Petit Pois Restaurant in Charlottesville - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

The lobster bisque is foamy, creamy, and buttery with a great depth of crustacean flavors. The best lobster bisque I've ever had. The Coq au vin was ok. The chicken lacked seasoning. More wine reduction would have elevated it. The mashed potatoes were very flat. The Pea Risotto was ok. The risotto was overcooked, not al dente. The flavors of the risotto were tamed down to highlight the pea flavor.. but the pea puree was still very light. The lamb merguez was a very flavorful home dish. The fava beans and kale were the best part of the soup. The lentils and salmon were very good. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the lentils had a smoky and savory flavors. The burger did not work for me. The beignets were not great.. too fluffy no texture and the chocolate is overpowering. Overall a good experience.

Really nice lunch. Everything was perfect. Great dining experience just a bit cramped in the nook. 9/10

Absolutely delicious! We got the “Vegetarian Gnocchi with Carrot Sauce, Peas, and Roasted Mushrooms” and “Lamb Pastilla with Garlic Spinach and Fond de Braisage!” We would highly recommend. The owner also was so friendly and told us about how they use local foods. We can’t wait to come back.

I went here and ordered the vegetarian gnocchi. It came out very quickly, about 10 or 12 minutes. It was piping hot and delicious. The service was excellent.

Fabulous. Great! Great food set outside. Very nice! Terrific service

What a fabulous place! Lovely day sitting outside, a glass of wine and some of the best mussels I've had in years. Perfectly prepared with a sauce that was to die for, well suited for bread dipping after the main event. I actually ordered another dish but couldn't eat it after a so-called appetizer since it was enough food for a full meal. Wonderful place in Charlottesville, I shall return when I'm back in town to sample other delectables from their menu.

The staff at Petit Pois made my day trip to Charlottesville an even better one with their spectacular service. They accommodated my friend and I despite being largely booked and didn't rush us, even though we didn't have much time until our train. Absolutely recommended a visit for a lovely meal, and even lovelier service.

Lovely outdoor seating with yummy food and wine options! We started with the beet salad and then got two entrees. The burger was nothing special but the risotto was delicious. Then we ended with amazing beignets. Overall, the ambience was great but the food and beverage took a long time to come out and we had to remind the staff about orders we had out in on multiple occasions

Awesome food and service. Brian and staff are always so gracious. A Charlottesville gem. Why don't I come to this place more often? Good vittles!!!

Wonderful intimate atmosphere and delicious food

Sat outside for lunch and had a great experience. Great service, really good food and nice outdoor seating. We came without a reservation on a blustery Friday afternoon and the staff was great about rearranging tables to make us comfortable. I would probably recommend reservations because it's a very small seating area indoors but the food is definitely worth it.

This restaurant exceeded our expectations! Our daughter was doing a college visit at UVA and we decided to walk around a bit on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. Found this place along the way and decided to grab lunch. Hubby and I ordered the beet/arugula salad, the lamb merguez kale white bean soup, and the trout with green beans. This was more than enough for us to share. The salad was perfect for us - not heavily dressed, which allowed the goat cheese, oranges and beets to shine. The soup was fantastic - well proportioned with the right mix of kale, beans and sausage. I loved that the merguez sausage were meatball-like. The trout was fantastic - the skin was crisp and cooked perfectly (my favorite part), along with the green beans. The almonds, garlic and capers gave it the extra umph. My only critique is there was more butter than I prefer, but we were having lunch at a French restaurant. I cannot forget to mention the cocktails. Hubby's Mezcalita was delicious. My Spicy Compassion was perfect- not too spicy (if you like habaneros, you'll be fine. If you think black pepper is spicy, have a glass of milk ready) and passionfruit forward. If our daughter gets accepted to UVA, we'll definitely be back!

Gorgeous food in a gorgeous setting. Our waiter, Brandon, was amazing—knowledgeable, made great suggestions, provided excellent service and was so friendly. Well worth a visit.

Delicious and delicate flavors.

