Fossett’s Restaurant

Came for Saturday brunch with a large party. Restaurant was beautiful, as was the property. Menu selection was somewhat limited, and wasn’t the best food for the price. I’d be interested to try for dinner instead.

Very nice and upscale. The staff was superb! We were not staying at the inn, but randomly walked into the restaurant wanting brunch and everyone was so accommodating! They really make you feel welcome and the food was phenomenal! I had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and my partner had the B&B Waffle. Both were fantastic.

Fossett’s was everything I had hoped it would be. We’ve been wanting to go for five years but unfortunately places in town have always pulled us in. So, on to my review.
The food. We were there for restaurant week but the menu did not disappoint. I had a crab hot and sour soup that was amazing. Chunks of crab meat and nice vegetables wth a hint of pineapple. Delicious. He had a duck confit tortellini with an apple-​foie gras emulsion. I tend to shy away from 2 of those 3 ingredients but this was so amazing even I wanted more! For entrees we had beef shank and rabbit. Both were excellent and I would happily get either again. For desert he had the apple pear cobbler and I the dark chocolate bananas foster. The bananas foster was actually a chilled dome of dark chocolate with a kind of banana pudding inside; it was different… good but not what I expected. The pear-​apple cobbler was delicious. Both came with a fresh ice cream that was fantastic. The portions were a bit on the small side, but that doesn’t bother me, especially with a restaurant week menu of 3 courses. The wine list and drinks were fantastic.
What really made the meal was the fantastic service and the atmosphere. Keswick Hall is a beautiful spot even at night when you can barely see it to enjoy. The space isn’t huge, so it does fill up quick (which is why we’ve never had a chance to get there for restaurant week).
I will definitely be saving up for our next trip… maybe next time for a non-​restuarant week treat!

This was a pretty mediocre experience; if I’d had to pay for it (someone else picked up the bill), I probably would have rated this one star, it’s probably deserving of 1.5 stars, so I rounded up.
I went out tonight with a group of about 6 for dinner. The atmosphere was nice and we were told to expect a great meal. Things started well. The amuse was a small serving of panna cotta with caviar and kale purée, which was quite good. It went downhill from there.
It took a fairly long time for our first course to arrive. I had an apple salad with some kind of cheese and a very overpowering apple cider vinegar dressing. The salad was under-​seasoned and poorly balanced. It wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t what I expected for the cost ($ 12, I think). My boyfriend had the oysters, which he said were fantastic, though he commented that the kitchen had little to nothing to do with this. If you have good ingredients, it’s pretty hard to screw up raw oysters. For the second course, I had lobster tail with shaved fennel. The lobster was cold, as if it had been refrigerated for hours. It was tough and very under-​seasoned. Others who had the lobster had similar complaints. My boyfriend had foie gras, which was cold and quite hard, not spreadable at all. At this point, others at the table began to complain more loudly.
We had issues with the service as well. We got very little attention between courses, and we waited a long time to get each course, despite the dining room being half full (on a Friday night!) When one person at the table asked for more bread, the server gave her a single piece of bread and didn’t bother to offer it to anyone else, we had to flag her down again and specifically ask for bread for the table. Our request was honored, but we were told that they had run out of one kind of bread, so we had to choose between the other two (which were tasty, but there’s no excuse running out of bread at 7pm on a Friday night.) Each time a course was delivered, there was also at least one mixup about who had ordered what. Considering the prices that this place charges, we expected the wait staff to be able to keep an order straight for a table of 7.
The main course was uniformly disappointing. I ordered the duck, which was cooked and seasoned well, but it was lukewarm in the middle, and cold to the touch. The mushrooms on the plate were also cold. Other guests ordered scallops, which were encrusted in raw, ground lentils (one guest ordered a scotch to cover the taste of the dish), filet that was ordered medium rare and delivered medium to medium well, and trout that was served in the shape of a sushi roll. The cruel irony of the trout was that while it resembled a form used to serve raw fish, it was quite overcooked and dry. It looked interesting, but not appetizing.
Two people ordered desert, an upside down chocolate soufflé. This dish was ok, even good, but it was far too little too late. We left disappointed.
If we had been treated to a free meal at a culinary program at a community college, we probably would have felt differently, but Fossett’s represents itself as a high end restaurant. Maybe it once was, but on this particular night, it was exasperatingly amateurish, unsatisfying, and expensive.

