Petit Pois

We were pretty charmed by Petit Pois’ outdoor seating on a breezy Saturday evening in June. Four of us were easily able to get a table around 8:00. The restaurant gives off a healthy, fresh vibe with all the pea and wheatgrass decorations.
The service was pretty mediocre. The hostess spilled water all over my leg/​foot while trying to accomplish a cool pouring maneuver. Our waiter was nice and very efficient, but he wasn’t super conversational or warm. The food was really just OK, too. The bread and butter before the meal was super generic. I ordered a steak (which our waiter recommended as «the best steak in Charlottesville»), and it was so-​so. It was cooked as I requested, but the quality of the meat wasn’t what I was expecting. It did have a nice herby sauce! It was served with half a plate of shoestring fries which were tasty. I wish there had been some homemade ketchup instead of a commercial brand. I tried my husband’s risotto, and it was bland and definitely undercooked. It had a ton of gorgeous fresh vegetables, but it desperately needed more flavor. Our two dining companions felt equally «meh» about their entrees. For the two of us, it was close to $ 60, so we didn’t feel like it was worth it (maybe more of a 2.5 star experience). I’m not sure if I’ll go back in the future.

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.

Just had a terrible brunch here– undercooked, bland and parts inedible. Add to that indifferent service. Only saving grace was the beautiful shade and nice breeze.

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.

This restaurant is great! The food is wonderful, the staff is polite and helpful and the portions are generous. The only reasons I did not give all 5 stars are that this place is a little pricey and due to the small size of the building getting around can be tricky. I ordered the steak frites with a sparkling rosé and my boyfriend had the special (lamb shoulder). Both of our meals were amazing and we left full thanks to the awesome portions. We will be going back

Decent Service, not memorable. Terrible onion soup — had a steak frites and my fries were so greasy that could not eat anything after a few bites. The steak was ok. Seems like everyone likes this place so I like to think that I might have come in on a bad day. However I won’t give them a second chance. Too pricey for what you get.

It is a small restaurant at downtown Charlottesville. The service was great. The portion was pretty good. I had trout. It was nicely seasoned and cooked. I would say that nothing was special but it was not bad for the price.

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.

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.

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.

An afternoon stroll.
A signboard. Steak frites. Yes please.
Quail, steak, wine.
Sunshine. People watching from the courtyard. Service by Chris. Priceless.

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 pâté 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.

Had a wonderful lunch here today. My husband and I split a lunch and the portions were still perfect for us. The cocktails were also perfect for a summer day outside!

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.

Generally nice atmosphere, other than that over priced for the quality. Disappointed and have no desire to return, only had the French onion soup but it was the worst I’ve ever had. Maybe other items are better.

The ambiance outside was nice on a sunny, spring day. The scallops were quite good, but beware of the braised beef if you aren’t up for very hot & spicy. Wish we’d be warned on that one, as the spice overpowered the other flavors. Friendly & attentive staff.

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 décor). 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.

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.

Came here to try their brunch menu. Unless you like salad, there’s only one option (Frittata — Spinach, caramelized onions, Cherry Glenn Farm ricotta, served with herbs de Provence potatoes and greens) if you are a vegetarian! That wasn’t a knockout dish. Hence the 3 stars!
More options if you are a non-​vegetarian. But, my buddies who eat non vegetarian food didn’t think very highly of their food either. They might be more generous in their rating than me!
Loved their outdoor seating. The server was very kind and considerate of my dietary restrictions.

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.