Loved this little restaurant! Coq-a-vin was solid, I was debating between that and the trout and would probably go with the trout if I were to do it again. The tartare was good. Drinks were great!

Fabulous food. Staff was very warm and catering

Petit pois is extremely small. We went by there at 4PM and the maitre d' told us to come back at 5 when they opened. When we returned, he informed us that we had to leave bc we did not have a reservation. He had said nothing earlier about a reservation being needed. We did understand that the space is extremely limited and my friend offered for us to sit at the bar. The maitre d' did not do so, but Hector, the waitperson came up and seated as at the bar. We were tired after a long day at Monticello, and we were very grateful to Hector for solving the problem and saving the day for us. His service was impeccable and the food was wonderful. For the future, I'll know to make a reservation. Very grateful that Hector was working that night!

Best kept secret on the downtown mall.

This is our go-to place for French food in Charlottesville. The food and service are both absolutely top-notch and we've never had a bad meal!! So glad this gem exists!!

Six of us were in Charlottesville and made a reservation here on the recommendation of a friend. What a wonderful dinner and experience. Hector was our waiter. He was professional and friendly. The meal choices around the table were well prepared and delicious. Cocktails were well prepared. The wine list is very nice. This is a place we will look for when we return to Charlottesville. If you’re looking for a place that does French cuisine well come here. It is a small place but there appears to be ample outdoor seating on the Mall when the weather is appropriate.

Visiting the area for a Paramount Show, we took in our pre-show dinner. We had Trout Almandine & Crab Cake (over Corn Chowder) and both prepared very well. The Trout is served over blanched/pan sered Green Bean, unusual but delightful! The place is small, quaint, and can get noisy. Seating is crowded at a full house. Service was attentive (but a full house is treacherous for a hustling service staff!)

So disappointed. I had not eaten there for quite a long time so was exciting to return. My lunch was disappointing at best. The duck confit was OK but a bit meagre (particularly for the price) and dry, the brussel sprouts too chared (could nof finish them) and the roast potatoes underwhelming (they really looked and tasted like leftovers). The profitleroles for desert were also disappointing. The choux was tough and ice cream in place of cream was a shame.

At this time of year there are no outside tables. Inside is small so a reservation is needed. The food was delicious and served promptly with good cheer and quickly answered questions.

For how much the food cost versus, what I ended up getting, this place wasn’t worth the price. Overall the food tasted average.

Petit Pois is an absolute gem—a small, charming restaurant that effortlessly combines the coziness of a casual dinner spot with the finesse and taste of French cuisine. Its intimate setting sets the stage for a delightful dining experience. The menu reflects the mastery of French culinary artistry, offering dishes that are as tasteful as they are beautifully presented. Whether seeking a relaxed evening or a taste of refined French flavors, Petit Pois delivers both with finesse.

Excellent dining experience and incredible service at reasonable prices. Went here with family after Thanksgiving. The service was tremendous. Mussels and Brussel sprout appetizers were wonderful. Family members got fish, crab cake, pork and coq au vin. Every dish exceeded expectations. Have been to France dozens of times and the food here was exceptional.

Great food, we are french and eating at this restaurant we believed we were in France. Thanks, everything was perfect and delicious.

What a delightful little French restaurant, the service was exceptional and the ambiance and food was delicious! Would definitely recommend this restaurant. right downtown, it is close to everything.

Phenomenal good, sweet service. Thank you!

Everything was absolutely excellent, the lamb pastilla was particularly good. We went for a family meal on a warm fall night!

Very delicious meals. Place is romantic. Service is very nice.

Great place in beautiful Charlottesville to grab a bite. Such an awesome menu and the service is top quality. Savannah Brian and Hector took care of us with a smile while working a large lunch crowd. All of the were so nice and eager to make our lunch a great experience. Love IT

I had high expectations given the good reviews, but our meal was just average. I had the Coq au Vin, but it was not as succulent as the picture on this website. The top 25% of the thigh and leg was dried out so much that it could not be cut or eaten. There were not nearly as many vegetables as pictured. Perhaps that dish was just off that night as our delightful server Savanah said that was her favorite dish. I like the idea of all wines being $13; the ones we choose were good. One in our party had the lamb meatball, white bean soup -- that looked delicious!!! The Brussels Sprouts appetizer was attractive - browned and caramelized - but it had little flavor. We ate outdoors - which was a nice option.

