Fish Market to Celebrate 50 Years in Old Town with “Throwback Menu” Party
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Fifty years is a remarkable run for any restaurant, especially in Old Town Alexandria, where businesses come and go but a handful become institutions.
The Fish Market Restaurant, one of King Street’s most recognizable seafood destinations, is inviting the community to celebrate its golden anniversary with a one-night-only throwback party on Thursday, July 23, beginning at 5 p.m. The evening will feature a nostalgic menu, live music, and the return of favorite dishes from years past.
In announcing the celebration on social media, the restaurant struck a sentimental note:
“50 years in Old Town doesn’t happen every day. So we’re doing it right. Throwback menu. Live music. Old favorites making a comeback for one night only.”
The milestone is more than a birthday party. It marks five decades in Alexandria’s evolving waterfront dining scene.
Opened in 1976, Fish Market quickly became one of the restaurants that helped establish King Street’s reputation as a dining destination. Local writer and co-owner of the Old Town Crier, Bob Tagert described it as “one of the original eateries that helped put Old Town Alexandria on the map.”
“When I came to Old Town in 1977,” Tagert wrote, “the Fish Market became my go-to bar and restaurant… The Fish Market is still putting Old Town on the map.”
The restaurant was founded by the late restaurateur Ray Giovannoni, whose influence on Alexandria’s restaurant scene extended well beyond Fish Market. Giovannoni also established several other beloved Old Town restaurants that helped shape the city’s culinary identity. Around 2010, ownership of Fish Market passed to Franco Landini and his son, Noe, who undertook a major renovation while preserving the restaurant’s casual, waterfront character.
Today, Fish Market continues to serve fresh seafood, oysters, crab cakes, and other longtime favorites while operating its popular Anchor Bar. The restaurant says it remains committed to serving wild-caught, fair-trade-certified seafood.
For Alexandrians, anniversaries like this are increasingly rare. While Old Town is known for its historic buildings, relatively few restaurants can claim half a century in the same location. Surviving changing tastes, economic downturns, the rise of national chains and even the COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to loyal customers and a business that has become woven into the fabric of the community.
Whether it was a first date, a family dinner after a day on the waterfront, happy hour with coworkers, or simply grabbing oysters at the raw bar, generations of Alexandrians have their own Fish Market memories.
As the restaurant put it best: “If you’ve ever had a meal here, a drink at the bar, or just passed by and meant to stop in—this is the night.”
IF YOU GO
- What: Fish Market 50th Anniversary Celebration
- When: Thursday, July 23, beginning at 5 p.m.
- Where: Fish Market Restaurant, 105-107 King Street, Old Town Alexandria
- Features: Throwback menu, live music and returning favorite menu items.
