This venue is more of a gin/cocktail speciality place than a traditional restaurant. It's just a wonderful place to go for drinks and then order exotic food with amazing ingredients, most of which are local. The restaurant menu has a choice for the vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and gluten intolerant. So if you have people in your party that have issues with certain types of foods, never fear; there is something on the menu for everyone. Their specialty drinks revolve around different types of gin (who knew!), as well as delicious rye cocktail, and beer on tap. If you want to get a plain old martini, you can order that too. The bar staff did a great job at keeping us entertained. We had dropped in to just have a drink at the bar, but the drinks were so good we decided we needed food. We were pleasantly surprised with what was presented. The beet salad was delicious and my companion had the sweet potato dish that looked like something out of gourmet magazine. We had lots of fun with the staff. We will be going back again to sample more of the items on the menu and to have another yummy cocktail surprise. read more

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Wonderful food! Excellent service and beautiful ambience. I highly recommend the crispy oyster mushrooms Po-boy! It's so crispy and flavorful. Also the honey bee NA drink is the perfect pairing. read more

"Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and a wide variety of menu options. The food was delicious and arrived quickly. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to!" read more

Stopped in for a quick drink on my walk home. Ordered the sweater weather and it was SO yummy. A tad expensive ($14 with tax), but really good! The service was great. I had my dog with me and the young woman, who I'm pretty sure was off the clock and about to go home, sat me and took my order. Great first experience and excited to go back. read more

Tonic - Sweater Weather - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I tried the build your own sampler platter. It was yummy. Although a side of toast really should be included-not extra cost. Happy hour starts at 3 pm. Cute outside tables and décoré. The pickled shrimp were tasty. The root veggies were turnips- would have preferred a mix of veggies. I'd return. read more

Tonic - Sampler platter - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We enjoyed our drinks and dinner at Tonic. They do a good job of having specialty cocktails. We ordered the "bees knees" and I have to say, it was the best one I ever had. The menu is so unique that there was an ingredient in every dish that I didn't know and had to ask about. That might be a drawback for some people as it is a bit risky ordering something with unknown ingredients. The outside space is pretty awesome with heaters and another bar. It was a little cold for our visit this time but we have sat out there in the past. read more

We visited Tonic on what was probably the nicest day of weather this year, so that definitely factored into our experience. For cocktails we ordered a "wabbit-season," a G&T, a beet drink and an "al Pastor." All were fantastic but the Wabbit-season was the standout favorite. The charcuterie board was great and had unique flavors. The pork belly sandwich was really top-tier good! Service was great too. All in all, we can't recommend Tonic enough--especially on a nice day! read more

Great food. Cool little outdoor area. Nice service. Had the salmon burger. Good choice

We mystery writers were in town for the Virginia Festival of Book and wanted to gather for happy hour outside. Tonic was the perfect location. Great drinks, affordable prices and delicious snacks. The service was polite and accommodating for this group of 11-14. The vibe was much more relaxed that the middle of downtown Charlottesville. read more

Tonic - We kill people so you don't have to. All mystery writers enjoying gathering in-person in a beautiful location. - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Decent place downtown. Food was fine. Cocktails were innovative. They have a nice patio outside which can imagine would be bustling over summer months! read more

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Okay so I don't get the rating here. The outdoor space is awesome but that's it. I went for restaurant week (I realize it can be a bit different, but if you're going to participate in restaurant week that means you want to showcase your food, not serve subpar dreck) and the food was not 4.5 star worthy as the overall rating shows. Food? No. Service? No. Atmosphere? Ok. First we had to check in inside and set up a tab before going to our assigned table. So, from the get go we realized we would have to Venmo our cost between us to not make it a huge ordeal. Come on now. We've been in this CoViD environment for a long time now and there are ways around this. The gazpacho was approximately 1 oz in serving. It was not sufficient in any setting. Flavor was okay but not stand out. For my second I did the beet tartar. It was not a neat nice presentation. It was a pile of messy beets. Y'all I love me some beets (thus my ordering it) but this was not great. Plus they served it with (quote the waiter) salted puffed pastry. No. It was more beet hummus than tartar, and not a pretty showing at that. My entree was the pickled shrimp Johnny cake. It was fine, had it not been drenched in mayo (sorry, aioli). I scraped it off to try to save the dish. Bottom line the 2 stars is because the outside patio is amazing. Had it not been for the atmosphere and company, I may give it less. read more

Walked half a mile to get there. Arrived before 8:00 pm to find that they'd closed early, way before their 10:00 pm posted closing time.

