Palladio Restaurant

We have been to Palladio numerous times over the past several years and it still remains one of our favorites. If you want a true dining experience, this is the perfect choice. The food is excellent as is the staff. They have always accomodated all of our guests difficult needs and have been flexible beyond belief. We love the fact that many foods are locally sourced and that the menu changes monthly.
I have traveled extensively, been to a selection of restaurants, have friends who are professionally trained chefs, do organic gardening, love to eat and enjoy doing it with wonderful company. This remains one of my favorite restaurants. Love it!

We had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. I’ve drunk Barboursville wines for years and long wanted to try the restaurant, which has a great reputation. We went for lunch on a Wed. and began with most of the wine tasting (the price of this is waived if you’re dining in the restaurant). We meant to go back to try the rest of the wines but we were a little sleepy and ready to get to Christmas tree hunting. We had the four course with wine pairing, and although it was really a lot of food, we were so glad we did!
Some things we learned: Although the wine pours are listed as being 3 oz, which is less than the typical 5 oz for a glass of wine, they seemed normal to me and I was not aching for more wine. You cannot sub out your wine pairings, but they do pair a white with the fish if you select that as your secondo (third course). We were considering ordering a bottle of what we liked best at the winery, but we were both glad we did the pairings, especially because we tried two dessert wines that we would never have ordered, and lo and behold enjoyed them!
If you are a fan of a leisurely lunch, which we are (and this is a restaurant for special occasions where you have nowhere to be) this is the best. The pacing of the meal was perfect – slow but never lagging. As a former waitress, I thought the service was exquisite: polite, informed, and very competent: the way they cleared was so seamless you barely noticed it. I was really impressed by it as a former pro.
The food was all excellent, although it did not blow my mind. a few missteps according to my palate (the octopus, which was melt-​in-​your-​mouth, paired with olives and lemon rind which were overall too bitter; the carrots served with the steak were unseasoned and almost raw), but still everything was delicious. It is the entire experience, however, which is so exceptional and which makes it so worth the money. Dinner is significantly more expensive, and I don’t know if it can be as much better as it is more expensive, but if you’re contemplating lunch, go for it – it really made me feel like I was in Europe for an afternoon.

After more than one visit to the winery we finally planned time to have lunch on-​site. They run on a very prompt schedule and asked us to come back in 15 minutes when we arrived early for our 12:30 reservations; this was not a big deal but worth noting. The gentleman who is referred to in other reviews as being gruff or rude is certainly who greeted us initially and I can see why he gets negative feedback, but throughout our meal he did warm up to us and even offered or informed us of a free tasting at the winery after lunch. The dining experience started with some sparkling wine and bread basket. Our appetizers where both excellent and set our expectations for an exceptional meal. The first course fell short on a few notes — lackluster risotto and equally under-​seasoned pasta with black truffles that were not fresh and totally missed the mark. Second course was also sad in several ways — the rockfish was very dry and plated with virtually no sauce and mutilated diced beets with inedible roasted fennel that was tougher than cardboard; the veal chop was however very well cooked but paired with poorly executed acorn squash and more of the stale black truffle. The desserts were both very good and finished our meal on a high note as it had started. Service was great throughout. Without the scattered flaws from the kitchen this would have been an easy 5 stars. Still for the price we would return.

Had a great experience this past Saturday evening. Food and service were both excellent.

Having visited the wine tasting (very good selection) we decided to try the in house restaurant ‘Palladio’. It was a wonderful experience. The food is indeed 5 star. Risotto with goats cheese and melon arugula salad starters were really tasty. We both had the sea bass fish for main course. It was cooked to perfection with herbs from their garden, served on white beans and zucchini. For desert we shared a summer fruit tartlet — delicious. We wished that we had room for the cheesecake but no. The gardens have a variety of herbs and there are are tables outside where you can sit and enjoy the scenery which resembles parts of Tuscany. Not surprising as the owner is Italian. By the way their olive oil is available to buy and it is superb with bread. The drive there from Charlottesville is a very pleasant 30 minutes.

Don’t let anyone steer you toward the Pomme As being the best in the area for it is not. I assure you — your need to dine here. This was an experience for which I am most grateful. I will certainly done here at every opportunity that I have. This was one of the best dining experiences I have had in years. Bravo Chef bravo!

