Reviews of Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar (Restaurant)

Julia Lowery

I only stopped by here for a quick Friday night drink, but this place had a great vibe. The skybar was quite busy but the service was quick and the open feel was great!

sayaintjimmy

Stellar food and staff

Spencer Lambert

Good food and friendly servers but the noise level is intolerable at dinner.

Yvonne Price

I was here 5 years ago and had the best meal ever! Reading the reviews now sounds like they have changed dramatically. I hope that is not the case.

Marybeth Showalter

Great place for a cocktail and people watching

Samantha Kalmbacher

Service was good, very mediocre food and drinks, we could’ve got much better food for the price somewhere else.

Valeria Kerr

american food here - super tasty. Honestly my favorite evening place. I look forward to a return visit. They have a lot of good reviews for a reason.

Steve Gregos

Great view.

Ryan Rousseau

Very disappointed. Went there for restaurant week with friends, and they were sold out of what we were looking forward to getting. Took nearly an hour for our salads to come out, despite the fact that there were only 8 tables in the whole place. Entrees came within minutes of the salad, but that's ok because we were hungry. No communication from the manager or apologies from the server. Dessert was meh and then we got hit with the 20 percent grat because we were a party of six. Many better options in Charlottesville. I won't be back.

Elisa Ferrante

The food is okay and for the price, a bit underwhelming. The staff is pretty good and cocktails good. It's not my favorite place on the downtown mall but it does okay.

Ryan Stubbs

Great place for a drink. The rooftop bar is great. Lots of Virginia draft beer too.

P G

I wish NO stars was an option! Small portions, awful service, disorganized, overpriced, and the staff thinks they're the best of Charlottesville...Pfff...Please! This place has been open for about 7 years now; they didn't know what they were doing then, and they STILL don't know what they are doing now! Total joke! Don't waste your time here!

AC

A++++ bartenders are very friendly.

Deborah D'Etcheverry

Service poor.. server with an attitude.. Group of Four intending to order drinks and dinner but after ordering drinks.. Her attitude changed our minds to stick around for dinner, paid cash and she ordered us $30 on the change. We ask for a manager, manager never showed up to our table. She showed up with the correct amount of change. I doubt this was a mistake .,

Dot Macdonald

Service was terrible,dinner menu extremely limited and very pricey. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

Chad Arnold

I really enjoyed my Filet. The only issue was that it did not come with any sides! I wish the server would have let us know, we most definitely would have ordered some!! Great food and ambiance. I will definitely return. You also have to check out the Subaru in the roof. Great place to grab a cold one

Holly Bell

Food has definitely gone downhill. Will not be back.

Andrew Nash

Had pretty poor service at the sky bar upstairs. A server came by with menus, took a drink order, brought drinks, and never returned to our table. I had to go asking at the bar just to pick up the check. Probably won't be back for a while. If you go upstairs just belly up to the bar to order, it'll probably be quicker. I wouldn't have minded doing this if the expectation of having table service hadn't been set.

maury dergousoff

if you like small portions and poor service this is your place.

Jay Kanabar

Great place to eat downtown. The staff are very friendly. Good place for a beer too on the balcony Sky Bar!

Michelle Ryman

Good cocktails, but the staff made us feel like we were bothering them to order.

Shoshanna Jiang

Pretty good food and a nice atmosphere!

Michael Farnum

Great ambience, wonderful service (Molly) excellent food.........why not love this place and a sky bar while your waiting for your table!

elizabeth mccain

This club is an abysmal addition to the mall... It gives Charlottesville a bad image.

Gabriel Andersen

This is a very impressive restaurant. The service is unbeatable, the food is memorable weeks after experiencing it and the atmosphere/decor is bold and innovative. Geez, I sound like a really poor food critique. Any way, speaking with our waitress afterwords I got a sense that the owners , managers and team have a very close and respectful relationship, and it shows. I was lucky enough to get to sample almost every appetizer, entrée and desert and can't really decide on a specific favorite because they were all that good. Great experience! I hope they're around for a very long time.

Shelby Dixon

Wonderful food and amazing service !

Brandon W

Fantastic food and service - beware of the larger sizes; they aren't messing around lol

Bryan Shanesy

This place is absolutely amazing. Top notch chef John Shanesy will blow away your taste buds when you eat here and you'll leave happier than when you showed up! 5 stars! Incredible!

