Cedar Knoll is such a unique dining experience, and sooo very Virginian. It is like eating in Colonial Mount Vernon. The food is so amazing too. I had venison. My girl had the most incredible prawns and huge scallops meal. We sat in leather couches by the window overlooking the Potomac. So i recommend! read more

AVOID! This place is awful. My family got stuck in a dark, smelly backroom with no view and no light for a big occasion (Mother's Day) and the staff refused to seat us somewhere more acceptable given the $100 per person price point for our meal. My teen joked it looked and smelled like where George Washington died. We pleaded to move to one of many empty tables either inside or outside, but we were denied because they apparently assign you a table when you book, and that's that. No flexibility and the staff frankly seemed overwhelmed or confused throughout our time here. No grown ups were in charge. It is not a place you want to go to for a fine dining experience. We will never go back to this place. Book in Old Town instead. read more

Cedar knoll has a special place in our heart, we will always be coming back here. This is my 5th time and once again very satisfied with our meal. I would recommend outside seating if the weather is nice, but honestly inside is just more of a unique experience, I love the old school decor. We took advantage of the restaurant week, $50 per person for 3 course meals. The hilight for me was the lobster cappuccino and the chocolate tart read more

See all

We went there for lunch on Sunday. The restaurant was fairly quiet, with only a few tables occupied, yet we were seated in a separate room by ourselves, which felt a bit isolated--and unfortunately, it was quite chilly. The young host was clearly trying his best and even started the fireplace for us, which I appreciated, but the room never really warmed up. When our server arrived, she didn't introduce herself or ask if we had any questions. She also seemed to be wearing an overwhelming amount of perfume, which was hard to ignore. Instead, she went straight to asking if we were ready to order. We were quite hungry, so we were ready. We ordered a burger and the crab eggs Benedict. When I tried to specify that I'd like the burger cooked medium-rare, she responded that the chef prepares it "to perfection," without clarifying what that meant. The crab eggs Benedict arrived without any crab, which was later brought separately on a small plate. Additionally, the base of the Benedict was so over-toasted that it was extremely difficult to cut. We mentioned this, and while she did bring a sharper knife, it didn't really address the issue with the dish itself. As for the burger, it came out very well done--far from what I had requested. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. read more

I'm sure I've reviewed this special place before but it deserves another. My wife and I go here at least once a year for the restaurant week deal. Whether it's much of a deal or not (which we typically always concern ourselves with) doesn't apply for Cedar Knoll. Not only has this place become tradition for us but a decade earlier my grandparents had their last birthdays here renting out a room for the whole family so it holds a lot of significance and rightfully so - it just has an authentic feel right there on the water with all of its own history. Anyways the food! The bread is good but the butter is great with this hint of sweetness. TBH the I wouldn't have missed the pueblito platter - I appreciate that they're trying to give a little sample of three Latino classic but they were so small and it didn't hold a candle to the lobster cappuccino which came with a discrete sweetness from the truffled corn and a compliment of olive oil. It was such a delicate dish that sent us through an adventure of flavors. The cod entree could've had more passion fruit but it was cooked so well either way. The steak was seasoned uniquely with a Smokey chili flavor and cooked just right. Both desserts were also very creative, the chocolate tart one being so rich just the way we like it. read more

See all

Spent our 10th anniversary here and what a special night. We got a wonderful private table outside that was quiet and quaint. They also had a sweet message premade for us when we sat. The food was great. The service was awesome. It was a really special night and cedar knoll delivered. Would def come back for another special occasion. read more

