My Girlfriend and I booked a res back in early January for 2/13/26 dinner. We were ten minutes early, and once seated the waiter seemed contempt with us at our drink order; an old Fashioned and a cocktail already on the menu. Once we ordered our drinks and ordered our appetizer, we realized that the menu had changed from only hours before. Though only two replacement items replaced what we thought would be "house dishes", we ordered accordingly and waited 35+ minutes for the food. Once our entrees were served, my girlfriend's chicken in place of duck was unseasoned and bland. The Cassoulet I ordered featured undercooked beans and maybe three pieces of chewy and rubbery sausage. As a place heralded for their cocktails and cuisine, we were both grossly underwhelmed and disappointed by the service and food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere could work as an upscale cocktail lounge, but the food was abysmal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Wouldn't recommend this spot at all. read more

Friends of mine have been raving about here for years. I finally had the chance to stop by and it didn't disappoint. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I sat in the outdoor area on a nice day, with live music playing down the street.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My server was quick to chat me up and give recommendations. I went with the mussels and a glass of happy hour wine. The wine was OK, but the mussels (and that broth!) were great. I'd have given it 4 stars, if not for the very attentive server. Totally worth a revisit. read more

Café Frank - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Perfect. Swordfish is cooked to perfection, great old drinks. Awesome service - very knowledgeable about gluten allergies. Lot of options for GF customers. read more

Everything was fantastic! Went for our anniversary and drinks, food, service, and ambience was all 10/10! The crispy mushrooms were particularly superb. read more

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We had an absolutely delightful bar experience here. It's not a large bar, but we were able to score the last two seats on a recent Saturday night. Had the nicest bartender who made us feel so well taken care of even though we were just there for drinks. Or so we thought. We couldn't resist the Grilled Halloumi appetizer! So delicious! I loved the Italian red wine I had, and Husband was a big fan of their Old Fashioned. Not an inexpensive place, but you're paying for quality and service with a smile. Loved the place! read more

Café Frank - Old Fashioned & Italian Red - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing food, service, and atmosphere, would absolutely recommend for a nice drink or date night![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Additionally fantastic for clearly marking dairy and/or gluten free menu items read more

visited charlottesville for my bday and had a lovely dinnner here. The staff was delightful and gave me a glass of wine as soon as I walked in. the food was amazing. my first time visiting a french restaurant everything was amazing read more

Food was delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was great and service was excellent.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was my first time there and my husband's birthday and we had a lovely time. We will definitely go back. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Small and personal restaurant and we so enjoyed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Thank you. read more

Went with work folks. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], friendly & attentive staff & very good food. Looking forward to our next visit read more

Absolutely thrilled that Cafe Frank has found their way back to being a great restaurant. Excellent, attentive service and delicious fresh food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A perfect dinner on the downtown mall for a Friday night out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Looking forward to many more meals to come! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]CF is full of intimate charm, however, its patio and restrooms need help.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The self described Franco-Italian fare doesn't pull you in either direction, it's subtle. The emphasis upon fresh ingredients which are both sea & vegetable-forward, being paired and presented with a fresh approach, sets itself apart from most C'ville restaurants. Mixed drinks and wine selections complement their curated style. The FOH Team is cheeky and friendly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Conversations aren't always private.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Pricing is varied, but reasonable. With a few tweaks, CF could easily take themselves to a higher level of quality. read more

Stumbled upon this place and was lucky enough to try their Restaurant Week Menu with 5 friends. I loved absolutely everything I tried. The sauces were all on point. The seasonings were perfect. The flavor combinations were satisfying. The service was excellent as well - Chris & Adelyn were awesome. It sounds like they have a very different lunch menu, but because I'm impressed by their dinner options, I would love to check that out. The interior is decorated beautifully with a long brick wall on one side and different sized mirrors, adding a lot of light to the atmosphere. It's clean, bright but still has a nighttime vibe to it. There's a bar area, as well as table seating, both indoor as well as outside when they have the patio open. They have a nice selection of wines, and other beverages. In the heart of the downtown mall, this would be a nice stop either solo or with friends or guests to town for either a glass of wine, a dessert or a meal. read more

