The Alley Light

We were in town for just a night and this place was recommended to us and we had a little trouble finding it but a quick phone call to the restaurant got us there. It was actually part of the fun. The food and service and cocktails here were absolutely wonderful. We were super hungry and ordered a bunch of small plates and the best for us were the scallops, the tenderloin, the goat cheese/endive salad and the chocolate giant macaron dessert. They make their own Limoncello in house which was delicious, and my Barbie cocktail was perfectly crafted.

Truly a gem in Charlottesville. You instantly feel like a cool kid when you walk in. Soft lighting and hip tunes this place is intimate and inviting. The owner Chris warmly welcomes every guest while his wife Robin whips up stunning and delicious food in the kitchen. The cocktails are inspired and beautifully crafted by some of the best bartenders in town. Anytime I have guests in town a cocktail at The Alley Light is a must!

Tucked away in Charlottesville, The Alley Light is a true hidden treasure—emphasis on hidden! On a cold evening, we were greeted with a fire in the fireplace, setting the perfect tone for the night. Opting for our favorite spot at the bar, we were welcomed by skilled and personable mixologists who introduced us to an inventive and thoughtfully curated cocktail menu. This French-inspired restaurant with a speakeasy charm has a diverse menu with offerings ranging from vegetarian and seafood to beef, venison, and duck. Choosing dishes proved to be a delightful challenge. We ultimately chose Marinated Anchovies with Fennel & Oranges, a comforting French Onion Soup, the creamy Butternut Risotto, and perfectly seared Scallops with Blood Orange Brown Butter. If in Charlottesville, make a reservation for this intimate dining spot and enjoy The Alley Light- that is if you can find it!

The Alley Light has been an absolute delight each time I have dined there. The atmosphere is dimly lit with light music in a smaller room giving off the feeling of having a private space. The bartenders are phenomenal and the dealer’s choice drinks are always perfectly on the nose without being overly expensive. The food is also amazing and comes out fairly quickly even while they were busy. The waiters are attentive and personable. All around highly recommend!!

This restaurant is interestingly hidden in an alley. Maybe it's obscure for a reason and prides itself in the look of an alley light without any signage. The host called us and wondered if we were lost finding this restaurant. He told us he would go looking for us which was an impressive gesture one that we have not encountered with any restaurant. It was a nice touch. We came on a graduation weekend for a UVA so the price was a fixed price menu. We had the Short rib ravioli's pasta tasted undercooked but could just be the way the pasta was made. It was not soft and tender although the inside short rib was tasty. The scallops were deliciously seared with interesting flavors. We all had the beef tenderloin which was delicious in flavor seared perfectly and served with mash potatoes and greens. The duck confit was pretty decent. The cod with asparagus was tasty only if the sauce was drizzled on it. The cod itself could have benefited from a little bit more flavoring or more of the sauce on it would make it tastier. Dessert was a chocolate mousse which was rich in flavor. Cocktails here are perfectly crafted. We got the margarita and it was very good.

5 stars just doesn't do it justice. The Alley Light is the Greatest dining experience I've ever had. Took my girlfriend for a birthday dinner, atmosphere, food, service and drinks were exceptional. The food and drinks were perfect! Delicious balanced and fresh. Our server, Anna, was kind, attentive and knowledgeable. She made us feel like VIP's. The atmosphere is so vintage and cozy, I never wanted to leave. I am a cocktail aficionado and these were perfection. Prices weren't cheap to be sure, but worth every penny and totally fair for the quality of everything. I literally cannot say anything negative about my experience there. Bravo team!

We had a parents night out here on a Saturday night and it was such a lovely time. We’d planned on two rounds but just had to stay for a third because they were so good. We put our fate in the bartenders hands choosing the dealers choice and we were not disappointed, in fact that was our favorite round of the evening. The cheese plate was also great, full of delicious cheeses you’d likely not just pick out on your own.

The Alley Light is an experience like no other in Charlottesville. The food is amazing! The atmosphere is intimate and comfortable and the cocktails are worth the trip by themselves. The Alley Light should be at the top of the list for locals and visitors!

