I was uncertain how to write this review.... We had a wonderful time and the food was delicious yet the experience was confusing. Does the wine paring come with a dessert wine? Â Did you have to ask special for it? Where did the original server go? What were the substations? Â Is this what I ordered? Is the risotto supposed to be served cold? Â With respect to the restaurant it was Fathers Days weekend and we were the last group of the night.
I would recommend going - the Veal Chop is heaven - but avoid holiday weekends and keep your group limited since it is a smaller room and can get challenging to enjoy cross table conversation. Â We did get THE BEST wine tasting experience complimentary before dinner in a closed tasting room.
Had lunch here with my husband for our first anniversary. Â We tried to alternate and have different things and we both enjoyed it. Â The second course was easily the best (he had ravioli, I had gnocchi). Â The only complaint I had was that the portions and wine pours both seemed a little too big, but I'd imagine most people wouldn't complain about that. Â I enjoyed the whole meal and the wine pairings.
I enjoyed walking about the ruins after lunch and visiting the connected winery. Â Overall it was a good experience.
I don't remember the last time I got this angry. I will never come back to this place. Last week my husband call the place to know if we could bring our dog (a very calm Greyhound) with us. The person said that as long as the dog didn't disturb anybody, everything would be fine. Then, we went. When we arrived there with the dog, the hostess said we couldn't have lunch. She asked if the dog could stay outside while we had lunch (!!!), and we of course said no. We insisted saying that someone old us with was ok, and that's why we had brought her. She called the manager. This unfortunate person doesn't like dogs, and he gave us the excuse that "places that serve food can't allow dogs", which is not true. Anyway, we drove all the way just to go to that place, and they dismissed us as if we were nothing. I'd like to be treated with a little more respect than that. And if your personnel told us we could have our dog there, you should have done something since we were there already. Next time, use your brain and think about a solution before turning a client down. I'll make sure I tell everyone I know about this complete lack of respect from the manager.
PS: I just want to make it clear that I WOULDN'T have brought my dog if I haven't been told it was ok. I like her company so that's why we called to know if she could be with us. Since they said she could go, I again think it's a lack of respect with us.
We went for lunch. Â After a beautiful drive through the Virginia Pediment we arrived at the Winery. Â The restaurant has two small rooms decorated in a lovely country provincial style. Â The service is flawless and appropriate to a formal meal. Â I could rave poetically about the food but the pictures speak for themselves. Â
You would be hard pressed to find a better meal south of NYC.
This is a tough review because the food is very good, but definitely not worth the price of admission. Although the view is exceptional - its as if you're in Tuscany overlooking the rolling hills and vineyards. They try too hard to be fancy, when the secret to truely good italian food is simplicity. It's as if the chef(s) think they're French cooking italian.
My recommendations would be go back to basics on the italian food and drop the prices on the food (especially the wine pairings). I understand the view is beautiful, but let's face it, your in Virginia not Italy. Just drive a 1/2 mile up the road and you'll come back to reality from your short lived Tuscan adventure.
We love the winery, wines and the 1804 Inn at Barboursville, however, we need to give the restaurant a mixed review. The menu items and wine pairings were very good. The food was well prepared and attractively served. The room was well decorated but the lighting was bright to the point of harsh in places and detracted from the intimacy that you would expect in a fine dining establishment. The least attractive aspect of the experience was the service. It started with the maitre d' who was cold, aloof and condescending and met  every request with the answer "no". The rest of the service, while efficient, reflected the same cold condescension of the maitre d'. It is too bad that the service and lighting made the overall experience less than satisfying.
Review Source:Leisurely two-course lunch with paired wines on a nippy day in early November 2012. Â Polished and attentive service, nice menu, very good (but not quite great) Italian-themed bistro-type food , and rather pricey (approx $50/person before tip). Â Decent choice for a special occasion meal served amidst a classy atmosphere.