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Was OK. Went in Feb. '24. Didn't live up to the hype, but we went after Jose de Brito's exit. French Onion soup had no taste. Bolognese was similarly bland. Bread service was the most flavorful thing we ate, because of the butter. Honestly, very underwhelming. However, the saving grace was the bar program. We tried about six cocktails and they were so good. I wouldn't recommend or return for the food, but I'd 100% grab a drink at the beautiful bar again. read more

Hard to find anything wrong with this restaurant. Food was great, service was above and beyond, and drinks were awesome!!! It is a bit expensive, but I feel you get what you pay for. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Lovely brunch by the wood stove on a snowy morning! So cozy![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Dylan, our server/barista/ bartender, was amazing. Friendly, knowledgeable, very accommodating, and super personable! Food was delicious - had the Salmon Egg Benedict with fresh fruit and a nice cuppa. Will go back! Would definitely make a reservation if going after noon on Sunday. read more

I dined in last week with two girlfriends. The ambiance and service were fantastic and we had a great time catching up. I tried one of the cocktails (crocodile tears) but wouldn't recommend it. For food we started with the mushroom fritters, which ended up being my favorite dish! Really tasty with lots of umami and a good crunch. The three of us also shared the chicken breast at the recommendation of our server but it wasn't as juicy or tender as I was expecting it to be. The pork chop was better but a tiny bit rare in the middle. The brussel sprouts and friends both could probably have been cooked a tiny bit longer. Overall I had a great dinner but would probably wouldn't come again. read more

Great service and food!! Def an upgrade from anything else on mall! Great "taking clients" spot!

Mussels had little flavor, french fries were fair. Brith with the mussels was watery and disappointing Service was good. Ambience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice space but background music was heavy on incessant drums and annoying.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] . read more

Please don't fall for this TRAP of a resturant. The only good thing about this place was the waitstaff. We really appreciated your accommodations and help. The food was absolutely horrendous and not what you'd expect at all from the prices the resturant was charging. A list below of everything we ordered and why I was just really bland or gross. we order 4 different appetizers and mussels as a main. We also asked the kitchen if they could make accommodation for a toddler and they said they could try to make a simple gnocchi w tomato sauce. *perfect* we agreed. The adults got escargot, steak tartare, ham croquettes, and a side salad to share together. 1. The escargot genuinely tasted like it was from a CAN it was chewy and plain. Absolutely zero flavor. Usually when you order escargot it is drenched in herbs and butter. That was unseasoned and barely dressed. 2. The steak tartar was bland as hell too. I couldn't taste anything at all. I've had steak tartare many many times over the years and this was just a disappointment flavor profile that normally steak tartare has. 3. The mussels were probably the biggest offense to me as it was my dish. They were rubbery and the sauce was soupy and felt day old. The mussels also tasted as if they were not cleaned properly and just days old. They didn't not taste fresh which makes me question they're sanitary practices when it comes to seafood. 4. The ham croquettes were okay... forgettable but fine. The romesco sauce that comes on the side helped the croquettes enough. Very one note though. 5. The side salad tasted like they took it out of the package and tossed it on the bowl and just that. Zero dressing what so ever. I expected it to be refreshing but it was just that. Raw greens 6. They didn't have a kids menu (fine not a problem) so we asked for a simple accommodation if the chef can just boil gnocchi w/ simple tomato sauce. KNOWING it was for a 4 year old. The chef didn't listen and made the sauce spicy. The toddler could not touch it at all. And you as a chef should know that children are sensitive to spicy stuff and can't handle it like adults can. Overall this is a chef and KITCHEN ISSUE. Not the bar. If you wanna go hear go for the drinks. Eat dinner somewhere else. read more