The Alley Light popped up on our radar while searching for speakeasy's on our short trip to Charlottesville. We visited the place at around 8:30 on a Saturday and the place was swamped. We got a standing table in 5 mins but since we had to wait 30 mins for a place at the bar. Even though they note down your information for a waitlist on a piece of roughed up paper, their waitlist system was pretty efficient. The drinks selection isn't vast but well curated. They also had a decent selection of mocktails (which isn't usually the case). We ordered the Grapefruit and Guava soda and the 1890 Absinthe Martini. Both hit the spots. The servers were nice and overall the vibe was chill.

Huge fans we are now! You actually have to work to find this place. What a hidden gem. The place has charm. Staff are amazing. Make reservations and do not request to sit by the window. Those two tables sit very low to the floor. Not good for this old man. We tried a variety of items. All were good. Service, staff, and the overall experience were excellent and we shall return. Keep up the great work you folks are doing.

A little tricky to find this place, but you literally go into the alley and it's the place with the light on top. Up a stairwell and voila! It's a great date night spot, pretty spacious and doesn't feel cramped. Nice ambiance. We ordered the beef marrow (comes with 4 escargot on top), beef tartare, salmon tartare (yes - we love tartare!), spiced broccolini (surprisingly good!) and the spicy honey glazed duck breast. My favorites were the tartares and the broccolini. The duck breast was just okay. Great customer service and friendly staff.

Awesome spot for a cocktail! Espresso martinis were Service at the bar was fantastic. We didn't sit in the main restaurant but it was beautiful and quaint with a speakeasy vibe to it. Can be romantic or a cool spot for friends. Need a reservation for dinner for sure!

2nd time here cool little place, drink service was excellent, tasted well also. The caviar was great flavors just small 3 little potato chips, French onion soup was lacking any flavor and it took forever to get some salt to add to it to add flavor actually waited so long was finished eating by the time they remembered the salt after asking 2x. It's place to stop for drinks for me don't think I'd eat dinner there.

Love Alley Light. Amazing cocktails, great menu.... Owners are friendly and I always meet interesting people at the bar. Ambience is also one of the reasons I love spending time here.

Charlottesville, who knew you had such amazing speakeasies! We got the chance to stop by Alley Light on a road trip through Cville and it was such an interesting treat. We went on a Monday and assumed it wouldn't be busy but they were fully booked for reservations so we decided to arrive right when they opened at 5 pm. It's really hard to find but that makes it all the more fun - it's tucked away in an alley with no signage just an old wooden door. We walked in and went to the hostess who mentioned they were fully booked but offered us a table as long as we could get in and out in 1.5 hours - no problem at all and we were super grateful to get the chance to try it! We sat at the bar which had a paired down food menu with all of their delicious cocktails. It was cozy, dimly lit and the ambiance was spot on for what you'd want in a speakeasy. We split the tartare, pork terrine, and artichokes au gratin and two of their cocktail specials. Everything was fatty, creamy, and decadent - great for a cold winter day! Already planning my trip back but this time I'll make reservations!

Just went for celebratory drinks with friends and loved the atmosphere, very classy! The drinks aren't ridiculously overpriced but definitely not the cheapest around, about 12-17$ per cocktail. Also they have an option to describe your tastes and the bartender can make you a mystery cocktail!

We got lost looking for this place but luckily my friend had given me a hint saying that while there is no restaurant name it was literally the door below the "alleylight" in an alley. haha Great place to go on date. My date asked me to dressed up in a suit jacket and dress shoes. While this is not a requirement (most ppl came in with a t shirt, polo or casual button up), I would say this is one of the more upscale locales in Charlottesville. We got the seafood plate, the special risotto, calamari, and two desserts. Service was excellent when they spilled the dessert on my date they offered to pay the dry cleaning and even took it off the bill for us. Pretty cheap for an "upscale" date and hopefully I get the chance to come again!

We stopped in here while passing through Charlottesville and really enjoyed it. Cocktails were great; solid wine list; and fantastic French menu with lots of specials

Focused menu of creative and and flavor-full small plates for one or for sharing. Classy and comfortable environment with great cocktails and excellent service. I'm definitely going back :-)

Great spot. Make a reservation for sure and order a dealer's choice cocktail. Everything is delicious but the tartare was to die for.

This place was awesome! Very high quality food. The waitress we had was super helpful, patient as we navigated the menu, and friendly. We were passing through Charlottesville but if in area again will make a point of dining here. Contrary to other reviews, it was not hard to find, once you know to look down the alley and, guess what, there's a big lantern light above the door! Found it first time around.

Wonderful food and atmosphere! We arrived during time but wait wasn't ridiculous amount of time. Definitely will go again

I'm not a huge fan of French food, so I ate before I came. But, the gentleman that sat beside me had ordered a small charcuterie board that looked so good that I vowed to visit again to try it. I sat at the bar, and service was quick and efficient. My cocktails were delicious, well balanced, all that jazz. And, the people watching was kinda on-point. Granted, at the bar my back was facing most of the diners, most of the time. Still, the lighting was such that it was nothing for me to simply spin around and stare across the room. I'm definitely going back. Just a matter of when, and if I'll have company. ;)

Love the food- Love the set up Love the service- I think it was supposed to be a bar originally but when they hired this great chef and have now had a series of great chefs-the concept expanded. The menu, the chefs and the food has changed overtime but always spectacular

Alley Light is the MOST AMAZING restaurant. The cocktails are out of this world. I usually get a dealers choice and they are always so creative and tasty. The food is fantastic!! Robin is a genius in the kitchen and Chris picks the perfect wine pairings. We have celebrated many occasions here as well as regular weekday meals. The staff are attentive and warm. We recommend to all our friends and out of town guests!! Thanks, Alley Light!!

Cute spot with decent service. My husband loved the seafood platter. Overall, okay for me but I had high expectations!

What a fun place! Our food was perfection. The vegetable board is so big and everything so tasty we could have stopped there and been happy, but nope we had to try the scallops and a gratin too. Everything was great quality, seemingly simple but so properly prepared and delicious, like in France. The atmosphere is very speakeasy fun, a trend now and a good one! The only rough part of the meal was the too too American bartender woman. The other two, dark bobbed hair woman and the man, were more french: elegant and attentive instead of overbearing and brash. The purely American woman was so loud and so look-at-me she kind of spoiled the feel at the bar. Maybe sit at a table instead of the bar so you don't have to hear her deafening, obnoxious communications.

Fun place, hard to find (lol) and great food. Great place for a special occasion! Very creative menu.

First time to C-Ville, and this place is worthy of another visit! The main entrance is a lot of fun, the side wine room is cool, yet this review is solely about the mixologists. What makes for a fabulous craft cocktail bar? In my opinion, it starts with a sizeable investment in assorted liquors, liqueurs, mixes, fruit, and barware. Once you have the bar set up, next is hiring the right staff. The mixologists created a fabulous experience! Witty, engaging, and funny, yet their superpower is their creativity. We deferred to the bartender on each of our multiple drink orders. The drinks were incredible and the service, conversation, and experience was absolutely noteworthy.

Great informal atmosphere, lots of small plates of good food. The menu is posted on a blackboard in the dining room though it doesn't seem to change all that much.

The food was served fast and hot. We were surprised to see that most of the menu items were Tapas style and were recommended by the waiter, unless we waited 45 minutes for full entrees. Great advice since our choices were probably the tastiest dishes we have ever experienced. The restaurant is very dimly lit, and romantic. However, it is on the second floor requiring climbing stairs but is worth it. I cannot wait to go back and will bring friends with us next time.

We have a $200 gift certificate to our daughter for Christmas. When they went there for dinner they presented it toward payment only to learn that it only covered food and did not apply to drinks. Who ever heard of something like that? Love the place but beware if you give a gift certificate.

Reward your neglected taste buds with sensory delight by visiting Alley Light. The watermelon/crab/tomato/prosciutto starter had such an infusion of refreshing flavors the brain just screams "yes, please more". The tuna carpaccio is so thin it looks like an intricately painted plate but each brushstroke has such intense delivery even the biggest curmudgeon will be won over. The beef tenderloin- so buttery soft and delicious a scientist would be tempted to do a DNA sample. The alchemy in all their dishes turned our night to gold. Highly recommend for special occasions or whenever you need inspiration. My wife and I have already booked our next visit.

My son took us for our anniversary to The Alley Light. The food was spectacular and the service was perfect. We plan on visiting the restaurant the next time we are in Charlottesville. Overall a great memory.

