The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Below is the 2023 The Charlottesville 29, answering: if there we just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29? Further background is here. The guide for each restaurant explains why it was selected, and includes ordering tips from the restaurant’s chef/owner and appearances in Five Finds on Friday, where other chefs or personalities have named a dish from that restaurant as one of the best in town. To be eligible, a restaurant must have been open since January 1, 2022, and must have a Charlottesville postal address. (Top openings of 2022 are recognized as finalists for Best New Restaurant.)

Where and what to eat in Charlottesville:

The 29

Bizou
Gussied-up comfort food and sophisticated specials in a diner-like setting
Guide • Full Article

Bodo’s Bagels
Feeding 6,000 people per day, Charlottesville’s signature restaurant
Guide • Full Article

Broadcloth
Modern cuisine in an elegant room in a historic textile mill
Guide

C&O
The heart of Charlottesville dining, in Dean Maupin’s expert hands
Guide • Full Article

Café Frank
UPDATE May 2023: Chef-founder Jose DeBrito no longer with the restaurant
Guide

Conmole
With traditional family recipes, an escape to Oaxaca in Belmont
Guide

Crushpad / Luce
Charlottesville’s wine Mecca, with world class pasta
Guide

Fleurie
Brian Helleberg’s serene downtown temple of sophisticated French cuisine
Guide

The Ivy Inn Restaurant
The Vangelopoulos’ unequaled fine dining experience
Guide • Full Article

Photo by Tom McGovern

Lampo
Outstanding Neapolitan pizza, panuozzi, and well-sourced Italian
Guide • Full Article

Photo by Tom McGovern.

Mas
Iconic Spanish tapas bar where it feels like a party any night of the week
Guide• Full Article 

Milan
The most refined Indian restaurant experience in town
Guide • Full Article

Oakhart Social
Charlottesville’s exemplar of the new generation of great urban restaurants
Guide • Full Article

Pad Thai
Mom-and-pop serving up real homestyle Thai cooking
Guide • Full Article

Peter Chang’s China Grill
Flagship restaurant of a man some call the nation’s best Szechuan chef
Guide • Full Article

Petit Pois
The closest thing in Charlottesville to a French bistro
Guide • Full Article

Public Fish & Oyster
A spot-on coastal oyster house, right here in Charlottesville
Guide • Full Article

Revolutionary Soup
Will Richey’s counter-service joint with great soups, and even better sandwiches
Guide

Siren
Closed July 2023
Mediterranean-inspired seafood, star chef Laura Fonner’s alluring debut
Guide

South and Central
The Dairy Market’s airy Latin American steakhouse
Guide

Sultan Kebab
Real, delicious Turkish cuisine from hummus to manti to kebabs
Guide • Full Article

Photo by Tom McGovern

Tavola
Michael Keaveny’s warm Belmont storefront serving ingredient-driven Italian fare
Guide • Full Article

Ten
Sleek, serene, and transporting, Charlottesville’s favorite luxurious escape for sushi
Guide

Zocalo
Consistently excellent Latin-infused cuisine centrally located on the Downtown Mall
Guide • Full Article

Worth the Drive 

Nearby restaurants without a Charlottesville postal address, and therefore not eligible for The Charlottesville 29, but that are still worth the drive.

BBQ Exchange
Gordonsville
World class barbeque and attention to detail from world class chef Craig Hartman
Guide • Full Article

Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie
North Garden
Where food is love, with more than just the best American style pizza in the area
Guide • Full Article

Gordonsville Ice House
Gordonsville
World class fried chicken in the fried chicken capital of the world
Guide

Marigold
Keswick
At a spectacular resort, stunning outpost for celebrity chef Jean-Georges
Guide

Pippin Hill
North Garden
Superb food served in a breathtaking vineyard setting
Guide • Full Article