A small slice of the French countryside in Charlottesville. We had a delightful time in Petit Pois. From the delicious food to the extremely friendly service, and to the quaint, homey ambiance we felt like we were in a bistro in France. It was a place that reminds you that a meal is not just food but an entire experience. Just a tip to make a reservation if you plan a weekend meal there. The place is not too big so it gets full quickly. Highly suggest the French Onion Soup, Crab Cake, and the Coq au Vin. Desserts too are incredible. The only dish with some room for improvement are the mussels. They were quite small and lacked some flavor. But otherwise a wonderful experience.

Great atmosphere with tremendous staff. Food and cocktails will not disappoint

This was a wonderful experience, from the moment we walked in they took care of us. It was my wife birthday and she was in the mood for something different, this place meet and exceeded our expectation. Delicious burgers!!!!!!!!! And I would recommend their French onion soup.

After several hours on the road, we stopped here for a full sit down meal. So glad we did!! Service was good and food was sooo good. The only negative is that they didn’t have strong coffee - expreso like - to end the meal. But even that won’t take away from the experience

Our family of 4 went for lunch; we each ordered different dishes and sampled them all. I recommend ANY of them: coq au vin, gnocchi, steak frite, or the lamb pastilla. Also, definitely have the chocolate mousse! Excellent.

We had a wonderful meal. The food arrived well timed for a leisurely meal. The service was exquisite, personable and she made good suggestions.

Great menu and they pull it off well.

Excellent food! Our table ordered the salmon, crab cake, and hangar steak. Each plate was delicious. A bottle of French reisling complimented the meal. Service was outstanding. Will definitely return!

This is our first time here. Good food with ambience and a service oriented staff. Such a delicious and relaxing meal!

This place is a gem, and I am so glad we found it! The food was absolutely fantastic (the chicken liver mousse was sublime), and the prices were very reasonable, especially for such a high-quality meal. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxing. The service was spot on perfect. This will be a must place for us to eat next time we are in town.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch in a European bistro atmosphere! The service was great- attentive but not intrusive. We look forward to making this restaurant a regular place!

It's a cute and super duper small restaurant. We asked about the size if the soup...the waiter says it depends on how hungry you are...hmmm not an answer. We ordered the soup, tarragon shrimp lobster bisque....after a long wait...it came in a huge bowl 1/2 filled. Once we tasted the soup....it was very watered down, luke warm and zero tarragon. The salad was room temperature and the dressing was all oil - no vinegar. I asked for some vinegar, it took 10 minutes to receive. My main meal was ok - steak frits. The small salad on the plate was nice, cold with proper dressing flavor, the French fries were warm but greasy, the flank steak, while it was cooked properly, was room temperature. All in all I give it a C-. I'm willing to go back and give it one more try, however I'd choose other items...I wanted to like this place...if the food is sub par it's hard to go back for the money.

Excellent food with generous portions. Intimate indoor environment, but not too noisy and no children. Service was great thanks to Hector who was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. Highly recommended. We’ll be back.

Hector and Oscar are great! Amazing atmosphere and service! Good food!

I don't know why I never tried this place after having lived in Cville for so long. I went on a whim and had a really nice time. Our server Zach was great, and the food was so good, comforting, and generous! I'm happy to pay a premium to eat out, but I expect to be full. Petit Pois delivered. Will be back

The atmosphere was very intimate and cozy . The food was fantastic and some of the best we’ve had ! The lobster bisque was to die for and the shrimp risotto appetizer was unreal . My wife ordered the coq au vin which we delicious and I got the trout which was perfect ! We finished the meal with the beignets which were airy and scrumptious. 10/10

We found this little gem of a restaurant while shopping in downtown Charlottesville. While we were definitely impressed with the cuisine - had the salmon and a lovely sauv blanc; the service was impeccable! Woudl definitely come back.

