Alta Strada is bowing out of the Mosaic District about seven months shy of what would’ve been its 10th anniversary there.
The Italian restaurant and wine bar revealed on its social media pages yesterday (Monday) that its Merrifield location will be permanently closing its doors on Saturday, July 25.
“We’ve been so grateful for your love and support over the years. Please stop by and say goodbye before we close,” the restaurant said in its announcement.
With a name that translates to “the high road,” Alta Strada was conceived by Boston-based restaurateur Michael Schlow as a showcase for “rustic” Italian food, according to Washingtonian. The concept launched in D.C.’s Mount Vernon Square neighborhood in March 2016 before expanding to the Mosaic District location less than a year later.
Opened in February 2017 at 2911 District Avenue, Unit 150, the 120-seat restaurant has spent the past nine years serving up pasta, pizza and and other entrees, such as rockfish picatta and red wine-braised short ribs, crafted to evoke “the magic of Italy’s streets” and countryside, as Alta Strada says on its website.
It also offered a curated selection of wines, beers and cocktails.
The closure announcement was met with expressions of shock and sadness.
“So devastated to hear this awful news,” one Facebook commenter said. “It’s difficult to understand how this could be happening to Alta Strada, a staple in the Mosaic town center.”
Another described the restaurant as “a family favorite,” stating that their children “will be so sad” to see it go. One supporter has started an online petition calling for the closure to be reversed or for the brand to find an alternate location in the D.C. region, suggesting the malls in Tysons or Reston Town Center as possibilities.
Alta Strada attributed the decision to end its run at the Mosaic District to a hike in rent in a follow-up comment on Instagram that acknowledged the “incredible outpouring of love, kind words, and memories”:
While this isn’t the ending we had hoped for, the reality is that the increase in rent made it impossible for us to continue. Even so, we are deeply grateful for the last 10 years and for the amazing community that made Alta Strada feel like home.
Thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives. Your support and loyalty are something we’ll never forget, and we’ll cherish these memories long after our doors close.
When asked about Alta Strada citing a rent increase as the deciding factor in its closure, a spokesperson for EDENS, which developed and owns most of the Mosaic District, said the company doesn’t comment “on speculation, rumors, or business negotiations with retail partners.”
The Mosaic District outpost was Alta Strada’s last in the D.C. area after its original Mount Vernon Square restaurant unexpectedly shuttered in November 2024. The brand still has three locations — one at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut and two in the Boston area, including a space in the arrivals area of Logan International Airport.
It remains to be seen what will take Alta Strada’s place at the Mosaic District, where it’s prominently located along Strawberry Park between Ted’s Bulletin and Naja Mediterranean.
The mixed-use development recently welcomed the health food spot Pura Vida (8296 Glass Alley), the body-sculpting spa The Tox (2980 District Avenue, Suite 150), and a showroom for the custom rug brand Ernesta, which opened its doors at 2920 District Avenue, Suite 145, in June.
The donut shop The Salty is still forthcoming, but the former Four Sisters space on the ground floor of the Vantage apartments (8190 Strawberry Lane) remains vacant after plans for an outpost of Hawkers Asian Street Food apparently fell through.
Hat tip to Jared Serre
