Public Fish & Oyster

4.8 (2749)

$31 to $50

Seafood

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Make a booking

2 people

19 Jun 2025

19:00

Booked 48 times today

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Lively
Good for special occasions

Public Fish and Oyster serves only the freshest and responsibly sourced seafood. We believe in the complete dining experience and our knowledgeable staff is eager to provide you with the best dining experience Charlottesville has to offer.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Happy Hour Daily 16:00–18:00
Phone number
(434) 995-5542
Website
http://www.publicfo.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Dylan Allwood

Location
513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903
Area
Charlottesville
Cross Street
6th St. NW
Parking details
Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
Public transit
Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Revivals, Rappahannock River, VAUS$3.30
mild brine, mineral finish
Minnie Pearls, Gloucester, VAUS$3.30
mild brine, creamy
Summersides, Alberton, PEIUS$3.30
moderate brine, veggie finish
Northern Belles, North Lake, PEIUS$3.30
medium brine, salted-butter finish
Egg Islands, Lewis Bay, MAUS$3.30
medium brine, light ocean finish
Cape Cod Bays, Eastham, MAUS$3.30
high brine, light/full ocean finish
Beavertails, Narragansett Bay, RIUS$3.30
high brine, salted-butter finish

More Raw Bar

add to your tray of oysters or on their own

Colossal Shrimp CocktailUS$3.50
lemon, cocktail sauce
- eachUS$3.50
- five pieceUS$16.00
Middleneck Clams, Eastern Shore, VAUS$2.75

Seafood Towers

available friday, saturday and sunday only

Neptune's TowerUS$75.00
(2-3 guests) eight oysters on the half shell, four middleneck clams, five cocktail shrimp, smoked trout dip, daily crudo, cluster of snow crab legs
Poseidon's TowerUS$145.00
(4-6 guests) sixteen oysters on the half shell, eight middleneck clams, ten cocktail shrimp, smoked trout dip, daily crudo, two clusters of snow crab legs

What 2,749 people are saying

Public Fish & Oyster reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.5Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Virginia
Seafood
Charlottesville
Best Overall
Charlottesville
Best Food
Charlottesville
Best Service
Charlottesville
Best Value
Charlottesville
Hot spot
Charlottesville
Neighbourhood gem
Charlottesville
Great for outdoor dining
Charlottesville
Lively
Charlottesville
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Public Fish & Oyster offers an exceptional dining experience with "fantastic food and service," consistently delighting guests with fresh seafood, "amazing oysters," and a "spectacular wine list." The atmosphere is lively, albeit sometimes noisy, but the attentive staff ensures a satisfying visit. Reservations are recommended due to its popularity.

2,749 Reviews

Z
Zenia VIP
Baltimore / Maryland6 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We visited Charlottesville for our anniversary and were so glad we did. We really enjoyed our dinner at Public and my husband said the oysters were fresh and very good. They have a great selection of whiskey and bourbon that we enjoyed as well. The host was kind and accommodating!
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j
jody
Virginia1 review
2.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The brussel sprouts were not hot. Too many of the mussels were bad -- either closed, missing or a disgusting mushy blob. Very disappointing.
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A
Antonio VIP
Washington, D.C. Area9 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We have dined at Public Fish & Oyster many times over the past years, and we're always impressed by the consistently fresh seafood, attentive service, and careful, simple recipes. The managers and chefs at this establishment understand that seafood must be perfectly fresh, and prepared with herbs and spices that enhance, but do not overwhelm the natural taste. Amazingly, they always succeed. In our last visit we sampled raw oysters (mostly from NH and PEI), then a savory yellowfin tuna takaki (a recent addition to the regular menu), and a crab and corn linguini. This last one was rich in lump crabmeat, with homemade linguini, and mildly seasoned cream sauce that allowed all the ingredients to shine. The service was prompt and efficient. As is often the case, all tables were booked, and the interior does not have noise-cancelling features, so it was a bit loud, but conversations could be carried out. Overall, this is a gem for seafood lovers in Charlottesville.
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D
David VIP
Philadelphia County6 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious seafood and excellent service. Great wine selection. Plan ahead because they seem to book up well in advance
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A
ASHLEY
Atlanta4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 10 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and service. Definitely make sure you have a reservation. We did luckily but it was packed for a Tuesday.
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P
Patrick
Atlanta10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 10 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic visit. We were seated at the ideal spot for our dinner had a knowledgeable and friendly guide for the entirety of the meal. I say guide because he was absolutely spot on with suggestions and accommodation. Food was 10/10. Never ceases to amaze at the level of food you can experience in this little town. Definitely glad we didn’t sit outside but a few degrees cooler and that would have been fine. Great place. We’ll be back!
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B
Bill
Virginia5 reviews
5.0
Dined on 7 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our 'go-to' place for great seafood and raw oysters! I can't count how many times we have gone there for anniversaries, birthdays, etc. John Lindsey is amazing at the bar and as a general 'make everyone feel welcomed' person. How he remembers so many folks names, I will NEVER know! I find that I am 'making up' occasions to go there, just to enjoy the food, the ambience and the great people (both employees and patrons!)
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B
Barbara
Tampa / Central Florida West13 reviews
5.0
Dined on 7 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
We LOVE visiting Public Fish & Oyster. Great food and great service. The patio was hot and noisy last night, and made conversation at our table challenging.
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A
Ann VIP
New York City14 reviews
3.0
Dined on 7 June 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Server was THE BEST!! Food was fine but I live in a coastal place where everything is literally right out of the water soooo - seafood here had a little age. Plentiful portions tho.
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E
Edward VIP
Philadelphia County39 reviews
5.0
Dined on 7 June 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great as always. John is an exceptional bartender.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2749 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

19 Jun 2025

19:00

Booked 48 times today

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
6th St. NW
Area
Charlottesville
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Happy Hour Daily 16:00–18:00
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
Public transit
Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Dylan Allwood
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.publicfo.com/
Phone number
(434) 995-5542

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Public Fish & Oyster

Make a booking

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Menu

Raw Oysters on the Half Shell

Revivals, Rappahannock River, VAUS$3.30

Minnie Pearls, Gloucester, VAUS$3.30

Summersides, Alberton, PEIUS$3.30

Northern Belles, North Lake, PEIUS$3.30

Egg Islands, Lewis Bay, MAUS$3.30

Cape Cod Bays, Eastham, MAUS$3.30

Beavertails, Narragansett Bay, RIUS$3.30

More Raw Bar

Colossal Shrimp CocktailUS$3.50

Middleneck Clams, Eastern Shore, VAUS$2.75

Seafood Towers

Neptune's TowerUS$75.00

Poseidon's TowerUS$145.00

What 2,749 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Public Fish & Oyster restaurant rated?

Is Public Fish & Oyster currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia