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    The Commentary

    4.1 (87 reviews)
    Closed 6:30 am - 11:00 pm

    The Commentary Photos

    THE COMMENTARY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Commentary

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    Moni T.

    What an amazing date night! However, I also recommend it for a solo outing or a girls' night out. I did the pizza and cocktail-making class! I also appreciated that I was able to bring a jar of Alfredo sauce, as I'm allergic to anything and everything tomato-related. When you first arrive, a waiter offers you water and a menu. We didn't order anything since we were about to start the pizza and cocktail-making class. Our pizza host was funny and very thorough. The dough is already prepared for you, but you're guided through the stretching and assembling process. The topping options are endless! For the cocktail class, due to a Virginia law about patrons handling liquor bottles, the liquor is poured for you into a jigger. The cocktail instructors were funny and friendly as well. A bonus: if you're a non-drinker, they have mocktail recipes, too! I ordered dessert after eating the pizza I made (which was delicious, by the way). I went with the tiramisu. It was soaked in coffee, just a little too strong for my taste. All in all, this was a great experience with even better customer service. I really enjoyed myself! I'll most definitely recommend it and can't wait for my next cooking class.

    Tania A.

    I've had a few friends mention having a great date night at a fun pizza making class, which also had a cocktail making component. So, once I was able to confirm that they were ALL talking about the same venue, The Commentary - I knew it was going to have to be a 'must visit' for my husband and I. Everything about the hands on 'Artisan Pizza and Craft Cocktail' class was fun and engaging from start to finish. The chef that guided us through the various steps and techniques to create our version of the perfect pizza (and crust), was very upbeat and encouraging. There were loads of opportunities to ask questions, and when it came to choosing your pizza toppings we were all spoiled for choice. Whether you're vegetarian, pescatarian or an absolute omnivore - there were multiple toppings for everyone & enough to go around the entire group. I decided to lean into my creative side, and I made my pizza in the shape of a heart - which actually ended up looking and tasting great!! While the pizzas are baking, we went ahead and got started with the craft cocktail portion of the class, there were several cocktails to choose between... I went with the Paloma, and my hubby chose the Manhattan - both of which tasted divine. Overall 10/10 experience! Great for a date night, girls night, quality time with family and friends, a birthday celebration or solo night out.

    Rhonda M.

    This was an OK experience. We ordered some glass of a red blend and received a very nasty glass (besides water stains it had lipstick on it) and an bourbon cocktail (it tasted like a mocktail because it wasn't a hint of bourbon). We had fries, a pizza, broccolini and 3 sliders. The food was ok, nothing was what we would consider delicious but the broccolini tasted better than everything. The menu lacked options especially because online has an oxtail pizza but we didn't know they no longer served that because the website hasn't been updated (big disappointment for a 45 min drive in VA traffic heading towards DC). The wait time to order our food was too long, especially when we saw SEVERAL people walk in AFTER us and were served. Needless to say we were ready to leave. I don't have to return here, the atmosphere looked nice but it was a blah experience.

    Inside
    Amanda T.

    The Commentary is an upscale, yet still casual hotel restaurant. It is located inside the Westin and there is parking on-site. You can make a reservation; however my husband and I dined early on a Saturday evening and we were able to pick our table. The dining room is large with both traditional table and lounge seating options. The bar area also is nicely setup and has seating. They offer a good variety of cocktails, beer and wine. The food menu is also diverse enough to satisfy most patrons, to include vegetarian options. We each ordered a cocktail and enjoyed those with the baked brie appetizer. For our main dish we ordered the house burger and the steak. Both came out perfect and the timing of the food arrival was also great in my opinion. We plan to definitely comeback again sometime. Thanks!

    a group of people sitting at a bar
    Jay B.

    Meh!! Mediocre fare in a Marriott property. Never a good thing when a kitchen feels the need to drench perfectly good fresh vegetables in cheap oil. Note to the responsible Chef: It's a BAD thing when your "poached" Salmon is super oily. Most of us order it for something healthy. (And don't get started I know salmon has fat, but this Salmon could have greased an axle.)

