Fleurie Restaurant — Restaurant in Charlottesville

For the last 16 years, Fleurie has been doing French food better than anyone in Charlottesville. Well, with a night out of my own restaurant, my wife and I stopped in spontaneously for a quick dinner at the bar. Tremendous experience. Not only is Chef Brian accessible, a quality I appreciate as a similarly hands-on-owner, but the kitchen is blessed to have Chef Jose (prounounced “Joe Se”) de Brito back. Jose’s food has always been focused and refined, each ingredient empowered to its fullest expression, but somehow after all these years, it has gotten even better. Add to the mix a world class pastry chef in Serge Torres, and you have formidable trio. Voltron Unite!

As highlights, the Lobster Bisque had ethereal aromatics and texture. The poached egg with imported black trumpet mushrooms and lardons evoked a woodsy forest floor. The creme brûlée was a perfect ratio of brûlée to creme. All courses were standouts, including all the mid course treats.

But where many restaurants fall short, and leave us wanting more, is on the service end. Not here! Our bartender, Melissa could not have been more gracious. The Sazerac she stirred up was most welcome, warming me from the inside out, the chill of night air soon forgotten.

Her wine pairings were spot on, and the exotic cordials she highlighted were unexpected and delightful. The dessert wine from Saga, a local meadery (as in made from mead “aka” honey), and another from the south of France distilled from the quince fruit were revolutionary.

All in all, one of the finest dining experiences I’ve had recently in Charlottesville or elsewhere. Fleurie is on top of its game. A remarkable feat after 16 years in...

My partner and I dined at Fleurie during restaurant week. We chose to dine there because it was active and the food smelled great from the street. We were seated promptly, the staff was friendly, the decor pleasant and inviting.

There was a 'set' menu with options for starter, entree, and desert. For starters we chose: lobster bisque and gnocchi mushroom. The lobster bisque was very good. The gnocchi was dense, but the mushroom truffle distracts and forgives for the gnocchi.

For entrees we had salmon with pickled zucchini and roe, and surf-and-turf (lobster and steak). The salmon was nothing special - it was seasoned crusting saved the filet, the temperature was tepid. The zucchini and roe didn't add to the dish. We asked for the steak to be cooked medium rare, it arrived rare (I think I heard a moo). The dish it was served on was warmer than the meat. We asked our server whether it was cooked or not, to make sure we wouldn't get sick - it wasn't a very reassuring yes; the lobster was good, as were the sides.

For desert we had a cheese, pistachio, and ice cream sampler, and creme brûlée. The sampler was good - a good combination, but the portions were weak. The creme brûlée was less to be desired - the ratio of burnt sugar crust to creme was off. There was little creme to a thick burnt sugar crust, that left a bitter end note.

The staff was nice and cordial, the ambiance was nice, the plating appetizing... the food ok. That's why we gave it 3 stars.

Would we go back? Maybe, to see if our first experience was a 'one off', and to check out their...

We came here looking for an intimate, authentic French dining experience. And we got that experience many times over! From the warm greeting by Jack the host, to the cozy dining room and bar, there was not a single thing that was less than stellar! Our favorite part of the evening was our server Melissa. She was efficient, warm, funny, helpful, and creative. The creativity I mention is her ability to put together several unusual and classic wine pairings to enhance the fantastic Pre Fixe menu we enjoyed. Before I forget, it APPEARS you're only getting a standard 3 courses, but there are surprises in between each course! (Sorry for the spoiler, but even without them, we still would've enjoyed our meal and felt very satisfied!) We enjoyed oxtail ravioli, scallops, sea bass, beef tenderloin, an apple tart, and assorted sorbets. We started with an amuse-bouche of assorted appetizers- very interesting! After our first course we were served an asparagus that acted as a palate cleanser, which was a nice twist. And after our third course, we got a second dessert of petite sweets, very classy! After a beautiful selection of glasses of Sparkling Rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Reserve Syrah, a sublime Greek wine I forgot to ask more about, we ended the evening with some Calvados. It was the most creative combination of French food and international wine we've every enjoyed. Melissa and the staff gave us a picture perfect dining experience that we hope others will try as well....