This place is great! This isn't quite a casual atmosphere but it definitely isn't too stuffy either. Our waiter was very attentive and knows his stuff! Very professional service. It's a bit on the pricey end but the quality of the food is unbeatable. If anything, you will be paying for the quality, creativity and uniqueness of the ingredients. The upstairs is quaint and downstairs has an intimate bar where you can pay a crap ton for alcohol. We got the Salmon, Trout and Pork Loin and they were all excellent and extremely creative. Naturally it's one of those restaurants where it's so dark you can hardly see your food but it's great for dates. Lots of couples! If you want to feel like a 3rd wheel, you should eat here but you can also be like us and go with your group of single friends. That will balance out the couple-y vibe going on there =) Happy Grazing! read more

Vermilion - Pork Loin - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Vermillion is the best of Old Town for dine in, but they also have a sleek takeout menu and fantastic-value Happy Hour. Fellow millenials: do not write this gem off just because it's fancy. The food will blow your mind and it's well worth it. read more

I just came in late one evening for cocktails. I can't speak to the food but the cocktails were nothing special. Anyone can mix alcohol, but the presentation goes a long way. I had the "First comes love" cocktail and it was literally a glass of alcohol with three coffee beans thrown in it. I expect more from a restaurant that brags on its food. There is so much more you could do to make a cocktail more enjoyable and not look so plain. read more

I usually tend to go to steak houses or Japanese restaurants instead of Italian places for special occasions so I don't have anything to compare this experience to. That being said, I thought the food was absolutely delicious. The best pasta I've ever had! I just wish there was more of it. All the regrets for not getting the full sized serving and just getting the tasting size. I was here over the weekend celebrating my birthday and they were kind enough to give me a complimentary chocolate cake and a card. The staff and our waiter treated us wonderfully and I loved our experience. Just wanted to say thank you for making this such an incredible birthday dinner! I will definitely be back read more

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Came here for a friend's birthday brunch and when we entered the host said there was no seating available upstairs. We said we would wait to be seated and he finally went to look how long the wait would take. After walking upstairs we found 11 empty tables? And this started our not so great brunch experience? The server took a very long time to bring our drinks, and brought the wrong thing. I'm not sure if I will ever come back. Not worth the money. Go somewhere else read more

Okay, our motivation for trying this place was the down pour that encouraged us to go anywhere close. That being said, the food was good, al Beit overpriced. Service was friendly, albeit it slow. Really cozy comfy a pastor especially on a rainy day. Well prepared dishes but Pricey . I'd give it 3.5. read more

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The food was decent and the restaurant was compacted but cozy. We spent less money and gotten better food and better service at other restaurants. We enjoyed that the food was made fresh such as the Pasta with Duck. The plating was beautiful as well. Overall, the ambience was great just wish that the service was better. read more

Amazing food and service, we mentioned it was our anniversary and gave us a glass of champagne to celebrate. Our server was so nice to us I wish other places copy Vermilion's style. It made our day. Chad was a delight and I hope you have more servers like him. Thank you Chad!! read more

This place is cutely tucked in on King St! Looove the cozy ambience and the exposed brick on the inside. I had Sunday brunch here and thankfully there was no wait. Ordered the spicy chicken sandwich that really hit the spot and the fries that came with it were perfectly seasoned. Service was great and food came out at a reasonable time Highly recommend this place for brunch! read more

Vermilion - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Great ambiance for dinner to impress your date. Cocktails are well made and expensive unless you order bottle of wine. Ordered vegetarian tasting that we shared along with entrees. Bread was fresh and delicious. read more

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Was in town for work and staying at the Gaylord Marriott at the National Harbor. Decided to take the 10-15 Uber ride over to Alexandria and so glad I did. A beautiful, quaint town. I found Vermilon on Yelp. I sat at the bar (2 TVs) and asked if the bartender could make me an espresso martini. He said he could and offered to use some coffee flavored moonshine they had. I always like trying new things so told him I was game. Very good. I then ordered the chocolate flourless cake with hazelnut ice cream. oMg. So good! The restaurant had a very chill atmosphere. The dinner menu looked great and creative so I have bookmarked for next time I am back. read more

Vermilion - Flourless chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Just had a dinner at Vermilion. I had the pork dish which was extremely tough and not better that ok in taste. My wife ordered the risotto which came in a VERY small portion and lacked taste. Service was a bit rushed and just ok. With all that in mind, their prices were rather high. Would NOT recommend this restaurant. read more

