Finding Ten was very lucky. I was in Charlottesville for a show and had no clue where to eat. The lady at my hotel gave me a bunch of cards for local eateries but when I checked most of them out they didn't really seem that intriguing. Ten shared a card with some other restaurant whose name I have forgotten and which didn't interest me and I was tired of walking and I was getting pretty hungry so I just figured I'd give it a try. The restaurant is upstairs in an older building. It has big windows and they've put mirrors on the ceiling which not only reflect the street but also the dozens of candle sconces on the walls. The lights are pretty low (too low for food photographs) but this gave it an "intimate" vibe as opposed to an "I can't read my menu" vibe. I was led to a comfortable booth by an attentive host and in short order my waiter brought over menus and water. I started off with a Yuzu daiquiri (delicious) and some avocado tempura. Now, generally speaking, I believe that cooking avocado is a crime against nature. Ten's avocado tempura manages blend a perfectly done tempura outside with a barely warm and richly creamy avocado inside. It is accompanied by a flavored mayonnaise dressing that is very good. The tempura would be fine on its own though. For dinner I had the Poke Don, which is essentially tarted up tekka donburi. It was fabulous. The tuna was fresh and very tender and perfectly marinated. It was accompanied by chunks of avocado (I don't think it's possible to have too much avocado, do you?), pickled ginger, wasabi, and of course, rice. There was just enough of everything. All this awesomeness was accompanied by a glass of Junmai Daiginjo "Nothingness". I do not claim to be a sake expert but I found this to be an exceptional glass of wine. In any case, it went perfectly with my tekkadon. You might think that after all this avocado and fish and rice I'd be stuffed but they had donuts on the dessert menu so I made room. Well, beignets. Beignets flavored with orange and ginger. I wasn't interested in the vietnamese coffee shake they usually come with so I just had the donuts with a glass of delicately sweet plum wine. Yeah. Sometimes life doesn't suck. Every moment I was in this place was pleasant. The music was low key but interesting enough that I looked it up on an app on my phone. The ambience was calm and inviting. My waiter was pleasant and very helpful with suggestions about food and drink. The food and drink were delicious. It is expensive but it is well worth it to have such a nice dining experience. I really do hope I have an opportunity to come back some time. read more

We selected the restaurant week menu of shrimp tempura, spicy tuna rolls and the steak. Katherine was our waitress and took such good care of us. We let her select a flight of saki for us to try. My favorite was the Rihaku " Dreamy Clouds". My first filet tasted wonderful but was not a very good cut. I mentioned it to her and they prepared another and it was perfect. They didn't have them during restaurant week but if you go try the beignets they are amazing. Great date night. read more

Ten has incredible sushi. It is on the more expensive side, however it is noticeably worth it. I've enjoyed various rolls from Ten and they are always spot on (also the avocado tempura!). The atmosphere is awesome and provides a nice "city" vibe. The fish is fresh, the ginger is honestly the best tasting ginger I've had, there is a wide variety of options for Sake, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. You really can't go wrong. read more

First visit was EXCEPTIONAL. Returning again within the week at our daughter's request for her 16th birthday. We were in town a few months ago & looked for a sushi spot. Found another place that was fine, just not special. This place was great! It's not easy to find if you are not familiar with C'Ville. It's on the walking mall downtown & the frontage to the shopping platz is just 1 unassuming door. It's worth the effort to locate, though! The ambiance is a terrific use of space with a great mix of modern & aged character. It's NY chic which was quite a surprise, considering the unassuming door. The food was fresh & beautiful & DELICIOUS. Staff was attentive & food came strikingly quickly. We thought it was a fairly good value. It's an upscale (biz casual) finer dining establishment & here's what we had: 1 appetizer, 3 plates of sushi, 1 dessert, 1 mocktail, 2 glasses of wine. $120 INCLUDING tax & 20% tip. I was splitting the bill with someone so I know the breakdown of the $120 was: $80 for food; $40 drinks, taxes & tip. If you're looking for sushi, I highly recommend 10. ***The only thing to note is that they are using space on the 2nd floor of an older building. To enter, you must climb a significant staircase. If you are visiting with anyone who is older or disabled, you may want to inquire when making your reservation as to how they accommodate these diners. I'm sure the do, I'm just not sure how they do.*** read more

