My friend and I decided it was high time for a change of pace for dinner and decided we should go a bit upscale. We settled on Petit Pois, and I'm glad we did! We had a delicious round of appetizers including French Onion Soup and Mussels which were both outstanding. Afterwards I begrudgingly picked out the steak frites - now, I love steak frites, but they're so often disappointing at places nowadays that I feel like it's a big gamble to order them. Thank goodness Petit Pois proved me wrong. I'm not exaggerating even a little when I say it was absolutely the best steak frites I have ever had. The frites were crispy, full of herbs and flavor, and the steak perfectly done with a deliciously seared crust. Could not have asked for better. Went great with a local Lovingston white wine which I really enjoyed. This place is minuscule inside so make sure you plan accordingly. Also, the entire place is in the draft zone of the door, which is incredibly annoying. They really should put a curtain or something in place to mitigate the horrible icy breeze that sweeps through the place every time someone enters or exits. As someone who is chronically cold, that really soured the ambiance. read more

Would normally give 5 stars, because food and service are usually impeccable, even when ordering food to take back to my office for lunch. Today unfortunately, I got an underseasoned and cold shrimp dish with overcooked frites. None of the usual charming touches: condiments, little box of bread and butter, or even the usual friendliness from inside the restaurant. I am paying full-service price, leaving a full-service tip, and doing a favor for the restaurant's bottom dollar by leaving a table open in a small space. I wouldn't expect this really unusual service.. read more

This is an excellent restaurant right on main street in downtown Charlottesville. The food was excellent and very well priced given the high quality of food you received. After seeing how delicious the dinners of those around me looked, I went out on a limb and ordered a dish with spinach (I normally despise it) and I ended up polishing it off. I went in the winter time so it was a bit cramped inside. I can definitely see the potential for it in the warmer months though. -1 star for the fact that our waitress broke the cork while opening our bottle of wine. I know she was trying hard, but she still assured us that it was okay only to pour a glass, have cork in it, and not even notice. To not be a jerk, I only asked for a replacement first glass, which she agreed to, but the one that she brought was clearly less full than the original one poured. Note: Though the restaurant name means peas... I inquired and there seemed to be no secret pea recipe they had, so I didn't bother to try them. My friend did and she thought they were good (but not mind blowing) Overall I definitely will make a return trip if I'm in the mood for great french food next time I'm in Charlottesville! read more

Open for lunch on the 4th of July, serving Polyface Farms chicken, and an incredible chocolate mousse to split with my notoriously chocoholic auntie... what could be better? We were three for lunch, all fairly picky after having a delicious dinner at a wedding the previous night, and all three sampled each entree ordered and declared them universally delicious. Red wine chicken, onion tart, and (mine) tuna nicoise over mixed greens, followed by a honey tart and chocolate mousse for dessert... not a clunker in the meal. I usually don't give five star reviews just on principle, but honestly the food couldn't have been better. Waitservice was a touch slow, but excusably so on a holiday. And as we left, the chef happened to be coming back inside from a stroll and stopped to tell us about their ingredients. If I'm ever back to Charlottesville I'll eat here again. read more

A sweet memory in Charlottesville's historic downtown open mall: "As we listened to the water dance, we indulged in our appetizer - thinly cut fries with herb de provance. We sat under a canopy of dancing shadows and light breeze." This is just a bite of our full review.. read more

I had a pleasant experience at this cozy restaurant; by the end, I was regretting that I hadn't tried this place sooner. Petit Pois serves classic French bistro food and does it well. With my friend, I tried two appetizers, two entrées, and a dessert. To start, we had escargot and onion soup. The escargot was rich and garlicky from the standard herb butter treatment, but I found that the relative balance of butter versus herb and garlic was slightly off and would have liked to see more of the latter two. The onion soup was somewhat lighter than expected as it didn't have a rich flavor of beef stock as one typically hopes for, but they were really able to coax out a deep onion flavor that made up for it. To continue, we had the beef short rib and the duck confit. Both came in generous portions. The beef short rib was enjoyable, and the crunchy potato was excellent--soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The only criticism I can muster is that the roasted carrots were a bit too sweet and the meat, while not dry, could have been slightly moister. The duck confit was a bit drier but still worked pretty well with the tart accompanying sauce. To finish, we had the crème caramel (i.e. flan). The citrus and clove sauce was an excellent accompaniment and was well suited to the cold winter day on which we dined. read more