    Shyra N.

    I had so much fun doing the pizza making class with India and cocktails later with Jose that I've done this twice. Not only will you learn some new tips and tricks, the pizza and drinks are really good. The timing of it all is perfect. By the time you are done making your drinks, pizza is served. I'm sure I'll be back again.

    Rashanda J.

    Wow!!!! The pizza and cocktail making class at The Commentary was super AWESOME! Upon arrival, my sister and I were greeted by the most friendliest staff who checked us in and helped us get ready for class. As the class started, we met the chef, who made the whole experience so fun. She had the best personality and gave us tips and tricks for getting our pizza dough perfect and being creative with our toppings. We laughed, joked and simply had the best time. Our pizza was delicious and the cocktails are on point. This experience is perfect for Girls Night Out, Date Night, etc. Here are a few tips: The hotel validates your parking for the class; you can enjoy your pizza and cocktail in the dining area or outside on the patio and if you're still in the mood for food, the restaurant has a great lunch/dinner menu that you can enjoy. Check out this class ! It's really fun!!

    Seared Ahi Tuna
    Rob K.

    The Commentary has a somewhat corporate atmosphere, not uncommon for Arlington, VA. The lights are dimmed but not too much so, and the digs are "hip" in the way an uncool person might say. Service was very kind and reasonably expedient, but the food left something to be desired. The crab cake sandwich was well-cooked and quite tasty, as were the fries that accompanied it. I would have liked a touch more acidity on the crab cake sandwich, perhaps more lemon in the aioli and less raw onion. The seared ahi tuna dish was generally a bit unfortunate. The flavors were separated, and the sauce was almost flavorless though somehow still a bit intrusive. I found myself trying to dig past the other ingredients just to eat the ahi tuna, but even that was a bit disappointing. It might be best to stick to pizza and sandwiches with colleagues at The Commentary.

    Tony G.

    This review is only for the pizza and cocktail class. We were finally able to catch some tickets to this event on a Friday evening. This is a perfect class for a friend outing or date night. I definitely recommend. The pizza was delicious! You are able to make your own pizza with your desired toppings followed by a cocktail (I had an expresso martini). The pizza was a great portion and I had to take some home. The only negative experience I had was that the chef very much embarrassed me for coming in late. We had already called the restaurant to inform them we would be late due to traffic and we were told it was okay to still come in. We take accountability for the lateness but the rudeness when I quietly came to the table was unnecessary. I didn't let it get me down and still enjoyed the class. All of the other employees were very nice and accommodating. I would come back to try the rest of the menu which looks amazing!

    Cocktail making class
    Grace B.

    This was such a fun class! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience. We celebrated some birthdays from the crowd. We had an energetic host and staff who wanted to make sure everyone had a great time. We made 4 cocktails in the class. I really enjoyed the first three. The last one was too sweet for me (think bath and body works pumpkin candle - legit! Smelled delicious!) you'll be able to meet and mingle with other attendees. The location is at the Westin Hotel in Ballston. You have parking garages available nearby. If you're driving, give yourself an extra 30 minutes - 1 hour post class to walk around and grab something to eat. You also have a metro. Light bites are provided with the drinks. I loved their fries. There were about 30ish people - friends, couples, and people attending this class solo. So mingle with your neighbors! I had such a great time I can't wait to do another class. Such a great vibe.

    Angela B.

    Staying at the Westin and popped down to The Commentary for happy hour (and to see Jose!!). If you're there, have Jose as your server. Such a great guy! :) I ordered the Margherita pizza (not pictured) which was bigger than I remembered. Then ordered scallop potatoes after a couple hours, which was a decent size and very delicious. I enjoyed a couple glasses of wine with my food, as I people watched and read my book. Jose (and all the other staff) took great care of me (along with the other number of patrons) and made sure I was a happy customer.

    Kaylyn D.

    Me, my cousins and my sisters visited the commentary for Galentines We went for the pizza and cocktails classes. The commentary itself is a decent restaurant. The atmosphere is inviting and cozy. I love the menu and the options though I did not try anything beyond the pizza I made. The servers and instructors were also super nice and energetic. I only gave 4 starts instead of 5 because the pizza and cocktails class is EXTREMELY basic! I kind of understand why - possibly to not complicate things and take too much time. I guess the person I am would have enjoyed making the dough and truly doing things from scratch. However, I totally understand the "quick and dirty" approach. I would return to give lunch or dinner a try..

    Hibiscus Paloma  and blueberry iceee
    Krystal M.

    Such a beautiful place, wonderful experience! We went there for the cocktail making class. Jose was very engaging and each drink brought it's own flavor! We learned about the tequilas we drank, and a tasty starter matched to each drink, which the chef also described in detail. Our waitress Nishant was the best! My nephews came with us and chilled in the lounge area. After we took them food, she then went over and checked if they like their food! She was very helpful, and super attentive. Such a great time!

    Cocktail making station

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    Very competent breakfast, nice atmosphere, good service. Omelette was delicious. Coffee good.

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    Great happy hour! Cute ambiance. Great service! The only annoying thing is when they are closed for private parties.

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    2 years ago

    The Sunday Manager Lady and our bartender Roy helped us have an enjoyable end of the weekend. Watch out Monday here we come!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - The Commentary

    Is it dog friendly?

    Maybe if you sit outside. I can't really imagine them allowing animals that aren't service dogs because it's a bit fancy in there. hope this helps!

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    BOE

    BOE

    3.1(10 reviews)
    1.3 miClarendon

    Food: not recommended Service: great…read moreAmbiance: great for after work drinks (margaritas were excellent) on a nice day. Proceed straight upstairs to the rooftop bar and patio. Lots of standing room, limited seating, but the patrons are young, beautiful, and mostly college students from nearby schools. Not my crowd, but met one of my friends here after work in Arlington around 6:30 since the weather was perfect yesterday. We decided to go to my favorite restaurant for a more elevated experience and live music. One day, I'll come back to watch people ride the bull downstairs, which I imagine that to be hilarious and entertaining. The bartender told me the place doesn't come alive until about 9pm, so that's when it's crowded and probably off the chain.

    I really wanna love BOE but the last few times I've came I've been extremely disappointed that it's…read morenot a bar I would prefer to go to on the weekends with friends. I went for the first time back in October and I had a good time. The drinks were competitively price for Arlington proportions but the food AND cocktail menu are just painfully limited. If you're ordering just standard bar drinks like a domestic draft beer or a shot of tequila you're fine, but a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu? Seriously? The biggest attraction of this bar is the mechanical bull. But the caveat is that you need to get a ticket to ride it which costs $5. Not terrible pricing but considering PBR at Power Plant Live in Baltimore has a mechanical bull (and more space but will get to that in a bit) it feels like a slap in the face. But again it's $5 and I'm going to presume that money goes towards maintenance of the mechanical bull ride anyway. Also depending on what day and time you go be prepared to be packed like sardines. There's three rooms one of which is a dedicated dance floor. And the room farthest from the entrance, about 85% of the room is taken up by the mechanical bull. The first time I went there was no room in the mechanical bull room because they blocked off 5% of it for some group party reservation. We went up to the rooftop which was a bit more spacious but naturally if it's cold outside or raining you're obviously not going up there. Overall, BOE has potential but a limited food menu, and even more limited cocktail menu, and small indoor space makes this an easy bar to skip when there's a line out the door.

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    BOE
    BOE
    BOE - Upper level Bar

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    The Board Room - Boardroom Va art

    The Board Room

    3.7(234 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Devastated to hear that The Board Room closed recently! It was one of the first places I visited…read moreafter I moved to Arlington. With an extensive drink menu and plenty of board games it was a chill spot if you wanted to socially drink with friends and unwind after a long day.