Review Source:My boyfriend and I stayed at the 1804 Inn for my birthday and had dinner at the Palladio one night. It's one of the best meals either of us have ever had. The restaurant is small, and the staff is VERY accommodating.
We ordered with the wine pairing. All of the food we had was delicious, nothing was too heavily seasoned, and the service size was perfect. While it is expensive, it was worthy every penny.
We had lunch at Palladio for our Anniversary and it was great. Â The service is the type where they are there when you need them but give you time to enjoy the food, wine and company. Â I prefer the lunch. Â After a good meal and a few glasses of wine we enjoyed a walk through the ruins. Â Dinner is great but it does not start until 7pm so if you don't live close by spending the night at the Inn is a suggested option.
Review Source:We attended a Palladio/winery wine tasting dinner that featured dishes with morel mushrooms combined, for the most part, with various Nebbiolo based wines from Barboursville wines. There were about 80 attendees from everywhere. It started with a reception in the tasting room with their Zonin Prosecco and 3 types of canapes (a morel-filled risotto ball that had been breaded and deep fried, warm shrimp with a lemon aioli and a red pepper and morel quiche). The quiche was not good. The rest were wonderful. The problem with a reception with that many people is that when a waiter comes out with a tray of canapes, the magpies in the group all cluster around the poor waiter and quickly raid the tray. No canapes then make it to the more reserved attendees who have MANNERS! :o) After about 30 minutes, everyone trooped into the sun room near the barrel room to sit at assigned tables of 8 people. The first course was calamari stuffed with morel and fresh mortadella (read bologna with pistachios) sausage with marinated fava beans, sauteed morels, baby lettuces and a lemon vinaigrette. We drank a 2011 Barboursville Pinot Grigio. The wine is not my favorite (too steely) and the pour was stingy but it went well with the course. I was worried that the calamari would be rubbery, but it was perfectly cooked and tender. However, the stuffing was weird and the morels were tiny and overcooked (read deflated). The next course was a wonderful sweet pea soup with crispy morels, house made creme fraiche and crunchy black lentils. The morels were again small, NOT crunchy but soggy and the lentils were weird and like eating buckshot. We drank a nice Barboursville Barbara Reserve 2010 with again a stingy pour. The main course was a pan roasted Guinea Hen (a small chicken that consisted of a skin on breast and a leg/thigh combination) with morels, fiddlehead ferns, a pancetta ragout with local watercress and a roasted shallot Thyme jus. The meat was tough, the morels again too small and over cooked. The sauce was rich and wonderful. The poured two wine with generous amounts. They were the Nebbiolo Reserve 2008 and a preview of the 2009 Nebbiolo Reserve that will not be available for sale until late 2012. The 2009 was complex with nice oak tones and mature tannins that were smooth. It tasted older and better than the 2008. The 2008 was fruity, bright and very tannic. Strange how they were diametrically opposed in taste and character. I will be snatching a lot of the 2009 when it is released. The dessert was a Limoncello scented panna cotta with marinated berries and an almond tuile cookie. Outstanding and delicate! They serve their non vintage Phileo dessert wine. However, they serve it in a 1950s era champagne goblet which is strange. It ought to be served in a sauternes stem in order to savor it. For the most part, the dinner was above average with some strange combinations and missteps. The morels were somewhat sandy which was a detraction and they were inordinately small and overcooked. The service was wonderful and the mushroom specialist commentary and the wine maker Luca's discussion of the vintages presented was informative and entertaining. I always enjoy the company at these dinners in the Virginia countryside.
Review Source:Just enjoyed a delicious Sunday lunch with 4 friends from out of town. Â I wish I could be more specific in my compliments, but after all the wine we drank with our 4 course lunch it's a little fuzzy! Â Two highlights were the generous amount of lobster in the agnolotti and a leek side that came with perfectly cooked to order flank steak. Â The only negatives I found with the food were an anemic, tho skillfully baked, creme caramel (more courage with the caramel kitchen!), and I think the oil needed freshening before frying anymore beignet. Â Altogether tho, the lunch and wine were a bargain and beautifully presented and delicious.
