was just outright bad. Very disappointed read more

Stephanie, the bartender at the restaurant at The Clifton Inn, makes one of the best Manhattans I've ever had. I'd rank it in the top two. She uses a Virginia rye (who knew), makes her own bitters. Cold, smooth and served in the perfect coupe. She makes a number of other craft cocktails, but this was far and away my favorite. read more