Mint House Alexandria – Old Town

About the Location

Just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Old Town Alexandria was founded in 1749 and wears its Revolutionary roots with well-preserved charm. In fact, you can still dine like a founding father at Gadsby’s Tavern (established 1770) where the staff in 18th-century attire adds levity to the elegant formal dining rooms lit by colonial-era gas lamps. For more modern fare, try The People’s Drug, a chef-driven lunch counter with gourmet sandwiches, locavore bowls and craft cocktails, or make an evening of it at 219 Restaurant, which specializes in modern Southern cuisine and features live jazz and blues every night at its Basin Street Lounge, and a DJ-led dance party after 10:30 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays in The Bayou Room. Adorable King Street is one of the best areas for shopping small in the Greater D.C. Metro. You can curate a Mad Men-worthy cocktail party at The Hour, which specializes in vintage barware, find unique home goods, stationery and gifts at Red Barn Mercantile and make a bold statement in a sharply tailored pantsuit from Donna Lewis, a fashion store for women and men that specializes in European brands.