Of all the restaurants near Monticello, Michie Tavern and it’s historic Southern fare is closest.
When you visit Monticello, you’re in for a treat. History, archaeology, gardens, and more offer new and exciting discoveries each time you visit. These restaurants near Monticello provide some of the most delicious fare in Charlottesville, all within close range of this spectacular site. Whether you want a casual cafe, a Spanish tapas restaurant, or a fine dining experience, there’s something for you!
The Café at Monticello
If you find yourself at Monticello during meal or snack time, never fear. The Café at Monticello, in the Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center, courtyard level, is a comfortable, convenient place to enjoy lunch, a snack or a beverage.
You’ll find a menu of sandwiches, salads, pastries, kid-friendly options, and hot and cold drinks. But of course, this is no ordinary café. At various times throughout the year, the menu features seasonal items made with produce grown in Jefferson’s restored vegetable garden.
The Café is open daily year-round, with indoor seating for 24 and outdoor seating for 70 on the Café Terrace and Woodland Terrace, where you can sit on a wooden deck and take in magnificent views of the surrounding forest.
Michie Tavern
This is certainly the closest of restaurants near Monticello: Michie Tavern is just ½ mile away. And has been…for more than 200 years!
Today, a meal at Michie Tavern is a true multifaceted historic experience. You’ll be introduced to an 18th-century tavern by servers in period attire. The menu consists of Southern Midday Fare. The restaurant has a rustic setting with a buffet of southern fried chicken, marinated baked chicken, hickory-smoked pork barbecue, stewed tomatoes, black-eyed peas, buttermilk biscuits and so much more.
While at Michie Tavern, you can take a self-guided tour of the oldest section, full of insights into the 18th-century traveler’s revelry and woes. You can also enjoy four shops: The Tavern Gift Shop, The Metal Smith Shop, The Armory & Artifacts Shop and The General Store.
Mas Tapas
Mas is Chef Tomas Rahal’s answer to corporate fast-food in Charlottesville. His philosophy is centered on slow, organic, artisanal food and wines. This casual neighborhood restaurant is close to Monticello, though decidedly not a historically themed one. Whereas the first two restaurants near Monticello we featured tap into the region’s past, Mas is about the region’s future.
The Mas menu features traditional fare of Spanish tapas, a bite-sized dish eaten between larger meals. This style menu combines traditional foods with locally produced organic foods and farm products including veggies, meats, honeys, grains, herbs and plants.
Bonus: MAS is a participant in the Charlottesville/Blue Ridge Locavore community, and a charter member of the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Farm Fresh to Table program
The Local
The Local celebrates Charlottesville with an intensity unlike any other of the restaurants near Monticello, and that’s really saying something. Since 2008, The Local has brought together local diners (including UVa students and staff, and visitors to C-ville) with local craftspeople and growers. In fact, The Local’s gorgeous interior highlights local artists and stain glass works.
You can even enjoy an exhibit of photography that features the many extraordinary agricultural and artisanal mastery of the wonderful people who provide the food and drink you’ll taste there.
Tavola
Located in the Belmont district, this intimate, lively neighborhood restaurant called Tavola features rustic Italian dining. This truly is a small neighborhood restaurant—well worth the wait, but they don’t take reservations, so be forewarned!
Beer Run
The family owned and operated Beer Run is located on the edge of the Belmont and Woolen Mills neighborhoods. Beer Run is a craft beer bottle and wine shop, restaurant, and bar all wrapped up in one. It is kid friendly, pet-friendly, and an overall great neighborhood hangout. The food menu is carefully planned to maximize seasonal, locally sourced and organic ingredients.
The Restaurant at Prospect Hill
Last, but certainly not least, is our own on-site restaurant, which serves up some of the best food near Monticello and Charlottesville thanks to our focus on using the best fresh, local ingredients available! Sit back in our candlelit, 175-year-old dining room and enjoy an incredible gourmet meal from our expert chef. And when you’re finished eating, you can head straight to your room at our bed and breakfast without having to drive anywhere!
Sit back in our candlelit, 175-year-old dining room and enjoy an incredible gourmet meal from our expert chef. And when you’re finished eating, you can head straight to your room at our bed and breakfast without having to drive anywhere!
We certainly hope you’ll choose Prospect Hill for your next Charlottesville trip, and we’re confident you’ll enjoy our restaurant, too!
Don’t forget to download our free area vacation guide to help plan your stay, then book your historic room!