Gill Moore

LaQuinn

T D

Had a great local steak however not clear how many other items are local on the menu

George Sturges

Live music, amazing drinks and great views at Skybar!

Quinn V

Good drinks but very overpriced

GrayJediJ Windu

Drink prices are almost reasonable for the area, but slightly high. Good crowd, music was decent, but sound system needs some work. Only left because it went dead-ish around 12 on a Friday.

Tyriq Smith

The crowd make this place! If they bring in a DJ from time to time, Cville might have a night spot.

Julia Rubarth

Cozy atmosphere, great music.

Kevin Vellanki

Skybar was awesome. Even though it was slightly chilly when we went, the heaters in the roof did a good job of keeping a comfortable temperature. The bartender was nice, and got our drinks quickly, though my friend's beer was very flat (he did give a $2 discount for that, which was nice). It's probably even nicer in the summer, though it was already crowded now, so it's likely packed from April onwards.

Laura Keppley

Attended a private event in Commonwealth's private banquet space. Great space, great food and service.

Jeff Barr

Not worth the visit. Appears nice before you enter, however bartender made us feel as if we were a burden just by asking a question. Unwelcoming atmosphere.

Aaron Lentz

Slow service. Bartenders were too cool for school.

Andrea Goldin

Very cool spot. Loved the cocktails!

Paul Kuda

The bar is great. The service upstairs is so-so. The restaurant is amazing. I had one of the best scallop meals I have ever had. Well done. Excellent wine selection. Great service.

Bradley Hallier

Great drinks and experience.

Natalia Carter

La comida está rica, pero bastante cara para lo que ofrecen. Hay mejores restaurantes en la misma zona.

Kevin Hitt

Our waitress was friendly; however , service was awful . Several of us ordered the filet , 10 minutes later we were told they ran out ... Our dinners started to trickle out one by one over a period of 40 minutes , no one ate together . Def an over priced establishment for the quality of service and food.. Was our first experience. I doubt very seriously we will go back .

nibras alnajjar

if you coming to Charlottesville and you didn't visit this place you are didn't in Charlottesville and more!

Andrew Evans

We sat on the outdoor upper bar and the atmosphere was excellent with smooth jazz playing in the background and some good tasting cocktails. The only downside was the food left something to be desired. The grilled cheese was burnt and the salsa tasted like beans and not tomatoes. Our server also seemed disinterested in his job and uninterested in helping us. But definitely come for the ambiance and libations.

Andrew Fernandes

Went for late night drinks on the rooftop and it was a great time. It was really crowded and service was slow, but it's kind of expected with that many people. The music was a mixup of multiple decades so every once in a while it turned into a mass karaoke idol audition.

Roy Van Doorn

Had dinner the other night and the food was fantastic! Their skybar is unique in Charlottesville and is the perfect place for meeting a friend or an evening out - great views. I particulary enjoyed the windowed kitchen where we could watch the chef prepare meals. A great restaurant experience!

Denise Lee

I will never go back to this place again. The waitress threw our menu's down and walked off. We finally ordered drinks and they tasted awful and were over-priced. We waited about 40 minutes for our checks. If you like rude people and over priced food and drinks this is your place !

David Hiniker

Loved the Skybar...our waitress (didn't catch her name but she was Bulgarian) was fantastic and helped us figure out what to do with the rest of our night downtown. The filet mignon was AMAZING!!!!

Allison Dean Love

Always a nice venue with good food!

Lauren Quinn

Great mix of food and great service

Gregory Williams

Best Restaurant in town!!

Owen McAlack

Great venue, great bartenders, great patrons, sick rooftop. Has a killer house music night called Rhythmfire Sessions!

Rachel Leach

Very crowded and hard to move around the bar to find proper seating. Outdoor heating lamps are a plus, though.

Mike Thomas

Poor experience last evening at this establishment. Beverage order - first two selections from the printed beer list were denied, as "we no longer carry those beers". On a positive note, my wife ordered the Spring Risotto, which she enjoyed very much. I selected the 13oz Timbercreek Ribeye from the daily special list. I have had Timbercreek ribeye before, as well as their dry aged ribeye, what I was presented with was neither. This was the toughest cut of meat that I have ever been served. It suggested origin of a lesser beast. This was brought to the attention of the server, who removed the partially eaten meal, promising to bring it to the attention of the kitchen staff. That was the last I heard or saw of it, no apology or comment from any employee. This is not the first time I have been to Commonwealth, but with so many legitimate and quality restaurants on the Downtown Mall, it may well be the last.