Stars are a problem. I'd go with 1.5. We were in town for a concert and reserved a table for dinner. Unlike other reviews, we felt the service was fine but the food was really bad. We had a squid tempura to start and it wasn't tempura. They may have battered it at some point but they then dragged it through something like a BBQ sauce and slapped it on the plate. We both had rolls and one of them, the plum, was inedible. I kid not when the "it tastes like Barbie doll feet" was dropped after the first bite. And, it did taste that like - or what I'd imagine those feet might taste like: rubbery, chemically, not great. The server took that roll off the bill which was quite nice and probably all that keeps this from 1 star. Not a great experience. read more

Listen to the sushi snobs. It is not enough to say that Ten has ok sushi "for Charlottesville." The preparation is off, and in the last year I have gotten fish twice that was stale enough to set off my gag reflex. That is, I suspect, why they now put their sushi out with things on top of it. Service is always bad. Seems like there is no one in charge of the front of house. So with perfectly fresh fish, it is a fake sushi place. With fish that is not fresh, it is a place that should not be patronized. Free market, do your thing. read more

In part to celebrate the end of finals, my girlfriend and I returned to Ten for a Tuesday night dinner. The damage: seaweed salad, tori kara yuzu (chicken skewer), maguro honey roll, wasabi roll, wagyu beef roll, 10pc sashimi omakase, and an extra order of otoro sashimi. Now where to start with the food. As soon as you walk into Ten, you get a certain kind of vibe that screams sophistication. The seaweed salad embodied that vibe quite nicely, served in a clear glass glass bowl floating on top of a bed of small ice cubes in a larger ceramic bowl. But, as I've yet to disprove anywhere, seaweed salad is seaweed salad. I've been told that the skewers here are a must-try, and our chicken skewers didn't disappoint; the unique and tasty sauce was definitely worth trying, but for $6 I would have expected a little bit more quantity. Moving onto the rolls, I'd highly recommend both the maguro honey and wasabi rolls. The maguro roll had the largest chunks of deep red, lean tuna I've ever seen in makizushi. If you want a simple, unpretentious roll that showcases Ten's quality then this is one to get. The wasabi roll, featuring three kinds of wasabi as well as wasabi oil, more than lived up to its name. Think back to the last time you tried food that someone told you was incredibly spicy, thought it wasn't so bad, but ended up realizing you were an idiot and spoke too soon - if you're a fan of the in-your-nose wasabi burn (I am), you'll fully appreciate the delayed kick of the wasabi roll. We also tried the wagyu beef roll at our server's recommendation. Though pricey, the salty, savory seared beef on top of crunchy lettuce and buttery avocado provided a juxtaposition of flavors and textures that worked surprisingly well. Unfortunately, you're mostly paying for the label here, since the Korean-inspired galbi marinade masks the fact that you're eating wagyu beef, whose high marbling makes it normally cost an arm and a leg. As a general litmus test for sushi bars, I try to order the omakase sashimi. The chef gets the flexibility to present the freshest fish on hand, and I get to see the best that a place has to offer. Our ten pieces: tuna (otoro, chutoro, and maguro), salmon, kanpachi (amberjack), escolar (hawaiian walu), sea bass, saba (mackerel), kohada (shad), and another white one I can't recall. The cooked mackerel and shad were too fishy for our tastes. The amberjack had a peculiar texture, while the sea bass and walu were pleasantly light tasting. The salmon and tuna knocked it out of the park though. The otoro, as rich and fatty as I'd hoped, was so good I ordered an extra two pieces. The chutoro, slightly less fatty, was my girlfriend's favorite. For the most part I was impressed with the overall high quality of the fish, which they get three times a week. If anything defined our dinner experience, it had to have been our waiter Jon. Ever knowledgeable and adept at explaining the nuances and details to every item on our table while also providing good recommendations, he was incredibly helpful and attentive throughout dinner. It probably helped that it wasn't a particularly busy night, but the service was exactly what I'd expect from an upscale restaurant. If our dinner before was 4 stars, the service easily made it a 5. I don't disagree with any of the other reviewers, Ten is expensive. It's trendy. It's not your go-to place for an everyday casual dinner unless money grows on your trees. But based on my experience, Ten deserves a ten out of ten. read more

I tried this last night for restaurant week, but I didn't realize how overpriced the whole thing is. They have a great environment, but food is definitely not worth it. There you pay for the place and the presentation. For the amount of money I spent there I could have eaten in any restaurant around Charlottesville. If you're actually looking for food, any supermarket sushi comes quite close to what they offer. read more