My wife and I went here for a date night to get away from the corporate chains that inhabit Woodbridge, VA. Upon arrival we were greeted and, although 15 minutes early for our reservation, were seated immediately. This was very nice. The atmosphere was great, with dark woods and a fairly interesting wine rack on the wall of the second floor dining area). The table was cozy but had enough room for multiple plate such that we weren't rearranging everything when new dishes arrived. As others have mentioned, the service was friendly, albeit a bit slow. I'd say about 15 minutes elapsed between the time our appetizers were cleared and our entree arrived. When our server asked if we wanted another glass of wine, we were brought the wine list but our server didn't return until we were almost done with our meal to see what wine we wanted. This was somewhat the routine with our experience with the service: friendly but very long waits for the server to come back. The food was decent for the price. The big nock against Vermillion was the way the management chose to handle a particularly loud guest. This individual was clearly having a great evening, and, rather than simply enjoy that fact for himself, chose to laugh at a volume that could only be the result of him wanting everyone else to know how good of a time he was having as well. As the upstairs dining area is composed of wood floors, walls and ceiling, it was somewhat deafening. M wife noticed many of the tables close to "Laughing Guy" (LG for short) were constantly glancing in his direction every time someone at his table uttered something absolutely hilarious. Well, I assume it was absolutely hilarious, given his reaction. One couple eventually asked to be moved as every time they attempted to have a conversation amongst themselves, they were interrupted with laughter. I've transcribed a bit of it below: "HAHAHAHAHA, HOHOHOOHHOHOH, HAHHAHAHA!!!!" *pause for a few seconds so you think he might actually be done* "HAHAHAHAHAHA, HOHOHOHOH, HAHAHAHAH!!!" This went on for our entire meal. We saw management come up to the dining area and eyeing Laughing Guy's table, but doing nothing. We overheard one server tell another table that LG and guests had been there for 2 hours just drinking. Perhaps it would be time to go downstairs to the bar? The best part was when LG and party finally left and the folks around us clapped, loudly. In situations like these the management should have stepped in an offered LG the opportunity to go to the bar or, preferably, to leave. Overall, decent food for the area, somewhat slow service and questionable management practices towards disruptive guests. read more

Places don't get much better than Vermilion for a special, classy night out. Some of the best food and cocktails I've ever had, and superior atmosphere and decor. One of the best bars in Old Town, and seriously yummy small plates. read more

Feel kind of expensive for what is it. I had a cocktail. I don't remember the name but it was with butter, tea and rhum. I didn't really like it. Service was great tough read more

Beautiful and chic atmosphere. The wait staff was super friendly and attentive. I have many food allergies that would annoy even the most patient server, and they were able to accommodate me. The food was absolutely delicious! My friend has the sea bass and I the duck. They also make a tasty sorbet in house, that I just couldn't resist. Highly recommend and I will be returning. read more

Thank god Vermilion is back!! We went this past Friday night and had an amazing meal. Our server, Ace, was very attentive but the whole staff was extremely welcoming and helpful. We started with the oysters and fried chicken which were great. The summer garden salad was very tasty. And our entrées - chicken ballotine and bavette steak - were both delicious. But if I had to choose, the chicken was definitely the highlight. The wine list is also excellent. The interior is even more beautiful than before and the bar new bar area looks very posh and cozy. We definitely plan on becoming regulars here. read more