Delicious crabcakes for dinner last night and great service, again! Was told we had to wait about 40 minutes for a table to open up after checking in with a few other places on the downtown mall with no openings. It was less than that and we were happy to wait. Food and setting was perfect. Carafe of water and friendly staff. One of our favorite places. Also recommend butternut squash risotto and tomato soup. read more

Warm welcome, excellent attentive but unobtrusive service and a varied and interesting menu. The mussels and chicken liver pate were were flavorful. The hanger steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare- tender & tasty with real Pommes Frites and gravy, and the seafood stew was wonderfully seasoned and prepared. This was a pleasant meal in an intimate milieu. "Petit" is not a misnomer- recommend that you present early or make a reservation. read more

Fleurie's little sibling! We love Fleurie but only go for birthdays as it is over our budget otherwise. We just adore Petit Pois. I've had brunch here - which was delicious. I've also been here half a dozen times or more for dinner with friends or family. Everyone has always loved it, even if it is a tad on the expensive side. You get what you pay for!!! I think we've tried everything on the menu. My boyfriend adores the roast chicken, we're both big fans of the hanger steak and fries and French onion soup, and I love the crab cakes. The chocolate mousse is delicious too! Truly everything we've ever had has been top-notch. Highly recommended for a fun date night or a more upscale night out with friends. You won't regret it! read more

I feel like Charlottesville thinks very highly of their food, and this place came strongly recommended. I found it pretty forgettable, though. I had the gnocchi, which was a small portion, and was far from the best I tried while visiting Virginia (Founding Farmers' gnocchi in DC was amazing!). The service was good and attentive, and the outdoor seating area is nice on these gorgeous spring days.... but the food was nothing super special and in my opinion, not worth the price. read more

Small space, moderately pricey, approachable french food, and good service. Overall an enjoyable place to dine. They have wine bottles on their menu in the $20-range which is a nice surprise. Menu changes occasionally, though the steak-frites are a standard and are quite delicious. Steak is cooked well and surprisingly tender while the fries are just awesome. Like, eat the whole plate and order another side awesome. Sure you'll feel terrible after doing this but whatever. The other food has been hit or miss, lamb meatballs were pretty good, some chicken dish was also pretty good. Some of the sides that come with the main dishes are underwhelming. Steak-frites gets 5 stars. Everything else in the 3-4 star range, including the service which was fine but not exceptional. Bonus points for cheap bottles of wine. Outdoor seating is great in nice weather, but the service slows down as these tables effectively double the size of the restaurant. read more

What a consistently delightful petit bistrot in Charlottesville! The food served here is bursting with freshness. The servers are charming, helpful and not overbearing. Here you know you're eating close to local gardeners, farmers and butchers. The dishes are classically excellent. Just take as a simple example...a green salad...at Petit Pois it's so delicious, very French. The salad greens jump at you with goodness; the salad is served with goat cheese & toasted pine nuts, the dressing is wonderfully subtle. That's just for a starter. The soups are yummy and so is one of my favs, the house smoked salmon with potato cake. The mussels marinière are spot on classic and divine. And you've never ever tasted such amazing Brussels sprouts! In the summer the owner often brings in his own home grown tomatoes! Some classic main courses here are the trout amandine which is addictive...you'll order it again & again, the coq au vin in the French style...super comfort food, the crab cakes have a lot of crab, and the hanger steak is tender and absolutely delicious! Don't miss the shoe string French fries....cooked perfectly. There's a superb selection of wines and lots of fun cocktails. They serve three perfect desserts which are all fantabulous. Petit Pois is my favorite Cville restaurant. I'm sure you'll love it too! (Reserve if eating inside...!) read more

