1799 at The Clifton

This place is stunning and the chef is a mastermind. We celebrated our anniversary here and they treat you son kindly with a lot of special touches (if you let them know it’s a celebration when you make a reservation). The food was so flavorful. Even the bread was amazing. We got the lobster beignets, which I think was even better than the entree. The only thing we didn’t like was the Crème Fraiche on top of the chocolate cake, which was quite sour, even for regular Crème Fraiche. But, we would 100% recommend this as one of the best restaurants in the region.

20/10 Get reservations asap. The food and service were absolutely amazing. The Chef provided small hors d'oeuvres throughout and they were incredible. The chicken and fish were cooked to absolute perfection. The waiters were great super friendly. The atmosphere and location are absolutely stunning. Great date location.

Wonderful food! We had the trout and prime rib, and they treated us to a small appetizer and basket of bread and crackers! Everything was delicious and timely. It was our anniversary so they brought out Champaign as well! We were not rushed and it was a calm and quiet atmosphere. Loved sitting in the library room.

Our 14 person group each agrees that the experience at The 1799 Restaurant at the Clifton Inn was 10/10. We recommend for events, celebrations, &/or for a delicious quality meal!

The 1799 Restaurant at the Clifton Inn was an absolutely luxurious, peaceful, picturesque and historical setting paired with delightfully tasting, classy dishes. The Chef, Sous chef’s, management, and waiting staff treated our large group reservation as though we were family. They accommodated our needs from young children to older adults. We were surprised by multiple “complements of the chef,” exposing us to treats never before experienced. A great place to dine!

Food was incredible and delicious. Nothing we ordered seemed overly complicated, just fresh ingredients and expertly prepared. Portions were perfect and there were many menu options to choose from. The waiters were very attentative and took excellent care of us. They really make you feel special while your dining.

Mom and I went to The 1799 for Chef Matthew’s special Easter curated 3-course meal. Mom described it as simply “wonderful”. I’ve found myself considering it a great example of how enjoyable “casual elegance” can be. From the moment you arrive at The Clifton, you find that their ability to achieve that perfect balance between “sophistication” and “relaxation” is at the heart of the venue’s charm. It's about finery being presented in a genuinely warm, friendly, inviting way. It's like being greeted after a long journey, shown to a cozy library where you can relax and warm yourself by the fire, while being excitedly told "Wait until you see what we have prepared for you today! We really hope you'll like it!" Everybody that we interacted with were very warm and enthusiastic. Cue the “Be Our Guest!” music.

Having, on a prior work-related occasion, witnessed how exceptional even the lowly "burger and fries" produced in Chef Matthew's kitchen are, the one thing I had learned was “to relax … and to trust”. I was not aware of what the menu options would be at the time I made our reservations, but I was already excited about whatever it might be because of that innate trust and, being a holiday meal, I knew everything would be even more special than usual. That whatever was presented before us, we were not going to be disappointed.

Not only was everything that Mom and I ordered amazing, but it also disproved the notion that "fine dining" means you must leave the table hungry afterwards. While I would certainly love to have any of the choices again on another occasion, so it left me wanting more in that sense, it was obvious even by the time we officially got to the first course that nobody was leaving that table anything but happily full. There is a very logical nature to the menu options in each category. Mom ordered the oysters on-a-half-shell and shrimp with grits courses and the portion sizes were perfectly suited for her. I ordered the smoked salmon waffles and leg of lamb courses and the portion sizes were perfectly suited for me. Both of us got exactly what we wanted and got exactly as much food overall as we wanted. The fact this was so easy to achieve is yet another demonstration of Chef Matthew's expertise in achieving a wonderfully balanced experience for a variety of people and appetites.

