Restaurant Eve, a fixture in Washington’s fine dining scene, is closing in Old Town, Alexandria after 14 years. The last day of service will be June 2 when the building’s lease is up.
Chef/co-owner Cathal Armstrong told Washingtonian in February that he likely planned to close the restaurant, which he said was in need of expensive repairs and refurbishing.
“It’s at the point where we need to reinvent it,” said Armstrong. “Restaurants run their course. The population in Old Town also isn’t very transient. You have a certain number of years before you have to rethink it.”
Recently, Armstrong mentioned that he was actively looking for a new space for an Eve 2.0—this time in DC—including spots at the Wharf. He and wife/business partner Meshelle Armstrong recently opened Kaliwa, a modern Thai/Korean/Filipino restaurant, at the Southwest waterfront development. The Armstrongs were not immediately available for additional comment.
The Armstrongs and barman/business partner Todd Thrasher are also behind Old Town eateries Society Fair, Hummingbird at the Indigo Hotel, speakeasy PX, and casual fish n’ chipper Eamonn’s. Cathal says they’re in the process of “reconceptualizing” the latter, though has yet to release details on the new plan. Also in the works: an ambitious rum distillery and tiki bar, which they’ll open at the Wharf this year.
In a note on Restaurant Eve’s website, Meshelle Armstrong said that reservations are “greatly appreciated” between now and the closing.
“Our restaurant was conceived from our love of food and hospitality with a name lent by our first child. Eve was only four then. She’s nineteen now,” Meshelle wrote. “The years we’ve spent at Eve with each other, our staff and our guests have been some of the best of our lives.”
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
