The Space Downtown

The Space Downtown is a private event and dining venue in Charlottesville, Virginia, created in late 2010 by chefs and longtime business partners Tim Burgess and Vincent Derquenne. The building's history goes back further: the pair opened their first restaurant, Metropolitain, in the same location in 1991 and ran it until 2003, when they sold the restaurant but kept ownership of the building. When the space became vacant again in early 2010, Burgess and Derquenne reopened it exclusively for private parties, and it has operated as a dedicated event venue ever since. The chefs also own Bizou and Bang, two restaurants located nearby. Private dining is the venue's specialty, with a custom menu, floor plan, and atmosphere built around each event. The Space Downtown hosts full wedding weekends - rehearsal dinners, welcome receptions, wedding receptions, and farewell brunches - as well as corporate meetings and private functions, with the flexibility to shift from a seated dinner service to a cocktail reception without booking a separate space.