Had our rehearsal dinner here, and everything could not have gone better. They were great at…read morecommunicating and responding to inquiries, and were able to adjust to rescheduling due to COVID. The food was exceptional. The caprese salad and the leek and cheddar puff hors d'oeurves deserve special mention. We also got high marks all around for the lam, beef, and chicken entrees. For dessert we had the panna cota and creme brûlée, which both came in small cups, which was a bit strange but they were great nonetheless. Special note to the service here. They know how to balance the wait staff so that they aren't constantly hovering, but also nonexistent to the point where you have to go looking for them. Everyone was serviced was care. My wife and I are deeply grateful for the space downtown! If you're looking to host a rehearsal dinner, work function, or other special event, check this place out!

Had a work function here. Very cool space for a function like this and can see how this would be…read moreperfect for a wedding rehearsal or reception.

The spring menu was awesome! We had yummy German pretzels with beer cheese and wings . Both…read moreprepared excellently! My niece and nephew (in law) had steak and salad which they declared delicious and tender. I had poutine- wonderful! The cheese curds were salty and nicely melted, fries crispy and gravy nicely seasoned. Add the fun atmosphere and friendly staff - resulting in a lovely meal and evening!!

Kardinal Hall hits that perfect Charlottesville sweet spot: great food, great beer, great people,…read moreand a space that feels both fun and thoughtfully designed. My Wahoo daughter brought me here during Family Weekend, and now I totally get why this place is a UVA favorite. The building itself is part of a beautifully restored historic industrial complex off Preston Avenue. It's an adaptive-reuse space (formerly part of the old Coca-Cola bottling works), and the design keeps that industrial character alive: tall ceilings, exposed materials, and a layout that feels open, social, and easygoing. The outdoor area is especially smartly done. They've got roll-down fabric walls and overhead heat lamps that keep the patio comfortable even when the temperature dips. It's basically an all-weather beer-garden vibe, and it works. Here's how our meal went down: * Shared starter: the Jumbo Bavarian Pretzel. Warm, soft, perfectly salted, and killer with both the mustard and the cheese sauce. * My entrée: the Local Steak Salad -- gorgeous presentation, tender grass-fed beef, and those pickled turnips, radish slices, and greens in herb buttermilk dressing absolutely tied it together. * My daughter's entrée: Bratwurst, which disappeared quickly, so that tells you what you need to know. Service setup is counter-service for food with table drop-off, and drinks are ordered directly at the bar. It's efficient, friendly, and gives the whole place an easygoing "European beer hall meets Charlottesville neighborhood spot" feel. Kardinal Hall is one of those places where good food, good architecture, and good energy all line up. If you're in town -- especially visiting UVA -- this is a must-stop.

I recently attended a wedding and reception here and it was centrally located at the Downtown Mall…read more The main floor was transformed into an anteroom to drop off gifts, cards, and sign in book, and then led to a curtained off section for the ceremony. The number of guests was about 75 and I think there's still ample room for 100. While I don't know what the venue provides, i.e. staff, equipment, etc, the Old Metropolitan Hall is a nice venue to hold your special event. Once the ceremony was done, we were ushered downstairs for drinks and hors d'oeuvres while the main floor was prepared for the reception dinner. The downstairs had a bar, dance floor, seating on the perimeter of the room and behind a door labeled Employees Only, were two rooms decorated as a library/sitting room. I believe the happy bride and groom used those sections as their staging area/dressing rooms. The whole downstairs area had a speakeasy vibe. Once the main floor was readied for dinner. There was a table listing the seating arrangements and there were several rectangular tables set up for eight. Everything seemed to flow well and the staff was very nice and were accommodating. I had a great experience and believe the bride and groom were also very happy with the outcome.

There is a profound transformation occurring in the service industry. My experience with this team…read morewas not positive. However, I understand the challenges they are facing. Other venues in Charlottesville include: 1. C & O on Water Street, two private rooms. 2. Hamiltons' First & Main, one private room. 3. The Clifton Inn has several nice private rooms. 4. The Jefferson Room at the Farmington Country Club is the ne plus ultra of lovely spaces in Charlottesville, and their events people are absolutely top notch. Food, drinks and service are excellent. Need a member to sponsor. 5. And if you are looking for a more rustic event, I highly recommend Cavalier Sporting Clays in Montpelier, VA (about an hour away). A wonderful day outside followed by a wonderful dinner. My recommendation for a caterer is The Catering Outfit. Communication and planning are just as important as the food, and they are exceptional at both.

