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Interior - C&O, Charlottesville, VA

C&O

4.9 (1135)
$50 and over
American
515 E Water St, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5347

Make a reservation

A photo of C&O restaurant

C&O

4.9
$50 and over
American
Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 22 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Romantic
Dinner is served in our mezzanine, bistro and upstairs dining rooms, Tuesday through Saturday.
Reservations are for dinner only, please. Bar seats operate on a first come, first serve basis, and cannot be reserved.
We cannot accommodate parties larger than 10. Due to the layout of our restaurant, we are unable to accommodate pets on our patio.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American, Farm-to-table, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Contact
    (434) 971-7044
  • Website
    https://www.candorestaurant.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Dean Maupin
  • Catering
    C&O Catering has been of of Virginia's premier catering companies for over 35 years, offering full service catering for all of your special events and functions. Contact Dean Maupin or Amy Morris at 434.971.7044
  • Private party facilities
    The C&O offers two private dining rooms well suited to accommodate a wide range of hospitality possibilities, our upstairs which seats up to 30 and our gallery which seats up to 15.Please contact Dean Maupin at 434.971.7044 with inquires.
  • Location
    515 E Water St, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5347
  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Parking details
    We suggest parking in either the Water St. or Market St. garages, both within two blocks of the C&O, we validate for both.
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Private Room, Wine

All Experiences

  • St. Valentine’s Day Weekend 2027

    $125.00 per person

    1 - 10 people

    Feb 12, 2027 - Feb 14, 2027
    On February 12th, 13th, and 14th, we will exclusively offer a special 3-course prix fixe menu for $125 per person. Price is exclusive of beverages, tax, and gratuity.

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at C&O.

4.9

4.9
(1135)
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Best Overall

  • Virginia

    Best Food

  • Virginia

    Best Service

  • Virginia

    Best Ambiance

  • Virginia

    Romantic

  • Virginia

    American

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Ambiance

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Innovative

  • Charlottesville

    Great for fine wines

  • Charlottesville

    Romantic

  • Charlottesville

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
C&O Restaurant delights with "warm welcoming ambiance" and "wonderfully prepared food." Known for its "amazing desserts" like sticky toffee pudding, it offers a cozy, intimate setting perfect for special occasions. The service consistently receives high praise, and standout dishes include the "steak chinois" and exquisite lamb. Highly recommended!
1,135 Reviews

  1. Matt Gold

    Charlotte6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing!! Upstairs service was best in class - unfortunately when we sat at the bar downstairs our special anniversary and birthday celebration came to a very sour ending - bartender was extremely rude, catered to his friends who sat at the end of the bar right next to the two us all night. The bartender literally kicked us out but not his friends at 11:00 sharp. At the time he was busy serving drinks to the staff but had time to escort us out with 1/2 our drink left & slammed the door in our face. Unfortunately we will never be back after this experience 😢

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  2. James Jackson

    Wilmington1 review

    5.0

    Dined on October 31, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We've heard of C&O for years, in the same hushed tones reserved for family secrets and arcane initiations. It's a must, a Charlottesville icon. It's dark and glorious and defies definition or explanation. Go, you Charlottesvillian. Don't ask or argue. Just go. Having been for our first time, I can safely say: we get it now. My fiancee and I had reservations Halloween night. We were ushered past gas lamps and a thick door into a dreamscape of candles, oak paneling, and thoughtful, talented staff (all in coordinated ghostly wedding apparel). We were given a corner table in a downstairs bar teeming with delicious smells and happy regulars. This place is clearly redolent in happy memories and good history. We split house bread, superb cocktails in last-century coupe glasses, steak chinois and duck confit gnocchi that was delicious beyond worss. C&O felt transportive, something special, magical, and meaningful, like a church or hidden garden. The place it holds in the hearts of Charlottesville makes complete sense now. I cannot recommend C&O more highly.

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  3. Michael

    Washington DC13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 29, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was my third visit to C&O, and I was thoroughly wowed. We were a party of four, and all of us loved our dinners: braised lamb for me, trout almandine for one companion, and a couple steaks for the other two. Excellent on all counts.