Given the prices on the menu, I wanted to find fault with this place. I really couldn't! We tried a variety of sushi and small plates, and everything we had was very tasty. The atmosphere is awesome. Definitely make a reservation on Opentable if you want to go on a weekend. read more

Swing and a miss. Seems the chef is trying too hard. Combinations don't really connect. Even the simple sushi has not been outstanding. Nearby Miyako is a more consistent solid choice for much better value. Tokyo Rose on Ivy Road hits it out of the park. read more

The place was recommended by a few locals as the best quality sushi in the area and they were dead on about the quality. Food was outstanding, got the chesapeake roll and the spicy honey roll (might have been called something else). As an added bonus the staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and associated cross contamination. We (my gf and I, she has celiac's) sat at the sushi bar and talked to Corey, Alex, and Kyle most of the night, they guided our food choices, especially in regards to gluten. All three were awesome and made great recommendations about the area. The drinks were great too! Warning: was not your typical cheap all you can eat sushi place, little pricier, but definitely recommended. read more

Probably the best sushi in Charlottesville. The ambiance is fantastic--very luxurious and stylish. The cocktails are well-crafted and the servers are very attentive. A bit of a splurge, but worth it. The fish is fresh and the sashimi is high quality. The rolls are equally delicious and all the appetizers are tasty. Get a reservation, as it packs up quickly, especially on the weekends. read more

My favorite sushi restaurant of all time. This upscale Japanese restaurant is located above Blue Light Grill in the heart of downtown Charlottesville. I highly suggest ordering their specialty sushi rolls, sashimi, uni, chicken skewers, and kobe beef skewers (3 options: garlic, miso, and wasabi which is my favorite). There is also a large selection of entrees and cocktail drinks. The waitstaff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the selections. The only minus is the price (expect to pay at least $50/person to get full). read more

My experience at TEN sushi was great. Although our server wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu, we made some great selections and enjoyed every piece of sushi/sashimi we ordered. I highly recommend ordering Omakase sashimi because the fish here is very fresh and it turns out the be a great deal for the amount of sashimi you get. For rolls, I recommend the Soft Shell Crab Roll and the Hotate Roll. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and located in the heart of downtown Charlottesville. read more

Make a reservation! This is a popular place and the food is delicious. We tried four different rolls and the spicy choices didn't disappoint while the Maguro Karai Honey and Ebi rolls were the favorites. Stay for dessert and try the chocolate cake. It's worth the calories. Just don't order tea; it takes all night to Brew. read more

Consistently good service; consistently tasty food. Trendy ambiance makes it a perfect place to celebrate special occasions or go on a date. Food is a little pricier than competitive sushi options in C-ville, but the quality of food and number of options (even for those who don't like/eat sushi) makes it worth it. read more

It's been a while after I wrote my review; so, I thought I should update (same as another sushi place I wrote a review...). First off, I still think it is overpriced. Yes, I agree that this restaurant uses very good quality fish/ingredients for sushi/sashimi...but has to be NYC price? I did Omakase again with price limit...sushi chef was very nice this time; and I thought he may have remembered me. I asked...about Omakase order. Sushi chef said not many customers would do. Anyway, I asked him to serve sushi with authentic style rather than fusion style - means I like less toppings on sushi. This time I got following: Toro, Tuna (akami), Salmon (harami & regular), Hamachi, Hirame, Saba, Botan-Ebi, Uni, Ikura..reached price limit. I was still hungry, but was afraid that it may go way beyond my budget for the night. I did drink one beer...hmmm, I thought I could get a few more pieces, honestly. Uni was rather watery and not sweet...though served generous amount. Ikura was too salty. Hirame did not have a good texture. Botan-Ebi...hmmm, not so sweet and head was not served. Worst of all, I felt sushi rice was over cooked...too soft for sushi. ...well, I could agree with a few nice quality fish...but price and presentation of "authentic" sushi, I could not agree. Of course, that is very much based on personal preference. So, my review stays with 3-stars. read more

Bar None the best sushi in town. Fantastic specialty dishes, rolls, drinks. Wonderful ambiance. Great for date night and meetings.