Pretty solid casual French bistro, albeit with some flaws. At 5:30 on a Thursday this was not busy so I came in with no reservation. Dining solo, I liked that I was given a nice table, not hidden in a corner. On bench seats along the long wall, facing the bar so I could watch the "action". The menu consisted of many of the expected French bistro classics but the chef added his own innovative touches. Like my escargot appetizer: Not the usual snails in garlic butter in the shells but served out of the shells in a wine reduction with gnocchi. An excellent rich sauce, complex flavors, and the gnocchi had a perfect light texture and extended the dish into something more substantial. And my duck entree: Again the chef put his unique touches to it: A roast duck leg served with an arborio rice risotto and figs. Like the appetizer the sauce was rich and complex but completely different: fruity and a touch of sweetness as appropriate for duck, a welcome change from the "a l'orange" and sickly-sweet berry sauces often used. Dessert: "Chocolate Passion: a passionfruit cheesecake with a chocolate ganache. Unique in taste and appearance: the cheese part was a shiny dome on top of the rustic crust, tangy and fruity in taste, cool and light in texture. And a decent size: probably enough to split but not overwhelming for one. So sounds like 5 stars, right? Not quite; now the negatives: First is the small entree portion. Just the single duck leg with the risotto. Honestly it was enough for me but really: would it hurt your bottom line to at least give me the thigh with the leg? This all too common practice of small portions in "fine dining" really should stop; it leaves me with negative feelings that I'm sure you don't want to leave the customer with. As well as the lack of anything else in the entree like a side of a vegetable or two. Would it hurt you to add something like herbed baby carrots? That would have improved the visual appearance two: a bright color to contrast with what otherwise was dark muted colors: the purple-black of the risotto and the brown of the roasted duck. Other flaws included lack of any local (i.e. Virginia) wines, no mention of ingredient sourcing, and charging for "bread service" (that practice is getting more common and has to stop - it is petty and insulting). I can be a hash reviewer so the flaws are enough to drop 2 stars because I expect better. But adding back 1 star for the very innovative touches, the good service including a visit from the manager, attractive and comfortable interior, and feeling welcome as a solo diner. I'd definitely consider returning if I revisit the area. read more

This is not the type of restaurant I would ever choose of my own accord because fancy/expensive American/European just doesn't do it for me, but my group chose it. My halibut was a nice size and well cooked, but it - and the dish as a whole - lacked flavor and any significant wow factor. I wouldn't crave it or choose to eat here again, especially at that price tag. My colleagues with food restrictions found it hard to find something they could eat. The people who got the pasta dishes asked for salt, pepper, and other accompaniments after tasting and then didn't finish their dishes (despite the portions not being large), so I don't think they enjoyed them. The squid ink risotto was really salty and also went largely uneaten. On a positive note, a colleague said the calamari was the best she's had outside of NY/NJ, and the mussels were good, but the bread it came with was not. The servers were very nice. read more

Wow, spectacular dinner at Cafe Frank. Charlottesville is so lucky to have such a talented chef cooking affordable food at such a lovely and cozy location on the downtown mall. We made a reservation the night before and secured a table for four. Our server Megan was welcoming and knowledgeable. The Somme helped me pick out a lovely bottle of Arnies for our table. Food was delightful to the last morsel. Such delicate steak tar tar and the juiciest mussels with plenty of broth for the frites that accompanied them. We work a lot and do not get out often, cafe Frank provided such a delightful respite to our busy schedules. We never felt rushed or unwelcome even though we stayed a little past closing time. Thank you to all the staff for giving me and my friends such a lovely evening. You all deserve all the hype! read more

A recent visit let us less than impressed. The mussel appetizer was meh!!! I mean, how can you not have a flavor forward broth with wine, shallots and butter - the star of the dish was the focaccia. My expensive entree of scallops totaled 3, I repeat - three of the bivalve mollusks on top of the most salty, squid inked risotto - and no sight/taste of pickled chiles. On a positive note, our service was delightful and their mixologist knew her way around a bar, lovely concoctions abound!!! Maybe just an off night in the kitchen..... read more

