Overrated... great a decade ago Service is slow & food off a steam table is overcooked read more

I am so happy I finally got around to try Duner's and it didn't disappoint! We started with two of their old fashioned's. Drinks were solid - nothing to write home about. We got the steamed mussels as our appetizer and they were delicious - especially with their house bread to soak up all the garlic-creamy sauce. For entrees, we got the seared duck breast and the grilled tuna. Both were amazing! The duck breast and risotto were perfectly cooked and serve with a delicious savory but tart and sweet raspberry and balsamic glaze. The grilled tuna was seared just right with lovely grill flavors and a nice rare center. It was served on a bed of sushi rice and topped with a citrus slaw. Portions were huge and our server was quick and so friendly. Hope to come back soon! read more

Duner's Restaurant - Grilled tuna with sushi rice, citrus slaw - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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W whine knows this is a gem. Locals love it as one of the few fine dining options out of town. Great menu and service. Cozy atmosphere.

Food was fine. Service below average. Ambiance was average. I considered it overpriced though. read more

Visited for Valentine's day and the food was amazing! I didn't know what to expect going in, but it was beyond expectations. I would definitely come again!! read more

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Helpful advice on food choices. Excellent quality. Friendly people. Took pictures for our celebration

Food was good, but clearly had been sitting under a food warmer, so the risotto was crusty and warm but not hot. This restaurant is always busy so the service is slow. It feels like a country diner and very cold. We needed to put on jackets to stay warm. Glad I tried it, but probably won't return. read more

Good food, but bad service from rude server. Seemed annoyed that we were there. Way too much time between water, drinks, ordering, food, etc. - beyond leisurely. Noticed others getting faster service. Had a reservation. Came highly recommended so we were really disappointed. read more

I loveeee this place!!! Visited Duners while in Charlottesville , make sure to make reservations. The place is small, but they do have an outside tent. We asked to be seated in the main room, since it was busier and better ambiance. I like loud places . Our hostess wasn't very nice , as we walked in apparently we where supposed to automatically know where to go , but that didn't ruin the night. Christina was our waitress and she was AMAZING!!! Even tho she was busy she was always making sure we where okay. The food omg! Delicious!! All fresh ingredients, their house wine was also good . I will def go back! And def recommend it! read more

Duner's Restaurant - Grilled tuna - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Y'all need to listen closely. Diners looks kind of cool and probably has great reviews but it's not like that at all. If you haven't been going here as a regular for more than 3 years it's not worth it. The place is run with regulars that are all retired and love to play gold on the weekends. The food is above average but not good enough to make your day or make you go to bed smiling. The lighting in the restaurant is poor; way too dark. I have no complaints about the wait staff. All in all, I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Great place for a fancy dinner out. By that I mean tablecloths and great food. Make reservations ahead of time. They book up fast. A must try restaurant! read more

Ambiance was very quaint, appeared to be a nice date night spot when we walked in. Menu had some great sounding items on it so we had high expectations. We ultimately felt the food missed the mark. The appetizers (fried oysters and stuffed quail) were just okay. It was the entrees (duck and veal) however, that were quite disappointing. The duck was sliced too thin and the skin/fat wasn't crisp at all. The breading on the veal was soggy and fell off as soon as you attempted to cut it. Then a arugula salad was plated on top of the hot pasta that came with the veal, leaving it wilted and soggy. The desserts (ice cream sandwich and peach cobbler) were also underwhelming. The ice cream was frozen and crystallized. The peach cobbler wasn't warm and was 90 percent biscuit. read more

I've only been here once and it was fine. I found something in my food (think it was a foil wrapper of some kind). Overall, food was middling and atmosphere was great. My family loves it though, so I could have caught them on an off night. Will go back and give them another shot. read more

A tight menu, some would call it limited, but the offerings were excellent. There were four in our party and we each got something different and all of us were pleased. The sommelier was delightful and knew his wines helping me pair a good wine with my pork chop with a jalapeño jam. Bartender mixed excellent drinks and our waitress was a delight. The atmosphere was simple but welcoming and pleasant. This was a great evening in a wonderful place with great food and excellent staff. I'm read more

The food is well prepared and tasty. everything is very good. The Margaritas are delicious and hit the spot!