Valentine's Day dinner here was, unfortunately, a very expensive disappointment. We were blindsided by a $120 per person prix fixe menu that was never disclosed on the website or at the time of reservation. Transparency matters, especially when you're asking people to spend this kind of money. The food itself did not come close to justifying the price. All but one of our main courses arrived cold. At $120 a head, that should simply never happen. Out of roughly 10 items served, the only standouts were the smoked salmon appetizer, the bread, and the beef Wellington. Everything else ranged from forgettable to genuinely underwhelming. I have included a photo of the two sides that we were served. This was the portion that was sent out for TWO people to share at $120 each. Both were cold and as you can see the quality is.......bad. The desserts were particularly baffling....one consisted of a single raspberry with sauce, which felt more like a joke than a plated dessert. Several appetizers and desserts tasted and looked store-bought, which is pretty inexcusable at this price point. Our waiter was the bright spot of the evening and did provide a discount after we raised concerns, which we appreciated. Still, we spent over $350 and left both hungry and disappointed. For the same money, we could have gone into DC and had an actual fine-dining experience. Unfortunately, between the lack of upfront communication and the poor quality, this was not worth it and we won't be returning. read more

Cedar Knoll - Potato side dish. Four burnt and cold potatoes served for two people to share at $120 per person....... - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

The management here has become increasingly rude and unprofessional. This used to be a historic, well loved restaurant, but the quality has gone downhill fast. The food is disappointing, the space is noticeably dirty, and the staff clearly doesn't want to be there. Really unfortunate decline. Not worth the cost, nor would I call this anything over a three star restaurant. read more

Do not know why this place is on the top of local lists for anything related to good food or special occasions. It's not. Imho it is mediocre at best. There is no ambience to speak of, especially in the area to the left of the entry. Special o casino are is small and relatively unserviceable if having more than a dozen guests. Wait service is acceptable not exceptional. I will recommend the bar; the drinks were very nice. Other than that I'll never be back. Have had the same lousy experience twice. It's not a fluke, this restaurant just isn't what's portrayed. read more

We went here for an early Valentine's Day romantic dinner (2/13/26). The experience was quite awful. Our cocktails arrived on time, and our appetizers came in about 30 minutes (scallops, undercooked) but we soon realized that an hour had passed by before we received our entrees. Our fellow patrons were also apparently worried about the time and the servers were flustered. Ultimately, we asked for our bill - as did others around us. Our entrees came out just then - also undercooked, so we returned them. Our server explained that the chef had quit and there were issues in the kitchen. Not an ideal evening. Hopefully, they'll get the kitchen squared away again. read more

The entire staff is very hospitable and the out door seating is beautifully peaceful. They have very talented live guitarist on the out direction during dinner ( usually Thursdays). The innovative menu has a variety of palate pleasures. One star taken away for a semi weird dessert. Please see the picture... where I elaborate. read more

See all

Absolutely charming and historic restaurant off the GW Parkway in Alexandria close to Mt Vernon. Delicious crab cakes and excellent service. Can't wait to go back. read more

I went to Cedar Knoll for lunch (not brunch, which was made clear) last Sunday. We sat outside on the patio, which was great for the weather, and it's a beautiful setting. Our party of four had a bottle of rose (though I did have a delicious glass of Sancerre because I'm not a rose gal) and we shared some appetizers and then each got our own entrees. The food was good but the portions were small for the price and the service was beyond slow. The mini biscuits they give you to start and light and fluffy and I felt like I could have eaten 50 of them. We shared the oysters rockefeller, the small bibb salad and the bacon wrapped scallops. Again, they were all good but small and the oysters and scallops were an uneven count which is always tricky in a group of four. For our entrees, two of us had the lobster and scallop risotto and the other two had the crab cakes. My friends liked that the crab cakes were all crab with no filler and the risotto was rich and flavorful. But the service was just off. We waited a very long time to order. Then an even longer time to get our appetizers. And then I didn't think we could wait any longer for our entrees but we sure did. We also had to continually ask for more water. Tables around us kept coming and receiving our food and yet we had nothing. We sat down at 12:30 and left at 3:00pm. I could see that this might be a good spot for an event or special occasion but it just didn't hit the spot for me. read more