After my previously negative review, Fossett’s F&B manager, James, offered an apology, took 20% off our bill, and sent a Dinner for Two gift certificate encouraging us to come back and give them another try. Due to life and not wanting to chance another special occasion ruined, it took nearly a year to return which we did, two nights ago. There is a new chef, a new menu, and many new staff. When I asked to speak with James, I was interested to learn he left Fossett’s a week after he sent our gift certificate. We had plenty of time to enjoy a cocktail on the porch, my champagne was bubbly, my husband’s jalapeño margarita was spicy but a little too sweet for his liking. At dinner, he switched to a dirty martini, very happy, and my champagne remained fizzy throughout the evening. The menu was literally debuted that very evening, it was a pleasure to read and took some time to decide on as there were several intriguing and interesting options. We enjoyed foie gras and steak tartare apps, Scallops and Harissa filet entrees, and shared two outstanding desserts, a sampling of Lemon tart/​lemon ice cream and a chocolate soufflé that was more like a chocolate lava cake w/​ice cream. Both were fantastic, not too heavy and a great combo to share if you can’t decide which to choose. Our server Michael was a delight and other staff was friendly, professional, and attentive. One mistake: The 25 year old red wine we ordered with dinner did not arrive until we were nearly done with our entrees (we actually stopped eating to allow them to catch up) and it was not properly de-​cantered so we ended up with a lot of sediment in our glasses. There was obviously a breakdown in communication and service but we enjoyed the wine nonethless. We’ve been coming to Fossett’s for 16 years and while I am still leery of Saturdays and weddings, our mid-​week dining experience was lovely and we will return sooner than later.

I LOVE Fossett’s! This is my number 1 spot for celebrating a special occasion or Restaurant Week! The views are stunning (so try to come before sunset if you can), the service is amazing, and the food is exquisite. The crowd here is generally older and it’s not a very big dining room, so it’s a pleasantly quiet atmosphere. Especially great for a romantic date or impressing your parents.

Had dinner during Restaurant Week so I can’t comment on ordering from the normal menu. The tasting menu was $ 36 for a prix fixe 3 course meal. The parsnip bisque was very good, but I thought the duck and mushroom tart was better. The beef entrée was quite a nice size portion even though our server said the dishes were not large. The beef was similar to a very slow cooked short rib that had been shredded. The Scottish Salmon was moist and flaky and came with new potato’s. Gingerbread cake and the cheese plate for dessert were both very nice. I would like to go back again when the full menu is available.
Wonderful service, nice the staff knows you name and a nice selection of wines by the glass.

Thanksgiving dinner at Fossett’s was a pedestrian affair. The resort is wonderful and breakfast earlier in the day was delicious. But the traditional Thanksgiving dinner left much to be desired. Turkey was bland, the mash potatoes flavorless. Stuffing mealy and tasteless. The green beans did have a nice snap to them, if uninspired. Not what we expected from a fusion of creative French-​Virginia favors the restaurant prides itself in dishing up. A step above chain restaurant Thanksgiving fair in my opinion. That being said, the cut of filet also ordered was spectacular — tender as butter. Alas, the mushrooms arrived cold with that meal. We have enjoyed our stay at the resort but will not be having a holiday meal here anytime soon.

Excellent wine list, food, and service. And the location is beautiful. We went for restaurant week, so it was a bit cheaper than normal, but totally worth it.

Went for dinner Monday night. I would say it was a rather subpar experience. Food wasn’t the best accompanied by inconsistent service. If your going to participate in restaurant week you should at least attempt to provide a menu that makes sense. Don’t think I will be returning anytime soon.

As some of you know, a change in ownership occurred at Keswick Hall several years ago. In essence, Orient Express sold to the owner of the Jefferson Hotel.
We expected that such a change would for a short time affect the quality of food as well as the level of service. It did!
But now, some three years after the sale, the food continues to be well below the standards set by Orient Express. The food is not well presented, nor delicious and very «bland». In fact, it is now over priced!
The service has somewhat improved BUT is still not where it should be.
On the other hand, the view is getting better and better as the new golf course is implemented. If you like great views and plain food, Keswick Hall is for you.
Hopefully, management has noticed these problems and plan to make improvements.
We use to love to go to Keswick Hall (Fossett’s and Outside Patio). Not any more. Management… Please do something!