    Parking was PERFECT. public parking garage underneath, and the elevator in the corner takes you up…read moreright to the front door of the restaurant. Could not ask for a better parking situation. Ordering was almost seamless. We got there at 1 o'clock, middle of the day on 4/18, plenty of empty tables. We went up to the bartender to take our order, and then gave them our table number and they delivered it. The QR code on the table only shows you the menu. It is not used for ordering, which was odd these days. Chill and super awesome bartender with the mother of all hickeys. Good pours. No Skrewball :-( I had the special, two hot dogs with tater tots. When it said double, I wasn't sure if that meant double the tater tots, but that meant actually two hot dogs. Really good. I also had the other special, the two pancakes. I meant to get the sausage, but they gave me the bacon instead. It was great. Well worth it. I thought that was the better value of the meals. They got a lot of board and card games. Very laid-back atmosphere, 90s and early 2000s pop on the music, comfortable seating, and good food. The prices were reasonable. This is one area that I think we are just going to have to deal with for quite some time. The give-and-take of prices,. Smothered tater tots, pancakes, two hotdogs with some tater tots, and three drinks came out to ~$55. NOT. BAD. Was it worth it? If this had been just a normal restaurant, I would've said no. It would've been more worth it if it had been about $40. But... nobody made us pay to use the board games, or the card games, and we sat there for three hours and had a really good time. So based on that, the fact they provide a venue for playing these games and hanging out for a few hours makes it all worth it. Really strange thing was that there was this balding guy with a beard that randomly showed up as a waiter. We had been dealing with a bartender, so this guy, kind of rude came on to us and we weren't sure what to do with him. He kind of blocked me from paying the bartender. Rude. Not a hangout spot every day, but certainly once a week, maybe once a month or more, definitely a place to meet up if you got a group. I was really surprised by the diversity of the people that were there. A lot of chess players, a whole table of middle-aged women, lots of different people playing games. I would give them five stars, but not quite perfect. The rude guy at the end was so odd. Otherwise, great location, great parking, the food was good, good value, and fun.

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    The Board Room - More Art

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    The Board Room - Owner stopped by forever a table visit

    Owner stopped by forever a table visit

    The Board Room - Games, Games, Games!

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    The Renegade - Mac & Cheese

    The Renegade

    4.0(163 reviews)
    1.1 miClarendon

    We went for a live performance- the stage is small but sufficient. I was glad to be able to grab a…read morehigh table so we could have something to eat. There are a number of vegetarian items on the menu - we had the yucca fries, they were great, and so was the dip that came with them. Bartenders have a lot of room to cover, but I was never left waiting for a drink too long. My only complaint would be the big pillar in the middle of the space, I'm sure it blocks the view of the stage from some spaces. If you're coming to watch sports, there are plenty of TVs over the bar, no worries about blocking your view there. There is also a parking garage basically next door, very convenient.

    I learned about Renegade for their Dark Constellation events through a goth/industrial music…read moreinternet community of which I am a member. I attended a performance by Cynbaal, Distributed Systems and Jaguardini, and while I had to leave before Jaguardini's performance, I had a great time watching the other two acts. The setting is pretty great, from the stage to the multiple television screens projecting the stage, to the bar and the setup of multiple tables. There was sufficient open space in front of the stage that several people were able to dance. The crowd seemed to be at various different stages of Gen X, and they were super into the show, dressing up for that goth vibe. I am excited to return for future shows, but I hope they'll refresh their beer offerings, I had to make do with a diet Coke.