See all

I've been coming to Cedar Knoll for about 9 years. The staff is always friendly, they remember my wife and I whenever we visit, and the rotating menu is always fun and different. They have continually made additions and alterations to the venue and it's nice seeing new things when we come in. Great view of the Potomac when available and nice atmosphere inside. read more

Cedar Knoll - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Went for an early dinner on Mother's Day. Fixed menu. Took an hour to receive the main course. Our food was delivered 10 minutes after a table that was seated 20+ minutes after us. Waitress was observed chatting to a table for over 10 minutes. $268 for 2 adults and a toddler, which included 23% mandatory gratuity. Food was good, but not that good. Due to high price and lazy service, likely won't be returning anytime soon. read more

On a Thursday late October 2025 evening Ordered 2 Pork Schnitzel $34 each, 1 crab cake $42, 1 roasted half chicken $36, bacon wrapped scallops $20 appetizer at 6:45 PM; it took ONE HOUR for Aki R. to serve the entrees and she forgot to order one of the pork schnitzel which was delivered 10 minutes later. Food was good but the service was horrible. We were in the first serving area at a table; authentic leather 1800 booths are in the inner restaurant. The restaurant was not crowded; no excuse for this horrible service. Drinks: glass pinot $12, Old fashioned $15, Guiness $8. Total bill without tip for four adults was $213. read more

Very warm atmosphere. Went during restaurant week and had an exquisite meal. The views are lovely and the food was wonderful. It is a little bit of a long meal, so be prepared for a long meal,, but every bit worth the wait. read more

Looking for a blast from the past experience? Delicious food and a beautiful view of the Potomac river? Check out Cedar Knoll. Plenty of parking. Great for a special occasion. Enjoy. read more

Overall very bad experience. Entrees took an hour to come out. Calamari was very tough. Filet was tough and lacked flavor. Crab cakes very small for price and lacked flavor. The food was over priced and frankly not good. The only saving grace was another server, not our server, noticed how long our food was taking and that we were getting increasingly upset. She offered us a discount on our bill and sincerely apologized for our experience. We will not be returning. read more

Delicious Pizzas! In addition to their restaurant menu, they have delicious specialty pizzas for takeout. We got the pepperoni/sausage and the prosciutto/arugula pizzas. Yumm! read more

While the food may be good their recent treatment of my MIL was below acceptable. She ordered a gift card which was paid for on a credit card. Never received it. Asked for a refund. They said her bank rejected the refund which the bank advised they never received said refund. CK offered a replacement gift card and when we went to pick it up they said they never agreed to that. It's been two months of deflect/deny/lie. Totally disorganized business and I would never give them any future business. Like I said, the food may be good but they certainly are morally corrupt. read more

Went here for lunch on a Sunday. After reading reviews, we were a little nervous but we were pleasantly surprised. Should note, it's the same menu as dinner. Food was great and warm! read more