This was my 3rd time here and I think I'm settling on 3 stars. A lot of factors here and they do some things really well. Unfortunately I think the bad slightly outweigh the good so I've come out to 3 stars. The food- the menu feels a little dated and not super exciting. We were not in a mindset for a full tasting menu so we looked at the regular menu. We decided on 2 first courses since absolutely nothing on the 2nd course was appealing. Then we shared the entre, the steak. I have to say the food was not bad, like spit out in your napkin, but it was honestly not that delicious. The amuse bouch was a mushroom in oil that tasted like pizza seasoning. The foie gras was good but the accompanying apple was not. The salad of squash and mushroom (strange combo) worked but it was not thrilling. And finally our steak was just okay. The mushroom ragu was just too much and the mushrooms looked like dirty sea creatures. The whole dinner was very mushroomy and just not super tasty. The drink selection- My husband liked the local brews on tap and their wine and cocktail selection was plentiful. The dessert- This is where they knocked it out of the park for us! We were not super impressed with the food but we remembered from a previous experience that the dessert was good. It was also freezing so I didn't want to go outside and a warm cup of after dinner coffee sounded amazing. So we had the chocolate tart and olive oil cake. Both were phenomenal. Delicious and standout. The service- this was mixed. The server we had was nice but there was definitely some weird tension at this restaurant. The hostess came up the stairs at one point and said that someone was pissed downstairs. Our server also disappeared for long periods of time. And he also placed the wrong drinks in front of us and ran away before we could ask some questions. But he was polite and nice enough. So a mixed bag. The ambiance- it's a nice old town restaurant. The decor i think is getting a little dated after all these years. We sat next to a window and it was painfully chilly. I put on my heavy winter coat before the main entre came out I was so cold. Oh and it was loud. We felt at one point we were shouting at each other. So overall not a terrible dining experience but for the expectation of a nice modern restaurant I think it came up short. Except the desserts! read more

Vermilion - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Sat at the bar - hardly anyone but the service was still terrible!! They gave me a menu I ordered a glass of wine and they took the menu back - I had to flag them dwn to order!! Literally 5 people at bar!!! Then it wa 20 minutes for a salad - had to ask for bread. Entree never came even after I asked bartender 3x to check on it!The bartender who never spoke!! This is not a place to go with all the other choices in old town!!! Really deplorable service read more

Fun fact: old town alexandria was where my first adult job after college was located. Suffice to say, I'm pretty familiar with the area and I've had my eye on Vermilion for a while (but had to have that Vermilion paycheck--this place ain't cheap!) It also helps that Vermilion is a well known and well reviewed restaurant in the DC area. Now that I'm a few years out of college and "making it", my best friend and I decided the time had come to try it out and see if Vermilion lived up to the hype. The service: my friend and I had made a reservation for 12:30 on a Saturday, but ended up arriving incredibly late. I think we totally lucked out and didn't have to wait to be seated because there had been a surprise snowfall that morning and the cold snap was still lingering, so there wasn't many patrons. What was interesting to me was that we had a rotation of servers help us--2-3 servers checked in on us throughout our meal, and not in an intrusive way so that made me enjoy my time at Vermilion even more. The atmosphere: Vermilion certainly has a reputation and a price tag to it, but it feels very cozy and intimate. I sat at the high tables by the front windows, which provided great light and people watching. The place is accented with vintage dark woods and other dark features, but it's never overbearing my dark. And thank the lord it wasn't so dark that you couldn't even see your company! (I can't be the only one who hates it when it's too dark in a restaurant) The food: I ordered the pan seared salmon that was served with potatoes, capers, and spinach. It was an incredibly simply dish, but it was absolutely delicious and I'd order it again in a heartbeat. For a starter, we ordered a shared plate of their hush puppies, which I highly recommend as well! The hush puppies were moist, but still had an outer crunch that made it satisfying to bite into. It also came with 3 different dipping sauce: ranch, a mustard type sauce, and a "spicy" (read: not spicy at all, but had some kick) mayo type sauce. The verdict: probably one of my favorite restaurants yet, and I can't wait to go back. Perhaps in the evening--I'd love to try their dinner menu. read more

Food was amazing! Sat in the dining space upstairs next to the window and it was such a romantic evening. Quiet and peaceful. Service was good as well. Can't wait to visit again. read more

Vermilion - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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First time here. Service and food were great. They have a good selection of bourbon, rye, and wine. I started off with an old fashion, and this was the only downside to my visit. It was mostly simple syrup and a dash of bitters. I didn't taste the bourbon at all..not sure if it sat long before showing up to my table, but that's OK. The rest of the night was great. Ordered the Tagiatelle (brussels sprouts, bacon, egg, pecorino), and it was a great pasta with good consistency,. Brussels were cooked just right, and the bacon was thick..cut into perfect slices. Also had the short rib. This was good too..a little overcooked and almost too tender, but it's hard to mess up a short rib. It also came with a few greens and beets. That really made the dish. Closed out the night with a port...they have a good selection of ports, Armagnac, and other dessert wines. Closing out, I thought it was quite junior varsity to add gratuity to a six top table. Folks are paying a good amount of money to eat here, so not sure if they think they are gonna get stiffed. I'll be coming back someday. This is a must visit. Just don't order the old fashion. read more