The best restaurant in Charlottesville hands down. The experience from start to finish is amazing-- the service is great and servers are knowledgeable, bartenders make delicious one of a kind drinks, and the food is better than anywhere else in the area. This is an NYC quality restaurant tucked away in Charlottesville. I highly recommend getting the carrots, salmon carpaccio, and radishes and having the bartender make you a drink based off of your preferences. The restaurant is small so make sure to make a reservation. It is an intimate space that is great for date night.

The most unbelievable dining experience I've had in charlottesville and probably beyond as well. We were seated in the wine room, which makes the exclusive restaurant feel even more special. Super romantic for a dinner date for two. Our server Dallas was fun, knowledgeable and engaging. We started with cocktails and then he helped us decide on wines to pair with dinner. We ordered four dishes for two and were stuffed. We ordered three of the weekly specials, and especially loved the escargot risotto and lamb carpaccio. I will be daydreaming about this restaurant for a long long time and cannot wait to return.

Came here on a first date. The food was great. And there's a nice casually elegant atmosphere in the restaurant. The dim lighting and candles inside were quite romantic. And the date went well too if you're wondering. From the consistently served dinner menu, I tried the Carrots and Bone Marrow. The carrots were cooked well and were plated in a nice yogurt and citrusy vinaigrette. It was a nice and refreshing vegetable order to compliment the other dishes that they serve. The Bone Marrow was amazing. Definitely the highlight of my meal. I don't think I've had a dish like it before, but the bone marrow and escargot tasted delicious together. I loved eating it with the bread that they served with the dish. I will have dreams about the Bone Marrow and escargot for a long time. From the weekly special menu, I tried the Spiced Broccolini with Lemon & Garlic and the Meyer Lemon Glazed Cod. The broccolini is nice and garlicky. I ordered it without thinking about what might happen after dinner. When the waitress took our order to the kitchen, I could imagine the forces looking over me screaming "give the boy a chance!". But we ended up eating the entire dish. And thankfully everything turned out fine after dinner and there was no hint of it at all. The Meyer Lemon Glazed Cod was good but not amazing. It was cooked well and tasted great in the truffle beurre blanc. The salsify was average. It didn't stand out to me in the dish, and I would have liked to see it cut a little smaller because the whole root pieces were large. Although everything here is a relatively smaller portion size, I felt that this dish was the only one that was overpriced considering the amount of fish given and the underwhelming salsify. It was not the best fish or cod dish I've ever tasted. And I've had better and more ambitious fish dishes for less. I wouldn't order this dish again considering the other amazing options here, but I'll cut it some slack considering it's a weekly special and it still tasted good. For dessert, we shared the Mr. Rech. The dessert is a large hazelnut macaron covered in hot chocolate sauce. It was a tasty, fun, and surprising cherry on top of a great meal. Overall, The Alley Light is a delicious and unique experience that is also a great spot for date night.

The host squeezed both my friend & I in for just a drink. The atmosphere of this restaurant is incredible and romantic. My only dislike is that there's only one restroom for ALL patrons to utilize.I would definitely come back for dinner to try the food.

Alley Light is a great spot for fine dining and fancy occasions. Their menu is filled with french cuisine and everything we ordered felt like a very fine meal. Some items were even prepared and served in beautiful ways- aka they were plated much nicer than a regular restaurant. I mostly love the ambience of this place with mirrors all around and dim lighting and the fact that you have to find the entrance! Super fun!

Excellent food and drink... inventive, and quite delicious. Excellent wait staff also! And a very, very cool setting. I love the leather chairs that many of the tables have.

Ah Alley Light, our go-to for a nice date night! I admit I almost rolled my eyes the first time here seeing that there was no sign for the restaurant but rather just an "alley light" but over time, I can say that it's kind of charming now. I love the immediate interior. The old menus that are framed around the staircase are so cute. I love all the small details that make it such a cozy and inviting atmosphere to spend time with family and friends. One of my favorite seats is the low armchairs by the window. As for the food, the scallops are my favorite thing on the menu. They are melt-in-your-mouth with excellent, excellent flavor. It's tapas style so we typically order 3-4 dishes. This might not be intentional, but the fact that the dishes take a long time to come out actually adds to the experience of dining there. (I'd like to think it's because the chefs are carefully putting together each dish). There's a lot of downtime just to chat with the people you're with. Plus, I feel like it gives you time to slowly savor each dish. I've had a good time every time I've dined here. I will definitely be back!