  But....we were a little disappointed in the restaurant decor.  We had visited the tasting room last spring while making the rounds of area wineries when we hatched the plan to return this year for lunch,  The tasting room is lovely and spacious.  The restaurant is dowdy and cramped in comparison.  Time for the atmosphere to come up to par with the food and wine!  And some more interesting flower arrangements are in order too.  In the midst of spring, carnations and mums don't do justice to a well laid table. Â
  I liked the service very much.  I sort of longed for a copy of the menu to review as we ate and drank.  Since there were five of us ordering, it was hard to remember exactly what we were getting (especially the specifics of the wines) as we dissected our meals. To be fair, we didn't leave many gaps in our conversation for the servers to be very informative.
  We will be glad to return.
I almost didn't go here because of the mixed reviews on Yelp. This is one of those times when I'm glad I went and made my own impressions, because this was one of the best meals I've ever had.
The setting is quiet and intimate. The decor is charming and perfectly appropriate given the proximity to the ruins and the nearby 1804 Inn. Service was skilful and friendly.
The entire meal lasted about 2.5 hours, so be prepared to relax and enjoy a four-course service. In case you're wondering, as we were, about the dress code, here it is: Jacket and tie are optional and not required. My husband wore dress pants and a button-down shirt, and I wore dress pants and a sweater. We were a-ok.
The food was good all around. A couple of highlights were the ricotta-fruit filling in my ravioli and the cheese plate my husband ordered for dessert. He also got something that came with caramelized onions in a wine sauce, and those were awesome. There were a lot of nice touches throughout, as well, such as a complimentary serving of Brut, a delicious red-pepper-soup amuse, and some complimentary cookies at the end of the meal.
One piece of advice: If you opt for the wine pairing, which results in 4 total glasses of wine per person, don't immediately beforehand go to a tasting at Barboursville, where you'll sample about 15 different wines. Unless, of course, you want to get completely sloshed. If that's your goal, this will certainly accomplish that.
Setting - dated 80's floral print. Â I fell like the space and architecture were in fact detracted from by the poor decorating choices.
Food - Mixed reviews. Â A chef's compliment curried cauliflower soup was served as a 'pre-appetizer' in a small bowl, but not with an appropriately sized spoon, forcing one to reach for the dessert spoon. Â I would have preferred it served as an amuse bouche in a little shot glass, but the soup was tasty. Â I had the goat cheese stuffed peppers, which seemed far too sweet to be an appetizer, but were tasty nonetheless. Â My husband had the tartare, which was very good, but seemed to come in an excessive portion to be served as an appetizer for one person (would have made sense if it was intended for sharing). Â For the pasta course, I had the squid ink risotto, which was very good, as was the braised baby octopus on top. Â However, my husband's gnocchi seemed very bland, as though salt or spice had been completely forgotten. Â The apple-walnut salad and brown butter sauce on top were better than the actual pasta.
For mains, I had the lamb loin, which was good, and prepared well. Â The hash under it was over salted, and maybe a bit overcooked, but good in concept. Â Husband had the veal cheeks, which again were perfectly cooked. Â The accompanying polenta was also oversalted. Â Theme - meats cooked appropriately, oversalted sides.
There was an intermezzo of mango sorbet - too sweet to really serve as a palate cleanser. Â I would have preferred something lighter, like a lightly sweetened basil sorbet. Â But if it were served as dessert, that mango sorbet would be a winner. Â We elected to stagger dessert courses. Â One of us ordered a cheese plate to serve as a 4th course, and one of us ordered a dessert to share. Â Cheese selection was varied and tasty, as were the accompanying jams and compotes. Â However, I would have liked more honey to serve with the cheeses. Â We split the chocolate orange layer cake - I liked it quite a bit, but hubby was underwhelmed. Â Definitely an assertive orange flavor.
