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  • Vermilion - Alexandria

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Vermilion - Alexandria
Vermilion - Alexandria

Vermilion - Alexandria Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.vermilionrestaurant.com
  • Email: jhammes@vermilionrestaurant.com
  • Phone: (703) 684-9669
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday, Wednesday - Friday: 11:30am - 3:00pm (closed for lunch on Tuesdays);
    Dinner: Monday- Thursday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm; Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 11:00pm; Sunday 5:30pm-9:00pm;
    Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 11:00am - 2:30pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Contemporary American, American
  • Executive Chef: William Morris
  • Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Affiliations: Dine Originals - Member Restaurants
  • Private Party Facilities: Please call for details.
  • Entertainment: Live music every Tuesday and Wednesday night starting around 10:00pm in the Lounge at Vermilion.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Fayette St.
  • Public Transit: King St. Metro Station
    Using the King Street Trolley, get off at the Fayette St. Stop coming in either direction.
  • Parking: Street Parking
A word from Vermilion - Alexandria
Vermilion features Chef William Morris' menu of Contemporary American cuisine. Complimenting Chef Morris' menu is Vermilion's wine list, named one of the top wine lists in the country by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. Combining a charming location in Old town Alexandria with stylized design and… atmosphere, Vermilion represents a bit of downtown sophistication: from the exposed brick in the upstairs dining room to the overstuffed pillows in the lounge downstairs, Vermilion holds something for all tastes.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerFit for Foodies
Diner Reviews
  • "Was looking for a new brunch spot and was very pleased with the feel of the place and the food. Poached eggs cooked perfectly and hashed browns crispy just to my liking."
    Dined on 4/6/2014
  • "The menu isn't that large or diverse (I didn't see any vegetarian dishes on the menu, for example), but everything that my date and I had was all very, very good."
    Dined on 4/4/2014
  • "From the wine list, through dinner [try the DUCK!], to the creative desserts this restaurant hits it out of the park. Mine was a business occasion - all walked away saying WOW!"
    Dined on 4/1/2014
  • "We heard/read Vermilion was the place to be for the mashup of meals so we threaded out on the cool rainy day to have at best an OK meal ( always underestimate to avoid disappointment) Well, did I mention it was raining that day and it was cool? Why oh why did they have the air conditioner going Full Blast over the guest's heads? I had to ask twice if they could turn it down so I'm not sure if the was the wait staff that goofed or the management who refused to warm up the cold spot. At any rate, being cold before my apps arrive doesn't help me to enjoy the food. Which, by the way was good but cooled down way too fast because of the arctic winds blowing from above."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "My family comes to visit and stays in Old Town every year and we have tried to get dinner reservations and we finally made it happen this past weekend! It was everything we hoped for and much more. After a couple last-minute calls to change the number of our party, the staff was very accommodating and made sure it would work out. As someone with a dairy allergy, dining can be difficult, but the staff did not hesitate one bit when reading menu options they could alter to fit my needs. The attentiveness (but not overbearing) of our server during all of the courses was much appreciated and added to the overall flawless dining experience. My group's meals were all cooked to perfection and everyone was extremely pleased. Best octopus appetizer!"
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "We chose this so my employee could take the metro. It was quiet which was great and we could linger for our business discussion. We both had mixed green salads which were large and flavorful, perhaps a bit more salt then I would have put on it but not so much as to not be able to enjoy it. I had the mussel appetizer as my entrée. They were flavorful with large pieces of Chorizo in the broth. My associate had the salmon."
    Dined on 3/27/2014
  • "We both plan to order their pan roasted scallop appetizer (outstanding!) on a future visit. My wife enjoyed the duck breast but will probably try another selection next time (first time duck eater). The local beef sirloin was cooked exactly the way I I like it. It was great and the spinach & walnut puree, roasted cauliflower, chorizo & red wine set apart from ordinary. Our waiter and the wine expert were both very pleasant and gave advice that enhanced the meal and experience. For special celebrations ask for the center window table upstairs."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "I have no complaints about the restaurant. But I must say that when I scanned the list of main dishes, nothing jumped out at me as exciting. I chose the rockfish and it was delicious. I wish that the scallops we had as a starter had been a main dish instead."
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "We had scallops as appetizer and lamb for dinner - both dishes super . Excellent service- unhurried and helpful."
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "Last Saturday's dinner was very underwhelming. My steak tartar, despite the enticing menu description, had a dried out streak of something tasteless accompanied by crumbles of something also tastless topped with several sprigs of frizze and bland beef! Not worth it's $14 price. My fish was well cooked but, again, the promised accompanyments were underwhelming. The prices on the wine list have been raised to unacceptable levels too. I have enjoyed this place since it originally opened, particularly under the toque of Tony Chattum, but I will NOT return."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "Good place to have a business lunch. Good food, good service, and fairly quiet (at least during lunch up stairs). Menu has something for everyone so no need to worry about variety."