Greatly improved since the last time we were there. Much friendlier/attentive service and really good food. Dessert was fantastic.

Always to notch food. Interesting mix of top tier food in a relatively casual setting. Food and service are terrific.

I had the opportunity to try a couple of dishes so I think I got a great read on the restaurant. This review is mainly based on my dish the flank steak which ended being tough and flavorless. The soft shell crab dish was tasty, the lobstah halibut cake or should I say ball was just ok. The calamari was good the scallops app was tasty. The fried oysters were ok but I'm not a fan of fried oysters. read more

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Excellent kitchen and professional service. We always enjoy eating at Duner's. This is a higher end restaurant. Prices are competitive with other nicer restaurants in the area. read more

This is a lovely restaurant for the more mature crowd from Farmington, Crozet and Ivy. You are expensive. We were there for a special event but we had to listen to a child scream for an hour and a half in the main dining room. You did nothing even though everyone was watching this particularly long table which could have easily been relocated into the tent room.You inflicted this screaming child on over 100 diners each paying $200 or more a cover. When my child acted like that we immediately exited the restaurant because we knew that just the change in temperature calmed them down. And then they could return. We also realized that at about age 2 we could no longer take them to a nice restaurant for a year or so until they were able to behave. We will not be back until you take control of your guests' experiences-which was horrible this evening read more

Great food. Service was excellent. Nice homey atmosphere. Went here with my boss and fellow coworkers. The appetizer of fried mushrooms were awesome could easily have eaten three orders my self. read more

Don't let the facade and casual ambiance fool you, Duners serves delicious fine dining comparable or even better than some of the most popular places on the Downtown Mall. With a rotating daily menu, food is prepared based on what's in season, and it's done very well. My husband and I are happy that we decided to come here for a special occasion. We shared the calamari which was lightly breaded and came with a ginger wasabi dipping sauce - a pleasant change from typical marinara or aioli sauces. I got the seared salmon, and it was perfectly cooked (not dry at all and with just the right amount of lemon beurre blanc sauce) and was accompanied by housemade gnocchi. My husband had the ribeye which was prepared at the perfect medium rare and upgraded to the special vegetable side of brussel sprouts and spinach. Overall, deliciously prepared dishes, nice staff, extensive wine list, and lovely but not stuffy ambiance. Definitely one of our new favorite restaurants for special dinners in the area! I would recommend booking a reservation because it is unsurprisingly packed on the weekends! read more

Grilled Tuna, Crab Cakes and Service are the best. Deserts are always incredible. Looks bland from the outside, but you can't find better food and service in Charlottesville. read more

Holy crap Duner's was awesome and I cannot wait to go back! We went last saturday for her bday dinner and were stunned by everything we ate and totally loved the laid back relaxed atmosphere. We started with a massive bowl of mussels in a garlic butter wine sauce. The mussels themselves were super fresh and huge. Great appetizer to share. We also had a few draft beers from Devils BB. I had Crispy Fried Whole Flounder with korean bbq dippin sauce over veggie lo-mein. Talk about unique! I've never seen a full flounder on a menu.... snapper sure, but not flounder. Overall the dish was awesome and this was perfect. The crispy skin was the best part. I found the korean bbq sauce to be very salty and acidic and didn't use any of it; however, the dish didnt need any extra sauce/flavor. She ordered the seared salmon over spinach and potato gnocchi with prosciutto and corn. The fish was perfectly cooked, buttery and delicious, Overall the plate was incredibly rich and succulent and she scarfed it down in about 1.5 seconds. Hey, it was her birthday..... Perhaps the best part was lovely waitress. She share some terrific suggestions/highlights, was super friendly, and in true Duner's laidback fashion she wore a simple t-shirt, apron and jeans. read more

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Great food, really great service, everything was really well done! I could nitpick a few things but honestly, this place is worth going to at least once if you want a nice casual fine dining experience out in wine country virgina! read more