Petit Poi’s is an aptly named restaurant as it is tiny with maybe a dozen tables. Reservations are a must and there’s a lot of paid parking nearby on Water Street. The service is good and the food is excellent. They have a small but moderately priced wine list with lots of great options. I would definitely return if in the area again

Petit Pois was our go to restaurant for good food that is reasonably priced. This was not the case tonight. The food came out cold and bland. My steak frites came with previously frozen fries- not the usual handcrafted fries. My husband’s gnocchi came with a strong wine taste that masked all the flavors of the dish. We were hugely disappointed with our meal tonight.

The food, drinks, dessert and service were all excellent. So delicious!

Lovely restaurant, brought my friend from out of town and she loved it as well. The staff is very nice and the food was great ! I really appreciated that they asked for any dietary restrictions before starting. Will definitely come again to try the rest of the menu

We had a reservation for a cozy inside table (there are only 5), a good choice on a chilly evening. The food was generally good, but the huge portions spoiled my appetite. I'm a bit surprised by complaints about small portions. An excellent charred brussels sprouts app was served in a cereal bowl and could have served 3-4 people. My skate wings were excellent, but the portion was too large. My husband's boullaibaise was OK, not great. We ordered cocktails, then a single glass of wine because the bottles were pricy. The cocktails were weak, the wine good. Overall, this restaurant has pluses and minuses. There are other restaurants in Charlottesville that we prefer.

Had lunch with my wonderful neighbor and the food was great. Isabel was a lovely server and made sure we were taken care of. We were able to sit outside which was pleasant. Definitely going back! Mariaroza

I've never walked out of a restaurant before, but this manager took care of that. After waiting for 45 minutes for our cocktails and being assured by 2 different servers that they were on their way, I finally got up to talk with the manager. He explained (again) that a server had called out sick, so they were short-staffed. He complained that he was also managing 2 other restaurants and asked us to have some sympathy for him. Couldn't we just be patient? Couldn't we see how busy they were? No attempt to help us. We left. Won't be back. Too bad!

My sister and I checked out this restaurant very very nice people it was so beautiful day to eat outside we have dessert yummy ice cream

A restaurant on the downtown mall that has a surprisingly wide selection for lunchtime. Two of us each had two appetizers which was more than enough for lunch. All were delicious and there were many more with which I would have been pleased. A great diversion from sandwiches and fries for lunch. Highly recommend. Next to the theater

Amazing atmosphere and delicious food!

Expected better food for the price...maybe it's the french cuisine :p

Beet Salad with Oranges, Pistachios and Arugula Salmon Filet with Spinach, Lentils, Bacon, Tomato, and Garlic Shishito Peppers Spicy compassion: Tequila, passion fruit, citrus, tajin rim 1664 Lager, Kronenbourg, Strasbourg, France For dessert cinnamon and sugar beignets with chocolate sauce

This is some of the tastiest French food in Charlottesville, amazingly located in the city's historical Downtown mall! I highly recommend the mussels (5/5), which are the best in town. I also tried the crab cake (4.5/5) and paired the shishito pepper and aioli appetizer (4.8/5) with the strip steak main course (4.2/5), and the flavor was tremendous.

Tried for the first time last week and everything we ordered was phenomenal!! We ordered the lobster and shrimp bisque and a dark and stormy to start and oh my gosh, we couldn’t get enough of either. I pretty much wanted a straw to finish off the bisque- SO creamy and flavorful. The dark and stormy tasted just like a ginger ale with their ginger candy thrown in there- light and refreshing but a bit dangerous because you can taste zero alcohol (not that I mind)! The burger I ordered was cooked perfectly and was honestly probably the best burger I’ve had in years. My boyfriend ordered the crab cake which was also perfectly cooked, with rich and well seasoned creamed corn and spinach side dishes. The service was great as well. We will absolutely be back and will be recommending to our friends and family :)

Terrible waiting experience. My server started by accidentally hitting me upside the head and almost knocking off my glasses. He later served me a stale coke, and when I asked to replace it, he made a fuss about it and spilled coke on my leg. I asked for napkins to dry myself off and they never came. The food was also pretty bland and took a long time to get to my table. Wouldn’t eat here again.