Was lucky enough to grab a reservation at Cafe Frank for restaurant week and it did not disappoint. All three courses were expertly planted and the cook was spot on with all of it. Beautiful atmosphere transports you right to a traditional European cafe. Can't wait to go back read more

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Stumbled upon this place & decided to grab some dinner here. The restaurant is small but the food is well made. The staff are very welcoming. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I think the restaurant could use more lighting, it's very dark in my opinion.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The pricing is a bit high but the food quality is good. read more

Café Frank - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

We had a random weeknight date night and decided Cafe Frank was the perfect spot to pop in. First and only mistake - get a reservation for this place because it was packed and for good reason!! Luckily we got on a wait list for 8pm and happily killed an hour until our time. We started with the beet salad and fried mushrooms. I love beets and this salad was amazing, particularly the horseradish cream that was served alongside it. The fried mushrooms were exactly as sounded, but more perfect than you'd ab imagine. For our entrees I had the sea bass special and it had a perfectly crispy sear on the outside but flaky and buttery inside. The crisped chorizo gave a perfect salt to it. He had the lobster fettuccine bolognese and it was more delicious than I had imagined. I was worried it would be a heavy tomato sauce, but it wasn't - it was a nice light fresh tomato sauce that paired perfectly. We had a beautiful oaky yet lightly sweet Chardonnay that paired perfectly. Also, our server was very knowledgeable and attentive and the service was impeccable. Overall I can't wait to return, but next time with a reservation read more

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The wait is over, and boy is it worth the anticipation! Café Frank is the place where Chef Jose De Brito can finally exercise carte blanche in the kitchen. He's truly a culinary genius and we're so lucky to have him back on the downtown mall! My first visit was for dinner, but they're also offering weekend takeout (family style meals) + they have lunch hours and aperitif hours listed on the website - though I forgot to ask if they've fully opened for those offerings yet. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, making the toughest part of our visit choosing what to order. There are plenty of fabulous wine options, by the glass or bottle. No bottle on the menu is over $55. We opted to start with two different sparkling wine glasses with the Old School Seafood Cocktail as an appetizer. If you love cold seafood, I highly recommend this. I'd love to start every meal with some bubbly and this refreshing app! For entrees, we always try to choose something different so we can share. We went for the Poached Salmon and the Lobster Tail & Fettuccini. Argh! SO good! I'm always apprehensive about salmon in a restaurant, especially when it touts to be poached, but I knew if anyone could execute it properly, this would be it. Wise decision. It is THE BEST poached salmon I have ever had. If you've never had it, don't expect the dry, overcooked or flaky salmon you'll find at your local steakhouse. This is the real deal and literally melts in your mouth. It was served with the most delicious sauerkraut, potatoes and smoked salmon. I very seriously contemplated licking the plate. The Lobster Tail & Fettuccini was made with a shrimp bolognese sauce. Say whaaaaat?! Yep, that's right, shrimp bolognese sauce. My dudes. This was a giant, warm hug in a bowl. Definitely one of those dishes I fully expect to crave again before the week is out. I can't emphasize enough how excellent the service was! Since there wasn't advertising that they're fully open for dine-in yet, we didn't have a reservation and they were at capacity when we arrived. Every person that made eye contact with us, spoke to us and asked us to please wait or return within 30 minutes for a table. Gladly! Once we were there and seated, we were well taken care of by David, Chris, Kathleen and also checked on by another David. We felt extra warm & fuzzy and completely welcome the entire visit. The bottle of nebbiolo we selected was a steal at $35 and paired beautifully with dinner and dessert. Speaking of dessert, we were pretty stuffed, but had to try SOMETHING on the list, so we opted for the mini pies. Glorious bites is what they were. Perfect for sharing! I absolutely cannot wait to return and only hope we won't have to fight for a reservation as the word spreads and everyone starts pouring in. That sounds a little selfish, huh? Oops, what can I say? I'm always hungry and I love good food. I'm also a sucker for atmosphere and excellent service. read more