The same could be said about the staff's demonstration of time management. While time management may not be an exciting trait to be complimented on, we considered it another key aspect of the relaxing nature of the overall experience. The reservation instructions clearly stated to be early at least 10 minutes beforehand and that a 2-person seating would be allocated a 90-minute duration (4-person would be 120-minutes). Perfectly reasonable on both fronts. But what was truly remarkable was that, there was never a sense of time being constrained or limited. Mom and I could just casually talk, and the selections were brought out at a nice, relaxed but also very natural pace. Dessert arrived an hour after we were first seated and, once we had left the building and I checked on the time, we had to laugh how it was exactly when that 90-minutes was up. Things were impeccably timed without us ever having to worry about the time ourselves. A very impressive feat all by itself.

Overall, the entire visit was a wonderful experience, and I could not have imagined any other venue having achieved "casual elegance" so perfectly. Nor anybody else but Chef Matthew and his staff being able to show how wonderful smoked salmon and waffles can be. Weeks later I'm still marveling at such a creation and look forward to whenever I might be able to have some more.

This is one of the nicest places I have even dined at. The people and the atmosphere are what made our evening 'The Best'. Let's not forget that the food was very well portioned, a great variety, and delicious! We took a stroll around the grounds after dinner, and enjoyed the crisp evening air. We just didn't want to leave. Thank you for a lovely experience!! :):)

Everything about this experience was phenomenal. Our server and bartender Chris was knowledgeable and attentive, the food was spectacular, the drinks and wine were perfect, the ambiance of the place is so relaxing and old fashioned yet perfectly modernized, you can tell a lot of thought went into making it a really pleasant experience, and the price was lower than I expected. I cannot wait to come back.

Just about everything was fantastic - some feedback to chef about steak au poivre. It was too heavily coated so that the steak flavor did not come through. Your bread and pastries are fantastic, all other entries and salads were wonderful as was our server.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to The Clifton Inn. We drove there for brunch on Easter Sunday, and, it was gracious and delicious eating. We live in Charlottesville, off of Ivy Road. That said, for our next visit, we plan to stay overnight — a lovely get-away for a day and evening together.

We arrived in Charlottesville late after a difficult journey & were so lucky to get a reservation to dine that evening at the 1799. The food & wine were extraordinary & the service so friendly, we were revived for the rest of our visit.

This hotel and restaurant is so peaceful and beautiful. The food was excellent and the server was very attentive. We sat outdoors on the beautiful porch and we loved the atmosphere. They made my birthday dinner so special and fun. Would absolutely recommend the steak au poivre and the pancetta wrapped trout. Both were so good with great side dishes and perfect portions. I’ve recommended not only staying at the inn, but dining at the restaurant while there to lots of my family and friends. Thanks !

Excellent food and experience. Service was a bit slow but they were swamped with pre-Christmas diners(like ourselves). They comped champagne and desert which made the world perfect. Our server was excellent.

Excellent ambiance, SERVICE, food. What more could you ask for when your trying to impress someone for a 6 month anniversary. I had the Panchetta wrapped trout (I'm from Richmond so I'm used to big portions, but 1799 had the perfect size portions - not too small, not too big) with the broiled potatoes...she had the Samon and loved every bite. The wine selection was on point for Pinot Nior, and service was the best. I will be going back for my 1-year and hopefully many more after that.

My wife surprised me with not only my birthday dinner but also my retirement. The ambience of the restaurant was perfect - intimate and cozy. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable.

As always, we very much enjoyed the evening at 1799. Thank you Chef Matthew, Maggie, Patti and her team. Great dining experience, thoughtful menu, attentive service.

From beginning to end, this was a delightful experience. The dining room is warm, intimate, and adult. I would not recommend a dinner with young children or large groups. But for a couple or two, perfection. The service is attentive and knowledgeable. The food is exceptional. We loved every minute and every bite! Thank you for a lovely evening.

What to say about this place, great experience for dining solo, group, date and other engagement. You will be greeted and will be escorted to your table, efficient service and food heavenly made with care and serve warm off oven and with explanation of the dish. I recommend if you are visiting, staying at Clifton, or just dropping by after work or weekends brunch

This restaurant was most delightful, watching the sunset was wonderful and having the fireplace was magical. The food was delicious. I will definitely be back.

Really enjoyed dining in the library! Food was fabulous and our server Sophie was wonderful. Definitely will be coming back!!