Had the best time. They spoiled us for our anniversary and the food was amazing.

I've been here several times for lunch and dinner, it is always astoundingly good. I have gluten sensitivity and they always accommodate me very easily and I always feel like I have a lot of options on the menu. Some stand out dishes for me are the potato cake with smoked salmon, the trout amandine, and the chocolate mousse. If you're going for dinner, the pork chop is a very solid choice, but it's hard to go wrong with basically anything. I would say the risotto is okay, maybe a little under-seasoned but I can't really find anything else to fault this place for. All of that said, it's somehow still pretty easy to just walk up and get a table on a seemingly busy night. I don't know how they do it in such a small kitchen but it's awesome. If you're looking for a high quality place to go for a lunch or dinner in a medium price range then this is the place, one of my favorites in Charlottesville after living here 5 years.

We were lucky to snag an inside table for six at this very cozy and comfortable French-American bistro. We dined on mussels in wine sauce, salads. skate wings, trout and soups. Profiterole and beignets for dessert. Two hours + of fine food and service. Two bottles of a delicious Chinon Cabernet Franc from the Loire valley.; similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but lighter in style. Restaurant also offer outdoor patio seating, Located in Charlottesville mall. Garage and free on street parking. Not cheap[ but fairly priced for quality.

The food was great! I got the crab cake that comes with spinach and cream corn 10/10 and appetizer shrimp risotto! Everything was very flavorful expect Burrata in my opinion. Also, I wasn’t expecting the indoor to be so small so I’d recommend outside seating. The service was great as well! Thank you!

I have eaten dinner here many times and just went for lunch, for the first time. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to eat---the apps seemed like they were too light (for me) for lunch but most of the entrees seemed too heavy for lunch. I settled on the veggie gnocchi and it was good. the service was also good.

Wonderful delicate delicious French cuisine on the downtown mall. I have eaten here on several occasions and often for birthday lunches. Never a disappoint. Wonderful service and lovely outdoor seating. Highly recommend.

Amazing shrimp risotto and gnocchi! The desert is off the beat today but everything else is amazing!

The service and staff were amazing. Maybe it was an off night, but my food was kind of flavorless. I had the pea soup, which was perfect in every way except lacked flavor, and the coq au vin, which was surprisingly bland as well. I would return for the ambiance and service and hope for a better outcome with other menu items.

Love this restaurant. Gnocchi was cooked perfectly and the Profiteroles with Ice cream... perfect for the warm day.

The Old Fashion was delicious. I had the trout Almondine very tasty . French fries were yummy on top of my list

Must try the mussels and skate. The mussels melts in your mouth. The skate is lightly fried just right. Highly recommend.

We sat outside, up was beautiful. Waitstaff was so courteous and attentive. I had the gnocchi -wow- delicious 😋. Even the bread and butter was delicious

Delicious!!! We ate outside in the tent. Everything we tried was good. Even the bread and butter were delicious.

We loved the lunch selections, especially trout with green beans. It was a healthy portion. They also had some yummy vegetarian options. And the outdoor dining tent was very pleasant, even on a rainy day.

Delicious! Drinks, appetizers, entree and dessert were all fabulous. Service was excellent. Brussel sprouts were perfectly caramelized. Salmon with lentils was delicious!

Wow. Just finished dinner here on a Tuesday night and everything was beyond my expectations. Service was excellent. Our waitress was attentive, kind, and had great menu recommendations. Our trout entree was cooked perfectly along with our shrimp risotto appetizer. Definitely worth giving this resturant a try if your downtown. Will be back in the near future.

Super delicious food. The mussels and Brussels sprouts on the apps menu are standouts. Excellent cocktails as well.

