Four restaurants in the Alexandria area have been named among the region’s best for 2026 by Northern Virginia Magazine, though only two are located in the city proper.
While the city’s dining scene was completely left out of the magazine’s ranked top 10, which were unveiled last Friday (Oct. 16), it received a bit more love in the full list of Northern Virginia’s 50 Best Restaurants released at noon today (Wednesday).
Alexandria City is represented by Del Ray favorite Stracci Pizza and The Study at Morrison House in Old Town — both repeat honorees that also appeared on Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2025 list.
In fact, The Study (116 S. Alfred Street) has been included in the annual ranking for five consecutive years now, dating back to 2022, when it was named the region’s sixth best restaurant.
Now led by Executive Chef Anoop Nathoo, who joined the team in May, the literary-themed restaurant rolled out a new menu this summer that continues to highlight the flavors and cooking techniques of Mesoamerica, while also paying homage to Executive Sous Chef Maddie Guzman’s Salvadorean heritage.
“Galbi tacos are a highlight, boasting housemade blue corn tortillas, served soft and loaded with chunks of beef short ribs, kimchi, pickled jicama, and a gochujang drizzle,” Northern Virginia Magazine said, recommending the tuna tostada and seared duck breast as alternatives. “… In a space where every detail celebrates literature, The Study delivers a culinary story just as compelling.”
Stracci Pizza, meanwhile, remains in high demand for its Roman-style slices, which have been recognized as some of the best in the region by both Washingtonian food critics and ALXnow readers. After initially launching a food truck in February 2021, owners Thomas and Annalisa Cardarelli quickly found a brick-and-mortar home at 106 Hume Avenue.
After previously highlighting the pizzeria’s Brooklyner pie and hand-pulled fresh stracciatella cheese, Northern Virginia Magazine focused its praise for the 2026 round-up on meatballs made with grass-fed beef and pizza dough fermented for 72 hours.
“The result is both mouth-coatingly rich and airily cloudlike,” the magazine’s food critics wrote. “Served in tomato sauce beneath fresh salsa verde, house-pulled stracciatella, and shaved Parmigiano, they are every nonna’s dream.”
For Alexandria foodies interested in venturing outside the city’s borders, Northern Virginia Magazine also recommends two restaurants to the south in southeastern Fairfax County: Osteria Marzano and Smyrna Restaurant.
Located at 6361 Walker Lane, Suite 140, in Franconia’s Metro Park office complex, Osteria Marzano was started in 2013 by the father-daughter duo Elena Pouchelon and chef Carmine Marzano. Born in Calabria, Italy, Marzano immigrated to the U.S. as an assistant to chef Roberto Donna, whose current Vienna restaurant, Roberto’s Ristorante Italiano, also made Northern Virginia Magazine’s Top 50 this year.
Osteria Marzano has now been featured on the magazine’s Top 50 list two years in a row for its curated approach to traditional Italian fare. Its unique offerings include tapas-style small plates, a cheese wheel experience available on Thursdays through Saturdays, and monthly cooking classes led by Chef Marzano himself.
“With its diverse and expansive menu, one could dine here repeatedly and continue finding new favorite dishes — the difficult part would be straying from previous favorites,” Northern Virginia Magazine said, recommending the osso buco, paccheri allo scoglio and Truffle Affair pizza.
Farther south in Hayfield Center (7588 Telegraph Road), Smyrna was lauded for its extensive happy hour menu by Northern Virginia Magazine this summer, but this is the first year since the restaurant opened in 2022 that it has snagged a spot on the “50 Best” list.
Taking its name from the historic moniker for chef Zeynep Güngören’s hometown of Izmir, Turkey, Smyrna fuses Greek and Turkish cuisines in a celebration of its founder’s heritage. Northern Virginia Magazine recommends trying the dolmas, branzino in parchment and çöp şiş (grilled beef on a stick).
“Smyrna’s cozy setting and hearty, homecooked dishes encourage lingering and sharing, just like at Grandma’s,” the magazine said.
Though Alexandria doesn’t have a huge presence on this year’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Northern Virginia Magazine contributing food critic Alice Levitt says the area’s dining scene stands out for its “unique cuisine in inviting spaces.”
“Osteria Marzano, Stracci Pizza, and The Study all continue to fit that bill, and we couldn’t help but include Smyrna this year,” she said in a statement to ALXnow. “Its hidden location makes it even more of a treasure to uncover from the moment diners taste the mezzes.”
Northern Virginia Magazine’s full 50 Best Restaurants round-up for 2026 can now be found on its website and will be available in print as part of its November issue this Friday (Oct. 23).
Photo via The Study at Morrison House/Facebook
