Hamiltons' at First & Main : Comments

Good for lunch, not for dinner. Great food, nice environment, okay prices for LUNCH, but really expensive for dinner.

I'd called ahead for reservations for family member BD and we were seated in an alcove so it wasn't cold. Everyone enjoyed their meals, but all cast envious glances at my veggie blue plate special which was a delight.

Very pricey, but it was a special occasion. Unfortunately, perhaps a once-a-year event for our pocketbook.

Even on a mid-week rainy night it was packed, so there's obviously no need to reduce their prices.

superb food, steak is soooo good. chocolate all the way is very impressive, must try it if you are a black chocolate lover

VERY noisy environment for such a fine dining place. difficult to find with their super small title. limit food menu, only about 7 or 8 entree, 4 or 5 dessert are all they have. The steak is 30+, most expensive of the entrees. desserts are about $6~$8. It's acceptable price for fine dinning place, if not that noisy.

The vegetarian blue plate special is absolutely delicious and very fresh. Thankfully I'm not a big meat eater, because this is the only entree even close to being under $20. Most are well above $25 and I can't quite figure out why. I really think they'd be better off aiming for the "nice but not prohibitively expensive" category, rather than the current route of seeming mysteriously expensive for food/atmosphere that's good, certainly, but not heads above the rest.

Consistently pretty good food but at high prices and definitely snootiness by some of the staff.

Hamilton's is a restaurant with an identity crisis. It's torn between being a high end, fine dining experience & a funky, eclectic cafe. I root for the latter. Might I suggest to Hamilton's that they slash their prices, increase the options on their limited menu, & lose the pretensions(eg: the "1st & Main"). My crabcakes were Bland on Bland. The only reason I'd return is if I were stranded on the Mall in a blizzard & it was the only place open.

Superb duck. Rare as it should be. Good wine list. Salad excellent. Gazpacho lacked garlic (ok, I'm biased) but otherwise a nice mix of flavours. Superb cheesecake and coffee. Excellent service even though we arrived after 9 pm.

Food is superb, but service is snooty. I had friends from Brazil in town, one of whom is a very well known architect, we were immediately judged and seated in the back of the restaurant by the kitchen.

Expensive, with tiny but healthy portions. If you sit near the door in the winter, it is drafty. The food was average, and presented well, but I don't understand why it's quite so pricy.

Got an hour? You will spend that much time waiting on the menu.

A cute place but utterly boring menu... and I don't think it's changed since I moved the Charlottesville. Seriously, people. Creativity. It's all the rage these days.

Hamilton's was a perfect place for my husband and I to eat, as we could both find things that would please us. Their menu is varied and our meats were cooked just as we asked. I highly recommend the "chocolate several ways" for dessert!

Interesting flair in combining a variety of tastes to make dishes more interesting. Well worth a try.

This is our favorite restaurant for lunch or dinner. I love the vegetarian blue plate special and my husband is a big fan of the crab cakes. The desserts, if you have room, are fabulous, too. I recommend this place to all my friends and family. Be sure to call ahead and make reservations...this place can be pretty busy for both lunch and dinner.

We've never failed to have a wonderful experience at Hamiltons'. Very attentive service, creative and delicious dishes and a lovely, lively atmosphere! We love to bring guests here!

One of our favorite restaurants! We keep coming back for more. Wonderful ambiance, great food.