Excellent food. We dined inside on a Saturday night. It was pretty busy so we had to eat inside instead outside as we preferred. We ordered four menu items to share: the bread, fried mushrooms, Sicilian chickpea cake, and the gnocchi which was on special. The bread was acceptable (not too dense) and served with a delicious smoked paprika butter. The mushrooms were fried in batter. The combination of mushrooms and batter was decent, but the mushrooms were really a vehicle for the garlic aioli which was heavenly. The chickpea cake was the most disappointing of the options in that it was quite bland, but the fixings served alongside it made the cake more palatable. The gnocchi was rich and delicious and much lighter than most gnocchi I have tried. Overall, I had a wonderful experience and would recommend Cafe Frank to anyone. read more

As Anthony Bourdain says the worst thing that is having to restaurants in this new generation is that everybody is a critic in poor reviews can hurt them dearly. I will only say that I would not come back until I hear that the food has more flavor and substance. read more

Café Frank - Outside area - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Very warm welcoming staff, great menu and specials, excellent wine and bourbon selection and above all else the food was fabulous. The course sizes are perfect and the price is very affordable. Nice find. read more

The food was exquisite. The drinks were amazing. I had their muscles and they were so flavorful. They were amazing honestly and I had to recommend for you to go there don't get me started on the drinks. They were amazing and the staff is wonderful and usually I don't like French food but this restaurant I like. the bartender is amazing and yeah, I really recommend you going read more

Lovely little place on the Downtown Mall serving seafood and steak. I had one of the specials: scallops and asparagus over risotto with a glass of wine. Perfectly fine but didn't wow me. Great service. read more

I absolutely love the service and food at Cafe Frank. This was our second visit here and it was even better than the first. We arrived at 4pm and they only had small plates but our server Dillion was so amazing we were impressed by his suggestions. The mushrooms in Truffle oil were out of this world. I also tasked him with suggesting a drink for me that would not set off one of my allergies and he freaking nailed my likes and made an excellent drink. The muscles had a great zippy flavor that was not too much. My favorite was the mango sherbet with candied ginger with a White Madera. Dillon recommended that pairing as well and we loved it. Thanks for the amazing food and service. read more

Best in Cville? Not quite. Maybe back in the day, but we were a bit disappointed. Duck appetizer was good, but small. Chicken live app had a strange sweet/sour flavor. Off putting. The chef here apparently likes to cook everything rare. Super rare. They recommended medium rare, but the meat we had was super rare. Slow service as well. Probably won't return. I've had better French food. Maybe the chef was off tonight and someone was in training? Nice ambiance, but I came here for a good meal. read more

We went to Cafe Frank for a birthday and it was a great experience! We felt prioritized from the second we walked in and both the host and wait staff were courteous, efficient, and very kind. They gave great recommendations, had impeccable timing, and went out of their way when we asked about specific items. They found common ground when chatting with us and were able to provide a very personal yet professional dining experience. The food was absolutely delicious with great portion sizes and reasonable prices for a nice restaurant, and the Wagyu steak was probably the best steak we'd ever tasted (no joke)! If you're looking for an upscale but personal dining experience with great food and service, definitely try Cafe Frank! read more

Café Frank - Wagyu steak with gnocchi and veggies, flounder with saffron sauce and a side of wax beans - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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We booked a 9:00 res on open table--the only slot available. We are in from out of town and ended up a bit late after finding parking a few blocks away--which we told the restaurant when they called at exactly 9:00 asking where we were. Arrived at 9:12-was told immediately, before even sitting down that we had 3 minutes to order because they'd give us a "grace period" but the kitchen was closing. And the restaurant closes at 10:00. Before we sat down. This is probably the rudest treatment I've had in a restaurant. They took a 9:00 reservation. Why would they do that if the kitchen closes at 9:00 and the restaurant closes at 10:00??? Sadly, this ruined one of the 3 nights of our vacation, leaving us with few options other than our hotel on a Friday night. read more