Found this place on Yelp when passing through Charlottesville. The menu looked enticing and the reviews suggested they had an awesome patio. It wasn't super crowded on a Sunday afternoon. We ordered at the counter inside and then chose a table outside. They brought our food to us as it was ready. They operate tab style so if you'd like more food and drink you just go back inside to order and make sure to close out before you leave. We nibbled on a shared board of beet pickled eggs, chicken liver pate, and pickles. All healthy portions for a good price. Then we had the beet cured grav lax, the mushroom, sprouts and grits as well as the shrimp Johnny cakes. It was all sooo good. In fact the grav lax was SO GOOD that we ordered a 2nd helping. It was light and healthy but simultaneously filling. I am a huge fan of onions (which adorned the Johnny cake) and literally anything pickled (aka the beet eggs, the pickled onions adorning the chicken liver mouse, and other options) so the menu spoke to me right from the beginning. The brick courtyard is lovely, they've got some really colorful trees and overall it was a great visit. Definitely recommend! read more

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Everything is perfect about this restaurant!! The service is amazing, the food is beyond amazing, it's light fresh, healthy and delicious!! The ambiance is fun funk clean and fresh! Also amazing cocktails! read more

We were blown away by our brunch experience here! My expectations were already high but they were met and exceeded by far! Wonderful biodynamic wine and cider, all our dishes were to die for (the grits, smoked chicken sandwich, and beet-lax toast) and the service was excellent and friendly. We can't wait to go back and try everything else on their menu!! read more

Tonic - Brussels, mushroom+grits and beet-cured gravlax with Sav. Blanc and Bryant's Unicorn Fuel Cider - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

5/5 for cocktails, no doubt. They are creative and delicious every time. I would argue they are the best in Charlottesville. I think that alone is worth the 5 star review since generally we don't order food. In the past, we have been underwhelmed by the food, but it doesn't stop us from going. Perfect place for a post-dinner cocktail. read more

Lovely, relaxed yet elegant vibe inside and out at this new restaurant with interesting, well-made drinks and a simple menu of mostly rich vegetarian dishes with a few fish and pork choices. Had the salmon burger and onion soup, and mushroom toast. Would definitely return. read more

Delicious food and pleasant ambiance. Big band music played on the speakers throughout the duration of our visit and the lighting was dim without being dark. I tried the salmon burger with potato salad and the Brussels with mushrooms and grits. Everything I tried was delectable. I am excited to return to Tonic to try other items from their menu read more

Great outdoor seating and good service. I ordered the grits w/ shaved brussel sprouts, grits were delish but the brussel sprouts were bitter and burned (not crisp & browned). I picked some of them out, but still had the burnt taste for a while. read more

I had the opportunity to visit Tonic this past weekend. I've heard great things and it lived up to the hype. Made a 530 reservation for outdoor seating. The outdoor space is beautiful! Large area for eating and casual seating. Plenty of heaters for the winter. There is an outdoor bar that is open weather permitting. We went and split a few items. The snack board was very good. My favorite besides the bread and spreads were the pickled eggs. They were outstanding. The soup had a very rich flavor. The spice from the curry is subtle and takes it over the top. We also split the Brussels, mushrooms and grits. It didn't make the camera roll because it disappeared too fast. Great dish. I enjoyed the Bingo Beer, nice during happy hour. This is a place I would love to take guests to once things open up. Till then, we will have to enjoy it ourselves! read more