Wow! The new Chef-​Spencer Crawford-​is just phenomenal!!! my husband and I have been here twice since he took over and the food is excellent. As always the front of house does a great job, but the food has really been great here. I highly recommend the Trio de mare and the beet risotto-​YUM! The special fish was grouper (told it came in today) and it was FABULOUS! We shared a dessert-​flourless choc cake with peanut butter ice cream and marshmallow fluff – OH MYGOODNESS! If you like food and wine you MUST eat here! EXCELLENT!!!

I was with friends to enjoy a nice
Evening after a day of wine tasting. The food was Magnificent. But the server was so overly pretentious. Once we selected our courses and upon opting for individual glasses of wine rather than the pairings, his attitude changed and overshadowed the eve. beautifully presented food. Flavors divine. so authentic and fresh It was such a shame because the courses were all so incredibly good. I especially like the beet risotto. My steak was perfectly prepared.
When we finished our meal and the husband of my friend presented the waiter with 2 credit cards and asked that it be split ²⁄₃ and ¹⁄₃ he scoffed and walked away. If this had been 2 couples would this have been the case? So rude. I am single and was so offended. I spoke to the manager as we were leaving and he appeared surprised and assured me he would speak with his colleague.
Drop the blazer requirement and the pretentious server and let the food speak for itself!!!

I’m typically not big on posting less than stellar reviews about restaurants or wait staff because I understand that everyone has their «off» days.
My experience, however, is one that was so offensive I have no choice. My fiancé surprised me on Sunday (8.23.15) with a private wine tasting and tour of Barboursville Vineyards. Upon arriving, we discussed with the very friendly hostess (at the winery) that we’d be interested in dining at their restaurant and inquired as to whether or not a reservation was necessary. She, very politely, indicated that she would have to speak to someone and would let us know.
A few minutes later a man walked out and spoke to the hostess and she directed him towards us so we could make arrangements. His only words were «be there at 12.» My fiancé said «are reservations necessary or do we just walk in» and the gentleman very rudely responded «I will get you in at 12, be there when the doors are open.»
Okay, no problem. Although we were both taken aback by his curtness, we went ahead and tasted a couple wines then proceeded to the front of the restaurant at 11:52 a.m. We took a couple pictures of the beautiful scenery and were sharing them with his mother when the door to the restaurant was flung open and the same rude gentleman leans his head out of the door and says «you coming in?» and turns to walk away, leaving the door to close behind him!
We proceed to walk in and were greeted by a friendly hostess who seated us promptly. We had various waiters and waitresses assisting us through our meal, one of which was the rude person we’d been dealing with. He was never friendly. He was never even polite, to us! He assisted another table, an older couple, who clearly dines there frequently and was gushingly complimentary and overly attentive but brushed past us and acted as if he was doing us some sort of favor by seating us.
The food was impeccable. I had Insalata Caprese and Petto di Pollo alla Piastra (pan seared chicken breast) and my fiancé had Ravioli alla Polpa di Granchio e Ricotta (crab and ricotta ravioli) and Bistecca di Manzo alla Griglia (top sirloin with roasted vegetables) with wine pairings. The wine was phenomenal. The service provided by the other wait staff was decent but certainly not what I would have expected for such a restaurant. We spent $ 150 for lunch to be treated in such a rude, unprofessional, unwelcoming manner. I was so put off by the behavior of the one individual in particular that although the food would have made me return time and time again, his behavior ensures our never stepping foot back in the restaurant again.
We will go back to the winery since the staff of the winery was outstanding. We’ve decided that we will be spending a weekend at the Inn on the property but sadly we will drive out of our way to enjoy dinners at a restaurant that treats its customers with respect and appreciation!