    Dined on 3/20/2014
  • "Food was good, especially the Grilled Octopus; very nice pieces, great flavor. Main courses were a bit on the salty side but very tasty. Seat at the window upstairs is great in the summer but very cold in the winter."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "came for brunch with reservations, warmly greeted and seated right away. Great waitor, did a nice job, very attentive without being overly bothersome. I had the omelette which was wonderful, but bacon was overcooked, which was interesting since my wife's bacon was undercooked, but it was fine as we switched, she likes her bacon extra crispy. One flaw was Breakfast Potatoes seemed to be pre-made frozen and deep fried and were not very good, rest of the meal was great. No jelly or jam brought with toast. Nice spot"
    Dined on 3/16/2014
  • "I joke about this, but Vermillion has ruined every other dining establishment since my first visit. Other places in the area are good, but they're not Vermillion. Everything about this place is fantastic (staff, ambiance, etc.), but the food is AMAZING. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I like to think of this place as my little gem. When visiting, I'm usually with a group and we each purposely order different menu items to see if the food is as good as we remember on our last visit. We've had sweetbreads, octopus, monkfish, rockfish, lamb, sirloin, duck, cookies and the list goes on. Nothing and I literally mean NOTHING has been anything less than phenomenal. I'm convinced this place does not make a bad dish."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "The staff was lovely - we were celebrating our anniversary, and the staff bought us champagne and dessert, along with a handwritten note. Our meal was delicious, as were the house cocktails."
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "Food was excellent and service was superb. The place is a bit noisy, but that seems to be the rule and not the exception of dining out these days. It did not, however, subtract from a fabulous evening of fine dining."
    Dined on 3/11/2014
  • "My first visit to Vermillion was with my mother, for her 93rd birthday. Virtually every dish we had from the farm-to-table menu was superb, from the garlic soup with hen's egg and gnocchi we had for appetizers to our main courses of duck breast and steak. We were served a complimentary plate of delicious interpretations of American junk food classics in honor of my mother's celebration. The waitstaff is incredible, striking just the right note at every turn. From our second visit, the beet salad, tuna steak, winter squash soup and mini-Parkerhouse rolls deserve special mention. The chef's inventive take on lemon meringue pie was absolutely outstanding. Overall, my two meals at Vermilion are two of the best I've had in many years."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "Tried the tasting menu. The food was fresh, interesting combinations, and excellent portion sizes. The service didn't disappoint. Love Vermillion and have an excellent time every time I stop in."
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "The food is decent, but 'decent' should be less expensive. Service was spotty; either there were three servers hanging about or no one at all for stretches. My guest liked her soup (butternut squash) and her salmon. My hanger steak was cooked properly, but it came out the wrong side of lukewarm. Disappointing. The cauliflower that came with it was unseasoned and bland. Just sat there, uninspired. Some better options for less in the neighborhood. Might be back if prices come down a bit and reviews improve."
    Dined on 3/5/2014
  • "Great place to celebrate a special occasion for a small to medium size group. Wonderful food with excellent service. Though very busy in the evenings, you never feel rushed."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "I came in for brunch with my family on a Sunday. It wasn't too busy which I really liked because I felt like we could take our time and enjoy ourselves without being rushed. Our server was nice, the food was great and I'd definitely come back for brunch and maybe even try dinner there as well"
    Dined on 3/2/2014
  • "Twelve years ago I enjoyed a wonderful meal in Budapest, Hungary at a Restaurant that I don't even remember the name of...but I have always referred to that meal as "the best food I have ever eaten." That was until a few nights ago, when I had the pleasure of dining at Vermilion in Alexandria, VA. The food was superb! And, the atmosphere was very relaxing and enjoyable. Quite often on facebook someone will post a comment asking for a recommendation of a restaurant that they can go to while they are visiting the DC area...and most assuredly I will highly recommend they visit Vermilion!!"
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "This was the 4th time I have eaten at Vermillion. The food was incredible. We both had the steak and it was done to perfection. I loved the beet and radish salad. The bread is delicious too. Everything is fresh. The wait staff is helpful and professional without being intrusive. I have had dinners for two as well as for six at the chef's table. I'm never disappointed."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "My wife had the Salmon and I had the Rockfish. She thought it was pretty good but mine was just OK. We had a pork cheek appetizer that was quite good. The setting was very nice...and the wine was quite good too. We also had a nutella cheesecake that was very tasty. The setting was very inviting but the service was C work at best. All and all it was enjoyable...more for the ambience than anything else."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "I made this reservation on line and asked for a good table as it was our anniversary. They gave us a great window seat for 2 overlooking King Street and welcomed us with a complimentary glass of champagne. Overall the food was very good. The duck breast was amazing. The octopus appetizer was not very warm but it was still good. The wine list consists of a lot of lesser known vineyards but they did carry "The Prisoner" which is a wonderful red blend. The wine director and servers were excellent. It is expensive but based on our visit we would highly recommend it.."
    Dined on 3/1/2014
  • "Vermilion has an excellent brunch menu and was the perfect place to bring family and friends visiting from out of town. The manager and host-staff were very accommodating with our changing party size, and the waitstaff was nice as well. Will definitely recommend to our friends and neighbors in Old Town!"
