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    The Commentary

    4.2 (89 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 11:00 pm

    The Commentary Photos

    THE COMMENTARY ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - The Commentary

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    Huggy lowdown
    Armistead J.

    The Commentary is an upscale, yet still casual hotel restaurant. It is located inside the Westin and there is parking on-site. I attended a comedy show there and the customer service was absolutely outstanding. The food was really good as well. This spot is definitely worth a check out if you are looking for a night out with friends.

    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.

    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
    Monique H.

    This is niceeeeee in my Tiffany Haddish voice!! Street and garage parking nearby.. entrance is on the side of the hotel with blue awnings. Cute swanky decor, great bartenders. We attended the pizza and cocktail making class. The environment was great the pizza instructor was funny and personable! The cocktail portion was ok they had rail liquor and the mixes were mediocre... however I'd definitely go back as it was a good time and the pizza soooo good very yummy.

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

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

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    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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    The Board Room

    The Board Room

    3.7
    (233 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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    Oasis The Listening Bar

    Oasis The Listening Bar

    4.4
    (86 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    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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    King’s Ransom

    King’s Ransom

    4.3
    (134 reviews)
    6.3 mi

    I absolutely love King's Ransom! The atmosphere is really dope. It is definitely hard to find as it…read moreis in a pizza shop. I went there with one of my friends and we really enjoyed ourselves. It is a nice quiet, hidden speak easy with great vibes. The service was impeccable. The bartender was very friendly and attentive. She gave great suggestions for drinks. We decided on a sour. Which was whisky, lemon, and honey. It was perfectly mixed and served. I also tried the Toki Highball which was excellent. It was rich in flavor and not too strong. If you are really into Whisky King's Ransom needs to be on your list to visit. Unfortunately, we did not order food but the couple next to us ordered the pizza and fries and it looked delicious. The ambiance was great. Its a little upscale with dark lighting. The raised bar and lighting add to the unique experience. This bar is great for date night or just a night out with friends in Alexandria, Va. If you are in the area check it out...you won't be disappointed. Cheers!

    We planned a happy hour cocktail before dinner at Josephine's. I'm genuinely baffled at why anyone…read morewould rate this place as anything special. The "hidden" speakeasy is just a second floor bar. (And the bar is nothing remotely like a speakeasy vibe). Tried to order Hendricks gin. Nope. Then Bombay Sapphire. Nope. TheFour bottles of gin that no one had ever heard of. "How about a Jamesons"? Nope. Poor selection of booze and zero atmosphere. (The bartender was fine, though not at all apologetic about the lack of standard liquor selections). There are way better bars....

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    Plenty to choose from
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    The Commentary - bars - Updated August 2026

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