Eventide Restaurant

One of few (if not only) places that served mulled wine — perfect for the DC winters! I’m sad that it has closed.

There is really nothing special about the Sunday brunch buffet at Eventide. It is plentiful and they offer both breakfast and heavier foods. The biscuits on the buffet were hard because they’d been under the heat lamps for far too long. My server’s attention was spotty at best and it took 15 minutes to finally get my check.

My friends and I have constantly walked by Eventide but never stepped foot inside until Halloween night. We decided to shift gears this year and do some good old fashioned people watching. The venue was perfect for seeing young Arlington stumble to Clarendon Ballroom for the big party. We stayed in the ground level bar.
Our servers were super accommodating and friendly… until their friends showed up. We noticed that there was one prime table that had «reserved» on it for at least an hour after we arrived. It turns out they were friends of the bar. Okay, that’s cool. But we noticed our service went down a lot once the «friends» showed up. Our servers spent a lot of time at their table just hanging out and looking at costumes together. That was disappointing, especially because we were ready to order more drinks.
The food selection is good — I highly enjoyed the nachos (offered in two sizes) and the pretzels with dipping sauces. I loved that the pretzels came in smaller pieces but were still soft.
The ambiance was lively and it ended up being a great spot to sit on our butts and still enjoy Halloween.

It’s a little difficult to write a review for Eventide because there are several different areas that are all different.
The Dining Room: On the 2^nd floor — very nice ambience (beautiful décor), good wine selection, and the waitstaff is very attentive — so closer to 5 stars on those points. The food itself was good, but not excellent. The beef heart tartar appetizer was probably the best thing we had — very flavorful with crab on the side. I had the cod entrée and my wife had a seafood stew of sorts. They were both ok, but I would try something else on the menu before ordering them again.
The Rooftop: I’ve been there for brunch a couple times on the weekends. It’s a very enjoyable with a relaxed outdoor atmosphere. The service was a little slow, but it was brunch, and I was in no hurry. Order off the menu — you don’t have to eat the buffet. The fish tacos were quite well done and we enjoyed a nice mimosa to go with them.
There’s also a first floor bar, but I haven’t really spent any time down there to be able to review it.

Sunday, 11:45AM.
Friend’s bday — she requested a brunch gathering. For the 11 of us, that meant buffet on the rooftop at Eventide.
Quickie:
+Buffet options
+Good service
+Spacious
+Interesting interior
— Inconsistent quality of food
And then???
Rooftop seating was nice, especially since there was a constant light breeze. The service and venue deserves another shot.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Buffffffet
+Different kinds of goodies, including fruit with quinoa, chicken sausage, grits…
— Eggs paired with a (semi-​soft) cheese: nice flavor but it was too runny
— Sausages were too dry

I’m usually not a big fan of buffets, but I really enjoyed the brunch buffet here. It was a step above a traditional brunch in my opinion, and was reasonably priced.
The food was presented really nicely, kept at the proper temperature, and regularly replaced. I loved the variety of foods, and can’t wait to go back and check out the rooftop!

I came in one evening with a couple friends for dinner, we were seated upstairs in one of the booths, which are very spacious and comfortable– definitely recommend asking for one when you make your reservation! We started off with a round of drinks and then the entrees.
I ordered the strawberry fields cocktail, which was good, hints of sweet, tart, and herbal, but nothing mindblowing here. The bread basket was eh, the standard universal rolls and soft butter. I dunno, but I feel like the type of bread basket a restaurant provides says something about the restaurant itself, my particular favorite ones being from Lyon Hall and Le Diplomat.
When the entrees came out, we all immediately remembered from previous dining experiences here that Eventide is not a place where you come for the portion size. My halibut entrée was great, cooked and seasoned perfectly, but looking back I wish I had ordered something else like a small salad or something.
The service was WAY too attentive. My friend was still working on the last couple bites on her plate and this dude literally came by every minute to take it. at one point taking her plate without even asking and she was like UM EXCUSE ME! It was really annoying and disruptive to our conversation.
Three stars for good food, atmosphere, and attentive waitress. Coulda had two more stars if it weren’t for the small portions and plate snatcher.

I was here for brunch before, which I loved btw! This is my fav brunch place in Clarendon.
I came here tonight for happy hour. The rooftop is nice. I loved the nachos and truffle fries (and $ 5 vodkas)
Totally coming back for several reasons!