Yet another disappointing Charlottesville culinary experience. This may be the best that Charlottesville has to offer, but as a Chicagoian it's subpar. The service is terrible. I waited over an hour for my food on a Tuesday. It took almost twenty minutes for our server to bring us drinks. The "hot" sake was luke warm at best and the sushi definitely was not fresh. It tasted questionable, like something you would buy from 7-Eleven and wonder why you just ate it and hope you don't get sick. As the only sushi place I've eaten at in Charlottesville I have nothing to compare it to, but as the "Best of C-ville" lists this as the best sushi place in Charlottesville I would say just don't eat sushi while your here. About the only thing the place has going for it is it's location on the Downtown Mall. It's charming and old world. The outdoor seating is nice and it has a nice ambiance. read more

A real dinner at ten is about a once yearly treat for me. As others have noted it is one of the pricier options, but I do feel there is a difference in the quality. After all they did just win best sushi in best of cville. We had made reservations for six o'clock, putting us as the first customers of the evening. That was nice because sometimes the space can get a little overwhelming with the noise/accoustics. Our waiter was very attentive, in the two hours we spent there my water glass was never less then 3/4s full. We started with an order of soup each. The Udon was a perfect bland of savory broth and noodle. The miso is my favorite in town, a rich red version that rivals a beef soup for richness. After that we chose the mid-size (ten pieces) omkase selection of sushi. It came beautifully arranged with each selection featuring an appropriate flavor garnish, everything from kiwi to wasabi tobiko. Very fresh fish, no after taste whatsoever and generous sized portions. We followed that with an order of short ribs from the specials menu. Very unique and flavorful preparation. After this, we chose the escolar from the tempura selection. Very light and served on a bed of seaweed salad, always refreshing. Finally we split an order of 'coffee and donuts', a vietnamese coffee milkshake with the most amazing orange-ginger beignets. In addition my drink, the ginger pear, was amazing and a perfect compliment to the meal. Two of those and two beers put the total bill in at about 120, which is high for everyday but well worth it for a once yearly treat. We walked away very full and very satisfied. read more

After eating here again I decided that the quality of their sushi and its price just does not correspond with a 4 star review...there are so many better places in both DC and Charlottesville that this place just doesn't deserve a 4 star review. Tries way too hard to be trendy and 6 bucks for A SINGLE ROLL OF SUSHI in Charlottesville....give me a break dude. read more

Whoa, expensive. I didn't have any issues with service, but I think the price holds me back from making this place a regular. I would agree, it's really good sushi/sashimi and yes, it is Charlottesville, but I couldn't help feeling like I was paying more for the presentation than the food. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be? That being said, the place is designed gorgeously, and the presentation was amazing. The hamachi melts in your mouth. Just save up for your visit. read more

Best sushi in Virginia

If you look up the definition of overrated in Webster dictionary it should say Ten. The food is good if you ever get it. Took over an hour to tell us that the meal we ordered was not available. And another half hour to get the meal we didnt even want. Very disappointed. First and last time I will dine at 10. Slow service and they think they are much cooler than they are. And the portions are enough for a mouse. There were 3 occupied tables in the entire restaurant, yet we still never got service. Please go elsewhere if you value your time at all. SAD! read more

The food was good. The service was awful. There were five of us and because we wanted the check split 5 ways there was an automatic gratuity added. I have no issues tipping, but when we ask for things 3 times and it takes 2 hours to get the food and check.... that doesn't warrant 20%. read more

By far the best sushi in town! Everything is really fresh and the rolls are really great. The only thing to be aware of is that it fills up really quickly on weekends so make sure to make a reservation! read more

Really, really, really good food. Also really expensive, just like everyone says (hence 4 stars not 5). So, if you go, be prepared for that. If you're not prepared for that, go somewhere else. The sushi is terrific - definitely the best in town. I've been 4-5 times and I've never had the bad service that some are talking about. Impressive sake menu, but personally the lychee martini is what does it for me. Kobe beef is out of this world. Had beef tongue once when it they had it on the menu and really enjoyed that as well. With the outdoor seating in can make for a wonderful evening when the weather's nice. read more

Cozy sleek space; love the modern decor. Went to Ten for the first time recently and was very impressed. Enjoyed a drink at the bar before dinner and was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite sakes on the menu - Hakkaisan. Our server was friendly and attentive; however when asked questions about the menu she did not seem to be very knowledgeable. Started with the sushi omokase and thought it was an excellent value. Superb quality fish and the portion size was very generous. (We opted for the $30 or $40 omokase, don't remember the exact price). Other highlights include the tempura shrimp in spicy sauce and kobe skewers. Excellent quality and delicious food. Definitely worth the price. The next time I'm back in Charlottesville, I will be back. read more

