5 Clinks in Old Town

Here it is folks, my top 5 picks to clink your glasses of vino in Old Town Alexandria. This was a toughie as there are a slew of terrific bars in Old Town, but these 5 are the tops for this vinophile. Tried and true, each spot in this quintet boasts a homegrown feel, a bar you’ll really want to sit at, and most importantly- great juice.

Grape + Bean
The most perfect little family-run local wine shop/wine bar/restaurant/coffee bar, this is the place I want to open one day. I’ve always dreamed of opening a cozy little spot that served up la dolce vita. These guys are big proponents of honest made, natural and terroir-driven wines- my kind of peeps and my kind of bar. I’m a big fan of their classes and winemaker evenings as well. There’s nothing like drinking wine with the guy or gal who made it. The Old Town location fills up quickly, so go early to grab a spot at the tiny bar or an outside table if the weather’s nice. Situated on the magical Royal Street- my favorite street in town- it’s next door to the locally owned cupcake shop, Lavender Moon, across the street from the greatest little creperie, Fontaine, and down the street from a very cool industrial design shop, Carbon. You can’t go wrong on this block. Pop in for a glass of really good vino and a strong cup of coffee. Does it get better?
Grape + Bean  118 S. Royal St.  703-664-0214

Restaurant Eve
Yep. Eve. Not Society Fair, The Majestic or PX- though I would be sorely remiss not to mention these 3 bars/restaurants that complete Chef Cathal Armstrong’s Alexandria dynasty- they are all fabulous, each with its own kind of perfect bar and innovative wine list (they would be my 6th, 7th and 8th pick), but the little bar in the front room of Restaurant Eve is tops for me and my vino. Thanks to master mixologist Todd Thrasher, Eve boasts a great cocktail list too but I’ve never gone wrong with a glass of wine here. The Restaurant is most famous for hosting Presidents, politicos and Washington’s finest in its terrific tasting room, an experience not to be missed, but the bar feels like a little secret, an in-the-know local spot. It’s just a good old-fashioned bar, the kind of room that you want to hang out in and catch up with good friends or spend some quality time solo.
Restaurant Eve  110 S. Pitt St.  703-706-0450

Hank’s Oyster Bar
The Alexandria offshoot of this locally owned seafood restaurant has recently added a gorgeous rowhouse-length marble-topped bar. The better to saddle up to and eat your dollar oysters on, my dears. Hank’s offers up a great wine list serving up salty Muscadets, luscious Italian rosés and zippy sparkling wines- all perfectly paired with those bicoastal bivalves. This is one of my favorite spots in Old Town in general. I’m a “regular” there, it feels a little like Cheers and who doesn’t want that in a bar? Don’t miss the fried oysters with that Muscadet and make sure to show up early. No longer a secret (it never really was but used to be much easier to get into), that long marble top is lately summoning the masses. Even with its recent addition and subsequent boom, Hank’s still feels small and quaint. You’ll count yourself lucky to nab a barstool here.
Happy Hour Dollar Oysters Monday-Thursday from 5-7pm and Fridays from 3-7pm
Hank’s Oyster Bar  1026 King St.  703-739-4265

Brabo Tasting Room
Sitting on the opposite end of King Street, Brabo Tasting Room is the dressed-down little sister to its adjacent and swanky big sis, Brabo Restaurant. I’m more comfortable in the tasting room where they don’t take reservations and I can get a great wood-fired tart with my 3 and 5-ounce pours. A taste or a glass offering of any wine makes it easy for the indecisive, taste a few- that’s the point here, I think. There’s plenty of good juice to go around and any joint that lists a good Loire Valley Savennieres is aces on my list.
Brabo Tasting Room  1600 King Street  703-894-3440

Bilbo Baggins
Ok, so it’s not on this list for the vino, but a glass full of delicious microbrew beer is a worthy clink afterall. Baggins offers up over 150 microbrew vintages with over 32 by bottle and 10 on tap. Mostly, this is a great local joint just off of King Street where you can grab a good glass of suds with some pals. It’s not fancy but it sure is fun and it’s named after a Hobbit. Need I say more?
Bilbo Baggins Global Restaurant  208 King Street  703-683-0300

Images: Hank’s- Andrew Collins, Brabo- Urban Spoon, Baggins- Matthew Culbertson

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