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We had an excellent Saturday night dinner at Tonic. While the place is not a "big deal' establishment, all aspects of our experience were superb. Every dish we tried was prepared impeccably. While the menu is modestly sized, the range of offerings is good, with numerous vegetarian and vegan selections, and the menu emphasized local and seasonal preparations. The setting was very pleasant. We were on a very large covered patio, set well back from the street on a quiet night when nothing seemed to be happening at the police headquarters across the street. The outside seating is comfortable, and tables are set well apart. The service concept is one more associated with a fast-causal restaurant, with ordering from a central counter. Unlike most fast-casual places, however, the counter staff here was helpful and knowledgeable. The food runners were also prompt and courteous. Contemporary rock played over the sound system. Nothing, alas, featuring the vocals of Emerson Hart. read more

Go check this place out! A really awesome unique space and addition to the downtown area - both indoors and outdoors. I came here for dinner and split the shared plate of brussels, mushrooms, and grits and a special lamb porchetta flatbread with my husband. Everything was absolutely delicious! The grits dish comes with a hazelnut-parsley pesto which I would just buy a jar of for home. The lamb porchetta was spot on - texture, flavor, and balance with the flatbread. Tonic also has a great selection of wines, beers, and cocktails. We didn't try any of the cocktails this evening, but it looked like there was something for everyone's taste. The space is one of my favorite parts about this. The outdoor seating area was open and complete with heaters as the cold weather rolls in. The tables inside are nice and spread out, and all servers are masked. They have some happy hours/specials during the week that I can't wait to check out! read more

Great addition to the downtown scene with an AMAZING heated outdoor patio! Super fun pickle board and creative cocktails read more

Tonic - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Setting is nice, but menu selection is limited. Food is overpriced for the small portions. The shrimp fritters barely had shrimp, mostly filler and can't believe they charge $16 just for grits & veggies. We were still hungry after lunch. Disappointing. read more

Not special by any means. Small drink selection for a place named after a drink.... Definitely overpriced too. 2 beers, an app, and 2 entrees came to $100 with tip. If the food were flavored a bit more thoughtfully and less of a cramped indoor atmosphere maybe it would've been worth something close to the 100 bucks we spent read more

Tonic is a great new Charlottesville spot! The staff was friendly and attentive, and the food was amazing! The food is unique, vibrant, and delicious! Most of the dishes are a bit acidic for my taste (a lot of pickled items, citrus, etc.), but overall a great menu. Will be back soon to try more of their dishes! read more

Tonic - Snack board with sourdough + feta spread, pickled peppers, and potato salad - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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The vibes are "if ikea had a wine bar." Super cute place for just drinks or dinner/lunch date. Always get the salmon burger and side salad, which are very good. BF got the Brussels sprouts and grits, which he Iiked but it wasn't enough food for an entree. The blood orange G+T was so yummy! Also the almond cake--you have to get it read more

Great atmosphere and super strong gluten free options. We had a lovely dinner on the patio and would come back anytime.

Bar specializing in Gin. Broad selection. Knowledgeable bar staff Inside JW Marriott Singapore

The best part of Tonic is their outdoor space, it's absolutely wonderful and feels like I'm not in Cville. I love the vibe and outdoor heaters for winter. The casual service was nice and you actually order inside. The food was just ok. I thought it was a little overpriced for what it was and while nothing we ate was bad, it also wasn't exciting or amazing. The feta spread was my favorite. The drinks were fun and it's a perfect place to grab drinks with friends. I'll be coming back for sure, but likely will have an appetizer and drinks. read more

we went for a Sunday brunch. While the food was tasty, the portions are small, and the prices are high. Our service was terrible. We had a party of seven, and it took a full hour for all of our orders to be brought to the table with as much as 40 minutes between different people's orders being delivered. when we asked our waitress when she thought the other orders might be delivered, she said she didn't know. read more

This is a unique place to visit. The outdoor space is unparalleled in cville. The only thing missing is some bubbly fountain. It was a perfect spring evening to enjoy a pre-show meal. We didn't want anything too heavy and Tonic is a good place. We had the spicy potatoes and dilly beans to start. The potatoes are so good. I would come back for those alone. I wouldn't get the dilly beans again. They are very vinegary- good if that's what you are expecting. We had the trout and salmon. The trout is an open faced trout salad on rye. It was a good light sandwich. I would definitely order the salmon burger- probably bc of the bread alone but also the salmon was delish. A little mustardy but it was a delicious combo. We made reservations and I would recommend them on a Saturday night. read more

