Kristian Summerer for Visit Alexandria
BARCA Pier & Wine Bar
Alexandria does outdoor dining better than a city its size has any right to. There is the river, obviously — a mile of waterfront restaurants with the Washington skyline on the horizon. But the good stuff is scattered well past Old Town: walled gardens off King Street, a rooftop six floors above Prince, a beer garden in Arlandria where the dogs outnumber the barstools, and a Del Ray porch that has been screened in since the house was built in 1925.
Here's where to sit outside in Alexandria, arranged roughly by neighborhood.
ON THE WATER
The waterfront is the obvious draw, and the newer Robinson Landing restaurants have made the most of it.
Ada's on the River pairs the view with a live-fire hearth, turning out custom-aged prime meats, seafood and grilled salads with a smoky edge. Named for the 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, it's the dressier of the pair, and its terrace is the one to book for an occasion.
Next door, BARCA Pier & Wine Bar takes the opposite approach. Built out of retrofitted shipping containers on the pier itself, it's modeled on the chiringuitos — the beach bars of Spain's coast — and serves Spanish-Mediterranean small plates, sangria and Spanish wines with the river on three sides. Retractable panels keep it open to the breeze in summer.
A few steps north, Vola's Dockside Grill & Hi-Tide Lounge is the more relaxed option, with its signature red umbrellas, a terrace right on the water and a daily market oyster selection. It's named for Vola D. Lawson, the first woman to serve as city manager in the Washington region.
On the marina boardwalk next door to the Torpedo Factory, Blackwall Hitch patio features tables, a bar and couches and gets the sunset. The kitchen works a Chesapeake shore-tavern menu — oysters shucked to order, crab cakes, wood-fired flatbreads — with live music on weekends and jazz at Sunday brunch.
Next door at 1 Cameron St., Chart House sits at the end of the street with the marina wrapped around it. It's the one national chain in this roundup, and that's the trade-off: a broad seafood-and-steak menu and a Sunday brunch, in exchange for a patio that puts near the boat slips and looking straight across the river.
And tucked into Wales Alley beside Waterfront Park, Virtue Feed & Grain puts its brick patio in one of the oldest drinking spots in the city — beer was sold in the alley as early as 1786. The building itself was a feed house in the 1800s. The patio is dog-friendly and comes with a "For the Pooch" menu; it also doesn't take advance reservations, so the move is to arrive early and ask.
UP HIGH
Two of the best seats in town are several stories off the ground.
Jula's on the Potomac sits at Canal Center Plaza in Old Town North, and its four-story balcony delivers the widest river view of any restaurant in the city. The menu runs to prime steaks and seafood, and the bar keeps a deep list of wines, champagne and zero-proof options.
Closer to the heart of Old Town, Good Fortune perches six floors above Prince Street atop Hotel Heron. It's open-air lounge seating, seasonal cocktails, firepits and small bites — and the sunset over the Potomac is the whole point.
KING STREET
King Street itself is lined with sidewalk tables, especially the ones in the 100 and 200 block, closed off to traffic near the Potomac; but there are other interesting outdoor rooms tucked away here and there.
Taverna Cretekou has been serving regional Greek cooking at 818 King since 1973, and behind the dining rooms is a walled garden strung with vines that feels transplanted from a Greek island. Patio dining runs spring through early fall. Note that the restaurant is closed Mondays.
A block off the main drag, Fontaine Caffe & Creperie sets bistro tables on the sidewalk at 119 S. Royal St. Sweet crêpes come on wheat flour, savory on buckwheat, and the sparkling French cidre served in a ceramic bowl is the traditional pairing.
BEER GARDENS
For something looser, Alexandria has a real beer-garden bench.
Augie's Mussel House & Beer Garden at 1106 King St. is the Old Town standard-bearer — an expansive string-lit garden and ten different preparations of mussels, in a Belgian mode named for the patron saint of brewers.
Out in the West End, Port City Brewing Company pours at its own Wheeler Avenue headquarters, with a patio, flights and rotating food trucks. It's the oldest packaging brewery in metropolitan Washington.
DEL RAY AND ARLANDRIA
Up the avenue, outdoor dining is less about views and more about neighbors.
The Garden at 1503 Mount Vernon Ave. is exactly what it sounds like: an all-day beer garden with lawn games, firepits you can reserve, and menus for both kids and dogs.
The Evening Star has anchored the neighborhood since 1997, with a seasonal American menu that leans on produce from its own rooftop garden and a wine list of roughly 1,500 labels sourced from Planet Wine next door. Its Front Porch spills onto the sidewalk.
Just off Braddock Road, Lena's Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap runs a proper beer garden alongside the Neapolitan pies.
Del Ray Café occupies a 1925 house, and its screened wraparound porch is one of the more genuinely charming places to eat in the city — French country cooking, an extensive list of French wines, brunch daily.
And in Arlandria, Hops N Shine keeps a dog-friendly backyard at 3410 Mount Vernon Ave., with a long tap list heavy on Port City and other regional brewers, plus moonshine and seasonal cocktails.
A FEW THINGS WORTH KNOWING
Patio seating at the most popular waterfront spots — particularly Ada's and BARCA — fills fast on weekend evenings, and several restaurants won't reserve outdoor tables at all. Arrive early or plan on the bar.
The Potomac faces east, so Alexandria's best light comes from behind you: the sky over Old Town lights up in the early evening while the river holds the color. Rooftops and west-facing terraces catch it best.
And if parking is the obstacle, the water taxi runs between Alexandria's waterfront and the Wharf in Southwest D.C., which turns the trip itself into part of the evening.