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  4. Laura

    Chicago17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 28, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at C & O last night. We started with the beef carpaccio, which is unique and always fresh and delicious. My husband ordered the steak chinois and I ordered the trout almondine. Both were excellent. The trout was delicious, but was richer than I expected with the butter sauce. I was unable to finish it but brought the leftovers home for lunch. My husband had no trouble finishing the steak. Service was excellent, as always.

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  5. Rita

    Western NC2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 24, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous! So cute & welcoming! Food and bread were 5stars! BUT. Bathroom is ridiculous. Smaller than an airplane, then why can’t they at least make it cute. Raw walls & pipes & icky sink. Missing tile on gross floor. I wished I didn’t use it. Kinda ruined the vibe. Wouldn’t cost anything to at least give it nice finishes

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  6. Bonnie Gold

    South Carolina167 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 21, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing dinner. Great food. Great service. Pretty, cozy ambiance by candlelight. What's not to like?

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  7. Katie

    Atlanta2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 16, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience. The ambience of the old building is so cool, and each dining area is very small, so it feels intimate overall. The service was excellent, especially considering we had so many food allergies (gluten, dairy, soy, shellfish across various party members), and the food was delicious. Definitely would go again.

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  8. Valerie

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on October 16, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best dessert in 35 years!!Quiet and elegant. Could truly relax and enjoy! What's best is it remains unchanged since 40 years ago. Still a warm welcoming ambiance and wonderfully prepared food

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  9. Scott Gold

    Greensboro13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 13, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had one of the best meals ever at C&O! Wonderful steak. Outstanding service. Great atmosphere.

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  10. Mimi Gold

    San Diego26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 13, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is our second visit and it was better than ever. Mandy was absolutely a joy. She made everything perfect. Our little gem salads were d-lish. Hubby had the filet special and I had the trout almandine. Both were perfect. Our cocktails were lovely and because we do red and white, wines by the glass were lovely and reasonable. The “cannoli” dessert was the best (rivaling the atmosphere)! Highly recommend!

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    American, Farm-to-table, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Contact
    (434) 971-7044
  • Website
    https://www.candorestaurant.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Dean Maupin
  • Catering
    C&O Catering has been of of Virginia's premier catering companies for over 35 years, offering full service catering for all of your special events and functions. Contact Dean Maupin or Amy Morris at 434.971.7044
  • Private party facilities
    The C&O offers two private dining rooms well suited to accommodate a wide range of hospitality possibilities, our upstairs which seats up to 30 and our gallery which seats up to 15.Please contact Dean Maupin at 434.971.7044 with inquires.
  • Location
    515 E Water St, Charlottesville, VA 22902-5347
  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Parking details
    We suggest parking in either the Water St. or Market St. garages, both within two blocks of the C&O, we validate for both.
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Private Room, Wine

Featured in

FAQs

Yes, C&O is a favorite for date nights and special occasions, with intimate, candlelit rooms and many guests celebrating anniversaries there.

Smart casual is the guide at C&O, aim for polished, slightly dressy attire, as many guests dress up a touch for anniversaries and special evenings.

C&O feels cozy, intimate and a touch speakeasy, candlelit rooms, white‑clothed tables and historic, rustic finishes create a warm, memorable setting across several distinct dining spaces.

C&O is lovely for an early dinner during its Tue–Sat dinner service; guests note the upstairs dining rooms feel quieter and more intimate, while the downstairs bar area brings a bit more buzz.

Guests commonly describe portions as generous and satisfying, noting sizeable appetizers and overall serving sizes that leave parties pleasantly full.

Tuesday nights are a lovely choice, guests note attentive service even when the dining room is full.

C&O fills up at peak service, guests report packed nights, waitlists and very busy shifts, while the upstairs/second‑floor dining areas are often noticeably quieter and more relaxed.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Charlottesville
  5. Charlottesville

Make a reservation

A photo of C&O restaurant

C&O

4.9
$50 and over
American
Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
10:00 PM
Booked 22 times today
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