Road Trip from DC: Spring Weekend in Charlottesville, VA

Sharing about a quick getaway – spending an incredible spring weekend in Charlottesville, VA. I’d never been before but now I’m dying to go back!

James and I hit the open road earlier this month to head to Charlottesville, VA. Attending a wedding in Charlottesville gave us the best excuse to check out a town we’ve passed on multiple road trips but never visited.

I asked for recs over on Instagram and, as always, you delivered! We didn’t get to all your recs as we were balancing wedding events and, honestly, we were completely caught up in the charm of Charlottesville and just went with the flow.

But I’m sharing the full list of your recommendations in this post for my own future use and others who are interested in a weekend getaway!

About Charlottesville, VA

Around a two and a half hour drive outside of D.C., Charlottesville is a quaint city with beautiful, historic architecture and filled with restaurants, wineries, boutique and antique shops – all with the gorgeous vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. The city is primarily known as the home of the University of Virginia but Charlottesville is a college town unlike any other I’ve experienced. During our weekend visit staying in the Historic Downtown Mall area, I noticed that there was an entirely separate culture and atmosphere beyond UVA’s campus. Charlottesville was a perfectly peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. There were so many places to explore and we cannot wait to go back. I was pleasantly surprised how dog-friendly the city is, we’ll absolutely bring Riley with us next time.

Our Itinerary for a Spring Weekend in Charlottesville, VA

Friday Evening 

Old Metropolitan Hall

We arrived later in the evening on Friday and after checking into our hotel, we quickly changed and headed to the wedding welcome party at the Old Metropolitan Hall. An elegant private event space, it certainly provided ambiance to chat, catch up, and start the weekend off on a fun note!

Millers Downtown

After the welcome party, a few of us popped over to Millers Downtown for a quick nightcap. There was live music and they had prosecco on tap. Needless to say, I was a happy camper and enjoyed my glass of prosecco to wrap up the evening before James and I headed back to our hotel.

Saturday Morning

The Nook for Brunch

Even though we didn’t have our favorite personal alarm clock with us (aka our hound), James and I woke up at our usual early time. James went off on a run and I headed to the hotel gym to get in a workout. We were ravenous and more than ready for brunch! Our friend suggested The Nook and away we went. Sitting outside was so pleasant with excellent people watching and so many sweet dogs out and about (my first hint that Cville is dog-friendly), including a few pups patiently sitting underneath the tables at The Nook waiting for gravity and a bite of breakfast to collide.

We started with fried pickles, which I am happy to report were some of the best fried pickles I’ve ever had and paired with homemade Ranch dressing for dipping. James ordered the crabcake eggs Benedict and I quickly selected the chorizo taco bowl after spotting this dish heading to a nearby table. I didn’t snap any pics of our meals because we were so hungry, there wasn’t time!

We did enjoy their peach bellinis and branched out to try El Dorado (pictured), an aromatic mezcal cocktail made with fresh juice and garnished with florals. It was too pretty not to pause for a picture! Plus, by then, I’d already finished my chorizo taco bowl – which was so good, I’m going to have to recreate it at home and share here.

Walk Around Downtown Mall

After brunch, we strolled around the Downtown Mall and took in as much of the sights as possible. There were outdoor vendors and so many charming boutiques, antique shops, and restaurants lining both sides of the mall. You could easily spend the entire day just popping in and out of the shops! Believe me, if we weren’t on a schedule, I would have.

Explore UVA’s Grounds

Of course, no visit to Charlottesville would be complete without a visit to UVA’s gorgeous campus — oops, I mean Grounds! James woke up early on Saturday to go for a run and to check out the Grounds. I opted for a more casual stroll later in the afternoon. To describe the Grounds as charming would be understatement. You must add time into any visit to Charlottesville to see it for yourself, plus it’s a great way to get in post-brunch steps!

Saturday Afternoon 

Enjoy A Glass of Wine at Crush Pad

Located on the Downtown Mall, Crush Pad and its patio provided perfect afternoon ambiance for a glass of wine and watching all the cute dogs go by on a walk. A crisp glass of rosé outdoors hit the spot after walking all over Charlottesville!

Sunday Morning

Bodo’s Bagels

We woke up early on Sunday morning to a steady drizzle. While we wanted to get on the road to beat the rain, we couldn’t leave without hitting up Bodo’s Bagels. Bagels are my #1 favorite breakfast food and when I asked for recs, Bodo’s was the top rec by a mile. We initially stopped at the location near our hotel and it was already packed at 8:30 a.m.! James then had a brilliant idea to try the location nearest UVA’s Grounds on the theory that college students wouldn’t be up that early – a hunch that proved correct and we were in and out with our bagels for the road within 5 minutes. Bodo’s Bagels lived up to the hype, they were perfectly warm with melty cream cheese and really hit the spot.

Where You Recommended for a Spring Weekend in Charlottesville, VA

You all provided so many amazing recommendations that I think James and I (and Riley, of course) are going to have to return for another weekend jaunt. Here’s how readers suggested spending time in Charlottesville, VA:

Alley Light (but get a reservation ASAP!)

Lampo for dinner

Brazos for tacos 

Alley Light for drinks

Tavola 

Petit Pois

Stinson Vineyards (Alicia Tenise says they have the best rosé & she really knows her wines!)

Early Mountain 

C&O for a full meal 

Caspari for a shopping spree

King Family Vineyard 

The Local for a meal

Wool Factory for the “best almond croissant of your life!”

Orzo for a meal

Belle for brekfast 

Dairy Market

Mas for tapas 

Ace Biscuit and Barbecue (multiple votes)

Torchy’s Tacos 

Lampo (get the pizza)