This restaurant is located on land that was once owned by George Washington, the first president. It was purchased by Washington in 1760 and was named River Farm. Subsequent generations divided the land. The original hearth at Cedar Knoll restaurant, located in the Log Cabin room, was built in the early 1800s. It started as a farmhouse on a plantation named Markland on the Potomac. It was converted to an inn and restaurant in 1941. There are currently 4 dining rooms in the restaurant: the Botanical room, the Presidential room, the Log Cabin, and the Lafayette room. My wife and I were seated in the Botanical room. We ordered a prix-fixe meal on Father's Day. It was a three-course meal with 10 dishes. 1) Chilled Avocado soup. It was served in a martini glass. It contained peach and cucumber salsa. It had a modest avocado flavor with subtle flavors of cucumber and peach accompanied by a slight tanginess. Smooth and rich with a nice blend of flavors! 2) Pandebono Columbian cheese rolls. They were crisp on the outside and chewy, moist, and dense inside. The cheese flavor was very light. It came with pepper jelly and honey butter. The pepper jelly was sweet and slightly spicy. The honey butter was whipped and had no honey flavor. The butter flavor was good. This dish was okay. 3) Crab and shrimp balls(4). It came topped with cabbage slaw. The slaw had lemongrass, peanut, and passionfruit aioli. It was a little spicy with a good balance of aioli, lemon, and peanut flavors. The balls were deep-fried. They were slightly crispy with no oiliness and were filled with moist crab and shrimp meat that were notable in flavor. We thoroughly enjoyed this! 4) Watermelon and beet salad. It had watercress, red radish, watermelon, beets, feta cheese, and citrus vinaigrette. The dressing was too tart from the vinegar and citrus. Some sweetness was needed. The salad itself had little flavor except for the beets. It looked good, though. 5) Grilled Salmon. It came dressed with butter sauce that had aji pepper relish, dill, cucumber, red onion, and capers. There was a touch of spiciness in the relish. The sauce had a well-rounded subtle flavor that allowed the fresh salmon flavor to come through. The salmon was moist and tender with a nice grilled flavor. This was a superb dish! 6) Herb Roasted Prime rib. It was cooked between medium and medium well. It was very tender and moist with outstanding savoriness. Most of the fat was trimmed. Kudos to the chef! It came au jus and had horseradish cream. The horseradish was mildly spicy hot. This was one of the best prime rib steaks that I have had. 7) Tomato, Onion, and Gruyère strata. This was an egg-bread casserole. It was bland. There was not much cheese flavor, no tomato flavor, and a little onion flavor. It was somewhat dense and not fluffy. The worst dish here, easily. 8) Everything Baked Potato casserole. It had mild cheese in it with sour cream and diced green onions on top. It tasted like scalloped potatoes. The taste and texture were very good. 9) Grilled corn on the cob, zucchini, and red peppers. These fresh vegetables had good grilled flavors and were cooked well. There was no seasoning on them. They should have used some. 10) Dessert. There were 4 sampler size desserts: smores, cookies, mini fruit tarts with lemon custard, and root beer float panna cotta. - The smores were very different. They were dark chocolate macaroons with finely crushed graham cracker coating around the bottom and caramelized marshmallow swirl on top. Quite tasty and unique! - We received 2 cookies that were decorated like a tie and a slice of watermelon. Very cute, but they tasted like ordinary shortbread cookies. - The mini fruit tarts were great mainly because of the lemon custard. The fresh raspberry and strawberry went well with the zesty and sweet lemon custard. -The root beer float had a short layer of root beer gelatin on top and a tall layer of panna cotta beneath it. The root beer flavor was too diluted and odd tasting. The panna cotta was thick, creamy, and mildly sweet with a good milky flavor. If they fix the root beer, this would be very good.    The service was impeccable! Attentive, informative, helpful, and friendly. Our waiter showed us the Log Cabin room and the Lafayette room after dinner. The dining areas and the restrooms were very clean. The historic charm and decor of this place makes it an ideal restaurant for special occasions. Love the atmosphere and service! I can appreciate the effort in the food. We'll be back to try other dishes! read more