The first impression was the hostess greeting us in her leggings and workout shirt. Not a good impression. We were seated upstairs, which was very nice. The winter salad was super tasty. The butternut squash schnitzel was delicious. The pasta triangulo was best in class but portion size could have been doubled as my husband left hungry. We'll definitely be back and we'll ask for more pasta. read more

From the hostess w/ great hairstyle and killer black Frye boots, to our professional server, Kate, fellow server, Dan (who's just fun to see, in general), to the refined food server who delivers the chef's exquisite dishes, properly--I'm a very satisfied guest. Great brunch menu. Salmon Benedict is so flavorful. Started w/ complimentary granola muffins and a quality condiment selection accompanied. Impressive lil' cup o' coffee, and gourmet butter for my liking. Thank you, Vermillion read more

We went to Vermilion for our Anniversary and it was such a lovely experience! I wasn't really expecting anything special, but the hostess and server wished us a happy anniversary and they had champagne waiting for us for a celebratory toast. The poor server looked horrified when I told her I was pregnant (how was she supposed to know?) and then had the bar make me a mock-tail to toast with instead without any prompting from me. Holy crap was that thing good. Small gestures, but done very well and it definitely made the evening special. Service, obviously, was great. Now the food. Off. The. Charts. We went for the tasting menu and I pretty much felt like I could've died a happy life after each one. They were all perfectly seasoned, had a lovely presentation and were sized perfectly - well, let's be honest, I would've happily have stuffed myself with a barrel of any one of those dishes, but that's neither here nor there. Definitely full by the end of the meal. It's not hyperbole when I say the experience here was better than our experience at Michelin rated restaurants. Outstanding. read more

Great lunch atmosphere. Calamari and hush puppies were good starters. The burger and hangar steaks were great. Good service !

My wife and I had yet another amazing experience at Vermilion to ring in the New Year. The wait staff was extremely helpful and accommodating. There were a couple of minor issues, but when brought to the attention of the staff they were quick to resolve. My wife enjoys good craft cocktails and the bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and engaging. We enjoy dining upstairs as it a bit more quiet and easier to have a conversation, but don't hesitate to pull up to the bar and have them mix up some magic. Wishing the Vermilion staff a great start to a new decade as one of the finest restaurants in Old Town! read more

We went for drinks in the mid-afternoon when their kitchen isn't open but the drinks were being poured. The cocktails here are fantastic. I had a Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, a coffee infused whiskey cocktail that was delicious. The coffee scent was strong on the nose, balanced in the drink itself, and after my first, that's all I had. Friends had various other drinks and they were all creative and well done. One drink my friend ordered had asparagus, which is not what I would've expected, and whatever they infused with asparagus really took to it. That's the type of creativity I'm talking about. We'll definitely be back. read more

Nice atmosphere. Great location. If you get a table by the window, I can't think of a better place in Alexandria to people watch while eating. The food was nice. Had the penne in vodka sauce with Italian sausage and broccoli rabe and it was good. I prefer my dishes a little more flavorful, and after adding a pinch of salt, it was excellent. I must say that I had the best screwdriver ever at this place. I figured that vodka and orange juice is a pretty straightforward drink with little opportunity for variation. I must have had thousands of screwdrivers in my life without any fanfare, but this one was truly special. read more

Came here Saturday night, party of 5. Being that I called Saturday afternoon for a table of 5, the hostess was super accommodating and squeezed our reservation in. We were promptly seated when we arrived and our waiter did a great job explaining the specials that night. I ordered the tagiatelle to start and the cobia as my main entree. Both were super tasty and perfectly portioned. The tagiatelle was light and flavorful, the poached egg was cooked perfectly and added a great, creamy texture with the pasta. The cobia was a meaty fish that arrived with an awesome crispy skin. The sauce that was paired with the cobia was delicious as well as the mushrooms and sunchokes. Will definitely come back to try more of the menu. Seems like a great spot for a date/intimate dinner. read more

We dined here for our Anniversary and it was everything we could have hoped for. Great service, great food, with warm and inviting ambiance. They take care of the details, unlike so many other places. We'll be back. read more

