Commonwealth Restaurant & Skybar

Review for downstairs brunch. Two stars because the food was good when we finally got it.
BF and I went for brunch. He has been before and said it was great. Waited long for the manager to come to the front to seat us when we walked in. He was on his phone the whole time texting rather than attending to customers or helping his staff (which they needed desperately).
Took awhile to get someone to come over to the table. We ordered the same time as her two other tables. Both other tables were served, ate, paid and left before we got our food. They bought us a round of drinks because they ran out of chicken and waffles and didn’t tell us for 35 minutes. BF got the brunch burger instead and I had the commonwealth salad with steak. Both were good when we got them. A 55 minute ticket time is really unacceptable. John Taffer would have «shut it down» after that. The manager who was busy texting knew what was happening and that his servers were slammed (if being slammed means having 3 tables) and didn’t help them or apologize to us. The server was very sweet and apologized.
Not coming back. Many other great options around!

First time visit for four of five in our party. Atmosphere was pleasant as the restaurant was full of soft noise from a small number of people and we didn’t strain to have our conversation or hear the waitress.
The appetizers were very tasty: cauliflower fritters were flavorful but lost was the cauliflower taste in the spices, but still good. Oven roast pork belly looked heavy, but was in fact light on the pallet and melted in the mouth. Fried oysters, well, I prefer my oysters raw — but the table enjoyed the oysters.
We had a cheese and charcuterie plate that everyone wanted more of. More sliced fruit and crackers would be appreciated.
The dinners served made everybody happy. We had seared diver scallops (in the future skip pork appetizer if you get the scallops), Atlantic Salmon, Ribeye, and I had the Duck Breast. My Duck breast was cooked to my liking — rare, tender and juicy; but amazingly not fatty as duck can sometimes be. The confit potato cake was a egg roll shaped deep fried surprise with a crunchy crust and soft potato inside.
Going on a non-​busy night, with no rush, and good friends just enhanced the excellent food and above adequate atmosphere.

Great food. Awesome atmosphere. The cheese and meat plate and pork belly were fantastic.

Great atmosphere. Came for Sunday brunch. The waitress convinced me to get the chicken and waffles. WOW. She was right. Highly recommend. Only knock is that I found the booth seating not comfortable at all. It encourages me to leave sooner than I wanted.

Skybar has a surprisingly chic downtown feel for being in the heart of a small city. The atmosphere is lively on the weekends and the bartenders mix a mean cocktail. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about the bar scene downtown but Skybar is pretty solid. This is the place to go when you’re in the mood to treat yourself, friends, or to take a date. It’s got just enough exposed brick, dim lighting, and general crowd noise that makes you feel for a second that you’re not in Charlottesville but any city at that exact moment with just enough drinks!
The crowd is pretty mixed depending on the night. The Friday we were there it was folks in their late 20’s to mid 50’s. It seemed to be a mix of locals, professionals, and the ever present younger professionals (represent). The rooftop venue is on the second floor of the restaurant and essentially a long rectangle with the bar spanning the length of the space. It can be hard ordering a drink on extremely crowded nights but if you’re patient and friendly, it can be done. Ladies (or daring gentlemen) I’d recommend trying the house cocktails. They are surprisingly delicious albeit pricey!

For brunch:
I’ve had their dinner before multiple times but it was my first time trying Sunday brunch. Their brunch is served all day on sunday. I got the eggs benedict and my friend ordered omelette.
Pros:
Fast seating
Elegant interior with patio seating
Affordable beverages (mimosas: $ 5)
Food were not too salty, not too sweet
Yummy fried potatoes!
Cons:
Mid-​range price for food ($ 10 – 18)
I wouldn’t say it was the best eggs benedict I’ve tasted.
I recommend this place if you’re looking for a date night.
For skybar:
Their drinks are average. All of their cocktails are $ 8 and they are very sweet. The rooftop is similar to those in Clarendon or DC bars.
Tips: use downstairs bathroom if you’re sober. Rooftop ones can be filthy later into the night.