For a «classier» option in Clarendon (not sure if that’s the same for Friday and Saturday nights) Eventide is a great choice. Not sure if they have a separate dining area, but on the main floor it’s set up with a bunch of high tops and maybe a couple of lower tables and the bar. I enjoy this place for happy hour if I want to converse and hear my company. However, there has been a lot of miscommunication and awkwardness with the wait staff. But I don’t come here that often to really care.
The root top bar is not part of Eventide (or is it?), it’s called Odd Bar but share the same main entrance.

Chose to come to Eventide since the menu looked good, the pictures of the food looked delicious, the restaurant looked pretty nice despite the reviews being sort of mixed.
Arrived and were seated within a few minutes just in time for our reservation. Walking down the hallway towards the upstairs there is a wall of mirrors on the left, reminding you of something out of Harry Potter and right the right is an exposed brick wall. The décor of the restaurant was a mix of industrial, trendy, elegant and tacky.
We followed one of the hostess up the stairs to see that there is this giant dining room. We order a bottle of wine, the lowest price point is around $ 40. It’s actually better to get a glass rather than a bottle in my opinion.
After asking the waitress about the size of the entrees we settled for two entrees and a side. The rockfish, the pork and a side of brussel sprouts. The dishes came out pretty quickly and boy was I glad I had a late lunch about 3 hours before dinner. At $ 30 a plate my rockfish was about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. The pork was about the same size. Later on when I came back home to look at the pictures again, wondering what went wrong, I realized the dinner food pictures are all from 3 years ago… Portions apparently have gotten smaller and prices have increased.
My gf asked for the pork to be cooked a little above medium. The pre-​sliced parts of the pork were way overcooked and chewy but the whole portion was good until you get to the center where the pork was RAW. I don’t think you’re allowed to serve raw pork, I think that’s a health violation right?
My fish was fine after 2 bites though it was raw. The waitress came over and asked how everything was, so I asked if the fish was supposed to be that raw. She said no and sent it back. BTW there were 2 brussel sprouts halved on my plate.
My refired fish is taken out to me by a guy in a suit that says, «My apologies». He drops off my plate and leaves. I noticed that the plate placed in front of my was my original dish, re-​plated. This was the first time I have ever been to a place where I was given the leftover food in a refire. Even the local diner would not do that…
Later on the waitress comes over and I ask if that is normal. And she said, «no. Didn’t the manager came by?»
My response was, «There was some guy in a suit that came by to drop off the plate.»
Anyways complaints were sent back, with our dessert order. We ordered the banana blondie pudding. The man in the suit, apparently the manager comes out and says, «I hope this makes us good. I’m not gong to make this pretty.» And says other stuff, but being so stunned at this point we were at a loss for words. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt because he had an accent that he did not know the words he used were offensive to people in the states.
Anyways both of our entrees were comped and we just paid for the wine, desert and our side.
Apart from the food being overcooked or undercooked, btw the brussel sprouts were also undercooked. The food was really not that good. The sauces on the plates were bland and the portions were way small. If my gf or I were hungry we would probably have been looking at a 3 course meal with sides. Meaning only food costs would be about $ 60 per person.
The only good part about this place was our waitress, she did a fantastic job.
That being said there are definitely better places in the area to go to that are just as pretentious but can back it up by providing the entire package.

I came to Eventide for brunch with two good friends. I had an almost perfect experience there! Even though we made a reservation, we still had to wait about 20 minutes for our table. While I didn’t mind the wait because of the good company, a reservation usually guarantees a table at your designated time. We enjoyed hot tea at the bar during our wait.
Once we got upstairs, our experience was great. We were seated in the oh-​so-​amazingly comfortable Eventide booths. The tall ceilings, chandelier lighting, and music set a high-​class, but comfortable ambiance. The brunch menu had 5 a la carte items as well as an extensive buffet. I ordered eggs florentine a la carte, but I could see servers going by every 5 minutes with new buffet items, so I know they must have been very fresh. My eggs florentine came with vanilla infused spinach, and the combination was a little too avant-​garde for my stomach, but I enjoyed the poached egg portion and my truffle fries. Also, my french press of coffee was literally the most deep and delicious coffee I have ever had.
To top off the delightful afternoon, we sat and talked in our booth for almost two hours before we paid. For a restaurant in such high demand, that was a touch I really appreciated. I anticipated being shooed out of the door in order to make room for more customers. It was a lovely brunch spot!

Love their patio. Love their HH. Absolutely in love with their pork belly wrap appetizer dish.