I am a member at Kewsick and have dined at Fossett’s numerous times. Two things: the service is first class — really first class and the food is outstanding.

Went there with my husband for our Valentine’s Day dinner. Had reservation for 8:30pm but wasn’t seated until 8:50pm. The service was great. The food was phenomenal! Took one star off because they got my order and my husband’s orders mixed up. They also accidentally poured regular water into our glasses of sparkling water. The bottle was still right there in the middle of the table. Was a cold night with snow still on the ground. Would’ve been nice if they had valet parking.

Soooooo good! Let’s start at the beginning though. The property is immaculate. We did not stay the night here but definitely would. This place is grand and luxurious and everyone we met who worked here was friendly, and not fake snooty friendly, but genuinely kind. We made an open table rez and were seated right away at a cozy table in the main dining room. We were the youngest people by far but that’s what happens when you’re only in your 20s, have expensive taste and a bank account to match. We felt right at home and loved it. We had Bradley serving us and he couldn’t have been nicer. Oscar was the hard working but nearly ghost-​like porter; we got a smile or two out of him and I wish him luck and a promotion!
We are vegetarians so we ordered everything veggie on the menu. When Bradley told the chef she excitedly offered to make us some new cauliflower recipe she’d been dying to try. Oh my stars was it good. My wife and I fought over who got to finish it. It was served over a bed of risotto that was some of the best risotto I’ve ever had. Why didn’t I get the chef’s name?!? The potatoes au gratin sat in a bath of sauce that I would like to fill my tub at home with, please. Everything else was equally epic. Worth it!

Decent ambiance. Beautiful club. Hostess on Christmas evening was a bit abrupt. We showed up at 545 for a 6 pm reservation and she was a bit short and curt for my taste. People will show up early and late. It’s how you make them feel that helps make the experience. I noticed at the next table another party experienced challenges and the dining room was in full swing so there wasn’t any waiting room for them to go… it’s about the experience. Good for them holding their ground.
Menu was a holiday abbreviation. Good food. Decent service. Wine was amazing as the German chocolate cake.

My partner and I went to Fossett’s Restaurant Bar two nights in a row while we were staying at Keswick Hall, and overall I felt it had really good cocktail creations with solid liquor choices, w ith a great breakfast!
I will say that I rarely give bars five stars because serving drinks is done so many times, it is hard to do something that stands out. But Fossett’s had a much larger cocktail selection than I would have assumed for being rather small. My style is more to try inventive cocktails, and Fossett’s certainly has plenty of them. One of the cocktails I had came with an orange blossom ice cube. The drink was gorgeous, and they actually put an edible orange blossom on the top of the huge ice cube and then it melts while you drink it. Very different and very unique. My partner is more of a scotch drinker, and there were many selections they had. So even if you’re not a cocktail person, there’s plenty of straight liquor.
The bar itself is very cozy, though small, as Keswick isn’t a very large hotel, I guess they figure they don’t need a very large bar, either. Also, the overlook from the patio is right over the golf course, so while we were there during nighttime and could not really see the view, all the stars were there and it would be a good place to go for a pre-​dinner drink for the view.
We also went to breakfast there, and the view is amazing in the morning. I had the biscuits and gravy, which was absolutely great and something I’d definitely recommend ordering.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Fossett’s Bar for the great drink menu and the view.

This review is for the bar.
We stopped by the bar for a couple of drinks and alight dinner. We have been before but were a little disappointed with this visit. We ordered wine and an appetizer of fried oysters followed by their burger and steak quesadia. We waited probably thirty minutes. The appetizer eventually showed up about thirty seconds before the dinner. The server apologized which was good. Given they were not busy it would have been better if she were tracking the meals progress. I like my burger medium rare but usually order it medium as that usually gets me a medium rare burger. This one was easily well done as was the top of the quesadilla.
At upscale restaurant /​bar prices, last night did not measure up.