Super cool entrance and inside area. The cauliflower gratin was nice and cheesy but lacked any seasoning making it plain. The duck breast was dry but besides these two everything else was amazing! The seared scallops were delicious! Best scallops I've ever had and the sauce was top notch. The carrots were a nice little snack and the raspberry tart was a good ending desert. Everything was very shareable!

If you can find it get there! Best food I've ever had and the service was awesome! A friendly local suggested we go and another local helped us find it! Pricey but worth every penny!

Get the Lamb special if they have it!! Amazing food and the service was stellar for a romantic dinner

AMAZING COCKTAILS. Finally got to go here for Mother's Day. My husband had to make reservations a while in advance to actually get a table. We have since been back and getting seats at the bar isn't terribly hard to find. However, I do recommend checking in advance before coming to make sure it is not closed. Food: any of the boards are amazing. We have tried both the meats and seafood boards and both had very unique offerings. Additionally, the bone marrow is an absolute must. Apparently after you finish the "meat" of the dish, you can get a shot of whiskey to shoot it down the marrow! Cocktails: honestly, anything on the menu. The bartenders are amazing at whipping up something based on your preferences. If you are feeling especially ballsy, the Dealer's Choice is a fun pick. Atmosphere: very cozy and speakeasy-ey. Definitely a perfect place for a date night or a special occasion dinner, or really any time! I would say it is not a great place for young kids as it is quite quaint in size. Definitely a must visti!

Where to start. The entire night was incredibly disappointing. Although it might be cute not to have a sign outside to find this place, it was stressful when trying to be on time for our reservation. We booked this place weeks ago to celebrate a birthday. After reading so much about it we were all excited. We even spent the evening before writing down things we wanted to order. We sat on time, and ordered. We had 4 "share plates" arrive literally 2/3 minutes apart, there was no room on our table. We were told it is because they have a small kitchen and the order must leave the kitchen as soon as it's ready. Well I'm sorry NO, that's not ok, that means someone is not doing their job. We didn't need 4 plates in minutes. That meant all of our dishes arrive in Les than 18 minutes. The entire point was to be able to relax and enjoy. The marinated calamari had so much vinegar it as barely edible. We are guessing since it was very fishy, that was how they mask the fishy taste. There were exactly 5 pieces of calamari the size of a nickel in the entire order. The anchovy fennel special was a search and rescue to find ANY anchovies. This was far from the magical night we had hoped for. We left and went around the corner Franks Cafe and enjoyed a relaxed and lovely few day small dishes and dessert

TLDR: Cocktails were phenomenal. Food was a miss! We were really excited to try the Alley Light and dined on a Saturday night with reservations. Ordered a variety of plates -- portions are very small for the high prices. Had the goat cheese and fennel app (very good), salmon tartare (way over-salted and served with untoasted bread), marinated calamari (too much vinegar -- not enjoyable), pork belly (almost all fat was served, not rendered and mostly inedible), and french onion soup (good, but nothing wow-factor for a french restaurant, expected more!) For mains, I had the Halibut nd my partner had the mussels. The halibut was served in a tomato broth that was overly sweet, and the piece of fish had a giant bone in the middle (which I've never been served before -- thought it was odd?). The mussels were a big let down -- chorizo, nicoise olive, and orange was the flavor profile and it did not jive. Again, the broth was overly sweet and the mussels themselves were tiny. Not served with crostini or bread or anything to soak up the sauce either... We got a dessert to try and hoped it would be redeeming, because usually dessert is stellar at french restaurants. It was the raspberry pistachio tart -- so tiny, for $11, and the flavors didn't work. It sounded delicious, but it was underwhelming. Our server Connor was really great. We just wished the food was way better, especially after spending $200+ on this meal.

We were fortunate enough to snag a late reservation on a Saturday night- and the vibe and cocktails were amazing! Sadly, it went a bit off the rails when we ordered food. We first started with a watermelon and crab salad- a mix that may be best left to the idea room. Then we went to share a plate of mussels. Sadly, the broth lacked in all flavor / seasoning- we actually confirmed this by simply spooning straight broth to the palate and there was absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. Then we went to fry the scallops- I wish I had taken a picture - completely black and charred on one side with no sear on the other side - a clear failure to flip. We did bring the server over to inquire about it and she absolutely scoffed at our questioning of the scallops ! The entire mood turned a bit sour after that- our server seemed to really avoid us and kind of slammed the bill in our direction.

