Outdoor dining is all the rage with two new waterfront options in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia.
Ada’s on the River opened in January, while BARCA Pier & Wine Bar opened in March.
“It is literally on the water on an old industrial pier two blocks south of King Street in Old Town,” Alexandria Restaurant Partners co-owner Scott Shaw told WTOP. “It is located at Robinson Landing, which is a new development that has sort of a mini-Wharf feel.
“We wanted you to sort of walk in and go, ‘Gosh, Toto, we’re not in Old Town anymore.'”
BARCA Pier & Wine Bar brings a distinct Spanish vibe to the Potomac River.
“It was inspired by a trip my partners and I took to Barcelona,” Shaw said. “On the beach in Barcelona, they have these little pop-up restaurants in the summer called ‘chiringuitos.’ They basically have three elements: a shipping container turned into a bar and kitchen, then some sort of shade structure, and a really simple Spanish tapas restaurant.”
What types of dishes can you find on the menu?
“Just a classic Spanish tapas menu,” Shaw said. “Croquettes, calamari with chorizo, a great Tzatziki, Gambas al Ajillo, a shrimp sautéed in olive oil, a beef tenderloin, an octopus ceviche, a very simple 15 items, all small plates served as they come out of the kitchen.”
In addition to its 200-seat dining pier, BARCA includes a 32-seat wine bar.
“Stone Fruit Rosé Sangria, great cocktails like the Barcelona Nights, which is made with two kinds of rum, we have passion fruit mojitos and a full wine list,” Shaw said.
Best of all, you can eat and drink with stellar views of the nation’s capital.
“There’s trellised seating with 360-degree views of the Potomac, including a look back to the Capitol, so it’s really a nice escape from the city in every sense,” Shaw said.
Next door is Ada’s on the River, boasting 180 seats indoors and 100 seats outdoors.
“[While] BARCA transports you to Barcelona, in Ada’s you could be in Santa Monica, South Beach or in D.C. at The Wharf, it’s got that kind of vibe,” Shaw said.
“It’s a very modern, cool design with 16-foot glass windows overlooking the river, we’ve got a great energy, a beautiful horseshoe bar. The idea was to create an elevated dining experience.”
The menu at Ada’s is all about steak and seafood on a wood-fired grill.
“We do a great wood-fired crab cake salad [but] the steaks are still the star of the show,” Shaw said. “There’s a 75-day aged strip, a 90-day aged porterhouse, and a 60-day aged filet mignon — and some great sides, a lobster mac-and-cheese, an oyster mushroom.”
He hopes both restaurants will boost Old Town’s growth as a destination spot.
“I describe it as #NewOldTown,” Shaw said. “The city made a big investment 20 years ago for a long-term waterfront plan. … There are great restaurants. There’s a wonderful waterfront walk.
“During the pandemic, a lot of people in the metro area discovered it and said, ‘Wow, this is a great place I can hang out, feel safe, be outdoors and dine outdoors.”