Aaron Spencer

I really expected this place to be awesome after walking by it for a couple years. The upper deck area looks like a lot of fun from the mall. And while it is a cool spot, the rest of my experience was not good. Our waitress was really having a rough night. Lost our order. Disappeared when we were trying to get our bill so that we could catch our movie. We had to ask another waiter to help us out. Food took a long time to come out. The chili burger is downright awful. The crab cake slides were just meh.

Alexander Falkowski

Good selection of beers and nicely priced compared to the surrounding spots.

Margie Ann Manzano

Hefty shots, affordable drinks

S J

The skybar is cool bar, great location. Service is a little slow because they're busy. Needs better ventilation when it's hot.

Jadey Ross

Very nice environment and quick service

Sharingan Saiyan

Entre and dessert were the best. Great service.

Dylan Ross

1/2 of a star is for Location which is very nice, the other 1/2 is for the watress who was very nice, and the other full star is for cleanliness which was undoubtedly superb. The food was absolutely horrible. I had an $18 dish. I was expecting to be full and even possibly box it up. But no, it was so small that I was still hungry. My opinion is that the dish tasted poorly. So yeah, $18, poor taste, and no complementary rolls or anything was offered during the duration of time I was waiting- which was a hefty amount of time. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant purely for the food and I won’t be going back again.

Ted Kwasniewski

Great food, friendly staff.

Susan M

I would have loved to have had lunch here today, but despite my confirming reservations twice for today-Friday at noon, the doors were locked and no one answered. This was very frustrating because I brought two elderly, disabled people here for a celebration and it was very difficult for them to walk here. When I spoke with the hostess last night for reservations, she assured me they would be open and the poster on the window also said they were open for lunch Thur-Sun. Very disappointing!!!!

Katrina Danielle

This place is great!

Valnessa Herndon

Really nice place

Suzanne Kane - Mace

Excellent location and atmosphere. Late night menu was interesting. Did not care for the wings. Will need to visit again to try full menu.

Scott Ruffner

Excellent food, great atmosphere, either downstairs or up at the skybar

Virginia Stockwell

As always, excellent drinks. Ask for the bartender's special...not necessarily the drink of the day

Nick Platt

A taste variety of dishes including flank steak, calamari, cheese plates, and filet mignon. They kindly accommodated out reservation of about 15 people.

Alexander Prince

It's okay if you're just looking for a quick drink, the atmosphere is kind of bland.

matthew lee

Great music great atmosphere great view wonderful service the bartenders roundpoint will make you laugh good drinks

Seth Rubenstein

Really great wings ironically. However very expensive overall for what you're getting.

Paul McArtor

Excellent food and atmosphere. Our server was terrific. Also, anytime we get to see Rachel is a huge bonus!!

William Kruse

Timmy the bartender is on point. He knows his whiskey and will help you find exactly what's right for your taste.

Ian Saul

Guys, service at the bar was ridiculously slow. If food and drinks are your business, and the bar isn't packed (numerous empty seats) then ordering shouldn't be such an issue.

Jeremy Springman

Dishes were pretty hit or miss; good environment though.

Don Davis

Very cool rooftop bar with an outdoor patio, ample seating, regular live music, and great, friendly service. Drink prices are honest but I've not eaten there yet. Definitely worth an evening during summer!

Griz Cliz

I went there for the SkyBar like most people seem to do. It's your typical college bar. Loud inoffensive music, dark, and lots of college kids. If you're into that, then this place is alright

Sam Steer

Very upscale and a great atmosphere

Reviews4U2Consider

Both food and cocktails are excellent.

pamela helen gunchick

GREAT CRAB LEGS AND STEAK DISHES... LOVE THE OUTDOOR ROOF TOP BAR TOO AAA++++

Rod van Ausdall

This review is for the brunch. I've heard it said if one thinks something is perfect one hasn't been around, Well, I've been around a wee bit - Shanghai to Paris and stops in between - and my breakfast was perfect, as in no flaws in service, menu, or surroundings.Cost: Reasonable. Molly, my server, was attentive without intrusiveness .Very pleasant, with a great smile. I'm with MacArthur "I shall return."

Nathan Widmyer

The skybar is a good time even in bad weather (was raining on the metal roof). Quality bartending staff too.

