The Tasting Room 1602 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

"We had mussels and the were decent. Service was apathetic and slow. Cocktails were decent but extremely overpriced. 4 drinks and 1 app should not cost over $100, even for Old Town. The place has a cute vibe but we were the only people there. Will not return due to the price"

"My wife and I used to come here regularly prior to the pandemic. We decided to go there once again after doing some Old Town Christmas shopping for their delicious mussels. Unfortunately, we learned that they no longer have the mussels as a meal – but only as an appetizer. We ordered a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses that were delicious. My wife ordered the mushroom pizza and I ordered the appetizer portion of the mussels. The ambience was great, the drinks were delicious, with only a few customers (perhaps the time of year was a factor but previously we had to wait for seating). Everything was great until we received the main meals. My mussel dish had a rather watered down white wine sauce. My third mussel was bad, not somewhat off but … bad! I put it to the side and tried another one which was OK and chalked it up to a one-off. Then I got another bad one and I stopped, spit it out as well and talked to the waiter. She was nice, courteous, and offered to take it off the bill which she did. What is more surprising is that she didn’t seem surprised at the least and merely mentioned that the Tasting Room is under new management. I got the distinct impression that this has happened before. I’ve never had a bad meal there before. My wife also mentioned that her pizza was rather oily and bland. I was disappointed with the quality. If the new management is a factor, then I highly recommend that they go back to what used to work. We will try it again before we write off what has always been a great meal at the Tasting Room."

"The Chef Ann Lee, and FOH manager were very helpful and welcoming. She made me great food and the bartender made great drinks!!"

"The dishes are wonderfully executed. The arugula salad was a great blend of sweetness, acidity, and freshness. The salmon was cooked to perfection. Really enjoyed my experience at the restaurant."

"Very chic location. Excellent french onion soup. It had to by far be the best french onion soup I ever had. The flatbreads were fantastic. The waiter was funny and kind and very attentive. Definitely a great spot for brunch."