Now Eventide offers brunch buffet for $ 19.
I had poached egg from the a la carte menu because buffet only had scrambled egg but the spead looked great for the value. Like others said, they have house-​made sausage.
The service was very nice as always. My dish didn’t come with any meat and the server told me to grab any meat (sausage, bacon or etc) from the buffet table at no charge.
My friend had a duck tartin and said it was a great.
You can see what are offered on the buffet on the website so if you want bottomless good quality brunch, I suggest you try Eventide.

I love this venue. I could see myself having a party on the upper level. The huge windows brought amazing sunlight in for this New Years Day brunch. The seating is so comfortable. It’s like having a meal at home. The staff is very friendly and attentive. On top of all of this the food is pretty tasty too. I had the brioche french toast and it was delicious!
I will be back!

Venue: Beautiful. It reminds me of an old time private home. I have not spent any time on street level but have been to the second level dining room which has exposed brick walls, expensively appointed décor and just an overall chic feel. I have also visited the rooftop bar in the summer and found it to be crowded, but a good space nonetheless.
Parking: Horrible. To be expected in Clarendon and is not Eventide’s fault. I would be curious to find out if they validate for any of the garages.
Service: Top notch. My water and wine glasses were constantly refreshed by attentive staff that were available but not hovering or annoying.
Food: WOW. The creamy pumpkin soup is TO DIE FOR. I want to go back ASAP before this menu item goes out of season. The appetizer rolls were very delicious as well– more like biscuits than bread. I had Salmon with lentils and was very pleased at the presentation and the flavor. The salmon was cooked perfectly so that it was moist; many restaurants overcook their fish, but Eventide got it right. I was not overly impressed with the flourless chocolate cake that I had for dessert, but thought that the salted caramel ice cream that was on the side of it was superb (I will ask for just the ice cream when I go back!)I found that the portioning on all three courses was perfect so that I felt satisfied but not overstuffed.
Notes: They offer a coat check and have an elevator. Bathrooms are clean and match the décor.

I really enjoyed myself here. The drinks are pretty solid yet a little pricey. I really enjoyed the macaroni and cheese. My friend decided to have the fish tacos which she enjoyed as well but still seems like it smelled a little off. She said they tasted fine. if you do decide to have a drink I highly recommend getting the First Kiss. It is vodka, champagne, orange juice, and grenadine served in the form of a martini. There are probably a couple of other components in there, but I forgot what they are. Oktoberfest beer and beer in general are decent price and not overpriced. My friend thoroughly enjoyed Oktoberfest because she ended up having seven of them. As for me, I just opted for a glass of wine and my martini.

Rooftop cocktails, at its best (except for the construction going on in every direction).
The cocktails were great! Fantastic HH specials!
Tried the sliders (one of each) — loved them ALL!
The food is legit. the service was outstanding.
Seems like a hopping little place for the after-​work scene.
Our bartender was on top of it and one of the few places I have visited in the area where the bartenders act like they want to make fine cocktails and friends.

I called for reservations around 6pm a few days prior to going. Once I got there, I wanted to add +2. Now our original reservation was only for 4, so 6 could possibly pose as a problem. WELL, we went and asked and the hostess gave a round about answer and basically stressed it was hard to accommodate us. Well, when we finally get seated there was literally only 1 other party of 3 there. And what was the problem?
The food was nice. we got a little new amuse-​bouche which was a nice surprise. the service was nice too. i got the duck, which was cooked nicely — as with the quinoa. my friend got the rockfish and the swisschard on that dish was delicious! but i left feeling hungry… So i went downstairs to the bar with my friends and i think it was a unanimous opinion that the bar had better food, and just a better atmosphere.

Came here recently to check out the rooftop scene and drinks with a friend.
The rooftop is super nice, with lights and decoration, great view. We sat at the small bar and had sangria. About $ 9 a pop so we sipped them slowly. I had one with blueberries and my friend — some sort of lemonade and rose mix.
The area to stand and hang out is a tiny space on the rooftop. There are plenty of of places to sit. Good service. I have yet to try food on the menu so my review is limited.

This review is only for drinks and food at the Odd Bar. The cocktails are decent, not as good as a Founding Farmers or PX’s cocktails but priced accordingly (mine was $ 9). I ordered the spruce cured salmong along with the cheese board. The fish was terrible, fishy, not remotely fresh. if they can’t pull that off then they should just serve a smoked salmon, easier to disguise old fish.
I didnt touch it after the first bite and the bartender didn’t even offer to take it off the tab, let alone ask me how it was. It was obvious that it was nearly untouched. I would expect more from a place like this. Maybe the dining room is a completely different experience.