This restaurant is one of our family's favorites. We try to come here whenever everyone is in town and highly recommend it to any family wanting a nice meal out. The food is seasonal, great tasting, and generous. While the prices are a bit high, it's reasonable compared to other nice options in Charlottesville. The wait staff is incredibly personable, helpful, and hospitable. Some dishes that I recommend are the oyster appetizer, which comes fried golden brown with a great remoulade sauce, the homemade fettuccini with signature Italian sausage in a fragrant tomato creen sauce, the savory, herbed roasted duck, and the veal scallopini. This particular time we also tried the seared scallops with a light orange hoisin sauce, which passed our expectation. Overall, this local eatery provides a great experience that cuts through the noise of Charlottesville's diverse food scene. read more

Duner's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

The food was very good, but the service was a 0. The young lady bringing around water and clearing tables was very nice but our waitress was not. There was no prior interaction that would have caused it, but it was clear the moment that we sat down that we were not welcomed. She was very friendly and pleasant with the other tables but with the two of us (same sex couple) it was the minimum service and with zero pleasantry. I wouldn't return and certainly did not feel welcomed. read more

Probably in my top 5 favorite restaurants that I have ever dined at. My wife and I ate here together alone before our wedding the next morning. From the moment we stepped in everyone shared our excitement and served us with so much happiness. The food was incredible--the menu was so diverse and had so many tasty options. We had the mussels which were mind blowing. We always order mussels on any menu and we agreed that these were probably the best we have ever had overall. You could drink the delicious broth they are cooked in or just soak the wonderful House made bread in it and eat it like we did. They gave us complimentary champagne and pumpkin cheesecake which was totally unnecessary but speaks to the thoughtfulness of this restaurants staff and ownership. We had another dinner the next day at another respected restaurant and it was such a let down after Duner's. The wine list here is delicious and fairly priced. Our entrees were both fresh, great portions, and genuinely delicious. We both can't wait to come back here again and again. Thank you to the chef, servers, and staff who made our night so yummy and special it was the highlight of our trip besides saying "I do". read more

Duner's does a near perfect job every time we come here with service. Its a noisy restaurant but the food is so good and the bread is fresh and hot. The servers have been with the restaurant for years and that suggests that the restaurant takes good care of their own workers. I had the Fried Flounder in Sweet Chile Glaze and the plate presentation is out of this world, see pics. Highly recommended eatery but fills up quickly after 5 so reserve on line if possible or be prepared for a long wait on busy nights. read more

Duner's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Duners was the perfect place to take our large party of seafood lovers, but they also had a mouthwatering choices for the meat lovers. I started with an order of four large grilled scallops in a perfectly spicy mango jalapeño sauce and the BBQ shrimp on spinach pierogis (sounds odd but absolutely delicious!). We also had fresh tuna, rockfish appetizer, delicious crab cakes, and fresh trout, but the star was the Beef Tenderloin with Warm Blue Cheese, smashed potatoes and a red wine-bacon reduction. PHENOMENAL. The service was impeccable and we lacked for absolutely nothing. We saved room for dessert!!! I had a chocolate dome cake that was moist with mousse layers and a ganache-like shell. My friend ordered the "ice cream sandwich," - vanilla ice cream with apricot cobbler between brownie crusts. The best was a fresh strawberry shortcake smothered in strawberries! read more

Duner's Restaurant - Dessert Menu! - New American Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Dylan made our night. Incredibly happy, enthusiastic, bombastic energy. Fantastic food all around. We shared our plates and there was no entree envy. The service was not only timely, but pointed - they make you feel welcome. He found out it was my birthday at the end of the night & immediately offered a dessert drink (delicious). He made my birthday with old friends and it was a night I will remember. Shoutout to Dylan! read more

My party of three turned into a party of four which Duners was able to accommodate. I have lived here a little time and this is only my second time visiting. I hope to come back more frequently. My party had two orders of the salmon, halibut, and fettuccine with shrimp and sausage. We started with scallops and ended with coconut cake and ice cream sandwich desserts for the table. Highly recommend saving room for dessert. This place is great for an intimate date or a family dinner or a birthday party for nana. It's really special and part of the fabric of Ivy and Charlottesville. Make a reservation and head over. read more

What an amazing restaurant! Recommend reservations. Took our son to UVA and his roommate's parents made reservations for us all. She was spot on and the service and food is excellent. read more

Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, and excellent service. We loved every coarse of our meal, great wine and beer selection!