Two stars because the ambiance is great. Outdoor seating is lovely. I have to say though our experience on the food and service was a 1-star. We met some friends here for dinner on a Friday night. Waiter was friendly but seriously forgetful. My wife ordered drinks twice that never came. One did but 20 mins later. It was't super backed up or crowded. Seems our waiter just forgot to ring in her orders. The food was really a disappointment. Wife ordered Heirloom Grits and Brussel Sprouts. She's from Charleston SC so knows grits. I ordered the Stuffed Chicken breast. Both sounded delicious. What arrived was anything but. Her grits were a grey mush (this is heirloom?) and to the side of these were the brussel sprouts. Not the kind you're probably picturing though. These were wet, soggy brussel sprouts shredded into a coleslaw like consistency. Terrible. And amazingly, tasteless! My dish was a pile of undressed, raw Kale covering more than half of the plate. Two very small chicken breasts stuffed with goat cheese were cooked until they resembled shoe-leather. Couldn't actually cut thru the chicken with my knife it was so hard and crusted. Both dishes sounded like winners but the execution was really not worth a trip back. I want to like this place. It's got so much potential and charm. Apparently, they nail the food on other nights, at least going by other Yelp reviews. But our experience was pretty much the opposite of those in terms of food and while nice, our waiter seemed distracted to the point of forgetting we were there. Which was odd because we were smack dab in the middle of the patio. Anyway, I hope this was just an off-night. read more

The drinks were great, but honestly the food was overpriced and had no seasoning. If I were to come back I would only come for the drinks.

Not many options honestly. The service was good, but the menu not so much. EVERYTHING has dill in it, or is pickled. The salad was tasteless. The dressing flavor completely dissipated the second you tasted it. It's all very healthy, but it lacks the flavor or intensity to get more than 2 stars, honestly. The size of the food is small. The open tomato sandwich was basically just bruschetta. Almost all of us left hungry. I did like the peach and honey dip. I think the appetizers were more worth it than the actual dishes. read more

Dined at TONIC last weekend and had an overall great experience. Cocktails; wonderful. Appetizers (boards); wonderful. The entrees are listed in order of size - we enjoyed the "airline chicken" and the italian sausage sandwich - both were as described and excellent. Nathan helped us navigate the menu - he was dynamite as well. Recommend you check this place out. read more

Our new favorite spot in town. It's from the absolute geniuses behind one of our other favorite spots, Tilman's, so the quality of the food and drink and service here was no surprise at all. Get here early if you want that good patio seating - now that the weather's good, it's one of the most popular spots. That said, all the tables are still nicely spaced apart, everything is hella safe, and you're not in some big weird plastic tent. Love it and look forward to going back. read more

We chose Tonic for the menu but we'd return for the service! And I'm talking about an order from the counter joint! In from out of town we tried a last minute reservation on Resy. Got all the way through to confirmation code and then got kicked out. So we just showed up and the host was understanding and accommodating. In fact, after we were seated and had ordered, he upgraded us to a much better table because "we" were so easygoing. But enough about that, go for the food! Pickled shrimp and jonnycakes; Brussels, mushrooms and grits; oyster mushroom sandwich; and a special, peanut soup; were all just inventive enough to pique our curiosity without being too "too". Hard to pick a fave, but the Brussels win by a hair. Decent beer, wine and cocktail list as well. Dining outside under the twinkling lights didn't hurt either. Bravo. read more

Awesome atmosphere. Bistro lights, brick exterior, covered outdoor seating and large overhanging trees make for a romantic vibe. Excellent small plates. Fun drink menu. Service leaves something to be desired, but otherwise excellent experience! read more

Tonic - Small plates - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Good not great. Very cute vibe and yummy drinks but the food was pretty mid. Would still go back for a big group and drinks.