Spectacular! I'm a grown man and I giggled when I tried the chicken. Really. Chicken. How good could it be? I ordered it because I know Chef De Brito is amazing and wanted to see what he could do with something as unremarkable as chicken. Well, I'm still daydreaming about the dish. PRO TIP: Get everything on the plate in each bite. It's where the magic really happens. My chicken and my wife's salmon were both excellent on thier own. But when we added in the other items on the plate they got so good we giggled. Really. Grown people. Involuntary giggling over food. It was wonderful. We'll be back. Often. read more

Having lived in Paris, I think I'm qualified on this. Definitely 5 star world class creative food but tarnished by 3 star organization and service. Individually, the small staff is ultra expert, eager to serve, and likable. But their teamwork is seriously lacking. Cook time is ridiculously slow...25 minutes for sauté fish on an empty week night. Another table simply walked out after a 30 minute wait for first plates. Even worse, the lady stood in front of the manager/somm to explain. He was talking on his cell while looking directly at her. She finally bailed out in total exasperation. Strange way to build a business. read more

I had a fantastic solo meal at the bar three weeks ago. Great amaro selection and wines by the glass. Food was stellar. I was fortunate to get some of the last morels available, done above a flan demi glace with a poches egg and perfectly al dente favs beans. A Michelin-worthy dish. Kind and unobtrusive service as I enjoyed a book by myself. Highly recommend. read more

This is an incredible little spot with delicious and flavorful meals. Excellent cooked meat and very attentive service. Delicious cocktails as well. Highly recommend! read more

Café Frank - Beef carpaccio app - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The food was exceedingly good - the smell, the presentation, the taste. I can only recommend the ratatouille appetizer and the coq au vin. The rest of the menu looked very good too. We're not heavy eaters so we skipped - with regret - the dessert. We loved the bar cocktails too. The place is small, make a reservation ahead of time. The ambiance can't be called luxurious but is very pleasant. read more

Café Frank - Ratatouille appetizer - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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it was perfect the food the staff the bartinder i got the duck confe and it was perfect i would 10/10 recomend going it was delitfull and i was suprized how good the drinks were and the sercer was really nice and they were respectfull and fun it was a really good.!!!... loved it read more

Exceptional cuisine from an innovative chef with traditional roots. The cuisine, without pretension is beautifully presented with grace and colour. Showcasing exceptionally fresh ingredients. read more

Your better of getting McDonald's. This place is over priced and shit. Don't be fooled my the paid reviews and the fancy pictures. It's all a lie. read more

Aa long time Charlottesville residents, my wife and I have enjoyed many wonderful places to dine. Last night we went, with another couple, to Cafe Frank. It's as good a meal as we've ever had in Charlottesville, and much better than most! It's on the downtown mall, very small; while it didn't rain while we were there, there had been heavy rains and winds throughout the day from the remains of Hurricane Ida. There were few people on the mall and at Cafe Frank. Great, cozy atmosphere, nice bar. Interesting menu, great service (by David, in our case). On arrival we saw friends who insisted we order fried mushrooms -- each couple shared a serving as an appetizer: Absolutely wonderful. Drinks and wine were good and fairly priced. For entrees, two ordered lobster with fettuccine, one ordered poached salmon, and the other mussels and French fries. All were outstanding: Tasty, right temp, good serving sizes. A unique and special treasure were the mini-desserts -- 4-5 two-bite sweets which were delicious. Server was David -- attentive, but not bothersome. Great personality. Very knowledgeable. Our suggestion: Go to Cafe Frank! read more

What a find !!! We have an amazing French restaurant right here in Charlottesville . The interior dining is clean and chic. The outside dining has a perfect downtown ambiance equipped with heaters for a comfortable dining experience if needed . Now, on to the food. AMAZING ! My husband and I shared beef tartar appetizer and then lobster fettuccini and cassoulet . The portions were generous and flavors perfect. I'm sorry I didn't take the picture earlier. Full lobster tail perfectly done with an amazing combos of flavors in the fettuccine sauce. Cassoulet was French worthy. We will make this our go to place read more