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Stopped at Cafe Frank for a drink after our dinner at another establishment. Really nice place. Very friendly staff and patrons. Excellent cocktail and beer selection. We took a look at the dinner menu and decided we should've come here for dinner. Next time we're in town Cafe Frank will be at the top of our list for dinner. read more

I was SO happy to snag a table at Cafe Frank during restaurant week. The three course menu was well curated, and I opted for the fritters appetizer, seafood & grits entree, and chocolate mousse dessert. I only managed to get a picture of my entree because I was so excited to eat. Everything was perfectly cooked, and I was impressed by the serving sizes. I left dinner completely stuffed. I look forward to returning in the future to try out their regular menu as well! read more

Café Frank - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

This is the first time ever I have given a restaurant 5 stars. This place blew me away. The food was excellent, the wait staff really on top of everything, and the ambiance felt like being in a little French cafe. It would have been perfect had they had cloth table cloths. Cost cutting I am sure. The appetizers were larger than we expected and pretty filling. The presentation of the main courses were beautiful and tasted as good as it looked. This place is not cheap but you certainly get what you paid for. The desserts were even amazing. read more

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Wonderful patio experience with friendly staff. The Baked Alaska was a hit with our five year old!

It is nice to see a real restaurant land in Charlottesville! From the wine and appetizers to the desert and desert wine, everything was exceptional! All aspects of the meal were executed with amazing skill. The mussels, steak Diane, and the chicken were all delightful, the sauces and method cooked were on point. Only the ivy inn and the now closed downtown grill come close to the quality and execution of the frank. read more

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Food used to be amazing. Now average. French onion soup was small, mushy and bland taste. The salmon entree was a very very basic Recipe that can easily be made at home. Also charging $10 for a small container of french fries is ridiculous. Please beg former chef Jose Britto to return!! His linguini and lobster was incredibly delicious. Will not return. read more

Another great restaurant week find. We have wanted to try Cafe Frank for a while, but we weren't good enough at planning ahead to make reservations. Once we call they were participating in Restaurant Week, we book a few weeks out to ensure we got a time we desired. When the menu came out we felt validated. Great options for every taste. I started with the Lobster Chowder. It was very good, the lobster was cooked well in the broth. It also had corn which gave it some texture. My main course I ordered the surf and turf. It was a $15 upcharge which was slightly expensive considering some of the other restaurants available. The filet came out medium which was fine, we weren't asked so I was expecting mid-rare. It was very tender. The lobster was cooked well and was served with a very nice sauce. Belgian fries rounded out the plate. For the dessert, I ordered the coffee pot de creme with an almond cookie. Great coffee flavor that I wanted to lick the pot (I didn't). The almond cookies had a great almond flavor, not some off the shelf cookie. Overall I had a great experience, glad I went during restaurant week. It gave me a great chance to check it out and enjoy a well balanced meal. read more

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Best new restaurant in Charlittesville. Hands down most authentic French European chef experience South of Washington DC. Outstanding service. Exciting specials. Everything we ate was superbly prepared. Wine list is superb. Excellent value for the quality of the food. Octopus on black ink pasta was excellent. Skate, salmon, wagyu appetizer were all beautiful. Drinks are also very well made. read more

