Even though they don't take reservations in advance, we called ahead to tell them there would be five of us. Sunday at noon, in the Arlington, VA area and we didn't have to wait. The menu is diverse and service was excellent. Thanks Michael! If you're in the Shirlington area, you can't go wrong at the Carlyle Grand Cafe.

The Carlyle turns out to be exactly the restaurant you picture when you hear the name - old style elegance, art deco elements throughout the decor and terrific service. The food is pretty wonderful, too. I had a warm roast chicken salad, which included dried cranberries, nuts and field greens, with a light sweet vinaigrette dressing. My husband had beef tips and noodles (a special that day). Both were outstanding! We'll definitely want to come again next time we visit Virginia.

Ate here on a Sunday night and they were not busy. Service. food, ambiance were excellent. We had the stuffed fish, a filet mignon, and another fish dish. The choice of breads brought ahead of time was quite nice. Nice quiet atmosphere for a special meal. We would come back.

We tried the Carlyle Cafe for a Valentines Dinner treat before the Signature Theater play at 8pm.
The restaurant was unexpectedly very busy with an hour wait at 6pm on a Saturday night. We didn't want to go back out on the street to find another less busy restaurant, since this one had such good reviews. So we waited 10 min for two seats together at the bar. The bar staff was very friendly, while extremely busy. I was amazed at their efficient style. The menu provided a wide range of tastes. We ordered dinner at the bar and it came in a short time. The appetizer was an delicious egg roll and the shrimp salad main course was just excellent. The prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere busy but entertaining. So we even had time for a sweet dessert of chocolate bread pudding. I am so glad we stayed and enjoyed our before-theater treat. The wait staff was very attentive and overflowing with hospitality. I believed they were happy we chose to eat there.