Café Frank is a casual bistro and wine bar.
Led by James Beard nominated chef, Jose De Brito, the kitchen offers French classics with a modern twist, utilizing the best ingredients available. The wine list is focused on Champagne and Old World wine with some quality domestic producers, compiled by a former 3 Michelin Star restaurant sommelier.
The atmosphere is relaxed but refined.
Based on 116 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.6 stars. Price
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout ✔️ No delivery
Address:
317 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: (434) 825-9496
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
Closed |
| Tuesday | 4–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 4–10 PM |
| Thursday | 4–10 PM |
| Friday | 4–10 PM |
| Saturday | 4–10 PM |
Photo Gallery
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
Reviews
Shamrock
I’ve been here a handful of times at this point and up until about a week ago the food and service had been phenomenal with very reasonable pricing. So credit where credit is do, I’d summarize my previous visits to a solid 4/5. Unfortunately, the latest visit was very lacking. To start off, the majority of prices had increased from just a few weeks prior which is unfortunate but I suppose understandable. My friend and I ordered 12 oysters which came out to $33, the Skate, and the Lamb. The oysters were good (the yuzu mignonette was not) and came out in a reasonable timeframe (~10min). Our entrees took an additional 40min from the appetizer which wasn’t the waitress’s fault (who was great despite the wait), but still undesirable. The lamb I ordered at rare/medium rare came out medium well/well done and tough, but still edible. The skate my friend ordered tasted, unfortunately, highly of ammonia. About halfway through, we scraped it into a napkin and tossed it. Since we had already waited a long time, we didn’t ask for it to be remade and simply left after paying ($110 for oysters, two entrees, only water). Hopefully this was a hiccup and Cafe Frank will return to the quality that drew us to them time and time again previously.
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Impatient Soul
Wow, hubby and I came here for dinner.
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Edward Batten
A gorgeous French restaurant on Charlottesville’s downtown mall with a kitchen serving up a wagyu steak dish (5/5) that deserves attention. The daily special spinach dish (5/5) was so tasty our table unanimously agreed it was fire. I also can highly recommend the shrimp and grits dish (5/5).
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Jamie Gariba
The food was great. I did get the steak and although it was good it just did not wow me. But the gnocchi was absolutely to die for!! I also tried the dessert clafoutis and it came out warm (it was intended to) and it was amazing!! Staff was nice and pleasant!
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Roland Chartier
We just happened in to Frank’s and it was a pleasant surprise! The food was delicious! The cocktails ohh the cocktails! So good hand crafted gems. I must say that the STAFF was incredibly friendly, engaging and on spot! Everyone there had a smile on their face! You must go and check this place out. Bonus Frank is a trip! Funny and engaging. I have told everyone what a great time we had! Go and enjoy.
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Jennifer Andrews
We were looking for something tasty on a Monday night, when many restaurants are closed, but not Cafe Frank! Our meal was delicious, with excellent service. This was our first visit, so we had many questions, all of which were patiently answered. From 4-6 PM, the bar is open, with various small bites available – a nice selection to choose from! Dinner service starts at 5 PM, which worked perfectly for us. We had the Old Fashioned Seafood Cocktail, which was a pleasant take on multiple seafood tastes – shrimp, lobster claw, & crab salad with veggies and delicious toast points. For mains, we tried 2 of the evening specials – mushroom risotto with bay scallops (actually an appetizer, but it was the perfect portion for my main) and Icelandic Cod with succotash & smoked broth – yum!! The wine list and cocktail list has something to please any taste – everything was good! We ended our meal with the day’s dessert special, Espresso Pots de Creme with almond cookies! and Rose Pavlova – so good! The pots de creme had a lovely coffee layer on top, with chocolate beneath, perfect for dipping the cookies in. The Pavlova was exactly the light dessert needed to finish the meal – whipped cream with raspberries and raspberry sorbet, topped by meringue coated with raspberry syrup – a lovely way to end the meal.
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Julia
We came here when for their happy hour and had some of their appetizers which were behind the glass case at the inside front of the restaurant. We sat at the bar.
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Caroline Wagner
An absolutely incredible dinner spot in Charlottesville with friendly and accommodating staff as well as amazing dinner entrees. My partner and I celebrated his birthday here this past weekend and it went way above our expectations! From the drinks all the way to desserts there was nothing we weren’t completely satisfied with. The steak was seasoned and marinated to perfection and cooked to the perfect medium rare, it was a decent sized piece of meat as well! Overall a 10/10 we will be returning very soon.
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Katie Y
The best restaurant in Charlottesville since Siren and the Back 40 closed. I love the cocktails. The coq au vin is amazing. You have to stop here.
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Matthew B
I live in Manhattan now, but every time I come back to Charlottesville, I look forward to visiting Cafe Frank. The food, the ambiance, and the service are all top-tier. World-class. The duck I had tonight is one of the best dishes I have ever had.
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