What an amazing space; architecturally stunning! The wine coffee shop has these amazing…read more"pretzelants" (soft pretzel meets croissant) and cookies. On a nice day, you can sit on patio at several different styles of seating arrangements. If you time it right, you can see the train roll by.

The best this venue has to offer is it's ambiance in its expansive indoor and outdoor setting which…read moreoverlooks the river. It's a very cool industrial looking spot for food and drinks. They have a very efficient system of ordering on phones, though it does take away from the classic traditional aspect of restaurant service. With regards to the food, I was not wowed by it. The pricing didn't make sense to me. The factory fries which I think is the best thing on the menu that I tried so I recommend this dish if you are here for food, are around 15$. While the smash burger is 5$. A cocktail is 13$. Something seems off if fries are the most expensive dish ordered even if they are "loaded fries". The drink called "golden thread" if im not mistaken was delicious. If you like ginger then order this!! Overall, I cherished my time at this place.

Loving coming to the Fey Festival every year. Please keep doing it! The Looking Glass is a very…read moreneat art installation and the bar inside is really cool.

Vegan Festival at IX Art Park, absolutely fabulous. A great day for a vegan family with vegan teens…read more& young adult to enjoy great food, shop companionate wares, and listen to music on the subject that matters most for our planet: veganism!! Good set up with a stage, lots of space for booths, indoor restrooms, grass areas, picnic tables, and even swinging benches in a gazebo. Tons of modern art installations to ponder. The location is a decent drive from home but totally worth it as "veg fests" near us have tended to be vegetarian which, no thanks. If this is an annual event, it's definitely going to be a tradition for me and my family . First time out here makes me excited for more C-Ville VEGAN FESTIVALS to come.

Avoid the crowds across the pasture from Trumps winery and enjoy this one…read more Enjoyed the late afternoon by sipping the Painted White - 2024 at Blenheim. Unfortunately, this winery only offered packaged cheese and crackers for purchase. Accordingly, the sea salt crackers and Colby jack cheese became the perfect accompaniment.

Was looking for a winery in the area after visiting Monticello. We came across Blenheim…read more Enter walking down some stairs. The building is beautiful. All wood decor with large windows opened to the vineyards. They have indoor seating as well as tables out in the patio. They take your order at the counter and you bring to any open table. They have a tasting that you can purchase for $15. You can pick all white or red, or a mix. We ordered a glass of farm white. Great flavor and not very dry. We also purchased cheese and crackers from their frig. Nice and relaxing atmosphere. Totally recommend!

All I can say is WOW! My boyfriend and I are members of the Common House and Richmond. We've always…read morewanted to visit another Common House and finally checked out the Charlottesville location on his birthday. When we entered we were warmly welcomed and given an orientation. We learned that this location has more service than the one we're familiar with. They'll fill your water for you vs self service. There are two floors to work on and a rooftop. We chose to work in the kitchen space on the second floor. The design and decor here is gorgeous. I found myself wishing I could take some of the artwork home. Just like our Common House back in Richmond, they offer member events. They sounded so fun I considered driving back to Cville just to experience them. While we were there, we ordered some food. The food we got was beyond delicious. I'd argue even better than the RVA food. The menus vary based on location. I got a delicious miso salmon bowl. My body was craving something like it and I was thrilled when I found out how delicious it tasted. My boyfriend got a grilled cheese and loved each bite. When you're a member you usually get a $25 credit for your birthday (which we used towards lunch), however this location went above and beyond and brought Richard a complimentary chocolate cheesecake without blinking twice. The service and food here are immaculate. I cannot wait to return.

I was a Common House member for about a year and a half. As you can see from my prior review, I…read moreinitially really loved it based on the events and perks and I thought I would stay a member for a long time. However, this past year things really started going downhill. There has been a huge staff turnover, including several staff members who were really the life and soul of the place. Common House has not been able to keep a chef for more than a few months, which has lead to a lot of hit or miss dining experiences. The free coffee, which was a big perk during coworking days, is no more. There have also been several private events that caused full house closures to members. The final nail in the coffin for me was having my membership fee raised not once but twice over the course of a year. The first time ($25 increase) I was given ample notice. The second I was given no notice and just saw an additional $35 on my credit card. When I inquired about why my monthly membership fee had been increased I was given no response. With this, I decided my time at Common House has run its course and canceled my membership. This has seemed like the perfect "third space" for remote young professionals like myself, but it seems that in the last few months several others have had the same thoughts I had and decided to leave. It will always be a cool space, but the current management leaves a lot to be desired.

