The service was horrible, the food was nothing I would want again, and the prices are ridiculous. The very best thing about this restaurant was the Hostess...he was great! read more

Excellent experience at the bar at Ridley. Sarah was a fantastic bartender who was quick with her service and an expert at her craft. My wife and I look forward to visiting again. read more

Sat at the bar for a glass of wine and my bartender Sarah was very friendly, knowledgeable and apologetic for being out of two items I tried to order. She was also juggling a lot of other customers at the same time and made me feel at home. I'd come back as long as she was working read more

Appetizers were pretty good but entree was way too buttery. We had shrimp and grits and scallops. Also think food is bit over priced. I had high expectations based on photos. read more

Horrible! Had a reservation for 8:45 pm. Arrived at 8:30 only to be told that they were running behind and even reservations were on a wait for 45 minutes!!!! To add injury to insult - half the tables were empty. The host was downright unapologetic and surprised that the couple before us and us couldn't understand why we were on a 45 minute wait for a reservation. They said they would text when the table was ready - guess what - they never texted!!!! So disappointed read more

Restaurant looks great and has a good atmosphere. However, food is very mediocre. Ordered glasses of wine and each one was a different pour. Some of them very small which is a rip-off at $17/glass. Would have been less expensive to order the bottle than the three glasses of wine (two of which were very small pours). This should be consistent and not vary every glass you get. The restaurant also has an issue with annoying gnats...and yes, we were seated inside! read more

We waited 45 minutes total for our food without any updates on our order status from the server. The restaurant was not busy. we ended up leaving with the hostess giving us an attitude like the delay was our fault. read more

My first time checking out The Ridley and it did not disappoint. I got the Cajun pasta and it was well seasoned and full of sauce. Even though they are short staffed, Kim did a great job taking care of us! Her recommendations were spot on. Will definitely come back to try more on the menu. read more

Amazing food and great service. Hands down one of the best Mac and cheese's I have had. The staff was super accommodating in moving our table inside after it had started raining and our server gave us great recommendations. We ordered the raw oysters, cauliflower steak and the sea bass, each dish was well presented, fresh and delicious. If you're looking for a place to eat in c'vill you must try them out! read more

I had to send to send my steak back three times. I ordered a medium rare. The first attempt was over cooked, the second attempt was undercooked tremendously and the third attempt was still mooing. Great service, but I was truly disappointed in the kitchen attempt to cook a medium rare steak. read more

Short staffed, breakfast was under cooked, omelette was still runny. Waiter failed to bring complete order on top of never refilling water. When waiter was stopped and asked to bring more water, they never returned. We had to go to wait station and request the bill after waiting 15 minutes. Poor quality for, horrible wait staff. read more

I visited this restaurant the other night and had an amazing experience!! Went out with a few girlfriends that have some allergies and our waitress Hunter was very helpful and accommodating! She had a bubbly yet witty energy that really added to the overall dining experience, and she had amazing recommendations --the shrimp and grits were to die for... Everyone else enjoyed their meals as well, we will definitely be back soon! read more

This Ridley is not only an elegant restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal and well made drinks, it is a place to coordinate reunions, events for your company, and even exclusive off sites with your Co workers. Paige and Jasmine are just 2 out of the many great members on the staff. Jasmine was a very dependable point of contact when I hosted multiple functions of all sizes. She ensured the chef and staff were prepared for my events and she even took care of my team during a mid day lunch. Paige is literally one of the main reasons I keep returning to the Ridley. She is amazing with children, personable, and efficient. Her friendly demeanor and ability to take care of customers is really a game changer. This IS the best place to go for all events, to include a small get together with friends . The food and drinks are great, and the service is better. I recommend to ALL. read more

I cannot speak more highly of a restaurant in CVille. GO TO THE RIDLEY!!!! I like to think of myself as a mini food critic in my head and for my social media followers. The Ridley is a perfect date night spot as well as a place I frequent to for Happy Hour. Their bartenders know what they're doing and are constantly creating new cocktails that are absolutely delicious. The Ridley is so reasonably priced compared to some of the higher end restaurants I have been to in the city. Jalapeno cornbread and their wings with the dynamite sauce are a necessity to try! 10/10 spot and I find myself constantly going back about every other week!! read more

Had a wonderful dinner. The shrimp and grits were immaculate and the service matched. I was waited on by Donavon and the young man had my best interest in mind. 10/10 would likely recommen. read more

If you haven't been here yet.. you're missing out. After facing many marital concerns (wife had me sleep on couch). I decided to take her here for our 16 year anniversary. Between the amazing food, outstanding service, and night full of laughs, It was an amazing night. read more

Went to eat here on Mother's Day and the food was great. I got the shrimp and grits and the serving was pretty large I couldn't finish it all. The service was great too read more

We sat down and they didn't attend to us. We got up and left. The service was awful. Don't waste your time!