Ten used to be my go-to restaurant in Charlottesville, and in my opinion has the best sushi in the area by far. However, I usually get less than great service, and this last experience was too over-the-top bad that I will NOT go back. It was my friend's birthday, and I recommended Ten based on how great the food usually is. We had a party of ~6, so not too big at all. Right from the start of the meal, the waiter was in a visibly pissy mood; he was short with us when we answered questions, and really just acted like he didn't want to be there; however, we ignored this because we were having a fun time. Then, when the food came, we discovered that two of the rolls we ordered had never even been placed. I went to tell the waiter this, but he was nowhere to be found! I eventually had to go up to the chef himself and order the rolls!!! It was absolutely ridiculous. When the waiter finally reappeared, at the very end of our meal, he was still in his pissy mood and did not mention the unordered rolls at all. Just in case this experience had not already been terrible, figuring out the checks was an absolute nightmare. We split the checks in a very clear and obvious way, but when I got home, I realized that the waiter had somehow charged me for $130 over what he was supposed to. Fortunately, I had sufficient funds to cover this overcharge, but what if I hadn't? I called Ten the next day to let them know and to demand a refund as soon as possible (I am a college student and do not have unlimited funds, surprisingly), and the hostess honestly did not seem to see what the big deal is. I got NO APOLOGY at all. I get that people get overcharged sometimes, but I at least expect an apology from the hostess when this happens. It was absolutely ridiculous. Needless to say, I am done with Ten; it is quite frankly not worth the shitty service you will have to deal with. read more

We were so excited to finally try this place......but so bummed at how underwhelming it was. First of all, the waiter looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him which sakes were hot and which were served cold. I'm no sake expert, but I know the two exist. He had to disappear and return 5 min later to answer the question. Next, we ordered two sushi rolls.....the Chesapeake and I forget the other one. They weren't gross or anything......just very bland and boring. Let me explain it this way.......I could get tastier, more interesting rolls at Kroger's. We left as soon as we could, even though we were still hungry and got desert elsewhere, not wanting to tempt fate anymore. Maybe it was a very off night? Dunno......but my faith in sushi in c-ville is shot if this passes for decent sushi. read more

We visited on a busy Friday night. We did not have reservations, but the staff found a way to squeeze us in which was very kind. Our server was very informative and attentive. I had a few vegetable rolls and my boyfriend had a few of their specialties. I was disappointed that brown rice was not an option. The food, service, and atmosphere are all top notch. We will definitely return to try more rolls and we will remember to make a reservation. read more

very good quality sushi and fresh fish. i don't care for the long steep stairways or their decor. but the food has always been great here.

Amazing! Easy to sit at the bar and excellent cuisine. The bartenders couldn't be friendlier. Shrimp tempura on point

Hands down my favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. I make a point to go here any time I'm in town visiting friends.

Great selection of fish, but the rice is wanting (and isn't that what "sushi" is about after all?) Yakitori was pathetically small. Miso was way too salty (and I love savory salty dishes). Beautiful restaurant but I just can't give this a better than an A-OK. read more

Loved Ten from the moment we walked in on NYE. Looks like a restaurant that would be in New York City, very posh. We started out with the lobster tempura and rock shrimp tempura, both excellent, but I will say the lobster was better. The sushi was very fresh and you are served more pieces than I am use to getting at other sushi restaurants, so that's an added bonus. My favorite was the tiger roll. I also enjoyed the alaskan king crab roll, very light, but tasty. For dessert you MUST get the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. That was my favorite part of the entire meal-divine! Prices were not that bad for the quality of sushi you get. read more

Wide selection of food choices. Great ambiance for a quiet evening with friends. Reasonable pricing.

My wife and I went here for Valentine's Day 2014 and I did make a reservation. We had an amazing seat in the back corner of the restaurant next to the chefs making sushi. The food was out of this world; truly one of the best dinners I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The udon soup is superb as well as the sushi and the skewers. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to enjoy a nice dinner out. read more

We went here on a Monday night so wasn't crowded at all. The food was delicious- a little slow on the service. Our apps came out so quickly and then the sushi took forever. Best thing we ate was the lobster tempura. It was amazing!!! Pretty good sushi I would come back when I'm in town again! read more

The worst service I have ever had in my life. The waiters are stuck up don't even know sushi. The sushi isn't even that good as the prices are extremely inflated. The service is horrible, and the waiters made me feel uncomfortable. If you want sushi I would recommend going out of town. read more