Salt — Restaurant in Arlington

Absolutely love this place and can’t wait to go back! My friend brought me here for my birthday and I’m so happy she did. The food was superb and the cocktails were not only delicious but had great presentation. I ordered the Mo Fia mezcal cocktail which was Smokey and delicious. We shared everything and so glad we did so we could try a lot of different dishes. They switch up their menus and we went when they started their fall menu for this year. We tried the burrata, crispy miso pork, housemade gnocchi, and pappardelle bolognese. Everything was so flavorful and presentation was also on point. My favorite was the crispy miso pork where the meat was very crispy but also so tender it melt in your mouth. The chili glaze and apple gochujang purée was so tangy, sweet and had a kick to it. The housemade gnocchi also came on a bed of delicious veggies of mushrooms, butternut squash, and brussel sprouts. It was difficult to find though, I was lost and my friend had to come out to find me. You don’t go up the stairs but instead inside what looks like an office building and then you see a wall of wood. The door handle towards the middle of the wall is the entrance to Salt. You then head down some stairs to be greeted by the host. The ambience is super romantic, dark and sexy. It would be great to bring a date! They also have large booth tables so good for groups. You must make a reservation though as it gets busy. I also appreciated when the General Manager came by each table to check in on how things were going. The staff is very attentive and well trained. I am already thinking which cocktails and dishes I would try next when I visit again! My husband works in Rosslyn so trying to find an excuse to meet up with him at Salt for dinner when he gets off work sometime. The only downside is I really hate parking in Rosslyn. There are paid garage parking nearby but I was lucky to find street parking right on that street in front of Cava. There is a 3.5 hour max on that street but my friend parked on another street nearby that was only 1 hour max so she had to update on ParkMobile. Overall, for the food, drinks and ambience, definitely will go again and I love it when menus can be seasonal so it keeps it interesting and there’s always...

First time visit to SALT (Monday Date Night menu), wished we'd started coming here earlier.

The Date Night menu is slightly smaller than the regular menu, but still robust and at $50 total for two people to share, a decent bargain. Also suggest showing up a little bit before 7pm for the Happy Hour Drink reductions (which can be significant). The date night menu is already available then.

Ordered the tuna tartare nachos, pork belly buns, the Wagyu burger, and Passionfruit Panna Cotta. All were perfectly prepared. We didn't leave hungry! It's a full meal for two people (average height/weight).

My only issue was with the "I'm the Captain Now" bartender creation: this week it was a Manhattan variation with a bacon smoked rye whiskey--it was too sweet for me. Of note, when I make them at home, I cut the vermouth in my own Manhattan's by half, so I suspect that was the problem. So I'm not going to fault the bartender on this one--should have told him to cut the vermouth a bit from normal. The "So Fresh and Green" & the "Barrel Aged Maple Old Fashioned" were otherwise outstanding. The bartender hit them out of the ballpark!

Ambiance was very nice, not quite a speakeasy but rather a very upscale downstairs bar & restaurant. Noise level started low, but it gets louder as the night progresses. The two nice booths at the right of the entrance (where we were seated) echo each others voices, so if you want a bit of privacy from the other booth, speak softly or opt for another table.

One point: when you walk in the building on the LYNN STREET entrance (the ONLY entrance, even though the address is Wilson Blvd) you will see a carpet with "Salt" on it and stairs to the right to a nice bar. That is not Salt, but its sister ship "Open Road." Salt is straight ahead through the heavy wooden door that looks more like a solid wall. Perhaps the camouflaged door is why Salt has the speakeasy reputation.

Bottom line: great place with excellent food &...

Located under Open Road in the heart of Rosslyn, a block from the Metro, is an unassuming speakeasy through nondescript wooden doors. My friend and I grabbed a drink on a Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. There was a healthy flow of people, but we found two seats at the bar. Here’s our experience:

1. Drinks: The menu has lots of options, but none that satisfied my berry-sweet-style of cocktails. Because of that, the bartender offered to make me an off-the-menu cocktail he was clearly excited about. He said there’s nothing like it in the area- a coke and rum cherry float. It didn’t register what he was making me until he presented a tall glass of coke and rum half empty to leave room for whipped cream. It was too late to go back. As a boy, I once threw up on a float and can’t drink carbonation and cream. I took one sip and wanted to vomit. Not the bartender’s fault; I ordered wrong.

My friend ordered a Negroni and thought it was just okay. He asked for it “up” and the bartender had no idea what he was asking. His Negroni was average at best.

2. Service: It was very slow. It took a long time for the bartender to serve us or give us the bill. They were busy but but overwhelmingly.

Where I’ll knock off starts is how they handled me not finishing my drink. Again, that was my mistake for ordering wrong. However, a savvy bartender would find a unobtrusive way to ask if I wanted another. Instead, he acted offended.

3. Price: Since I ordered wrong, all I have to go off of is my friend’s average Negroni. Cocktails were around $15. Even for the D.C. area, that’s expensive! For quality cocktails, it’s a fair price, but not for average ones.

4. Vibe: This is where they excel. It’s simple, but screams speakeasy. The lights are dim and the tables are intimate.

5. Neighborhood: We found street parking out front and it’s free after 8 p.m. There are many fast casual restaurants in the area.

For a superb cocktail experience in the D.C. area, skip Salt and go to Copycat...