Great food, impeccable service, and gorgeous restaurant– I love going to Fossett’s!
The ambiance of the restaurant is proper and romantic and it is a wonderful place for any special occasion. I’ve come here during their regular dinner times and during restaurant week and have enjoyed all my experiences here. Their menu is constantly changing and I like that they are aware of how their food is sourced and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable about the products they serve.
As for the food itself, I think most of their menu is creative and well executed. No particular dish is overwhelming with flavor and I feel like this is purposeful. The chefs do a great job in showcasing the flavors of the main protein. Below describes the food from my most previous visit.
–Appetizers–
Their ricotta gnocchi salad which was delicate and had just the right amount of dressing [my boyfriend says it’s the best salad he’s ever had].
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I also loved their seared scallops which were not only cooked correctly, but were delicious with the parmesan and micro-​greens on top.
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–Entrees–
The Wagyu beef entrée was a great interpretation of the surf and turf. The steak itself was cooked to a medium rare and the shrimp on top were tender.
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Their yellow fin tuna steak was probably the only dish that did not work for me. The steak itself was too thick — my palate eventually tired from eating just the hunk of fish. The seared foie gras on top did add the needed fat to the dish but there wasn’t enough flavor to keep each bit interesting. I just wanted some more oomph on the plate.
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–Dessert–
The pistachio chocolate pave with pistachio ice cream was a perfect way to end my meal. A pave is apparently just a fancy way to describe something that’s rectangular shaped. The pave had a mousse-​like texture and was not overly sweet – the bitterness complemented the pistachio ice cream very well.
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Entrees are around $ 30 and they sometimes offer dinner and wine specials. They also participate in Cville Restaurant week so I definitely recommend making a reservation ASAP when the list comes up because you can get a 3 course meal here for $ 25!
Food: 4.5
Value: 4.5
Service: 5
Overall: 5

Delicious, thoughtfully sourced food. Great service (thorough, but not too hovering). Incredible views of the peaceful Blue Ridge Mountains and an Arnold Palmer Golf Course.
We ate breakfast here twice while staying at the Keswick; I highly recommend the Ginger pancakes («they taste like Christmas morning» according to my hubbie and the waiter) and the Virginian breakfast (eggs, meat, potatoes, carb– an awesome energizer pre-​Monticello visit). You can skip the french toast– it seemed like it was pre-​assembled, dry, and the flavors didn’t meld.
For dinner: Awesome bread and butter to start; a smooth, yet flavorful roasted parsnip soup, followed by Bison that was tender, juicy, salty, and flavorful. I am a filet person myself, so felt like this was taking a chance but I was delighted by the choice and preparation.
Desserts could use some work. The «tiramisu» was really a deconstructed version with chocolate cake (just ok), espresso ice cream (?) and a ladyfinger of some sort.
Warm yourself by the gorgeous fireplace after. The Keswick delights!

Boyfriend and I shared a quite scrumptious and elegant meal here indeed. This place is SUPER fancy pants — an environment I don’t always do too well in because I unfortunately don’t have the best manners in the world. But this was overall a quite enjoyable experience!
This place is also a rather happening restaurant for being out in the middle of nowhere. We were staying at the hotel and decided to eat here one night and the waitress informed us that it would be about a 2-​hour wait! This was at around 9:30 on a Saturday. We got lucky when they called the room about 30 minutes later because some other couple had cancelled.
I had red wine, and boyfriend had his favorite cocktail — a bloody mary. We each had soups — I had the cauliflower bisque which I thought was incredible (it must have had tons of butter in it) — it tasted like creamy potato soup to me — heaven — and boyfriend had a soup with mussels in it. The other food was absolutely amazing as well — the scallops were melt-​in-​your-​mouth perfection, boyfriend loved his monkfish, and I had a side of polenta. YUM! We also had an incredible dessert there, which unfortunately I don’t remember what it was called, but we were really impressed.
We also had breakfast there in the morning — twice. Both times I got the countryside breakfast with bacon eggs and grits and boyfriend got the smoked salmon bagel dish. Very delicious, attentive service, and pretty views looking across the grounds. They also had a special menu of «classic Virginia» dishes, though we didn’t partake.
At one of those fancy places that is very expensive, it is vital that they deliver on the food quality. Every morsel of food I ate out of this restaurant during our stay was delicious and I am glad we got the nice fancy date night. Not an everyday place, but Fossetts is definitely perfect for a special occasion.