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    The Renegade - Bar and high top tables

    Bar and high top tables

    The Renegade - Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

    Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

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    Oasis The Listening Bar - Nigiri Deluxe - Chef's Daily 10 Piece Nigiri Selection

    Oasis The Listening Bar

    4.4(80 reviews)
    1.2 miClarendon

    This place was super cute and a nice vibe! Our server was so nice and efficient. She gave really…read moregood recommendations on the drink menu and helped us decide when we were in a tough spot to pick some of our sushi rolls. This place is perfect to meeting with friends or even a date night. The back or the restaurant is dark, but in a good way. They also had live music Saturday night (not sure if this is every night). It was a good volume, until they went back to the restaurant music and then it got LOUD. Not too bad, just was shocked that it was so loud. For food we started with my fave, miso soup. After that we had the Chirashi. It was a nice assortment and a good start to dinner. Next we did the Dragon Roll, a classic and they didn't disappoint. We had a couple mocktails and drinks and were able to chitchat before trying the Marisol Roll which was amazing! Lastly, we wrapped up the night with the Earl Grey Crème Brûlée, a great sweet treat. I will certainly return to this spot. Not only was it a fun vibe, but the food was good and the service was awesome.

    Maybe we haven't been saying it enough but the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor NEEDS a good sushi spot!…read moreHaving only tried a couple items so far I'm still confident this may be it thanks to the team behind our area's Sisters Thai spots. On both visits I had the toro tartare on the specials menu and have tried the tequila-based City Runner spicy marg 2x now. There is something for all drinkers though, and lots of food selection. The atmosphere is chill, with great decor and thoughtful lighting and as the name suggests, bartenders always have a record going. The front room is largely the bar with high tops up front. They've put a cozier dining room in the back room. Great spaces for a friend catch-up or date. Since taking over the space from Cava, I also appreciate the bathroom upgrades.

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    Oasis The Listening Bar - City Hunter

    City Hunter

    Oasis The Listening Bar - Pacific roll

    Pacific roll

    Oasis The Listening Bar - Back dining room

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    King’s Ransom - Sunset Park

    King’s Ransom

    4.3(130 reviews)
    6.3 miOld Town Alexandria

    The service was great as usual and the drinks were great. I had two of them which were the Modena…read moreSpritz and the Toki Highball. Both were excellent! The atmosphere was bar appropriate with minimal noise, so I didn't need to raise my voice at all since I was in the tabled area in the back. Would I go back? Yes, absolutely.

    My friend and I were looking for a quick bar to slip into around 10-11 PM and stumbled across this…read morespot. It's not too far from the waterfront, so it made for a nice walk after gelato. At first, you'll see what looks like just a pizza shop -- but if you head in and either use the side door or walk through and climb a set of stairs, you'll find the speakeasy upstairs. Very cool vibe: dark, cozy, and date-night ready. Drinks: 4/5 I ordered their take on an Old Fashioned, and it was definitely the highlight of the night but sweeter than I would have liked. They served it over a stamped solid block of ice (a small detail I ). My friend was abstaining from alcohol that night and asked for a non-alcoholic cocktail. To our surprise, they didn't just hand her a lemonade like most places -- they actually made her a crafted virgin drink, which she loved. Food: 3/5 We ordered fries and a slice of pepperoni pizza. The fries turned out to be waffle fries (not mentioned on the menu) and were overly crispy, so not really our favorite. The pizza was fine -- clearly sourced from the shop downstairs -- but it leaned oily and didn't really wow us. Service: 5/5 Pretty standard -- nothing over the top, but not neglectful either. Drinks came out reasonably fast, food followed, and we were checked on enough without it feeling pushy. Vibes: 4/5 The speakeasy itself is definitely the selling point. Dark, intimate, and stylish -- you feel like you've found a little hidden spot. All in all, the cocktails are the reason to come, especially if you're into whiskey. The food was forgettable, but it's convenient that you can order pizza upstairs. We spent about $30-40 for drinks and snacks, which isn't shocking for Old Town. Would I go back? Maybe if I was already in the area, but for a dedicated whiskey night, I'd probably head somewhere else.

    Photos
    King’s Ransom - Plenty to choose from

    Plenty to choose from

    King’s Ransom - Great selections

    Great selections

    King’s Ransom - Old Fashion

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    Old Fashion

    The Commentary - bars - Updated May 2026

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