Let me say that the actual idea and floor-plan are great. Want a whole family to be able to go out…read moreand eat any kind of food they'd like? Done. Parking is plentiful and nearby. Wait time from store to store is usually pretty short, but waiting for actual food can be 2 minutes to 15 depending on who you go to. For example, a son got pizza slices immediately while my trip to order and get Tom Kha soup took 18. The flavor is hit or miss depending on restaurant and what you order. I got a chicken salad from the chicken place and it was great. My daughter got fettuccini alfredo and declared it rich, but bland. All that said, you can't miss with the ice cream location. So, regardless of what you ordered as the main dish, you can leave with a smile and a waffle cone in hand.

I mean what is not to like about a fun elevated food court vibe. There is a bar and games and just…read moregreat food. We decided to go for a bit of everything with arepas, a burger, and some Japanese food. The burger was amazing and the other two were good as well. More than the food though it's just a fun place to be in and seems very lively. Shop workers were kind and the food came out quickly!

This was the best get away! My boyfriend and I stayed for 2 nights and it was the reset we needed…read more We got to bring our girls (dogs) who had a fantastic time! Daily walks down to the lake, a hike in the woods with the trailheads right on the property, close to "town" for good local food and cute shops (check out Bluebird & Co for cute clothes, accessories, and books!). I cannot recommend this rental enough. We will be back for sure!

Such a wonderful place to stay and relax. The staff were so kind and accommodating. They really…read moremake you feel welcome and give you ways to contact them outside of their office hours. We stayed in the A Frame cabin and it was very clean, and we'll stocked with kitchen utensils, toiletries, blankets, linens, towels, you name it. They had plenty of heaters to use so you never had a cold space in your cabin during the cold winter nights. We were extremely cozy and took advantage of the DVD player they had with the movies we brought along. They also had board games! When not in the cabin, there are plenty of trails to roam and they have bikes on site you can use. We did not use the bikes, but we took a few nice walks through the site and enjoyed the trail by the lake. I can only imagine how beautiful it is during the summer too. Overall, I am SO happy we got to stay here. Oh! Also if you have a dog, they make your pup also feel right at home with a dog bowl, doggie towel, and couch protector! Thank you so much for the wonderful vacation, we are already in talks of visiting again in the summer.

Stayed at the Draftsman Hotel in Charlottesville and had such a seamless, genuinely pleasant…read moreexperience from start to finish. Valet parking was easy and stress-free, which always sets the tone. Jeffrey was incredibly polite and helpful on the phone when I called to update my reservation and add my status--small interaction, but it stood out. Check-in with J was smooth and efficient, and Alister greeted us with so much warmth and positivity. You could really feel that the team works well together and takes pride in what they do. The room itself was comfortable, clean, and modern, with a lovely view that made it even more enjoyable. The hotel feels very well managed overall--everything just runs the way it should. Location is another huge plus--right near UVA and central to everything you'd want while visiting Charlottesville. Without hesitation, this is the best place to stay in Charlottesville. Highly recommend and would absolutely return.

The location of this place is prime, next to UVA's health system and walkable to the main campus…read moreand the nicer shopping and dining areas, as well as the train station (a relatively busy one). I had hoped that it would offer a high class experience, but it was just okay. The room had some minor aesthetic touches, but in substance was pretty standard. The entrance to the hotel felt a bit cramped, and the building seemed centered around the restaurant that didn't have much for me. The sheets caused some skin irritation, and I wish all hotels used the most hypoallergenic detergent available. From a service perspective, it was quite good. I was offered an early checkin and also took a late checkout, so I got a ton of time with the room. They also stored my luggage, including various baked goods, after I was done. So I got a lot of value out of the room. The question to me was how this hotel would compare to the others that are in downtown Charlottesville; would the experience be worth a bit more than the more standard Marriotts or various others. I was not convinced that it would be worth spending the extra money on.