This is a review solely for the drinks at the bar - which were actually pretty great. While waiting to get into another restaurant, my group of friends stopped at the very small bar inside. This place is upscale and chic with a very modern design of nice, clean lines and they were growing some grass on the bar (okay that sounds strange but it matches the modern decor). The inside bar was very small and seats only about six. I ordered the mixed drink of the month, which consisted mostly of lemon and gin (Lemon Thyme?). It was fantastic - a great excuse to drink gin in the summer. The bar has a good selection of beer (mostly local VA beers such as Devil's Backbone and Blue Mountain Brewery), other mixed drinks, and a great wine list. We also ordered the Stinson Vineyards Rosé, which I highly recommend. I haven't had the food (yet), but at least the bar was awesome, and you can easily take up the whole thing with a group of friends. The prices are to be expected for the Charlottesville area, and the service was satisfactory. read more

My husband and I were coming through town while on a road trip and just wanted a really good meal out at a nice place. We got it and then some! The drinks and food were delicious, and the meal was made even more perfect by our fantastic server, Joellen. She was so passionate and energetic and informative about everything on the menu - and so warm -- she really made our meal. We started out with drinks - with Joellen introducing us to a kind of wine made for several thousand years in the country of Georgia. I wasn't sure if it was what I wanted with my meal, so Joellen brought a bit for me and my husband to try. It was lovely and interesting but not what I wanted with my dinner. But...I wasn't sure what I wanted, so after I selected my meal (with some help from her -- providing details on various dishes), Joellen offered to provide a selection of suitable pairings. She brought two white wines which she also was knowledgeable about. I tasted them both and instantly selected one to go with my fish. We had the chicken liver pate appetizer - the chicken is from a local farm, as are many of their ingredients. It was a mix of amazing flavors and spices and came with these perfectly buttery, toasted bread crisps. The combination was amazing. Then my husband had the lamb meatballs and I had the trout almondine. We both loved our dishes. The combination of flavors and elements...just lovely. We ate outside, overlooking the fountain in the center of the pedestrian "mall" in Charlottesville, watching all the people enjoying the warm evening. With all the great food in this great little city, it seems we could not have gone wrong eating out anywhere here, but we sure are happy we found this french bistro - charming and incredibly knowledgeable staff, lovely setting, delicious and thoughtful food. read more

Ate outside at Petit Pois beside Senator Warner and Professor Larry Sabato (you know its gotta be good if the politico big wigs in Cville hit it up) and had a great meal. The cheese plate was great and the bread was fantastic - crusty on the outside, moist and rich on the inside. I got the risotto with asparagus and roasted tomatoes and it was pretty good, although I think it could use some more flavor. I'll definitely be there again and I've heard the mac and cheese is great (it wasnt on the menu the night I went) read more

Petit Pois is all about technique. Great technique and great flavor. Thoughtful. Balanced. Finessed. Let's not forget the attentive great service--experienced and professional. Calves liver, Coq au Vin, Cod, French onion soup, arugula, goat cheese and beet salad (which could be constructed to be a predictable and boring pairing--but au contraire, c'est delicieux) plus the tartelette framboise and other well-executed desserts. Where have you been Petit Pois? I don't live in CV but wish I did and will return again and again. You tugged at my remembrance of many, many years on the L.A. food scene and also the country French country food scene outside Paris or my favorite cafe in Orléans, France. Ah, the proverbial crunchy baguette and the sweet butter--had longed for that ever since moving to the Blueridge. Petit Pois you tugged at my heart. Will be grateful and so happy to visit you again. So impressed. read more

By far, one of the best restaurants in Charlottesville. I studied cuisine in Paris and the food here is every bit as good as a fine French restaurant. The staff is warm and inviting and the service is always attentive. A hidden gem that, this review notwithstanding, I hope stays that way! read more

Visited this restaurant while we were walking around downtown - wanted a small bite before dinner and heard good things from the owners of the B&B where we were staying. Decided to get the snail appetizer - ever since we had them for the first time in Chicago at Le Creperie we've been into it, and figured we'd try theirs. I had a beer as it was warm out and we weren't feeling the wine (French heavy list with some local stuff, etc.). The server was very friendly and helpful, but the Escargot was only OK. Both places we've been to in Chicago had better, and honestly I expected a bit more from the place. Great outdoor seating, although during a windy day beware the falling branches, etc.... read more

