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Elaine's, Alexandria, VA

Elaine's

4.5
4.5
211 Reviews
$31 to $50
Mediterranean

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 16 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Elaine’s modern Mediterranean cuisine is based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt. The unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences.


Elaine’s is located at 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The 1880 building, the previous home of Bilbo Baggins for 38 years, has been completely renovated with a new look and feel. The restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River. Founders Park, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront are only blocks away.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Egyptian
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed, Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (571) 970-0517
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cheque Gourmet, Diners Club, Discover, Eurocheque Card, JCB, Mastercard, Sodexo Card, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Sameer Hunter
  • Catering
    We offer catering from our lunch and dinner menus, and we also customize catering menus depending on your need.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer four different beautiful spaces for private events
  • Area
    Old Town Alexandria
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 211 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Washington, D.C. Area

    Mediterranean

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Elaine's offers a delightful dining experience with "outstanding" food and "attentive" service. Guests appreciate the "charming ambience" and "carefully curated" wine list. The restaurant is praised for its "inventive" dishes and excellent vegetarian options. While portions can be small, the "friendly" atmosphere and "warm" staff make it a beloved spot.

211 Reviews
  1. Ross

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Quaint setting. Delicious food, excellent service.

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  2. Mary Ellen

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 8 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant is a gem in Old Town Alexandria. Elaine’s also hosts ‘book talks’ and has a lovely space upstairs with a library feel. Jeffrey was kind enough to let the 4 of us sit in that beautiful upstairs space….even though we were the only ones there. The ambiance was exquisite…with beautiful soft music in the background and excellent service…even though our server had to come upstairs to tend just us. The food and cocktails were delicious! It’s a little on the pricey side…but well worth it! Will definitely be back!!

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  3. Kathy

    Philadelphia

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Upscale yet cozy feel to the restaurant. Wait staff and owner care, pay attention - top notch service. Interesting mezza plates - the two we ordered - crispy Brussels and baba ghanoush, were amazing. Best pita bread I’ve ever had! Our entrees from the grill - a salmon dish and branzino were also delicious. And…they host free literary events in their upstairs venue! We’ll be back!

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  4. Anne

    Washington DC

    22 reviews

    5.0

    22 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We dined at Elaine’s for the first time last night. It was terrific - definitely a hidden gem in the neighborhood. The food was impeccably presented and delicious. The service was warm and appropriately attentive. The ambiance reminded me of cozy restaurants I’ve walked past in urban residential neighborhoods in Berlin and Bogota. We expect to be back often.

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  5. Courtney

    Washington DC

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 1 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cynthia (owner) and Nicolas (our waiter) were very welcoming and hospitable! The food and beverages were top tier. I will be back!!!

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  6. Rachel

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Tasty Egyptian inspired food. Enjoyed walking around old town afterwards!

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  7. Lisa

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    This restaurant is tastefully decorated and the wait staff was very good, but the timing on the food delivery was a problem. We were the one of only two tables so they were not busy, but we each received our entree's about five minutes apart, so that the first ad second diners food was cold before the third person was served. Hopefully this was not the norm.

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  8. Brian

    Memphis/West TN

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    I was with a small group that had just flown in and looking for a new place to try. I chose Elaine’s because the photos of the menu items looked amazing, and the reviews seemed favorable. We were seated right away and met the owner, who seemed very nice. During a brief conversation with the owner, I mentioned that I have a tree nut allergy. She assured me that I would be fine. The server came out and took orders for shared appetizers. Three appetizers arrived, everyone shared them, and they were small but tasted great. However, I started having an allergic reaction after just a couple of bites. I did not eat any more of the appetizers and let the server know about the allergic reaction the next time he came to the table. We ordered the main course, and the server assured me what I ordered had no tree nuts. However, again I had a mild allergic reaction to what I was eating. I don’t think there were tree nuts in the dish, but there was definitely some kind of significant cross contamination. The restaurant decor and the food presentation are very nice. All of the staff seemed very attentive. Compared to other restaurants in the area, I think this one is probably overpriced. The portions and prices are similar to fine dining, but I wouldn’t categorize Elaine’s as fine dining.

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  9. Pamela

    Washington DC

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 16 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely ambience, friendly atmosphere and tasty salad, baba ganoush and moussaka. Interesting Egyptian twist on some familiar dishes. Will return to try the dinner menu.

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  10. Jim

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 10 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    All of the Meza is outstanding. The service is friendly and attentive. And the wine is a bargain.

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FAQs

Elaine's offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (571) 970-0517.

Elaine's is rated 4.5 stars by 211 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 16 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Elaine's

208 Queen St, Alexandria, VA 22314-2613

Additional information

  • Area
    Old Town Alexandria
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed, Thu, Sun 11:00 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Egyptian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cheque Gourmet, Diners Club, Discover, Eurocheque Card, JCB, Mastercard, Sodexo Card, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Sameer Hunter
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (571) 970-0517
  • Catering
    We offer catering from our lunch and dinner menus, and we also customize catering menus depending on your need.
  • Private party facilities
    We offer four different beautiful spaces for private events
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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