I have mixed feelings about this place.
First off, the view of the grounds from the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. So there is that.
I was also impressed for the most part by the service. Very polite, attentive and accommodating with a high staff to patron ratio.
As far as the food (which is the real reason you want to patronize a restaurant), it was up and down.
The good: burrata, arugula salad, hamachi crudo, scallops with foie gras (excellent!), lemon basil cake, and sticky toffee pudding. They also had a nice cheese selection and I liked the foccacia bread they serve with butter (room temperature which always earns points in my book)
The mediocre:
potato crusted trout — tasty and well executed, but so many bold flavors really overpowered the fish
crab fettuccine — some of my group felt the crab was fishy, but I actually did not find that to be the case.
The bad: There was a lamb chop snafu that I just have a hard time looking past. We ordered lamb chops medium rare (aka — the way they should always be cooked). They came out well done, no tinge of pink in sight. We sent them back. 20 minutes later a new plate arrived, this time 2 of the 3 chops were so red we could barely eat them. And we are not picky people when it comes to eating rare meat. The one chop that was cooked well enough to eat was actually quite tasty as were the greens and potato gratin on the plate. We ate what we could, but at that point it was silly to ask and wait for a third attempt. Especially since the rest of the table had finished and their plates were cleared before our second set of lamb chops had even arrived.
The staff did the right thing and took that off the bill and were very nice about it. This just has me doubting the caliber of chef back in the kitchen who was responsible for cooking the lamb.
Anyhow — overall it was a reasonable meal and I would consider coming back or eating in the bar for a more casual meal.

Came here for Restaurant Week and was blown away.
Fossett’s is surprisingly small, but I guess this serves to its fewer clientele and more exclusive atmosphere.
Along with multi-​grain bread rolls, we were also started with what tasted like thin herb pita chips and garlic/​green onion soft cheese.
The cauliflower bisque with lobster was creamy and wonderful… if you like cauliflower. However I don’t, so I preferred the scallops with the tasty ratatouille vegetables.
My friend’s Wagyu beef was unevely cooked: one was medium while one was well-​done. They still loved the rest of it however, altho the prosciutto wrapped fry was apparently «too starchy» or undercooked.
My Yellowfin was slightly bland, but paired with the wonderfully flavored (and def fat) seared foie gras it was more palatable.
I finished with the Chocolate Pave. I think my favorite part of this was the pistachio ice cream. It had almost-​whole slices of pistachios and was most probably homemade!
Service was astounding the entire night. We were also comped a bottle of their $ 25 each wines for being their largest table of the night.

Got a chance to go here for Restaurant Week and it was probably the best meal I’ve ever had, thus far.
For the appetizer, between the four of us, we got the scallops and the french onion tart. Scallops are usually very hard to cook properly. However, they were cooked very well, not overdone, so its still really tender and not chewy.
For the entrée, we got the Wagyu beef (which is top of the line, kinda like Kobe beef). This was also delicious, and I was surprised the portion wasn’t ridiculously small like a lot of fancy restaurants. The «french fries» were really good too. Wrapped in bacon and topped with prosciutto and Parmesan cheese. They don’t ask you how you like your steak cooked, probably because they’re not gonna waste an expensive piece of beef overcooking it. Mine came out around a medium-​rare to medium, so it was still very tender and juicy. The shrimp was AMAZING — really fresh, and the sauce was very flavorful… From the small bite of trout and foie gras I tried, that was full of deep flavors as well.
For the desert, we got the cheeses, the Coupe Ellery, and the chocolate pave. I’m not a cheese person myself, and there’s a specific order you need to eat cheese in, so avoid it unless you know how to eat it. The Coupe Ellery was reallly smooth. The raspberries were tart and you can really taste the orange liquor come through in the white chocolate. Personally though, I think i should’ve gotten the chocolate pave; from what I tried, the chocolate wasn’t too overwhelming, just right.
Honestly, i think you could get anything there and be pleased.
OH! And as a caveat, they’re gonna ask you if you want sparking, tap, or bottled water in the beginning. THEY CHARGE YOU FOR THE SPARKING WATER T_​_​T. We got 4 bottles and it was 20 bucks added to the bill. hahaha. So be careful!
View is beautiful. You cannot get any classier than this in Charlottesville.
Keswick also boasts the largest scotch selection in the area as well as a huge wine selection. And one funny thing, I saw a guy spill some wine on his blazer, and they actually came with a little kit to help him try and remove some of it as soon as possible. Great service.
THE PLACE IS DELICIOUS. I CANT BELIEVE I’VE BEEN MISSING OUT FOR 4 YEARS.