This is a good place for solid service and variety of lovely dishes. We had cold pea soup-perfect for a very warm evening also roasted asparagus which was so good. Desserts were fine too. This is comparable to nice bistro in ny by the way. One thing is air conditioning was not working in the indoor space so eat outside. read more

Came here for lunch on a Saturday. We started with the mussels appetizer. Nothing really special to it, but I liked it. Some of the mussels tasted a bit raw, but I'm not sure if that's how it's supposed to taste or if it was undercooked. The white wine broth went well with the bread that they served us. My girlfriend had the tuna entree, which was pretty bland, and honestly, not great at all. It was basically seared tuna on top of a salad with vinegar dressing. Portion was very small as well. I had the veal entree. The portion was small, again, but the meat was soft and went well with the creamy potatoes. I would give them 2-stars, but service was good and I liked the outside seating right beside the fountain. hence 3-stars. read more

Great service and food! The vegetable risotto was amazing and the lunch prices are very reasonable.

My wife just rated this with a generous 3, but I'll review it myself without reading hers because I don't think this restaurant was A-Okay. The positives: -At 8 on a Saturday there was plenty of space on their outdoor patio. We didn't have to wait at all. -Plenty of good people watching from our seats. The negatives (from myself and the other two visitors who are not my wife): -Undercooked risotto. It was crunchy. The chef could have figured this out if he'd tried it, then added a little more liquid and let it cook a bit longer. (the vegetables were good and fresh though) -The trout was bland and under seasoned -The lamb meatballs were thrown on a plate with several other seemingly random components -The service was lackluster (poured a lot of water on my wife while missing a glass, water glasses sat unfilled regularly, the waiter repeated our decisions right after we ordered and had 2/4 incorrect, and had to come back to make sure he had the orders right (a second time)) I might come back and give it a second try after I've spent some more time in Charlottesville and exhausted a lot of the other options. If you are only passing through I wouldn't waste a meal here though. read more

Let me tell you about the simply amazing meal at petit pois. My husband, mother-in-law and I sat on the patio. We got an amazing deal- bringing a bottle of virginia wine- the corking fee is only 10$ according to the website. (And if you're like us once you pop you just don't stop.) Anyhow! the patio was lovely that Thursday evening. You couldn't pick from the menu everything looked so good. My husband's beef was so good- my duck was awesome- I love the sauces are unique and delicious. I've had everything on the menu and everything makes you wish you could eat there every weekend. This review is really service- Joella was charming. We felt really well taken care off. Petit Pois is really the best of both worlds- delicious food, great service in a bistro atmosphere you don't have to put on uncomfortable clothes for. read more

Wow can't say enough about this plane. Great atmosphere and service. Great prices and selection. Got the duck and sparkling champagne.

The food was very good. We ordered Thr snails, which came with about 7 of them. Good sauce. Not enough sauce to dip with. Asparagus with prosciutto was smokey. Not my favorite. French onion soup was cheesy and delicious. Crabcake had a lot of crab. Recommend the Provençal stew, especially good with their perfectly crusty bread. read more

Petit Pois - Crab cake with carrot purée and fried mash potatoes - French Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Pretty excited about steak tartare... Don't go there for it. Poorly put together and way under seasoned. Also got a small salad which was okay. Waiter could not be bothered to put together cocktails for us so we had sparkling water. My wife did like her onion soup which earned this place the third star rather than just getting 2. I would not recommend going there unless you really are looking to get average food at a slightly higher than average price. read more

The food was absolutely delicious! Great wine selection too! The meal lived up to our high expectations for our anniversary. I wish we could have sat outdoors, but it was a rainy night. The indoor ambiance was a little lacking. I didn't realize it was aiming for a bistro feel...I was expecting a little more upscale interior. It was also pretty dead on a Tuesday evening. It might be more lively on a weekend. read more

