Tavola - Charlottesville: Authentic Italian Dining with Handmade Pasta & Craft Cocktails

A favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. I had the amazing clams with house made linguine and a delicious Hugo Spritz. Excellent food and service.

My husband and I had a Saturday 5pm reservation to celebrate our anniversary. I had read some revies beforehand so knew to expect to wait in a line in the alleyway before 5pm. However I was definitely a little shocked at how narrow and gross the alleyway was - if you're going to have your guests wait there, at least spruce it up and cap some of the condensation drains coming down from the roof! Also, logistically it made no sense to have everyone line up before 5 - any normal restaurant would be glad to have a bit of a stagger between 5pm reservation seatings. I was watching our poor waitress run around like a chicken with her head cut off to get drinks and apps to her 4 tables, which would have easily been avoided if they just sat us a few minutes apart (upon arrival). You can also tell it's just to incur some sort of feeling of exclusivity and not for logistics sake. That being said, the food was DELICIOUS. Highly suggest the fried artichokes. The autumnal orichette was delicious but my husband thought the carbonara was a little salty - probably a personal taste. Food was fairly priced, drinks were on the pricier side but definitely worth it for a date night or special night out. The inside of the restaurant was intimate, tables are spaced far enough away from each other that you don't have to hear your neighbors conversation, and the atmosphere was quite nice for an early Saturday meal - I imagine it gets moodier as the night goes on as well. Our server was very sweet and accommodating (I'm pregnant so she brought us two complimentary flutes of "champagne" except mine had ginger ale - very nice!) and we were in and out in about and hour and 45 minutes.

Our first visit to this authentic neighborhood Italian restaurant. Enter via side gangway. We tried to get reservations the day prior for a last minute birthday trip to C-Ville, but was told we could arrive and might be able to get seating at the bar with 15-20 minutes. We arrived on a Saturday night a little before 6pm and did not have to wait for bar seating. There are a few very tiny round tables in bar area a couple of which had 3 patrons ( I would not be able to eat with 2 others at that table, maybe they were only having appetizers?). Our bar seats were fine (chairs had backs) and servers were very friendly and made helpful recommendations. I had the carbonara which was the best I have ever tasted (I make my own and this was even better!)...house made sausage as well as the pancetta, just the right amount of pepper and cheese. Companion had the papperdelle which (I sampled) was very good too. Server said these two items are the most popular. Nice selection of wines and craft cocktails. We also indulged and ordered the hazelnut tart (sweet without being overly sweet and perfect flaky crust) and the pecial apple cider bread pudding which was outstanding! Would definitely recommend this restaurant, I now understand the reason reservations are usually booked up!

We had a great experience dining here! All of the food was absolutely delicious. The autumn pasta was to die for, I’ll have to come back just for that specifically. Our server was very attentive and kind. We came for my birthday and she brought out a slice of cake with a candle. Perfect evening!

It's my first time eating here, and the food is fantastic! I had the beet salad with deep-fried mozzarella ball, then a shrimp and pasta dish finished with the Chocolate Lava cake. The servers were very friendly, we had a group of 5, and everything came out quickly and hot! Great for date nights and business dinners. 5/29: Food is still excellent! Clean plate club!

Had a nice experience here. We were sat at what I think was called the chefs bar on the right most side, where we could see the chefs making all of the food. I feel like I got to see essentially the entire menu being made and presented. Most of the pictures are of what other people had ordered. The staff seemed hard working and efficient and they seemed to be having a good time as well. As for the food, everything we ordered was very good and reasonably priced. My favorite was the duck fusilli. It was very unique, never had anything quite like it before. I really liked all the different flavors being combined together. The Brussels sprouts, focaccia bread and ragu pappardelle were very good as well. Only negative was the wait. The bread and appetizer came out quickly but there was a very long delay for the entrees. Because of where we were sitting, it wasn't a big deal as we were entertained by the stream of food being made, but I think if we had been sitting elsewhere, it would have been a noticeable downside.

Tavola was everything we hoped for and then some. Tucked into the charming Belmont neighborhood. From the first bite, you can taste the difference: every dish is made in-house, from scratch, and it shows. The pasta was perfectly tender, the sauces rich and layered, and the flavors felt like they were crafted with real care. Hands down, one of our top dining experiences in Charlottesville. Can’t wait to go back.

Perfect if you love seafood/mussels! Sat at the bar when I went on my first visit and had wonderful service from Bri! Made for a perfect experience, and it was an easy decision to add Tavola to our date night dinner rotation.