An absolutely exceptional meal from start to finish! Let me start by stating the mamager and wait staff were incredibly helpful. We were visiting the winery and really wanted to try this place for lunch but did not have a reservation. They opened up another room to accommodate our party of six, even though their reservations for lunch were booked. Throughout the meal the wait staff was prompt in taking our order and clearing our plates; however, I really like that during the courses they stayed back and allowed the party to really take their time with each course and enjoy the food and company. I never felt rushed and they always checked to make sure we were enjoying each course.
If you are looking for a quick meal this is obviously not the place for you, nor is any coursed out meal. With a coursed meal the expectation is that you will spend a decent amount of time eating and enjoying the experience of the meal. I loved it and how could you not…
The décor and views are beautiful. You have the winery right next door with the option of pairing their wines with each of your course. Many from our party did this, and the wait staff had some fantastic recommendations!
The food was beyond exceptional! They by far had the best seared ahi tuna I have ever had! The bites were almost melting in my mouth and the accompanying flavors of lemon, dill, and radish were fantastic and well balanced. My party also enjoyed gnocchi with mushrooms and crispy fennelheads in a pan sauce, fetta stuffed ravioli with peas (the pasta was light and perfectly cooked), mushrooms risotto with rabbit, cornish game hen with asparagus and potatoes, seared strip steak with micro greens and a few desserts. There was not one dish that was not perfectly portioned, plated or tasting. A truly and overall fantastic dinning experience.

All and all a good experience. Mostly for the environment. Food slightly underwhelming. Presentation was good. Flavor. Sufficient. Could have emphasized the local scheme as does anyone else. Ultimate farm to table locale. Yet they really don’t take advantage of the surrounding farms. Either that or they really don’t promote anything of the sort. Decent wine. And decent food gets you 4 stars. Heard chef’s leaving. Give me ring if you’re looking. I’d love to fill the void!

Really disappointed. WAY WAY over priced for the meal, tried to hard to be artistic in presentation… Salad and pasta dishes were very disappointing. Kicker is that they had a over 100% mark-​up on wine from the vineyard. Tacky!

This is a lovely place to come for a special event. The food offerings are unique, beautifully presented, and delicious. The wine pairings are a special treat and you may purchase your favorite in the adjoining tasting room.
The staff is attentive, courteous and eager to please with dignity expected in such an establishment. They are knowledgeable about the food and its preparation and ready to answer questions.
The ambience of this small intimate restaurant situated in the middle of a vineyard is superb. My husband and I make this a «must do» for our anniversary every year and we’ve never been disappointed.

Had a group lunch this afternoon and was appalled by the service. The staff didn’t seem to have answers to the simplest questions and they had zero consideration for the fact that we had to be out in 1:15 (which isn’t a stretch for a two course meal). We looked into purchasing a bottle of the 2010 Octagon, but it is listed for $ 99 on the wine list. It is $ 54 in the tasting room 20 feet away. If you want people to enjoy Barboursville wine with the meal then you should reconsider the 95% upcharge.

I went with a group of friends for a girls lunch and, sadly we were in a bit of a rush because someone had to catch a flight. We arrived early and explained the situation and the staff could not have cared less. They were short, not helpful or pleasant. The day before we had called numerous times to change/​cancel the reservation to avoid being rushed and no one answered the phone or called us back.
The food was good but service was lacking and honestly they couldn’t have been less helpful.

PROS:
* The winery kept the wine tasting area open till 5:30 for us.
* Dawn, who conducted the tasting, was knowledgeable, friendly, and delightfully entertaining!
* The menu choices were creatively described and artistically plated.
* The Cabernet Franc Reserve we selected to have with our meal was quite good (complex, dry, layered) and reasonably priced ($ 55). (We declined to purchase the «award-​winning» Octagon wine, which went for $ 120 – 190 depending on vintage.)

CONS:
* We were told when making reservations at the restaurant that the earliest (post tasting) reservation they had available was 7:00, but because our tasting was over before 6:30, Dawn got us in early — whereupon we discovered the restaurant to be less than one-​quarter occupied and never more than 50% occupied during our nearly two hours there. Seems a little deception was in play …
* Our waiter was aloof and pretentious, and not once during our stay did any staff person inquire how we were doing or whether we were pleased with our meal.
* Although the food was attractively plated, its taste quality ranged from «okay» to «awful». I was really looking forward to juicy frogs’ legs, but instead they were prepared with a thick (nearly a half-​inch) hard tasteless almost impenetrable crusty breading, making it difficult to find much less taste the meat of the poor frog. One of our party ordered quail, which was unremarkable and lacking in taste. Another ordered the beef which was tough and unremarkable. My cantaloupe soup was nice, but all our desserts were disappointing.
* None of our party wanted to eat a four course meal, yet there was no option to order a la carte. The only option was the four-​course $ 80 prix fixe — but the quality was certainly unworthy of that price tag!
* One person in our party began exhibiting quite visible physical distress — shaking, shuddering, hunching — and clearly unable to eat. In any other good restaurant I’ve been in, wait staff (and likely management) would have been solicitously hovering, asking whether there were anything they could do. Not here. The wait staff simply stood back against the wall, watched, and did nothing in their less-​than half-​full restaurant.