Every time I'm in town, this is a must stop for me. I always start with an appetizer of steak tartare when I order but I have yet to see it on the menu. As usual, it was superb. For my daughters main coarse, she ordered the risotto with mushrooms, while I ordered the Beef with root veggies. Knowing how much I love this area to come for a few days stay, I will definitely be coming back here. If something you love isn't on the menu doesn't mean they don't have it, ask the wait staff if they have it, they may just surprise you by saying yes. read more

Petit Pois - My daughter stated that she didn't care that the steak and egg were raw, she loved it! - French Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Surprised I didn't know about this place, but I have to say I was again surprised. My rating is probably closer to a 3.5, but I'll be nice and round up. The food was simple and clean, which was good. The only caveat is that I thought it was kinda pricey for what I was getting; fortunately I'd probably still come here again. read more

Excellent outdoor seating, service and food outstanding. Wonderful lunch menu and the best soups to keep you warm during dining alfresco. This establishment has done a superior job to make a safe dining experience. read more

Had a lovely Labor Day lunch here. It has a great ambiance and really friendly waitstaff. Everyone was very happy with their meal I loved my Seared Hanger Steak with shallots, fries, and herb butter. read more

Would never eat here again! The food was sub standard at best. I ordered the risotto with shrimp appetizer. The three small shrimp were tasty but the risotto was bland. I asked for more Parmesan cheese thinking that would help and was brought a finely grated dish of cheese that had no more flavor than a Kleenex. The salad was so bitter we could not eat it. The dressing was unpalatable. The three pine nuts were not even toasted and the goat cheese was hard, no taste, but thankfully there were only a few crumbs of it. We complained but they made no effort to remove the dish from our tab. read more

It was a beautiful day in historic downtown Charlottesville so we decided to sit outside for lunch. Large trees all around make for a pleasant atmosphere. (We took a peek inside the restaurant and were not impressed.) The beer and wine list is very short but adequate for lunch. I had the pinot noir while my husband decided to experiment with beers - first with a chocolate milk flavored one then one with a more regular milk flavor. I'm not a beer person but he says the second one was better. We both started with the French onion soup. It was okay but for the price I (around $9) was expecting something a little more flavorful. Also, it definitely could have been hotter. For the main course, my husband ordered the crab cake and I ordered the beet risotto. Both were tasty but we both preferred the risotto. We were too stuffed to even think about dessert. All in all, a nice dining experience. read more

Lovely location and terrific service. The staff couldn't have been better or more accommodating. The gnocchi lacked flavor, but the arugula salad was delicious. read more

Visiting Charlottesville for my birthday. While strolling, we cane across this restaurant. French cuisine and reasonably priced. We ate steak tartar, burger, lamb ragout, and hazelnut chocolate mousse. Everything was delicious and will definitely come here again next time we are in town! read more

So what to say about one of the most unassuming restaurants on the mall. Delicious food, fresh trout with a perfect crust, frisée salad with a perfectly poached egg, that should be enough. But wait, there is the service, Chloe, Sophie and Jo take this spot to an entirely new level. Craft cocktails and lots of knowledge regarding the restaurant and the area. A refreshing stop so go in and say hello to the girls and have an amazing meal with perfect cocktails!!! read more

One of the best brunch spots in town, especially when the weather allows outdoor seating. Inside is super cozy -- some tables a little too cozy -- but in good weather this is our go to spot The Benedict is outstanding as is the Shrimp and Poached eggs Bacon is meaty and always well cooked and the herbed potatoes are amazing -- unless they over herb them then it can be a bit much read more

Service sucked - bread drinks and entree all came out at one time... but food was absolutely divine! Loved the patio and we were able to get a seat on a busy Saturday night. Bathroom was pretty gross with tons of flies. read more

Ate here with 4 people in toto. Two had lamb meatballs, another salad, another chicken. Everyone enjoyed the food. Finished with the beignets which were light - and just right for 4. Went back the next day for lunch and had a frittata. If you go back the next day then you know it's good. read more

Well after debating for a while we decided to dine here however we were not impressed by the food. Everything seem to be oily. Out of for dishes we enjoyed the kale salad only. Not joking. They can do better for having great location and setup read more