Alexandria and DC have a complicated history. When the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1801 established the 100 square miles that would become the nation’s capital, Alexandria—founded in 1749 and one of the oldest cities in the country—sat within its boundaries. But representatives of Alexandria immediately wanted out: As part of DC, they’d lost their position as the county seat in Fairfax, they couldn’t vote in congressional and presidential elections, and political and economic discord grew. Eventually, the interest in retrocession became mutual as abolitionists sought to outlaw slavery in DC and wanted Alexandria—then a hub for the trade of enslaved people—to be moved back to Virginia. In July 1846, that happened. The city continued to grow, with its prosperity, according to the tourism organization Visit Alexandria, “inextricably linked to the work of enslaved and free African Americans,” whose stories make up much of the town’s past. Today, it combines centuries of history with modern-day shops, restaurants, and activities for residents and visitors alike.
Where to Eat
Pasta-bilities
Hank’s Pasta Bar
location_on600 Montgomery St.
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The name Hank’s may be recognizable to local oyster fans, but Hank’s Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery St.), an offshoot of Hank’s Oyster Bar, specializes not in bivalves but in build-your-own pasta bowls. First, choose a pasta—bucatini, rigatoni, and mafalde are among the options—then select from sauces such as pomodoro, cacio e pepe, pistachio pesto, and artichoke lemon butter. You can also add proteins and veggies, or opt for ready-built choices including fusilli with shrimp and pesto or bucatini amatriciana. It works like fast-casual but feels like something else—you’ll eat from white ceramic plates here, not disposable bowls.
Fiery Chicken
Little Birdie
location_on1504-B Mount Vernon Ave.
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Over-the-top fried-chicken sandwiches are the move at Little Birdie (1504-B Mount Vernon Ave.), a casual chicken-centric restaurant launched in June by the team behind nearby Matt & Tony’s All Day Kitchen + Bar. The kitchen amps up Asian-inspired flavors with items such as a spiced crispy chicken thigh glazed with gochujang and sandwiched between a milk-bread bun, or honey cornbread served with nori, blueberry-miso, and chipotle butters. You can also order a single fried chicken nugget topped with osetra caviar.
High Dive
The Commodore
location_on220 N. Lee St.
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This year, Alexandria got an outpost of the Commodore (220 N. Lee St.), a nautical-themed “five-star dive bar” that’s also in Dupont Circle. It serves not just Miller High Life and bar snacks but pastas, Chicago-style thin-crust pizza, and espresso martinis. Also on tap: arcade games, a pool table, and weekly trivia.
Veteran Cafe Reopens
The Majestic
location_on911 King St.
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One of King Street’s most well established eateries is the Majestic (911 King St.), which has been operating in one format or another since 1932. Its most recent chapter began in April, when chef Santiago Lopez bought the Art Deco landmark and reopened it with a new Mediterranean menu, featuring dishes like saffron mussels, duck-and-pancetta dumplings in butternut-squash crema, and mushroom risotto with truffle aïoli. There’s also a lengthy brunch menu.
Old Town Omakase
Nasime
location_on1209 King St.
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One of Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants, Nasime (1209 King St.) would be at home in Ginza or Manhattan. Instead, it occupies an intimate rowhouse in Old Town, where Tokyo-trained chef Yuh Shimomura serves a seasonal rotation of plates like seared Wagyu, octopus in dashi broth with lotus and nameko mushrooms, bubbling donabe pots full of udon noodles, and kaleidoscopic selections of sashimi.
The Dubliners
Daniel O’Connells
location_on112 King St.
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The DC area has many Irish bars, but few get as serious about Irish cuisine as Daniel O’Connell’s (112 King St.), a handsome pub where you can complement your Guinness with shepherd’s pie, lamb stew with housemade brown bread, beer-battered cod and chips, or an Irish takeaway-style “spice bag”: chicken and fries seasoned with salt and chili and served with curry sauce.
South American Sushi
Finn & Fire
location_on111 N. Pitt St.
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The sleek sushi-and-steak restaurant Finn & Fire (111 N. Pitt St.), which landed in Old Town this past June, isn’t just any surf-and-turf spot. The kitchen specializes in Peruvian-Japanese Nikkei cooking, meaning you can expect ceviches, tiraditos, and steaks paired with Peruvian mash and shishito peppers, alongside a variety of nigiri, maki, and sashimi.
Places to Shop
Bake Sale
King Arthur Baking
location_on617 King St.
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King Arthur Baking (617 King St.) is opening a store and baking school—its first outside Vermont—in the heart of Old Town, eyeing a December debut. The Alexandria store will stock all of King Arthur’s products in addition to a selection of other kitchen and baking brands’ items. The school will offer cooking classes, private events, and community gatherings, teaching recipes for bread, pastries, and more.
