Am headed to Washington DC and am interested in good restaurants in Alexandria. Thanks.

Le Gaulois (King Street) & Le Refuge (Washington Street) for French food.
South Austin Grill (King Street) for Tex-Mex
Cajun Bangkok (King Street) for spicy seafood

Hi Robin -- We've always enjoyed a nice meal and great service at The Warehouse Bar & Grille or The Seaport Inn (across from Scoops). Both are on King St.

If you're in the mood for 'junk' food, try either Armands for pizza (they deliver to local hotels) and/or Scoops for ice-cream. Both are also on King St.

Enjoy your trip.
Debbie

I agree with the above recommendation for Le Gaulois for French food. Just be sure to make reservations because seating is limited and they often have a full house, especially on the weekends. If you want a great view, it's hard to beat The Charthouse (primarily seafood), which is right on the Potomac River. However, the food, while good, is a bit pricey.

We stayed in Alexandria in October. We really enjoyed the Union Street House.It looks like a pub but excellent food and very friendly staff. It's not elegant but the best food in Alexandria.

To the top - any more recommendations??

A great restaurant in Alexandria is 219. New Orleans-style food, but it is delicious.

Being rather close to Le Gaulois, we've tried it 4-5 times in the past two years. Not to annoy anyone, but this is very, very tired and second-class food ... a restaurant living on an old rep. They have a lovely garden, but it fails to make up for their poor cooking. Cajun Bangkok on King Street is not your best bet either ... try 815 at 815 King, or the Thai place next to the new Hilton by King Street station. The best seafood is Blue Point Grill on S. Washington. Fish Market on King and Chart House are good. South Austin Grill has gown downhill, serioulsy ... I've eaten there at least 10 times in the past year ... it's quick, and sometimes okay. Alexandria is not an area of great restaurants .. wish it were. Ciao

Best restaurant in Old Town: Cafe Marianna. It's difficult to find if you're not familar with the area, but it's worth the effort. Wonderful food with great atmosphere and service. And you'll fit in whether you're wearing shorts or a suit. They have outdoor seating. It's right off of N. Fairfax Drive, where the street ends, on the north end of Old Town.

Avoid the Chart House (overpriced, very average food), unless you're just going for drinks. Good views.

Avoid the Fish Market, unless you just want a sandwich, or plan on spending the evening in the upstairs piano bar, which is a lot of fun. Again, their more expensive dinners simply aren't very good.

I've discovered Cajun Bangkok recently and was very pleasantly surprised. The same with Santa Fe East.

Haven't been to Le Gaulois for years, so can't comment.

Thai Pepper (next to the Hilton) would be ranked dead last for Thai places in Old Town. Okay for lunch (they have a cheap special), but I wouldn't go there for dinner. I prefer Cajun Bangkok or Chintana (of course, last time I went there, ants crawled on the table, so I haven't been back in awhile).

The Warehouse has a she-crab soup to die for.

Ecco and Landini Bros. has good Italian. Avoid Il Porta (or is it Porto?).

If you're looking for a special dinner, try La Bergerie. I never remember the street but it's in Old Town. Fantastic french food.

Try washingtonian.com for restaurant reviews all over the DC area