The Tasting Room - Alexandria

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!!

Fun atmosphere with many different drink options and special cocktails. We didn't try any of the food but there are some snack type items and charcuteries.

Good spot for an appetizer and drinks. Wouldn't recommend for a meal though. Started off strong, ending not so much. Enjoyed the charcuterie. The baked goat cheese was really good. The cornbread and the wild mushroom flatbread just didn't pack that much flavor.

Great choice for wines and nice varied menu. The salmon rillettes and the kale salad are excellent.