    Dined on 3/2/2014
  • "Vermilion is a breath of fresh air after a busy day in the Capitol region. The upstairs dining room has a quiet ambience. I loved sitting next to the window, watching snow fall silently onto King Street below. The service was attentive, the wine list extensive, and the food excellent. After complimentary morsels of dainty Virginia ham and cheese fritters, my dinner partner and I shared a starter of veal sweetbreads. Both were cooked to crispy perfection. My lamb entree appeared to be on the small side at first , but turned out to be just enough to leave room for dessert. The Lemon Meringue Pie w/pomegranate molasses, micro basil & pistachio-rose ice cream was heavenly and the perfect foil for a rich dinner. I will definitely return!"
    Dined on 2/26/2014
  • "Vermillion seems to get a lot of good reviews, so we decided to go there. (We'd been there before, but it was years ago.) Such a disappointment! There was hardly anyone there (on a Sunday night at 7) - which was worrying, and rightly so. Our party of four had 4 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts between us. There were a couple of good dishes, but the majority were so-so at best and one was affirmatively unpleasant. The service was ok, but the waitress was not especially attentive (despite the few patrons she was responsible for) and seemed to be "going through the motions". We've subsequently spoken to others with the same experience, that the food is overpriced and mediocre."
    Dined on 2/23/2014
  • "Service was good, food was inventive and the wine pairining was tastefull. Make sure to reservé in advance."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "Went there for Valentin'es, actually the day after Valentine's (Saturday). Was pricey, but had high hopes. Every dish had an issue. From dry wipes of purple paste on the plate, to chewy calamari, to totally chewy beef, the food disappointed. Felt like I had been herded in and drained of money as opposed to being treated to an experience where the quality of the food would excite. Perhaps this is the reality of a Valentine's tasting menu, i.e., fancy description, low quality. I don't think so though. I think this place put quantity ahead of quality. I'd actually like to go again just to try the regular menu and see it it's better."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Overall, the ambiance and food were excellent. Duck was exceptional. I did not order from the restaurant week menu selections....nothing appealed to me nor my dinner companion....Hope to see the full menu for future Restaurant Weeks..... Here's hoping!"
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "We actually went on Saturday, the 15th. It was a bit noisy and difficult to hear each other talking because the tables are quite large creating distance; however, we loved the food, and we loved our server. A window seat would be perfect. Thanks!!!!"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Very active bar downstairs, but upstairs is fairly quiet and the food is always good."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "We went there to celebrate my wife's birthday on a Sunday so the restaurant was nearly empty except for a few small groups. We had heard such good things about Vermilion in the past and were excited to try it but we were not very pleased overall, especially for the price. The beer and wine selection is fantastic but everything we ordered off the menu was mediocre. I wouldn't say we had a bad meal or that there was anything wrong with our meals it was just that we expected exceptional food for those prices. Also, our waitress seemed bored as if she was just counting the minutes until her shift was over. I don't think we'll be going back as there are other options for better prices."
    Dined on 1/19/2014
  • "Excellent innovative cuisine using quality ingrediants and offering consistently high quality food and drink in a very elegant setting."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "beautiful presentation to delight the eye before you tickle the palate"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "I took my fiancé there as she is a self-described foodie with a gluten allergy. We've been at least five other times and had stopped going for a while because we were afraid we were boxing oursleves in. The fact is, if by some horrible magic we had to decide only on restaurant in the DMV to stay open, Vermillion would be it. Amazingly bold and intriguing textures and flavors beautifully presented. Culinary techniques perfectly executed to present dishes of exquisite refinement for the smell, touch, and taste. Amazing!"
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "This was my third visit to Vermilion and another home run. I always choose the tasting menu with the wine pairings, even if there's something I'm not crazy about on the list for that evening. My waiter, Patrick, was knowledgeable and personable without being pushy or overbearing. He guided me towards excellent choices. I began with one of Vermilion's signature cocktails, the Twelfth Night, which was perfectly mixed and satisfied my desire for a Pimm's Cup with a little added twist. All of the wines matched their respective dishes perfectly and I was particularly impressed with the pairing for the monkfish (well seasoned and cooked exactly the way I prefer it) and Troublemaker, the blended red paired with the sirloin."
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "Took my mom here for her birthday. Not only was the food great, but they took extra great care of her. When they confirmed the reservation, they told me we would have a complimentary dessert--but then they also gave us complimentary champagne! Both graciously delivered with excellent service. It was everything I hoped for and more."
    Dined on 2/10/2014
  • "Stopped in at 8:30 on a Friday night for my wife's birthday. We had been to Vermilion for brunch in the past, but this was our first dinner experience. We were seated at a table by the window on the 2nd floor overlooking King Street, which was nice. Service was friendly and attentive, but also provided sufficient space to allow for conversation. The food was great (I had the pork belly starter and lamb main) to match the company. Overall, just a very pleasant experience. Will definitely return."
    Dined on 2/7/2014
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