So I’m looking at the hours for Skybar on Unilocal now and it doesn’t look like Skybar opens until 5:30 on Saturday? WHOOPS. This past weekend we showed up around 11 am and grabbed a table on the deck (strategically in front of the fan). When we walked in we were the only group and no one said anything about it being closed so I had no idea until just now!
However, we came her on a whim to spend a few hours before getting ready for a wedding and to celebrate a birthday! We ordered a few beers and decided to kick back and relax. Our waiter was extremely attentive and made sure that we had plenty of water (it was a hot one) and kept our beer orders coming! When we told him it was one of the girl’s birthday he insisted on buying any of the drinks she ordered! We ended up staying for maybe three hours?
During our time there we also ordered some snacks to hold us over. NOTE: They have a limited menu on the rooftop deck. We tried the fried oysters, which were good. They were served with a lemon aioli and that was an excellent addition. I think the reason they weren’t fantastic was because it was so hot and we ordered a hot appetizer… the fault is with our decision making skills. We also had a charcuterie plate that was extremely tasty. We tried three cheese and two meats that we let our waiter pick for us. The plate came with strawberries, grapes, and pickles, which were great additions! I would certainly order that again if I come back to Skybar!

Dinner review update!
Finally got back to try dinner (yes waiting 2 wks was a long time lol)! We arrived around 6:45pm and were hoping to dine at the rooftop bar. After venturing upstairs (it’s first come seating), my handsome date and I found all of the tables occupied. So, we went back downstairs and were sat on the patio. It was a little humid out but overall comfortable.
The service:
Just the right pace. We both liked that there was a slow progression of the courses. It’s nice to be able to savor each course and take your time and chat with your company.
The food:
Well thought out. I ordered the roasted chicken and he ordered the scallops. He loved his dish. I also enjoyed mine (especially the crispy skin!), though I don’t think I read the description of what flavors accompanied it, and it just wasn’t exactly what I was in the mood for — However, it was still a great dish.
The manager (Rich) came around a couple times and we ended up chatting with him for a little bit. It was great talking with him and getting to know more about the restaurant and the surrounding of area.
Great time again. Definitely becoming one of my favorites!

Had an unbelievably good brunch experience here while visiting a friend at UVa. We arrived a few minutes before they opened on the Sunday of graduation weekend and were seated immediately. Compared to DC brunch prices, the dishes here are an absolute steal.
Loved the pork belly benedict, crawfish and boursin omelette, and fried green tomatoes. Highly recommend!

A really trendy rooftop bar serving some excellent, if pricey, cocktails and regional beers.
I came to Skybar with a group of friends and immediately saw why this place was so popular with the slightly-​older-​than-​college-​age demographic. Outdoor rooftop bars are always popular (they’re legion in DC), and couple that with a generous space, a full bar with TVs, and some heat lamps and you’re guaranteed a fun crowd. They also offer some interesting cocktail options ($ 8):
Ginger Buck — Jim Beam, Ginger Beer, Shrub
Midnight Moon — Rumchata, Root Beer
Red Riding Hood — Absolut Orient Apple, Domaine De Canton, Cranberry
Golden Shandy — Goldschlager, Bold Rock Cider
Big Easy — Southern Comfort, Apple Cider, Ango Bitters, Served Hot or Cold
Dakota — Gosling’s Rum, Apple Cider, Biters & Shurb, Served Hot or Cold
We had the Midnight Moon and the Golden Shandy. The Midnight Moon tasted like a root beer float, and the Golden Shandy tasted like cider with a shot of fireball. Both were very good drinks, with the Midnight Moon taking the first prize.

Came here for a late dinner Friday night (8:15pm) and was seated immediately.
Several of the apps looked quite good, but we skipped that and shot straight for the scallops plate and the grilled pork flat iron plate.
Both were amazing – the scallops were seared to perfection and came with large slices of pork belly (heaven in your mouth) all on top of a sweet potato mash.
The grilled pork flat iron plate was a much larger serving than I thought it would be – it came on top of a perfectly paired butternut squash purée with tons of brussel sprouts included throughout.
Feel bad that it seems others didn’t get the level of service they were looking for – I had an incredible time here.

Great spot with a big city feel and we loved the rooftop bar. Sadly, we were running late for a concert and only got to partake in some adult libations, we enjoyed the crisp fall night and drank to we couldn’t drink anymore (that just meant our time ran out, not that we drank till we sank).
I want to try this place again with the wife so we can eat the food that I have heard great things about.