In town for a conference and lunched with colleagues before we went our separate ways. Tiny tiny establishment, with a little indoor seating, but more outdoors and also in a tent. Definitely a Parisian bistro vibe. And the food - just wonderful. Everyone raved over their choices. I recommend the skate wing with potatoes and green beans. Skate is a fish with a taste and texture between scallops and flounder, and done to perfection here. Skip the appetizer and save room for dessert, it is worth it. Beignets with chocolate sauce, or chocolate hazelnut mousse — how to choose (so we shared !)

Delicious food, attentive service. We’ll come again.

Fantastic food. Great service. An all around awesome dining experience that we hope to have again and soon. One of the best restaurants we have been to in years.

Quaint restaurant offering amazing French cuisine at a really affordable price. The waitstaff and barkeep are quite friendly and very attentive. The wine menu has a decent selection as well! Tried the Skate wing and it was the most Decadent meal I’ve had in a long time; new favorite! Cannot wait til my next visit!

Omg I love this place! Smart, sweet talented folks. Do yourself a favor and stop in and see them. I can't wait to go back!

Oh how I wanted to love this place! We were looking forward to a good french meal last night but alas, it was not to be. The service from Emily was 5 star. She is a rock star. I wish I could say the same for the kitchen but the food was bland and unipired. Even the salt on the table was little help. I would not return. Sad.

Superb place. All the staff were so friendly; we actually had 3 waiters/waitresses helping us. The food was also delicious.

Unbelievable burger. Soft bun. Tender meat and lovely caramelised onions. The french fries were the way I like them, truly crispy - truly magnifique. Splendid and delicious.

This little place opens onto the Main St. plaza but also extends to the street behind. We were one of two outside tables mid-afternoon and presented with menus listing some of my favorite things, French accented. I had the lobster crab bisque, Trout Amandine and chocolate souffle so rich i could only eat half of it, which is saying a lot. As a former chef, I could see into the kitchen and marvel at such a tiny space that was used for cooking and dishwashing. They actually ran out of cutlery for a short time. The staff soldiered on with a friendly, unflappable air and the atmosphere was cozy. Make it a point to go. Food was five star.

Petit Pois became part of my itinerary when planning the "what to dos" in Charlottesville, with respect to dining. We were not disappointed. The indoor space is cozy and inviting, setting the tone for the meal to come. Everything we had that night was outstanding, especially the mussels. They were the best we ever had. Rack of lamb, and their house burger, along with a salad, were outstanding as well. Full bar and outdoor seating are offered as well. Their sister restaurant, Fleurie, looks appealing as well. Enjoy.

The fish did not taste very good. We had skate and trout.

Great location, good food and friendly service.

Petit Pois was an unexpected treat! Everything we ordered was superb. We had the shrimp and lobster bisque and the beet salad as appetizers. Both were excellent. For our entrees we had the pork tenderloin with spaetzle and kale and the trout with green beans. The spaetzle was the best I've ever had, the pork was perfectly cooked and the kale was well seasoned and quite tasty. The trout was crispy without being overdone and the green beans were also perfectly done. The wait staff was attentive and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend!

Amazing French fries! You have to order them when you go there! Hard working chefs, dish washer, waiters and waitresses! Amazing Salmon and Steak!

Absolutely wonderful place to grab dinner. Outside seating is charming and comfortable. Mussels, heirloom tomato salad, and shrimp risotto appetizers were delicious. Trout and steak frites entrees were perfect. Very reasonable prices and plentiful portions too. By far my favorite dining experience during a 3 day stay in Charlottesville.

Great location, really superb food at surprisingly reasonable prices. I had the mussels appetizer and was very pleased at the generous amount and that they were tender and tasty, not rubbery as they tend to be and only $10. My wife's salmon fillet was perfectly done on a bed of spinach and nicely seasoned lentils. Will return.

A nice lunch spot in downtown Cville. I enjoyed outside seating. Food was delicious. Salmon is a must!!

We all enjoyed Petit Pois. Service excellent. Lovely setting under the tent. Very comfortable. Food was good!