My previous review rated the ambiance and the cocktails. This review will focus on the food. We split the marinated mushrooms, marinated calimari, cauliflower gratin, tuna carpaccio, and duck rillette. The mushrooms, calimari, and cauliflower were all fairly bland. The tuna carpaccio had a nice flavor with a hint of spice and was served spread over a large plate. The duck rillette was quite sweet and also leaned a little on the bland side. Combining my reviews would give the Alley Light 4 and a half stars. I would highly recommend the Alley Light as a cozy space for pre-dinner cocktails and a light snack, but I would definitely not recommend the Alley Light for dinner itself.

The absolute best restaurant in Charlottesville. On par with any Michelin star in any part of the world. Cocktails? Insane. Food? Incredible. Service? Just the best. I have rarely loved an experience more. We will be back for sure.

My boyfriend and I ate here for an anniversary dinner. I remember thoroughly enjoying our cocktails. Great service from the moment we escorted to our table to when we left. I also appreciated that we got a little bubbly because of the special occasion! The food here is really superb. We got the pork rillette- I've never had this before but it exceeded my expectations. It was tasty and great to spread on crispy bread. I enjoyed the artichoke gratin. The melted cheese was so good. We ordered a seasonal dish, I believe it was the beet & pistachio risotto (which gave it the strong mahogany color). That was my boyfriend's favorite! The main though: Duck Breast & Seared Foie Gras Croustillant, Chanterelle Puree, Black Truffle. This was AMAZING. And so worth it. The duck meat was so tender and cooked so well. I definitely recommend this place for a night out. Great ambience for a date night and to enjoy a drink or two, and very well-cooked dishes. Add this to the list of Charlottesville's hidden gems!

Is there a better spot? They're awesome. The owner is amazing and always treats people so well. Honeslty amazing place, amazing ppl and amazing owner who treat others how they want to be treated. I've seen the owners at another restaurant as well, and they are always tipping well and making people smile. This place got the good vibes. Top 5 place in charlottesville hands down

I wanted to really like this place but I felt like it wasn't worth going at all. My drink was okay and I went with the dealer's choice. The food took awhile and by the time it came I wasn't hungry anymore. I don't think I can recommend this place to anyone who visits Charlottesville.

My wife and I recently went here to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. It has been so long since we dined in a fancy place like this. We did have to take our 4-month old with us, and soon after sitting down we came to the haunting realization that we made a mistake by trying to make it work. This place is top notch, and we felt so bad. BUT, the staff was so nice and accommodating. No one treated us differently or disparagingly, though they would have had good reason. The food is great and in smaller portions, the cocktails are exquisite, and there is a Toulouse-Lautrec etching over the mantel.

Ok, you guys!! You HAVE to come to this place. By far one of the most amazing meals but specially cocktails my husband and I have ever had! And such a cool spot too, makes you feel you are in a top secret society somewhere with delicious meals and drinks just for exclusive members.

The Alley Light is an incredible restaurant from the service to the food to the ambiance and everything in between. If you are looking for a top tier dining experience that won't break the bank, I highly recommend this place! Four of us dined here during a girls weekend trip to Charlottesville for Memorial Day Weekend. This restaurant is quite small, with only about 10-20 tables max, so reservations in advance are highly recommended. The Alley Light has a speakeasy vibe, so of course finding the door was a task in itself! However, if you go down the alley and choose the unmarked wooden door on the left, you've come to the right place. Our server was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and cocktails/wine list, and by the end of our dinner we were talking like old friends. As a tapas/small plates restaurant, we decided to get several plates and share between the four of us. Standouts included the beef tartare, the bone marrow escargot, and the mushroom risotto (we got 2, but probably only needed one because this dish was a bit bigger than others!) Pro tip: ask your server to do the bone marrow luge... you won't regret it! Overall, between 3-4 drinks each + around 7 small plates, the bill came out to $80 per person (plus tip) which is an absolute steal for the quality of food and service you will receive here. I HIGHLY recommend this amazing restaurant and look forward to returning when we come back to Charlottesville!

Great cocktails and some of the best sweetbreads I've ever had. I highly recommend a visit.