New Bloom
Greenhouse Flora Collective
location_on1401 King St.
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After K. Aubrey Flowers closed its doors, Katie Meerstein reopened in September as Greenhouse Flora Collective (1401 King St.). The shop aims to maintain its historic charm while building something new, offering curated bouquets and weekly, biweekly, and monthly flower subscriptions. Greenhouse will also host workshops to teach flower care and arranging plus color theory.
Screams and Sweets
Long Dark House
location_on1510 King St.
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Chanthal Harris wants Alexandria to fall in love with horror. In September, she opened Long Dark House (1510 King St.), an in-dependent horror-and-science-fiction bookstore. Besides horror classics and thrillers, she stocks dystopian novels and niche subgenres such as botanical horror. The store also hopes to serve as a third space for the community by offering book clubs, craft nights, and Dungeons & Dragons games. It shares a space with the chocolate shop Madame Coco’s Emporium, making it easy to balance the scary with the sweet.
Vino Veritas
DCanter
location_on1101 King St.
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Woman-owned DCanter (1101 King St.) made its way to Old Town in April after serving Washingtonians in Capitol Hill for 13 years. The store features a wide selection of wines from across the world. For true enthusiasts, DCanter also offers wine classes, tastings, and private events. A wine-concierge service can help make selections based on taste and budget, then deliver bottles each month.
Fresh Scent
Arielle Shoshana Perfumes
location_on313 Cameron St.
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Arielle Shoshana Perfumes (313 Cameron St.) opened in Old Town last January after ten years in Fairfax’s Mosaic District. Its founder, Arielle Shoshana Weinberg, prides herself on curating a collection of niche scents organized by category, such as “woods,” “citrus,” and “spicy.” The shop also sells its own collection, named for days of the week—think a caffeinated aroma for Monday, a light floral for Friday, and passionfruit for Saturday.
Things to Do
Past Is Prologue
Manumission Tour Company
location_onVarious Locations
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History buffs can learn more about the stories of enslaved and free Africans and African Americans in Alexandria on one of Manumission Tour Company’s guided walking tours. Founded in 2016 by fourth-generation Alexandrian John Taylor Chapman, the company offers 90-minute tours on topics ranging from the city’s connection to the Underground Railroad to early African American spirituality. Tours take place, rain or shine, every weekend from February through December.
Play On
Continues Arcade
location_on1050 N. Fayette St.
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If you’re wanting to leave the digital world for a while, go analog at Continues Arcade (1050 N. Fayette St.). This old-fashioned game hall that opened in 2025 features more than 50 original arcade cabinets with such classics as Pac-Man, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong, and Asteroids, alongside other staples like Skee-Ball, pinball, and claw machines. It also has a restaurant and bar serving brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert, and cocktails.
Tiny but Mighty
Little Theatre of Alexandria
location_on600 Wolfe St.
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For 92 years, the Little Theatre of Alexandria (600 Wolfe St.) has delighted audiences with more than 450 productions and counting. The community theater’s season includes the musicals She Loves Me and Once on This Island, the plays The Pitman Painters and Calendar Girls, and the holiday classic A Christmas Carol. It also offers opportunities to act, direct, and enroll in classes.
The Spirit World
Nightly Spirits
location_on480 King St.
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Halloween season or not, Alexandria can be spooky year-round thanks to the Booze and Boos Tour run by Nightly Spirits. The two-and-a-half-hour walking tour takes you through alleys, streets, and houses with haunted histories, stopping along the way at pubs for some liquid courage.
What’s Selling
Among a slew of historic townhouses, plus some new-builds and a rare single-family home, here’s what’s sold in Old Town Alexandria over the past few months.
$786,900
A brand-new two-bedroom, two-bath condo with a den in the Whitley, with nine-foot ceilings, an open floor plan, designer appliances, and amenities that include a concierge, a fitness center, and a rooftop terrace.
$1,250,000
A three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom detached brick home with two fireplaces, off-street parking, and historic architectural de-tails—as well as “good bones” for a potential renovation.
$1,939,662
A three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,500-square-foot newly built townhouse by Madison Homes, with four levels, a private elevator, multiple outdoor spaces, and a two-car garage.
$1,199,000
A 1,439-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom waterfront condo with an updated kitchen and Potomac River views—plus community amenities that include a 24-hour concierge and a pool.
$1,800,000
A three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom circa-1875 semidetached townhouse with nearly 2,500 square feet of living space, a gas fireplace, and a private rooftop deck.
This article appears in the November 2026 issue of Washingtonian.