The wines weren't actually paired by dish, just by course, which I found a little off-putting. Â If I'm ordering a tasting menu with pairings, I would like a bit more attention to detail. Â Automatically assuming that the chardonnay will go with the pasta course seems silly to me - it really wasn't a great choice for some of the dishes. Â However, the 2008 Petit Verdot with both the red meat entrees worked out nicely. Â Note that these are not 2 ounce tasting pours, but full glasses (5 with the tasting menu - Brut, rose, chardonnay, 2008 petit verdot, dessert wine). Â If you're driving, keep that in mind.
The only other thing that bothered me was that I requested a 7:00 pm reservation, and was told that only 6:30 or 8:00 seatings were available. Â We arrived at 6:35 for our 6:30 seating, and it was nearly deserted - only one other couple. Â That just seemed odd...I guess everyone wanted a 7:00 seating, but there were still open tables at that time. Â I was happy to have a multi-course meal close to the inn, and it was nice to linger over dinner and then head back to the 1804 inn on the same property. Â But the previous reviews seem a bit too effusive relative to our experiences there. Â Good, not great. Â I would go back for lunch, maybe not the full dinner in the future. Â The biggest benefit is that after 5 glasses of wine included with the tasting menu, you only have to go 500 feet back to the Inn.
I had heard horror stories from fellow UVA alumni that decided to eat their graduation dinner in Charlottesville, so I knew to stay away! Â Little did I know I had picked a wonderful, special place to enjoy friends, family, great food, and delectable wine! Â A good half hour drive out of Charlottesville, Palladio Restaurant was in the perfect, bucolic setting. Â The sun was shining, I was happy to be graduating, it was a beautiful day in early May.
The antipasto misto, followed by gnocchi and second course were all balanced flavors, and the paired wines matched the courses. Â I finished with tiramisu and a cappucino. Â I will never forget that night. Â The service was impeccable, at the restaurant and when I called for reservations a year before the date to ensure we had a seating. Â Even when I called to increase my part from 4 to 5 people, they assured me that this could be accomodated with no problem. Â I'd love to go back someday!
I knew this place had a renowned chef (James Beard Nominee 2010 - i believe) so when the opportunity to have a special birthday lunch celebration here came up, I jumped. Â
We opted for the four courses with wine pairings. Â As noted previously, this does take some time. Â We sat at 1pm, i think we got up about 3:30pm or 4pm. Also noted, this is a small space, so if your table neighbors are loud (our neighboring 6 top seemed to be at the very least mostly drunk) you may find some dissatisfaction. Â Important to focus on the wine and the food and tune in to the conversation at your table. The service was friendly and professional. Â A very extravagant lunch indeed, but perfect for the occasion. Â
Not sure you can go wrong with anything on the menu here, and the wine is paired well for each selection you make. Â Admittedly though, by the time dessert comes around, you'll probably be ready to get up and stretch, if you haven't already.
Choose a special occasion and make the trip. With Ruins to see (oh yes - ruins of a T Jefferson designed mansion) and the tasting room, make it a day in Barboursville.
My husband and I had heard about this restaurant from friends in the area so we went for dinner when we did a wine weekend in VA. The restaurant is beautiful and the winery will do a tasting for you prior to your dinner reservation if you have one of the earlier reservations (our reservations were at 6:30). This was very nice and they brought the bottles we purchased in to us in the restaurant and added them to our bill.
However in the restaurant itself we were not as impressed. Our service started off slow and got worse. We didn't place our order until we had been there more than 30 mins. Our dinner took more than 3 hours. Don't get me wrong if we are spending this much on a meal we want it to take some time. We want to savor every minute, but an hour between courses is too long!
Amazingly enough they sat a 2 year old in the dining room at 8pm. I have kids. I love kids. But kids have no place in this type of restaurant. Period. He cried. He spilled his milk. His father spilled his wine. They finally removed the family and had them eat 'somewhere more appropriate' (i have no idea where that would be - that was the explanation they told to each table). However the entire dining room was aware of the situation (this is not a large restaurant). They should not have allowed them to sit in the first place.