Jim Benusa

It was OK..

Annette Hill

Had to wait more than an hour for a salad and a mussels appetizer. When everyone else got their food (finally) I still didn't get my food. They were very apologetic and comped the salad and gave us a round of drinks to compensate, but, just shouldn't have happened in the first place. Won't be back..

Bryn Loving-Kotter

I went to a party in their reserved space, excellent location within walking distance to parking garage.

Dave Shifflett

The service, atmosphere, and food here is amazing. My wife and I had never been to Commonwealth so we wanted to give it a shot. We're so glad we did. We both got the filet that was on the menu and it was out of this world. I appreciated that the waitress started out with asking if medium rare was OK. For me that is the perfect temperature to cook a steak, but often restaurants have a hard time hitting the mark. Not Commonwealth, it was cooked to perfection and the flavor was incredible. I would like to go back and try some other entree's, as I'm sure the quality will be there too. Thank you for an overall great experience.

heather notarangelo

Super posh. All the drinks are divine and top shelf. Second floor patio bar with circular couches, full length bar, and tables.

Sandra Holbrook

Used to be one of my favorites but havent been there in over 6 mo ths. Not sure what happened but it was the saltiest meal I have ever had. It is all you could taste.

michael latcham

Liked everything about this place.

Jack Crocker

Had a wonderful time here tonight!

Lawrence Hall IV

Pretty nice restaurant. The Sky Bar is definitely more like Club. Downstairs is a really good restaurant. However for the food it's a little pricey. I've had higher quality food at a much lower price.

Randall Bennett

I visit the upstairs bar all the time. The music is always on point, the service to business volume ratio is excellent. The bartenders are always on hand with a good beer or cocktail recommendation. And the crowd is usually high energy without being rowdy. Yeah, I said rowdy, get off my lawn.

Sam W

Astounding menu, some of the best wings in town, and by far some of the best atmosphere/ambiance that I've ever experienced. Hands down 5/5. Upstairs can be your club-ish destination, and downstairs is always great for business meetings and more intimate/romantic meetings.

Chris D

The food has become gross and expensive. I ordered the mango jalapeno wings without the ranch dressing because really, ranch is just glorified mayonnaise and it's a really lowbrow thing to serve at those prices. They show up in a gross pepper sauce based on mayonnaise anyway. The waitress was very helpful and nice and whisked it away at no cost after recognizing this is gross.

Gav G

The entire staff was friendly and sociable and the food was delectable. The red wine salmon was a pleasant surprise, even though it was a smaller plate (yet still filling). I was especially glad that they could seamlessly accommodate a shellfish allergy (despite the menu having lots of seafood). The atmosphere was quiet and calm; it was not too cold inside unlike most restaurants. Even though it was a bit pricey, it definitely turned out to be the right choice.

Aaron Tucker

Food was great. Went for brunch with family. Service however was more than lacking. After being seated our waiter treated us as if we were making his life difficult (we ordered 4 meals 2 of which were the same with no changes requested). He neglected to tell us about specials and after serving the food never came back. He did however check in on everyone around us. It would have been nice to have a coffee or drink refill or basically any service. I would finish and this is more of how I was raised but I still do expect the women to be served first. Especially when a women and a man order the same meal it should just make sense to serve the women. Maybe I’m old fashioned and it is t a thing anymore. Anyway, again the food was great. If you can accept subpar service and treated like a pariah then I highly recommend.

Nick Pompei

The wife and I stopped in here on our first time to c-ville. We didn't eat but had a beer up on the rooftop bar - awesome spot! Cannot imagine this place in even warmer months, you've got to stop here and get a drink

Joan Clickner

Music way too frickin loud on the roof so we had to eat downstairs indoors so we could converse. Most food and drink selections were great but the lamb dish was pretty disappointing. Way too little meat and weird seasoning. Sauce unimaginative and gloppy. Never had such a bad lamb dish. A few other annoyances but the expensive, lame lamb entree was the only really bad part.

Alex Bryant

Nice place to grab brunch and catch up with friends. Our waitress was really nice and helpful with the menu.

Emily Walters

The drinks were good. The fries were amazing. My sister got a burger,and she said it was ok. But it was messy and lacked flavor.

Jessica Charlie

This is an amazing restaurant! The food is phenomenal! You must go check it out!!

jim camblos

The meal was ok, nothing special. The prices were outrageous for what we got and the service was lukewarm. This was our second mediocre experience and we won't be back.