Palladio needs to hire a talented CIA-​trained chef and fire its entire wait staff. But keep Dawn in the winery — she’s a real gem‼

Huge disappointment at a very high price!
We met here with friends for what we expected to be a spectacular evening (Aug 29, 2014). The wine tasting in the vineyard prior to the dinner was superb with a young lady that was very knowledgeable and fun. But the meal that followed was quite the opposite.
Atmosphere and service: We tried to get a 6:30pm reservation but were told that the earliest available was 7:00pm. But since we finished the wine tasting early, they said they could get us in at 6:30pm, which was perfect. The small restaurant was ¾ EMPTY! — most of the night. At its peak, it was maybe 50% full on a Friday night. The service from our «server» was pretentious and non-​concerned at best. Not once during the entire meal did he ask us if everything was okay or if there was anything we needed. The attitude was as if «since we are so perfect and you have agreed to pay a pre-​fixed price of $ 80 per person, plus wine, we need not be concerned with whether you are enjoying the meal.» NOT!
The menu was inviting. I started with the frog legs. When I asked about them, the server said they were a favorite. Well, they were so heavily breaded and deep-​fried you could barely find, let alone taste the frog. The cantaloupe soup was wonderful and the quail was tasteless. I only finished one of two. The dessert was just so so. We didn’t even finish our dessert choices. Others in my party were equally disappointed in the food and its preparation.
The presentation, however, was beautiful. It was as if the chef went to art school instead of culinary school. The bottle of 2011 Cabernet Franc Reserve was quite wonderful ($ 55), however, the Octagon they recommended started at $ 160 and went up. We passed.
The Price: at $ 80 per person, plus wine and other add ons, made us expect so much more. Maybe the price-​value proposition is why their dining room was so empty on a Friday night. Fortunately, for us, the company was great!

First I will say 4 stars and not 5 because I’ve only been here once. Hard for me to give 5 when I don’t know the consistency of the service, food, etc.
That being said, it was great. One of the top 3 dining experiences I’ve had in Cville. I went in a bit apprehensive, since Barboursville is a tourist and alumni mecca and does a very good business without having to excel at the restaurant. I was expecting a kind of Vegas experience where you eat at a big name chef’s restaurant but the food and service remind you that it’s a knock off of the real deal. Fine dining for the masses. Although there are few exceptions to that.
And so it was that we entered Palladio.
We showed up about an hour earlier than our reservation due to a balloon ride glitch and the desk took it well and had us seated in the side room within 10 minutes. Tables were angled off the walls which made for an unusual angle but also opened the room to the windows. I’m sure during the day the view is lovely. It was also very quiet in that room; 5 other couples shared the room with us.
The menu provided an array of options for a fresh, 4-​course tasting menu. And very reasonable priced given what this level would run in a larger city.
I won’t go through the food because it will likely change by the time you dine there but let me say chef cooks with the love of Italy and has some very unique and exciting variations and original items. And vegans have options as do conservative diners.
But what put this place over the top was service. All the servers were responsive, gracious and very attentive. There was one who truly made our night. I didn’t get his name but he was an Italian gent with a beard and cast. He worked with me to find a beautiful bottle of Nebbiolo Riserva, and I relied on him to pick my selections as well as a cheese or two on the dessert course.
My wife had the Nebbiolo and fell in love. He took an lovely dining experience and made it exceptional. Thank you.
There’s a lot of ambitious chefs and many who charge more than they can deliver, either from the kitchen or their staffs (and many times both). And I’ve noted them in other reviews.
But Palladio delivers, in every respect.

We went for lunch. After a beautiful drive through the Virginia Pediment we arrived at the Winery. The restaurant has two small rooms decorated in a lovely country provincial style. The service is flawless and appropriate to a formal meal. I could rave poetically about the food but the pictures speak for themselves.
You would be hard pressed to find a better meal south of NYC.

Food = A+
Atmosphere = A+
Service = F