See all

Me and my boyfriend came here during winter restaurant week 2025. I had very high hopes for this place and there were some high and lows. The service was very, very good. Me and my boyfriend came for our two year anniversary and they had left a handwritten note on our table. Whenever we got there congratulating us. It was very sweet. Our server was fantastic very attentive very on point. The atmosphere was very good and I'm sure if you came during the day there was a beautiful view. The restaurant is lacking a proper bar area. They have one section off to the side with some sofas, but not a real bar, which is a shame cause me and my boyfriend wanted to get a drink after dinner. I thought the food was fantastic. We did do restaurant week, but ordered an additional appetizer, the fried goat cheese balls, which me and my boyfriend both thought were absolutely delicious. The bread plate was amazing. There's like a jalapeño focaccia on there that I would die for. For the individual appetizers I got the scallop carpaccio which I thought was very good and my boyfriend got the Parmesan crisp with ham. He really liked it. I thought it was way too sweet. ( sorry I forgot to get photos of the appetizer.) for the main course I got the short rib and he got the duck confit poutine. I thought the food was very good. It was all very well-made. The flavors were innovative, but still gave you that home-cooked feel. I don't know if it's because it's restaurant week but I do feel like the meat portions in our food was lacking. MyBoyfriend's dinner was mostly french fries with just a little bit of duck confit over top With it only being restaurant week and paying $50. I thought it was a very good deal if this is the kind of portion sizing they do on their regular menu, which is quite pricey I would be disappointed. Dessert was where it got really interesting cause my chocolate espresso cake was super good. His green tea ice cream was good but the "mochi" on the side was disgusting. The flavor was just so weird. My boyfriend said the flavor made more sense. If you ate it with a green tea ice cream I think either way it was disgusting. I actually spit out the piece that I tried and the texture was horrible. It was sandy and crumbly in your mouth, which is not what mochi is supposed to feel like and I can't believe that a restaurant of this quality would allow something like this to go out to diners. With that being said me and my boyfriend would still like to come back and try the restaurant again because most of it was a very pleasant experience and the history behind it is very fun. read more

See all

Not a great experience. Though the ambiance was nice and staff were nice the overall service, food and communication were lacking. Took my wife there this evening for an early birthday hoping to have a great experience. We had reservations for 2 at 7 and were seated promptly. We ordered the bacon wrapped scallops as an appetizer which were "ok". My wife had limited GF options but ended up ordering the chicken main and I went for a restaurant week option. Took over 30+ minutes to receive our next appetizer. After eating that we sat waiting for quite awhile. We saw many other tables who were seared after us receiving their entire meals before we got our main. Though the server did state the kitchen was backed up we didn't expect it to take almost 1.5 hrs from the time we're were seated to when we got our mains. Sad to say I will not be heading back again. read more

Overall bad experience dinning here. Food quality was poor, it was unclean, loud and the manager was rude after we asked to return our food. The ambiance is nice because it is on the water but if you don't sit near a window you loose that. read more

grossly overpriced, and not good food. Tiny crab cake for the price. Terrible service. Good ambience.

We dined there for Thanksgiving. The food was cold, the waitress was rude, it took forever to get our drinks ( she brought my sister the wrong wine twice, she wanted Chardonnay, instead she was served a rose' and they told us it was a special red Chardonnay, no such wine, liars!)she brought food for four, there was seven of us. The soup came in a shot glass, Not enough to taste! We asked to have our to child meals taken off the bill( because they didn't eat) and were met with a bad attitude and no. It took an hour of arguing and no apology for the whole thing to get resolved and only $40 off the bill. They don't deserve one star. read more

They made it through the COVID crisis, and this staff is on point from being greeted, seated, served, spoiled and deserted. I am bias this is one of my favorite places to dine! Andrew the owner is making everyone's dinner experience special.... Balancing prior patrons form the ones who were married here to large groups to us...... read more

See all

It's a great place for groups of 60 people because they can put you in a separate room. The wait staff could not be more friendly and accommodating. And the food is excellent. With a nice selection to choose from. The view of the Potomac is spectacular. Highly recommend. read more

Cedar Knoll - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

This is a very average restaurant set on a pretty plot of land. We tried a good deal of the menu and it was average at best. I did find all their fried selections were not good - the calamari was over battered with barely any octopus. The fritters were not fritters. My rockfish was good, I will say. The crab cakes were small and my husband said they seemed like a Costco knockoff. The lemon cake was pretty good. If dining in a historic colonial home on a scenic plot of land is your thing then give this place a whirl. read more

