Michael's on King

My wife and I live in Old Town and have enjoyed eating at Michael's on King twice in the past two weeks and both times we had a really nice experience. Besides the great food, the service was exemplary, and the prices were very reasonable.Our first visit was late as we were returning from a flight into Dulles (!) at 2130 hrs and knew many restaurants would be closing soon. We picked Michael's since it was on our way home, just a few blocks from our home, and we hadn't eaten there in a while. As an aside, we find it hard to return to restaurants often because there are so many good choices in our city. Anyway, when we arrived only three tables were eating in the downstairs area, and we were quickly greeted, sat, and ordered immediately since it was late. There were no complaints from our server despite our late arrival. The ambience was old school Italian restaurant, with the audible but not too loud music to match. We were brought fresh bread which we were told was baked at the restaurant, and we were given a spicy olive oil mix to dip our bread into. It was delicious! We ordered drinks, and were quickly brought from the upstairs bar a very tasty Aperol spritz (my "go to" for an Italian cocktail) and a Pinot Noir. The food came out quickly and was hot. I had a delicious lasagne (apparently the owner's grandmother's recipe) and my wife loved her mushroom ravioli. A split tiramisu capped off the evening, and I could tell it was made in house since real coffee soaked the bottom of my dessert. The price was very reasonable, at $130 for two entrees, two drinks, one dessert, and an excessive tip because of our late arrival.Our second visit was only a week or so after because we had a such good time on our first visit. I'm clearly a non-foodie idiot because I had the lasagna once again, but in my defense it was really really good. Once again we had a great meal with even better service, with manager/head server Michael, who is not related to the owner also named Michael. Just a nice fellow who provided quick efficient service, especially considering that the restaurant was much more crowded since we had reservations at 1800 hours. Prices again were very reasonable for the high quality of food we received, spending $170 for an appetizer, two entrees, four drinks (I know, I know), one dessert to split, and again an excessive tip because of the personable service. Another great date night for us.My wife and I definitely recommend Michael's on King. We enjoyed both of our meal experiences and think you will too. Try it, you'll likely be very happy you did!

Michael's on King is an exceptionally well appointed restaurant and upper bar with a lounge.The restaurant has excellent decor and seating allows for some level of privacy. The upper bar and lounge is extremely well appointed with very comfortable chairs. Very nice leg room around the tables. This is meant to relax, smoke a cigar (if you want), and sit back and relax with a drink in your hand. The bar has the basics for now, and I heard they are adding more styles of alcohol for differing palates. I ate their steak with a glass of red wine. Steak was very tender and cooked exactly as I requested. The wine list is good. I'd want to see more full body Italian reds, but there's some full bodies on their wine menu already. Overall experience is excellent. Wait staff was attentive without being annoying. Michael's on King is definitely a repeat experience!

Awful. Other than the fresh bread and the dirty martini, I wouldn't even stop here for water. I don't get how this plane stays open. Michael (not the owner) literally takes his time doing everything. There were only two other tables worth people while we were there and it took us over an hour to just get our cocktails, nonetheless our appetizers which were cold rice balls and a dry salad with no dressing. The entrees were awful. Didn't even take them to go after eating only a few bites. I highly don't recommend.

Excellent & Friendly! Having just a few days in Alexandria and all day driving around the Snickersville Turnpike Scenic tour, we we ready for homemade Italian! Michael was fantastic, helpful and entertaining and we thoroughly enjoyed fantastic dinner in a quiet comfortable setting. Well priced, affordable bottles of wine, you will love it!

THE.BEST.SPOT.ON.KING.STREET! My mother and I were walking around forever in old town looking for a nice place to grab a bite to eat. We stumbled into Michael's on King, and we were not disappointed. Despite being busy on a Saturday night with no reservations, we were seated so quickly. We ordered the carprese skewers and zucchini flowers (amazing !!!) for appetizers, and I had the chicken parm, which for a simple and classic dish was packed with flavor and was served as a surprisingly hefty portion. The pasta was fresh, which really brought the meal together. The service was great, everyone was super friendly and helpful, and the ambiance was cozy yet refined ... the perfect vibe for a Saturday evening. We will 100% be back. If you're looking for a relaxed fine dining experience with great food and a great environment, look no further. Also, I have to give the much required honorable mention... The espresso martinis are I had two!

My husband and I ate here on a Saturday night. Service was good, food was okay.My carbonara was very good, my husband's salmon overcooked.Biggest disappointment was Michael's salad. iceberg lettuce with a few cherry tomatoes and minimal balsamic vinegar. My husband requested olive oil to add to the salad, which never came.With all the amazing salad combinations out there (sans iceberg) this was truly a miss.Let's try a little harder-

Came in from Boston to visit my son with relatives for Mother's Day! What a great experience ! We even got to meet the owners who were so nice and even got to meet their gorgeous baby daughter! The atmosphere and food were just like Bostons North end! Will come back here every time we are in town! The Durkin's

Came here for my dad's birthday and it was a good experience. I rather enjoyed the ambiance of this place. "It's giving"...family owned small restaurant with a slight resort feel. The ceiling fans reminded me of something I've seen while dining outdoor on a tropical vacation. To think it's nestled in Old Town. I got the chicken Parmesan and loved it. Chicken was crispy and sauce was good, I just thought the noodles were somehow heavy. I later found out that they are homemade...so I don't know guess I prefer store bought *shrug*. Half of us enjoyed every bit and the other half would change one or two things but still enjoyed their meal. My relative wanted a less sweet taste to the Milanese dish and I wanted thinner noodles. There wasn't anyone else there when we got there so it felt like we rented the place out. The waitress was friendly and responsive. They slowly trickled in as we were finishing up. We parked on the street and I didn't check out the bathroom so I can't comment. I would visit again and would recommend it.

I was looking for a place to celebrate Valentine's Day with my wife and we often like to try new places on a whim. I found Michael's on King (MoK) via a Google search and decided to take a chance. We're both so glad we did!! MoK is located on King Street in Old Town Alexandria with a modest storefront that you can easily walkby if you're not paying attention. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very friendly maître d who showed us to our table. The restaurant was dimly lit and had a somewhat retro feel, but we thought it was perfect for our Valentine celebration. We thoroughly enjoyed our appetizers (shrimp bruschetta and stuffed mushrooms) and entrees (veal saltimbocca and veal scaloppine) while sipping red wine throughout the evening. The food was marvelously flavorful and delicious. At first we thought the portions were small, but as it turned out the food was very rich and filling so we have no complaints. Our waiter was attentive, professional and very pleasant. All in all, they made our Valentine's Day feel special, enjoyable and memorable. We rolled the dice and hit the jackpot! Thank you MoK!!

I am in Old town regularly for work and business. I found Michael's restaurant a delight to find. Michael the server tries his best to give vip treatment to all the customers. the food is absolutely delicious- my favorite is the Tuscan Chicken. The upstairs lounge also has the best Martinis and quiet atmosphere for my business meetings for a low key quiet place. I find myself there atleast once a week.