This is an absolutely delightful restaurant--pretty and modern with lovely staff. Had a refreshing mezcal cocktail with honey and ginger, superb fried green tomatoes with boursin cheese, hearty chicken gumbo, two giant salads and wine. Floated out of there happy and well-feed. This is the must-go to place in Charlottesville. read more

Chill, upscale vibe, without feeling pretentious. Fun, low-key banter with the bartender (Sarah) while noshing on the Sunday brunch Nashville Hot chicken sandwich. Enjoyed a craft-made Paloma cocktail with house-made grapefruit cordial and tasty craft draft beers. Worth a visit! read more

Really had a trouble experience. Order the cornbread appetizer and it came out after the entree came out. No apologies or nothing. Ordered the shrimp po boi .. more bread then filling. Shrimp was bland and I was charger full price side or parm fries instead of a upgrade to my entrée. Very loud was offered 3 different types of water and was charged for sparkling water. Just really thought I would support a black owned but I spent $60 for take home cornbread (that was no good) and dry po boi's. ‍‍ read more

Do yourself a favor and book a reservation at The Ridley for restaurant week! We had a large group, and everyone's food was delicious. The Brussels sprouts were unique and tasty, as was our extremely flavorful, perfectly cooked steak. Vegetables were prepared perfectly, too - it was just an amazing meal. Oh, and the bartenders were awesome . . . with special touches (like a fine mist of bitters on top of an egg white froth) that truly elevated their cocktails. It's not your ordinary hotel restaurant - give it a try! read more

We've dined at 10 locations since our daughter started UVA and this is easily the best in terms of quality. I'm a big fan. Best sign of a quality restaurant is fresh cut romaine on a Caesar and this place has it. We had oysters Rockefeller, grits, gumbo, deviled eggs, Brussels and the amazing Jalapeño cornbread. Everything was fresh and exceptional read more

We very much enjoyed dinner at The Ridley on October 9, 2021. The Southern-themed food was excellent. We started with a generous glass of quite good cava and a terrific martini with our first course of Chesapeake Bay oysters on the half shell, then moving on to the roast chicken and the shrimp & grits, both of which were excellent. The shrimp & grits were particularly noteworthy, with a rich, dark roux, creamy, flavorful grits and plump, meaty shrimp (take it from a North Carolinian born and bred). Our server Brooke was delightful. We would happily go back again the next time we're in town. read more

Have had brunch at The Ridley twice. Great food and fine service--even though they seem a bit short staffed. We will return for dinner soon.

We went to The Ridley on Saturday for their brunch. It's a beautiful restaurant in a convenient location on Main Street. We ordered their shrimp po'boy and Impossible burger and we were quite pleased with both dishes. The service was very good, too, and a friendly manager spoke with diners. A really good band, the Blue Ridge Jazz Quartet, played tasteful arrangements of jazz standards. It was a great first experience at The Ridley. read more

The food was absolutely incredible! I've seen restaurants come and go on W Main Street, but The Ridley has major staying power. The Chef has curated an excellent, fresh new menu. The ambiance and wait staff are incredibly warm and accommodating, definitely coming back read more

I give this restaurant a 4.5 Stars -Very Good. We rarely go out but thought we would try this new restaurant near UVA for Dinner with our out of town family members. The staff is energetic, hard working and very positive. The food is absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. The Brussel Sprouts, and the Scallops with Grit cake are the best I have ever had. The overall atmosphere is fantastic due to the lighting, table layouts/spacing and comfortable seating. We could actually hear our conversations with the active restaurant bar nearby with the Derby on TV! My only concern is that there is not enough waiters/waitresses. One scenario, it took 3 tries to get refills on water but they did give us the option to have the water pitcher which we liked. Our hope is that they succeed in every way! Go try this New wonderful find! read more

This is a phenomenal experience and will be back very soon! The Seafood tower was amazing!

This place has food out of this world. DYNAMITE service with an amazingly easy going and fun laid back atmosphere!!! Making it our regular eat out spot.!!! read more

We were here for UVA orientation and had a large group of parents and first year students who all had just met and wanted to get to know each other better so we thought having a group dinner would be a fun thing to do. Trying to find a space at the last minute to hold 26 people on a Friday night seemed impossible. We were staying at the Draftsman and on a whim called to see if The Ridley could possibly accommodate our large group with only an hour of notice! Instead of laughing at us, they jumped into action and booked our group with a private menu. The food was excellent and the staff and the management were very nice and made us feel more than welcome. Jasmine helped us with the arrangements and could not have been more pleasant and helpful. The entire team really came together, including the chef, and made our evening very enjoyable. The atmosphere and the food was great-even if you are not staying at the Draftsman, you should put this restaurant at the top of your list to try. And, if you are staying at the Draftsman, even better-you have a wonderful restaurant just a few steps from your room. We will definitely be back! read more