I have been going to Duner's for 10+ years when I discovered it as a student at UVA. I absolutely love the restaurant and will always try to find an excuse to get here. One thing I love is the ambience. The food is delicious which may be unexpected. It's not really near anything. The inside has wooden booths and while you may see someone in a suit you may see someone in a T-shirt and jeans. It's casual and unpretentious. Moreover, the service is fantastic and will make you feel at home. I usually get something different each time I come. One thing I have been getting more consistently is the calamari appetizer. It is lightly fried with a delicious sauce. For my entree, I got the gnocchi. I have never gotten the vegetarian dish here and was not disappointed. Add that in with house bread and it made for another great meal. read more

Still good after all these years. They've adapted to outdoor seating, which takes something from the ambiance, but food and service is as exceptional as always. I had the duck, which was my first duck in over a year. read more

Food was delicious--fried oysters appetizer, seared duck breast with risotto entree and coconut cake for dessert. So so good!

We had the pleasure of eating here last weekend. It's been on my list of places to try for quite a while but since we live in Delaware we unfortunately had to wait until we were in town again. The restaurant is small, homey and very comfortable. We arrived an hour early for our reservation and planned to sit at the bar. Instead, we were greeted by the NICEST HOSTESS EVER and she sat us at a table right away. I mean it with utmost sincerity that she clearly loves her job and was a joy to watch. We were seated in the bar area so we heard all of her interactions with customers and I was so impressed that I mentioned it to her as we were leaving. Our server, Fletcher, was on point and provided excellent service. The food was spectacular! My fiancé had the New York strip and I had the pan roasted beef tenderloin. Both were prepared perfectly and were mouth watering and delicious. Unfortunately we are only in town a few times a year but I know for a fact we will go back to Duners every trip! Thank you for a lovely evening, Duners! read more

In the middle of my host's vehement discussion on the differences between regular cow and the tragic, glorious Texan longhorn, I looked up from my plate for the first time that evening. Yes I should have been paying more attention but it always feels so weird to be staring at someone whilst chewing, and so I listened with one ear open and the other senses completely fixated on my food. Much like a potbelly pig does. Scallops were divine. I had no idea something that came from the butt of a mollusk could taste so good. I've been watching Hell's Kitchen on repeat, and it boggles my mind how badly trained chefs can burn, over-season, under-season, and otherwise mutilate a poor little scallop. I would tell you to just come here and order two plates of the scallops and not to share with anyone, no, not even your children, because they're that delicious. The tomato/mozz plate was your typical kind of yum (with LOCAL tomatoes - so local, they were planted, plucked, and nurtured from someone's backyard). I got the grilled hanger steak. Nice to see that it came slightly bloody in the middle. I wish they gave me more roasted potatoes, though, because those micro-roasted tubers were awesome. I think someone asked me if they could have half of one, and I was like ... you can have the skin? I know, I am dreadful. Food came fast; wine and water continuously replenished. One thing that did grate a bit on my nerves was that the waitress had no idea of how to gracefully interrupt a conversation with some update on the food. We would be in the middle of something, and she would just lean her head way in and start rambling or stick her arm across someone's plate to reach the wine. Granted, the table we were seated at was a bit awkward to navigate, but she was so obtrusive! Otherwise, a magnificent dining experience. read more

I still love Duners even though I have been getting take out these days. I have to say, the chocolate torte--mmmm. Its SO good! I have ordered take out for the past 3 weekends from Duners, and I keep getting the torte. The first week I shared it, the second week, I hid it, and this week I have told my family that I cannot share. Had the filet dinner and the torte tonight. Yum! So happy not to cook and to have it be delicious too! read more