Patrick Sell

Decent bar

Chris Bradley

Brussel sprouts! Nothing else to add!

Jordan Marshall

Brunch was mediocre. Few vegetarian options and no seasonal options, with some odd choices on the menu (fried oysters!?). My "Eggs Benedict" was a soupy mess of yolk and hollandaise sauce all on a single soggy piece of toast. Greens were a nice addition, but they should have been in the side. Half of brunch the menu consists of drinks and dessert, so if you want a mimosa with a slice of pound cake, this is the place for you. Otherwise, explore other options.

Elise C

Disappointed in both service and food which is a shame cause excited to try them after viewing menu online. Went for brunch and put in an order for food and the restaurant was 1/3 full. After placing our food order never saw our waitress again until over 30 minutes later when we still didn't have our food and 2 tables that arrived after us received their orders. Waitress finally stopped by and commented that we didn't have our food. Food came shortly after this but about 45 minutes after ordering. Every dish was burnt on one or both sides (french toast, Dutch pancakes, toast, etc), pieces of eggshell on the bacon and grits were flavorless. Out of 4 dishes ordered none were even mediocre. Prices are too high for sub par food and sub par service, there are much better options within walking distance.

Kevin Morgan

Ok

john norton

Lackluster, uninterested bar service and the kitchen "throwing away" our appetizer order took away from a wonderful venue.

matt 311

Nothing to write home about, but overall a good restaurant, reasonable prices and a very nice rooftop bar. If they had a better appetizer menu with chips and spinach dip I'd give it a 5.

Adrian W.

I've been to Commonwealth twice now, once for brunch and once for dinner, and had a good experience both times. The interior is wonderfully modern and welcoming, while the skybar is a good, casual alternative if you're in the mood to sit outside. I can't say much about the menu, because I'm a cheapskate and ordered the cheapest possible options, but what we did try was excellent. For brunch, I had the chicken and waffles. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was still good. For dinner, the onion haystack appetizer was a great twist on typical onion rings, and the fried chicken sandwich was amazing. I'll probably never be able to justify spending $20+ on one of the other entrees, but I might come back for brunch or to get another taste of that awesome chicken sandwich.

Alan Goodyear

Came in an hour before they closed for brunch. They had run out of food. Very disappointing and embarrassing after bringing out of town guests.

Sean Bias

It's OK.

Tristan Haller

What what spot was on point

Dale Woodson

Get a PBR, a G&T, (and/or whatever)

bert miller

This place always gets noticed for it's skybar but the restaurant is the real star!

Tyler Durden

Love it. Go to the second floor and sit outside, its perfect for a fall dinner.

Elizabeth Swan

(Translated by Google) I loved ! We went to breakfast and ordered some huevos rancheros (special of Cinco de Mayo) and some Benedict! The two were delicious, the waiter also very good, we will definitely come back (Original) Me encanto ! Fuimos a desayunar y ordenamos unos huevos rancheros ( especial del cinco de mayo ) y unos Benedict! Los dos estaban deliciosos, el mesero también muy bueno , definitivamente regresaremos

Hunter Beck

Jack and coke was meh but they gave me a solid double shot of Jack when I ordered

karen casey

Rachel, Danielle, Christin, Cate and the whole staff were so accommodating in helping me plan a dinner for the 18 women of my tennis team. And the food was delish! Hard to please 18 different palates but every single plate was cleaned.

Nikki

Great fast paced service

Simon Newberry

Great service, great food, and great location. A bit schmancy for a simple night out with the guys but perfect for a date night.

Frank Long

Good atmosphere, great bartenders. Ask for Drew.

Mike Burke

Great roof top bar for cocktails and craft beer. Enclosed in the winter so it's always open

Lynn Crawford

It was a good place for a dinner on the mall but with the recent changes it's even better

James Yount

Drinking at the Skybar on a Friday evening while you can listen to Fridays After Five during the summer, and watch people as they walk through downtown.

James Beeman

Excellent chicken and waffles, but the sausage gravy is outstanding! Had one of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever had. The seafood Benedict was amazing!

Jen Taylor

We had a hard time getting served at Skybar. Drinks were okay.

Mary Jones

american food at this place - super tasty. service is excellent even when they are busy. prices that are reasonable.

S.M. Oliva

Excellent food and service!

Coheleach Holmes

Great