Here to give more credit to Vermillion. The food is consistently amazing (the current soup is outstanding, and it's soup--not typically the most impressive menu item), and the customer service is seriously the best in the business. I have been to no other metro establishment that is as gracious about mistakes or does more to fix and make amends. That's, unfortunately, an exceedingly rare thing these days and to be treasured. Throw your dollars their way, they have more than earned their stellar reputation. read more

I got a giftcard for Vermillion for my birthday, so when I had a visitor for the weekend, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to use it. We were able to get a reservation on a Saturday night at the last minute, which was great. As you enter, the ambience was upscale and romantic. To be honest, I thought it was a bit too dark for my taste, I could hardly read the menu. I almost broke out my phone to use the flashlight. The waitress was a bit cold and uninviting, but she and the chef were able to work with my dietary restrictions, and made me an off-the-menu dish. Score! I started with a salad with butternut squash, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds. It was light and tasty. The freshly baked bread was a perfect addition too. For my entree, I had a butternut squash and brown butter gnocchi with a glass of malbec and my friend had a vegetarian polenta dish. Both were great, but rather expensive for the portion size/being a vegetarian dishes. read more

Mediocre. Had dinner upstairs and it was extremely loud. Our table was next to the back of a booth and every time the people in the booth leaned back it moved our table. The service was pretty bad but I think it's because they were understaffed. The food was decent, not great, and certainly not good enough to make up for the bad ambiance and bad service. Probably never going back. read more

Fantastic place! Great seating to see King St. and many delicious options on the menu. The pasta Monday special is great and the drinks are DELISH! Skylar the waitress was super friendly, quick, great recommendations and super knowledgeable. A great romantic place to take your special someone. Will be back! :) read more

Vemilion is a fine dining with simple but delicious plates. I like that you can go for appetizers ( great variety) and drinks or a full course meal. The environment is inviting and relaxing; been there many times and usually take visiting friends there when time permits. read more

1st time here for lunch, but all well prepared and tasty! The Kale salad done in Caesar style was light and fresh w lemon and Parma Reggiano slices and the gnocchi with mushrooms was excellent with a flavorful but light sauce, they might have snuck a few porcini pieces in there, which is always a welcome addition to any dish. The portions were just right so leave satisfied and unbloated which is a mini-victory when you're 62. Cheers! read more

My boyfriend and I came here last night for restaurant week, it being our first time at this place. Although the wine was delicious, the service was awful and the food was matching. Our waitress didn't come to our table until 15 minutes after we sat down, and our meal took forever even though the couple who sat down next to us (20 minutes after we did) got their food very quickly and before us. The bread that was brought to our table was stone cold, the mussels were gel like and luke warm, and the sides that came with the main dish left much to the imagination. The steak was pretty good, but was tiny and not what we expected at all. Even though the atmosphere was pleasant, I wouldn't come here again. read more

Saturday brunch was probably the best deal in town. You can get an entire bottle of bubbly with complimentary OJ for $19. That's definitely a deal. My omelette was amazIng and flavorful. They have this sourdough toast wIth seeds that I found out of this world. One would think it's just bread, but there was something unique about it that made me want more. I wish the menu had a few more breakfast types of options, but other than that, great brunch. We went a little later, so the place was cleared out a bit, but our waiter still worked hard to keep it moving. Just like most Alexandria establishments, the venue itself is gorgeous, clean, and a really cool place to enjoy aa meal and drinks with friends. read more

I have already recommended this place as a higher end lunch option in Old Town. It doubles as a fine happy hour location. The happy hour prices for the house red was a marginal $4, and while it certainly shall not evoke nostalgic memories of cobblestone lined streets in San Sebastian, it is an acceptable complement for the purpose of bestowing full attention upon the subtle lighting, interesting artwork, and thoughtful color combinations that adorn this space. We also sampled a number of the happy hour appetizers. Although I was not necessarily enamored by any of these items, I would say that the garlic parmesan fries and hush puppies served here are above average. Yet, despite these minor flaws, I would certainly come back largely based on enjoying the lovely atmosphere at fiscally responsible prices. *** This review cannot be complete without at least one mention of a particular couple. The dude was a trend setter for douchebag-like demeanor and the girl was wearing a belt buckle that prominently displayed the word "ENVY". I absolutely could not stop making fun of them. It was one of those odd situations that is best encapsulated by the trite phrase, "I did not know whether to laugh or to cry." Thank you, you awesome couple for giving us an unwilling target for our probably less than witty banter at your expense... read more