Floriana is to close its long-standing restaurant in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle on December 31, 2026, ending 47 years on 17th Street before relocating to Old Town Alexandria.
The northern Italian restaurant said it was leaving its current home for a new chapter in Virginia, although it has not announced an opening date for the Alexandria site.
Floriana opened in 1979 and became a familiar part of the Dupont Circle dining scene, hosting celebrations, Sunday brunches, neighbourhood gatherings and Pride festivities over the decades.
The new restaurant is planned for 277 South Washington Street in Old Town, in a space previously occupied by Virginia’s Darling. The site is less than a mile from the King Street-Old Town Metro station.
Floriana has not disclosed why it is closing its Washington location. It has confirmed, however, that existing gift cards will be accepted at the Alexandria restaurant.
The restaurant attracted national attention in 2021 when then vice-president-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, visited while touring local businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The closure announcement prompted an emotional response from customers on social media, with several recalling special occasions and regular meals at the 17th Street restaurant.
“I’m so heartbroken to hear this. You’ve been a special place for my husband and I since we met almost 13 years ago. Old Town is just too far from home for us,” one customer wrote.
Another said the restaurant had hosted “so many Sunday brunches and even our rehearsal dinner”, while a third joked that the move might be enough to persuade them to travel “all the way” to Old Town.
Floriana also operates locations outside the Washington area, including in Wilmington, Delaware, and North Carolina, and is planning a further expansion into Huntsville, Alabama.
