Where to Eat in Old Town Alexandria

How Old Town's restaurants are laid out

King Street runs about a mile from the King St–Old Town Metro east to the river, and the restaurants change with it. The upper blocks near the Metro mix restaurants with offices and hotels, and the middle blocks, roughly the 400s to the 900s, mix them with shops. Below Lee Street, several restaurants on King, Union and the Strand occupy old warehouses, and restaurants sit on the water itself from the foot of Cameron Street south to Robinson Landing. The side streets a block or two off King hold restaurants of their own, and Old Town North, around Montgomery and St. Asaph streets, has its own cluster.

The free King Street Trolley runs between the Metro and City Hall every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., so you can ride most of King Street and walk the last few blocks to the river.

By the occasion

Lunch

These restaurants say on their own sites that they serve at midday. Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant serves lunch Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. At the foot of King Street, Daniel O'Connell's opens at 11 a.m. every day, Mia's Italian Kitchen serves lunch daily, and Mai Thai opens daily at 11:15 a.m. Chadwicks on the Strand opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, and Fontaine Caffe & Creperie serves from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays before it reopens for dinner.

A casual meal

For something simple: Fontaine makes savory and sweet crepes, Joe Theismann's, a block from the Metro, keeps an all-day menu of pan pizzas, burgers and sandwiches, Mia's bakes brick-oven pan pizzas, and Southside 815 serves Southern cooking with 18 draft beers and the game on 14 screens. Prices change too often for us to list them, so check each menu online.

A table on the water

Six restaurants in this guide sit on the river itself. At the foot of Cameron Street are Chart House and Blackwall Hitch, and Vola's Dockside Grill is at 101 N. Union, with a terrace facing the Potomac. Hummingbird is inside the Hotel Indigo at 220 S. Union, with a patio for its oyster roasts. Farther south at Robinson Landing, Ada's on the River looks out through 15-foot windows, and Barca serves on a pier.

Weekend brunch

Saturday and Sunday: Vola's, Ada's on the River, Vermilion (its site encourages reservations), The Majestic, whose "Brunch & Bubbles" starts with a glass of champagne, and Joe Theismann's by the Metro. Sundays: Blackwall Hitch, from 10 a.m., Chart House and Gadsby's Tavern. Virtue Feed & Grain serves brunch on weekends.

A special dinner

Nasime serves a seven-course Japanese tasting menu every night, booked through Resy. Vermilion offers its three-course "Farm Table" menu in the dining room. Le Refuge has served French cooking across from Christ Church since 1983, Landini Brothers Tuscan cooking on lower King since 1979, and Oak Steakhouse in Old Town North serves Prime steaks.

Dinner in an old building

Several restaurants cook in old buildings. Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant serves in Colonial dining rooms. Union Street Public House is in a renovated 1790 warehouse, Virtue Feed & Grain in an 1800s feed and grain warehouse, and Chadwicks in a 19th-century warehouse on the Strand. Il Porto and Taverna Cretekou have both cooked on King Street since 1973.

Patios and a long beer list

Virtue Feed & Grain has a large patio where dogs are welcome, first come, first served. T.J. Stone's pours from more than 300 beers, wines and spirits and has covered and open patio tables. Taverna Cretekou opens its patio in spring, summer and early fall. Rustico keeps more than 100 beers, Alexandria Bier Garden has its indoor bier garden at 714 King, and Joe Theismann's has more than 19 beers on tap.

After 10 p.m.

Chadwicks on the Strand is open until 2 a.m. every night, Alexandria Bier Garden serves a late-night menu until 12:45 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the kitchen at The Fish Market on King and Union serves until 11 p.m. daily. Hours change with the season, so check before you set out.

Coffee, pastry and ice cream

Counter service has its own guide: see coffee, bakeries & sweets in Old Town for the roasters, pastry counters, gelato and chocolate shops. Planning a night out? Our events calendar lists restaurant weeks and other food events.

By the kind of cooking

The same picks, by what is on the plate. Each restaurant's address and site are in the street lists above.

Seafood and oysters

The Fish Market (Chesapeake oysters, chowder and crab cakes), Hank's Oyster Bar (a raw bar), Finn & Fire (sushi and oysters), Hummingbird (seafood towers and oyster roasts), Vola's Dockside Grill (oysters every day) and Chart House (seafood on the river).

Italian

Landini Brothers (Tuscan, since 1979), Il Porto (fresh pasta and seafood, since 1973), Mia's Italian Kitchen (housemade pasta and pan pizzas) and Thompson Italian at King and South Henry streets.

French and other European cooking

Le Refuge (French, since 1983), Fontaine Caffe & Creperie (crepes), Taverna Cretekou (regional Greek, since 1973) and Alexandria Bier Garden (German-inspired: pretzels, schnitzel and bratwurst).

Steak

Oak Steakhouse (Prime steaks), Ada's on the River (Prime meats from a live-fire hearth) and The Warehouse (seafood, steak and Cajun plates).

Southern

King & Rye (seasonal Southern American cooking), Southside 815 (Southern cooking since 1993) and Union Street Public House (American food with a Southern twist).

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Old Town restaurants are on the water?

Chart House (1 Cameron St.) and Blackwall Hitch (5 Cameron St.) at the foot of Cameron Street, Vola's Dockside Grill (101 N. Union St.), Hummingbird in the Hotel Indigo (220 S. Union St.), and at Robinson Landing, Ada's on the River (3 Pioneer Mill Way) and Barca Pier & Wine Bar (2 Pioneer Mill Way).

Where can I get weekend brunch in Old Town Alexandria?

On Saturdays and Sundays: Vola's Dockside Grill, Ada's on the River, Vermilion, The Majestic and Joe Theismann's. On Sundays: Blackwall Hitch, Chart House and Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant. Virtue Feed & Grain serves brunch on weekends. Times change, so check each restaurant's site.

Where can I get lunch in Old Town Alexandria?

Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant serves lunch Wednesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Daniel O'Connell's opens at 11 a.m. every day; Mia's Italian Kitchen serves lunch daily; and Mai Thai opens daily at 11:15 a.m., all according to their websites.

Which restaurants are near the King Street Metro?

Joe Theismann's is a block from the station at 1800A Diagonal Road, Nasime is at 1209 King Street and Vermilion at 1120 King Street. From the Metro, the free King Street Trolley runs down King to City Hall every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Where can I eat late in Old Town?

Chadwicks, at 203 Strand Street, is open until 2 a.m. every night; Alexandria Bier Garden, at 710 King Street, serves a late-night menu until 12:45 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and The Fish Market's kitchen, at King and Union, serves until 11 p.m. daily, according to their websites.

Where should I park for dinner in Old Town?

Most street meters charge until 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and are usually free on Sundays on blocks that are not residential, according to the City. Landini Brothers and The Fish Market list valet parking at King and Lee streets on Friday and Saturday evenings. Our parking guide covers garages and street parking.