The food was wonderful. All of our dishes were delicious. On food alone I would give this place 5 stars - however considering the entire experience I can only give 3 stars.
This emperor has no clothes.  Pompous, pretentious and overpriced. When we arrived at the gorgeous setting we knew we were in for a treat. The nice dining room also set high expectations.  What a mistake.  Food quality and especially service do not come close to matching the price. I got the boar ravioli.  5 small raviolis with stringy meat in something like  swansons beef broth. We ordered the charcuterie platter.  Not a bad appetizer with 3 small samples of food.  But that's not a platter, it's a tasting.  I love small plate dining, so they don't need to pretend that this is a platter.  And if the server just drops it off indifferently with no description, then it's even worse. If you can afford to eat here then you are probably foodie enough to see that this place is a farce.
The service was another fail. Â The server didn't bother to explain anything about the menu. Â For example, the salad with the missing salad dressing, costs the same as the duck breast. Â There was no explanation of the prix fixe format. Â The charcuterie looked beautiful, and it would have been nice to know what we were eating. For the price, we deserved that. Â The salad had nice greens, but if it just gets dropped off grudgingly, then I would rather eat at home.
I was so mad about how bad this was that I called back. Â For the high price it would have been nice to hear "Please come back and let us try to do better." Â The response was an indifferent "I'm sorry this wasn't explained to you." Like I am too stupid to appreciate nice food or prix fixe menus.
My husband and I stopped here and decided to have lunch instead of doing the wine tasting (make sure you see the ruins on the property of the house Jefferson designed for Governor Barbour!). We had heard from other people in Charlottesville that the restaurant was not to be missed. While it was the most expensive lunch I have had ($156 with tip), the courses were exquisitely done and the wine pairings were delicious. My husband had the wild boar raviolini and the blood orange duck breast, while I had the squid ink pasta and calamari and the almond crusted rockfish with a lemon sauce.
The butter sauce with leeks and pepper flakes with the squid ink pasta was amazing and the calamari was perfectly done. The duck breast was very succulent but the rockfish was somewhat overcooked (the lemon sauce was quite good though). Lastly, my husband had the apple cider gelato with apple cashew beignets which melted in your mouth. I was disappointed with my hazelnut and apricot torte which was fairly dry.
While the food is not quite five star, the wine pairings improved the meal. The Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay Reserve, and the Octagon (Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot) were all so good we bought a bottle of each. The Phileo (Muscato and Gewurtraminer blend) went well with dessert.
I would definitely return here but probably only for another special occasion. Our server was quite friendly so no problems there, but you do need to allow some time for the multiple courses. We made sure to visit James Madison's newly renovated home, Montpelier, after lunch because it is only 8 miles away from Barboursville.
The longer I live in the DC area the more I resolve to make the best of it and find interesting things to do in the area. Â I will also admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to wine - as a Californian and reasonably-traveled wine tourist. Â So for many years I have resisted the call of the Old Dominion wineries until this fall.
While my general view of VA wineries has not changed, I did have a wonderful time at Palladio, which is a delightful upscale restaurant at the Barboursville Winery. Â I have since been back for a second visit and therefore feel it is reasonable to write a limited review.
First of all this place is quite cozy, although it does sound like they may offer outdoor seating in warmer weather. Â So if you plan lunch or dinner at the end of a long drive, I would recommend you make reservations. Â For the second visit the day after Thanksgiving, I used the restaurant's email reservation system without problem.
The menu is a prix fixe with the price determined by the number of ordered courses. Â There are wine pairings available with each course. Â The general theme seems to be northern Italian with very seasonal ingredients. Â Presentation is to the formal side. Â
As a general comment, the members of my party all raved about their meals - on both visits. Â We had the wine pairings, which were all very well done. Â The service was also excellent.