Located on the former George Washington Ferry Farm, on the Potomac River, this quaint inn overlooks the river. Nothing spoils the view. Our dinner matched the ambiance. The service was great, even though every table was filled for restaurant week specials. We jumped over to the main menu, including cocktails (see photos). We started with grilled octopus and oysters Virginia, a unique blend with Virginia ham. Sadly the oysters were lukewarm. The octopus needed a little more flavor such as garlic. The entrees shined; the freshly cooked and lightly breaded soft shell crabs were perfect. Unsure what they were seated on. The veal scaloppine was also perfectly cooked. We had no room left for peanut pie, but will have it the next visit. read more

See all

Overall the food was good. Portion size was smaller than expected especially for the price range. No doubt the food tasted amazing and the setting was elegant. The service could have been better. I arrived at 4pm right at opening and we were the only customers you'd expect the service to be a little better. Took 10mins for the waitress to come take our order. read more

See all

The building itself is charming and I really liked all of the colonial decor inside. Lie waited was friendly when taking our orders but then we didn't see much of him for the next 45 minutes while we waited for our food to come out. There was no comment on when the food would be coming or apologies for the delays. We had a party of five and only two of the five really liked their meal. For the price of our meals I wouldn't recommend going back here. read more

Underwhelming Thanksgiving. (Posting here as Open Table reviews are not functioning...ongoing "server problems) We had high hopes for this meal, as food at Cedar Knoll has been very good in the past. Unfortunately, the restaurant seems to have accepted more covers than wait staff could handle. For example, in our section of the restaurant there was only a single server for ten tables. This logistics problem led to food being delivered cold, or after considerable delay. Coffee and dessert were served 45 minutes after requested. I'm sure the food would have been tasty if served hot and on time. Unfortunately, as it was, this was a sub-par meal at considerable expense. Not the server's fault; I know they are dependent on the kitchen. This restaurant failed to synchronize properly and that's on the general manager and/or chef. Additionally a 23 percent gratuity was automatically included in the bill. Maybe this was in the fine print of my reservation, but it was another regrettable part of the experience, especially since I had already held the reservation with a credit card. Cedar Knoll seems to be fine for the occasional fine dining meal, but they ought to completely rethink their holiday offerings. The single server in the Lafayette Room did an outstanding job with the awful managerial and kitchen fiasco. She was badly overworked, yet cheerful. I did not begrudge her the baked in 23 percent tip. I just hope she received all of it. No one else in the restaurant should have gotten a penny. read more

This is a great spot for a historic and upscale tavern-feeling dinner. You can feel the history and can almost picture George Washington or any of the founding fathers or leaders having supper there. The service is very friendly and the food is solid. We had the goat cheese fritters, octopus, butternut squash soup and the venison. All were excellent and just felt like a nice cozy meal. We sat next to the fireplace in the presidential room and it was so warm and romantic! Lastly, the bread they give you is so good that we ended up having two baskets!!! read more

Cedar Knoll - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The food is great and service is very good. The seating arrangements are great for special events. The only drawback occurred when the server didn't get the word from the maitre D that the dinner was prepayed and that caused a problem for paying the bill. read more

Had a gorgeous dinner on the river outside tonight! We ordered the mushroom tart and the veal scallopini. Highly recommend for the food, the service, and the view. read more

Cedar Knoll - Veal scallopini - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

Took my wife there for Valentine's Day pre-fix. What a TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT! Our server was nice, but missed sending us of the "chefs surprise". After living in DC for 10+ years, and eating and working at fine dining in the city, I would rate this as a 2/5 fine dining establishment. Food was not hot and lacked anything that would make me want to compliment the chef. Service also lacked fine dining training like you find in DC. We moved into the neighborhood a few months ago, and was excited to try it. Ugghh, never again. I guess this will only be a "grab a cocktail" place, after this experience. Prices were outrageous (not to mention they did auto gratuity which was good for them) for the quality of food and service. Lastly, it's 2024: have a better non-alcohol selection beyond Becks. read more

Absolutely delicious food. Quaint restaurant. Ian was great as our server. I didn't get a pic of the oyster stew but it was amazing. For dessert, the peanut pie is a must! read more

See all