Café Frank - Cafe frank - Cafes Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I can't even give this place one star. Terrible service for a reservation for a birthday that didn't happen . Super rude staff, do not recommend. read more

This used to be one of my favorite weekend spots and one of the most consistent Charlottesville restaurants. Since the departure of Jose de Brito, the quality and consistency have declined. I also find the offerings a little muddled. The description of the restaurant indicates Franco Italian, but much of the food has a Spanish tilt. Bring back the French influence and move away from Spanish fare. More vegetables and salads would be very welcome, too. You don't need to do too much, but what you do needs to be done right. At the moment, that is not happening. I'll be passing on Cafe Frank until things change....perhaps a new chef with a clear vision would help. read more

Waited for over an hour for appetizers. Waitstaff didn't know what they were doing. Bathroom had broken cabinet that should have been thrown away. Pieces hanging off. Was not impressed! read more

This is hands-down the best meal I've had in Charlottesville. C & O, Duner's, even Ivy Inn don't hold a candle to this place. I had the whiskey peppercorn filet with mushroom gnocchi gratin. I am not a big steak person and I don't even like mushrooms, but this dish was truly amazing!! For dessert I got the warm vanilla almond pear 'cake' (though it was really almost a tart) with the most ridiculously buttery crust, garnished with some pear vanilla ice cream. A great end to a fantastic meal. While this is maybe not the place to go if you're in a hurry (it took like 30 minutes just to get the bread), it is well worth the wait! Can't wait to go back! (And try the lobster fettuccini that was sold out by the time we got there). read more

First time there. Excellent food extremely friendly service. Not hitting 5 stars as extremely slow beverage service. Delicious appetizer devoured before drinks arrived. Server apologetic but still just slow. Worth a visit for the food and friendly service read more

I was overall very pleased with my time here. The Lobster Soup is phenomenal! Atmosphere was cozy and wait staff was attentive.

This was our first time dining out since the pandemic began, and we were so happy we chose this wonderful place. It was one of the best meals we've had in Charlottesville. Fantastic wine and cocktail list as well. Already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Slooooow kitchen. Average service. Too expensive for the lack of service and way too slow even for a French restaurant. Atmosphere good. Food, blah. Not a good night. read more

The worst food and service we have ever experienced. We ordered the lobster tail and wagyu. The lobster was one quarter the size of a small tail and for the price it was ridiculous and in a poor tasting sauce. The wagyu was tough and hard. I doubt that the wagyu was the real piece of meat. The appetizer with ricotta and fruit sauce was a gloppy mess and tasteless. Never again! read more

Great meal. Our Server David was the best and even made sure that we got to our Uber pick up. Highly recommend read more

Amazing bistro food. We had multiple small plates from the chef's daily menu. Great service. No issues making a same day reservation.

We've been here 2 or 3 times now and everything we have tried has been excellent. Very authentic French bistro style in the ambiance and the food. Friendly staff and clients. Can wait to get back. read more

Food was absolutely delicious, perfectly prepared. Great service. One of the best meals we have had in C-ville - and we eat well. Will return. read more

Came here with a few friends for dinner & wine- it was excellent! I got the lobster tail & fettuccine pasta. It had an entire lobster tail on top and the sauce was perfection! Best I have had. My friends got the poached salmon and were extremely pleased. Our waiter was super pleasant, knowledgable, and attentive. The creme brûlée was probably my favorite part. It was great! Will definitely be back. read more

Cafe Frank is a little piece of Paris in Charlottesville with delicious sandwiches and light salads during lunch, an apero hour, and bistro fare ranging from seafood cocktail to heartier foods for dinner. The space is cozy and there is a lovely outdoor patio. The menu is somewhat limited and it's on the pricier side, but it's a worthwhile splurge. read more

The service was very good. The wine selection is impeccable and the cappuccino was incredible. It is a quaint little place with a great atmosphere. read more

We loved the atmosphere, our waiter, and the food was excellent. Highly recommend. We had the ricotta app and Steak Diane which both were perfect. read more