Fyve Restaurant Lounge

Fyve Restaurant Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
Location: 1250 South Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202 
Phone: (703) 415-5000


Attached to the Pentagon City mall is the glamorous Ritz Carlton hotel and Fyve Restaurant Lounge. Whether you're up for a three-course meal or simply looking for a nice place to meet a friend for drinks, in my opinion, Fyve isn't a terrible choice. 

The dining room

My dinner reservations were at 7:30 and the restaurant was nearly full when my party was seated. To me, a full restaurant is a good indication of a good dining experience. This definitely held to be true at Fyve. 


To paint a picture in your head, you walk in and there is a full bar and lounge that leads into a bigger dining room. "Modern American cuisine is offered in an atmosphere with dazzling hues of red and orange that introduce an upbeat and contemporary décor."


Side note: by no means do you need to wear your Sunday best, but don't dress like you're going to Olive Garden for lunch. For guys, a nice shirt and khakis is appropriate attire.  Ladies, a causal dress or any pants other than jeans will work. 


Now I'll get to the food...
Surprisingly, the food was not terribly over-priced. Keeping this in mind, it was still expensive. The average entree price was around $28. The portions were satisfying and the service was nearly impeccable.


I love seafood so I ordered the Maryland style crab cake. 

Maryland style crab cake

It was a large cake (about the size of a big juicy burger). There was absolutely no filler, and it was deliciously fresh. The chef prepared the entree with a mandarin orange arrangement. The citrus added a nice, refreshing flavor. 


Finishing it all, I left no sign of disappointment on my plate. I would order this again tomorrow. 

I also tried the grilled New York strip; and it was pretty phenomenal. Served with mashed potatoes, it was cooked to perfection if you like a rare, tender piece of meat. A glass of pinot noir with this entree really hit the spot! 

New York strip

As I said, the service was top notch. Fyve is not a causal place to go to dinner, but I highly recommend it if you're looking for somewhere nicer to dine.


Overall rating: B+
Fyve is a little expensive for the young professional starting a career in the DC area. It's not somewhere you'd want to go spur of the moment. If you like what I've described, think of it as a great place for a special occasion.