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I had a list of things to talk to my husband about over our dinner date at Café Frank last Saturday and I forgot them all the moment my lobster chowder arrived. Light, almost frothy broth, perfectly spiced with just a hint of peppery zing, with lovely, buttery chunks of lobster. I was in love. And I hadn't yet even met the mini BLT brioche that comes with it! (I gave the mini BLT to my husband because I'm in love with him, too). From that first sip of sublime soup, I knew everything we'd heard about Café Frank over the past year was true. It's an exceptional restaurant. The ambiance is warm and unpretentious. The service is outstanding. The wait staff took such good care of us and made us feel special, when really, it's the food that is the star. Chef DeBrito (I've never met him) is an artist. The ahi tuna ratatouille terrine was like a light-filled pane of stained glass. The Chateaubriand topped with a single lobster ravioli sat on my husband's plate like the domed crown of an Italian basilica. The heirloom tomato salad came with flaky morsels of Portuguese sardines that gleamed like silvery mica. Are my metaphors over the top? Yes. Does the food taste as good as it looks? Oh, yes. Every mouthful delivers surprising layers of taste and texture. This is food that wants to be noticed, that demands attention--like an intricately wrapped gift that you want to open slowly and carefully. My summer flounder (divine) came with a side of wax beans. Wax beans. They don't even sound interesting, do they? Pale yellow cousins of the haricot vert, they risk being mushy or just bland, at best. But at Café Frank, even the lowly wax bean shines. These wax beans were amazing. Laced with sofrito, I later learned. I could not get enough of them. Paired with the summer flounder, the crazy good wax beans made the flounder sing. Yeah, I know. Over the top. But for once, date night did not consist of me nattering on to my husband about the mundanities of our lives. Instead, I ended up waxing poetic about wax beans. I can't wait to go back. read more

Café Frank - Ahi tuna terrine and heirloom tomatoes - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Had reservations for a party of 6. It's a very small restaurant and was very loud and crowded. Not the romantic atmosphere I was anticipating. The food was good. Nothing special IMO. I had chateaubriand. It was 3oz of meat with 1 ravioli and 10 small pieces of gnocchi and some veggies I couldn't identify scattered about the plate for $40! My husband got lamb chops and after a 40 minute cook time received approximately 4 small chops with au gratin potatoes. The potatoes were near invisible and were under the lamb. He didn't even realize they were there. Everyone in our party cleared their plates and thought the food was good but we went to Bebedero afterwards for chips and guacamole because we were all still hungry. Our server...he really struggled to ever come to our table. Our drinks sat empty. He forgot drinks. He didn't tell us when we ordered that the lamb took 40 minutes (another server actually came and told us after we ordered). He would deliberately look away from our table every time he walked passed us. An automatic 18% gratuity was added to our bill and normally we'd add more but his service wasn't worth any extra. We all said we would not go back. read more

This place was absolutely AMAZING. I came during restaurant week and it did not disappoint especially when everyone I know has highly recommended this place. I started off with the lobster chowder which has some chunk a of lobster in it just left like it was so watered down I think it needed a little thicker consistency that chowders do. Then I had the surf and turf with fries. Loved the wagyu stead and lobster but felt like the fries were a miss with this dish. The wagyu and lobster had such delicious flavors and then it was the fries that were bland. As for dessert the rice pudding with caramel which was the perfect topper for an amazing meal! read more

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Ok...came here for dinner for my Birthday and was incredibly pleased by, well frankly, everything. While service was slow it is meant to be this way. Martin was our Server for the evening and he was frankly amazing. In fact, the entire evening was amazing. So we started with the appetizers-I got the fried mushrooms (looked like Boardwalk fries) with a garlic aioli totally delicious) and my partner got the poached egg with mushrooms, escargot, mashed potatoes and a red wine sauce. Both were amazing!!! By the way...the Old Fashioned my partner got was terrific and well balanced, and I got a comfrey and thyme G&T. Highly recommend both. We also got mixed green salads (large helping so easily shareable) and then our main course was brought out. I got the wagyu beef and the partner got the duck....so good. I'll be frank-some folks might complain about the speed of service but for myself and my husband it was PERFECT!!! We weren't rushed, had time to enjoy each course, our pre-dinner drinks and the exquisite bottle of wine we ordered. We will definitely be back and enjoy this amazing spot again! I failed to get pix of the rest of our meal but trust me it was spectacular! read more

Café Frank - Wine - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Perfectly prepared haddock; perfectly prepared steak frites. Outstanding, careful service; not intrusive but attentive and professional. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Charming ambiance.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Would highly recommend for happy hour or dinner; haven't tried lunch or brunch but will definitely try those. Great value for beautiful dinner. read more