The setting is also quite beautiful and one lunch was accompanied by the sights of the harvest season. Â Not a bad way to spend a Saturday. Â Recommended.
My 5 girlfriends and I came here today for a special celebration lunch.
Most of the food was wonderful and the wine pairings surprisingly good. BUT three of us had the grilled seitan vegetarian dish and we were literally S-A-W-I-N-G at the seitan with steak knives. It was virtually inedible---for a restaurant of this caliber, they should at least TEST the food before they send it out. Yuck.
The last issue we had was a second male server literally threw our check over my shoulder, down onto the table, with no thanks, no have a good day, NOTHING. I spoke with the manager & he said he thought it was probably a misunderstanding, but all 6 of us saw it. It happened and it was extremely rude.
Overall the 3 out of 4 courses were awesome & 3 out of 4 wines were very drinkable. Palladio makes themselves out to be this fabulous restaurant, but with one dish being inedible and that the manager (who is also the sommelier) not believing me about the server tossing our check over my shoulder is just wrong, unacceptable, and as a result, none of us will be going back, nor will be recommend the restaurant to friends, family, or others.
As a transplanted Californian, Palladio represents everything I miss about the dining scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Seasonal ingredients used to create memorable food with influences from a particular culture, in this case Italy.
We were there with friends for lunch with friends and has a three course meal with wine pairings. Everything that touched our lips was divine! Their eggplant "fillet mignon" was revelatory; you will never look at eggplant the same way again! Their interpretation of crab cakes were delicious, too. The meat lover declared the skirt steak "very good" and I really loved the chicken roulade.
Service was friendly and efficient and the dining room vaguely Italian. WE enjoyed wandering the ground, seeing the ruins of Governor Barbour's Palladian villa (designed by Jefferson). As we travel the South on vacation, Palladio hits the mark for others to meet.
Saturday was the second epic snow storm of the winter, but it didn't stop the PIC and I from enjoying lunch here. Â And the storm also didn't stop them from serving us, and serving us well. Â While the menu may have been more limited (only 2-3 choices per course, versus the normal 5-6), the service and quality of the food was not lacking at all.
We got the full four courses, and wine pairings to go with each. Â For dessert I went for the cheese option and wasn't disappointed. Â There was a choice of 10 cheeses, and you got to pick 5 of them. Â It was certainly the best tasting and looking cheese plate I have ever had. Â The jam, honeys, and toasts that came with them left me more than happy.
Certainly worth the drive from DC and the splurge. Â (Though I think 4 courses with wine pairs for 66 dollars is quite a deal). Â While it was beautiful in the snow, I would recommend waiting till spring and enjoying a day on the vinyard as well.
Fantastic (and expensive!) Lunch!
Let me warn you: Â They don't have a drive-through window! Â
This is for special occasions only, or for Charlottesville residents who are not paying off student loans. Â
The food is wonderfully prepared, creative, tasty, and presented elegantly. Â
Lunch is based on the number of "courses" you want, each course carrying the appropriate Italian name. Â
Lunch for us (2 diners) was US$129.71 before tip. Â I did leave a very good tip because the service was outstanding. Â
Four wait-persons assisted us at different times. Â All were courteous and efficient. Â
Reservations should be made for lunch. Â Reservations are required for dinner. Â
I highly recommend this restaurant, but (1) do not take the kids and (2) be prepared to take your time and enjoy each course and each wine.
We arrived at 12:30 for brunch for my mom's birthday and left at almost at 4:00. Some people may think this is a leisurely Italian meal, but it really was a mediocre meal with terrible service. When there's almost an hour between courses, something is wrong. In addition, even though the host was asked about children when the reservation, it was obvious that small children were not welcome. At one point, the waitress actually reprimanded the children who were playing quietly. Not worth the 2 hour drive. One star for the restaurant, and one more for the beautiful setting.
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