New Alexandria Restaurant Ada’s On The River Plans 2021 Opening

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The waterfront restaurant concept at Alexandria's Robinson Landing development is planning to open in early 2021.

Ada's on the River, located at 3 Pioneer Mill Way, is a concept from Alexandria Concept Partners. The restaurant group also plans to open BARCA Wine Bar & Pier at Robinson Landing in spring 2021.

The concept has been in development for nearly three years, according to Alexandria Restaurant Partners' Dave Nicholas. The restaurant is named for Ada Lovelace, an early 19th-century mathematician who contributed to the development of the world’s first mechanical computer.

Ada's on the River is centered around a wood-burning oven as a gathering place for friends and family. The menu will feature a variety of wood-fired prime steaks, fresh seafood and vegetarian dishes.

The kitchen will be overseen by Chef Randall J. Matthews, a Maryland native who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Matthews has worked at The Greenbrier, the Four Seasons Hotel Washington D.C. and St. Anselm D.C., as well as corporate consulting chef for The Mina Group.

The new concept seeks to build on the dining experience offered by other Alexandria Restaurant Partners restaurants. The restaurant group also runs Vola's Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge, Mia's Italian Kitchen, The Majestic, and Joe Theismann's Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.

"Since we opened Vola’s we’ve watched the waterfront grow into a high energy, exciting destination—and not just for locals," said Nicholas in a statement. "Every week we see more and more regional and out of town visitors. The success of the Majestic, and other restaurants in town, shows there’s an audience for chef-driven concepts. Really, when you think about it, Ada’s is just about bringing the food people want to the place they want to be."

The 267-seat restaurant will include 162 inside seats and 105 patio seats. The 15-foot floor-to-ceiling windows will showcase views of the Potomac River, and the wood-burning oven is a central component surrounded by 16-foot lemon trees. Original art will feature Ada, her father, the poet Lord Byron, and other figures such as Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, and Emily and Charlotte Bronte. The interior, designed by Hapstak Demetrios, aims to provide a warm, modern feel mirroring the atmosphere of the Robinson Landing development.

To stay up to date on the new restaurant, visit www.adasontheriver.com.