Crystal Drive's Evenings Moved Across the Street This Fall

For more than two decades, an evening out on the north end of Crystal Drive often meant 2010 Crystal Drive, where McCormick & Schmick's served swordfish, oysters and ribeyes. That restaurant closed for good on Sunday, October 25. ARLnow reported that by the following Wednesday, crews had already taken down the signage and were repainting parts of the exterior.

Across the street, at 2011 Crystal Drive, the evening option now is Altitude. It's an Italian wine bar and vinyl listening lounge whose bar is shaped like the cross-section of an airplane wing. It opened in June, on the ground floor of an office building that has been getting a $40 million renovation.

The businesses closing this fall stood on their own: a national seafood chain, a nonprofit's wine shop and an independent tapas bar. Much of what opened in 2026 was planned with the buildings around it. One hospitality company runs several of the new rooms, and the landlord or the business improvement district puts on the events that fill the calendar.

Three Goodbyes in Five Weeks

The closings came close together. On September 24, El Mercat Bar de Tapas announced it had closed at Westpost, 1301 S. Joyce Street, one year after opening in September 2025. In an Instagram post that ARLnow quoted, the owners wrote that "economic challenges, unexpected construction costs, delays in opening, and slower-than-anticipated sales ultimately forced us to close our doors."

Crystal City Wine Shop set the latest date of the three. It had opened in March 2012 under the nonprofit Washington Wine Academy and focused on Virginia wines. The shop started because people at academy events like the Crystal City 1K Wine Walk kept asking where they could buy the bottles they were tasting. A sign in the window set Saturday, October 31, as the final day, thanking customers for "14 memorable & joyful years."

Landry's didn't give a reason for closing McCormick & Schmick's. ARLnow reported that Landry's COO Shah Ghani told the Washington Business Journal the company would help employees move to nearby restaurants. The sign in the window sends diners to sister locations, including Morton's The Steakhouse at 1750 Crystal Drive. The only McCormick & Schmick's left in the D.C. area is at National Harbor.

"We regret to inform you this location has closed. We are grateful for the support of our community and encourage our guests to visit us at our sister locations nearby."

That's the sign at 2010 Crystal Drive, as ARLnow reported it.

One Operator, Several Rooms

Many of the places that opened this year come from Episcope Hospitality. The company lists Water Park, Daydrift Books & Cafe at 1550 Crystal Drive, Constellation and Altitude among its Virginia locations. Constellation and Altitude share a floor in JBG Smith's renovated building at 2011 Crystal Drive. They were designed as a pair, one for the day and one for the evening.

Episcope founder David Morton explained the split to FSR magazine: "Altitude is designed for lingering evenings, while Constellation is an energetic space for coffee, meals, and connection."

Constellation opened in the week of May 20. It seats about 60 and has a "slow bar" where pour-overs are made at the counter. Coffee comes from Small Planes Coffee in D.C. and tea from Chicago's Rare Tea Cellar, and a small market sells ready-to-eat meals, snacks and notebooks. ARLnow reported that the cafe planned to move to 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays after July.

Altitude covers the evenings, and its hours overlap the end of the cafe's day. It has about 70 wines by the bottle and 20 by the glass, chosen by an on-site sommelier. Chefs Mariela Pacheco and Andres Lopez, whose résumés include D.C.'s Pineapple and Pearls, run a menu of crudos, handmade pastas and dishes like ricotta gnocchi with brown butter and sage. Concorde, a 12,000-square-foot conference and event center in the same building, now calls itself fully open and lists a total capacity above 470. Its culinary program is curated by Morton.

The location was chosen for what is coming next. FSR describes the building as directly next to the planned pedestrian bridge from Crystal City to Reagan National, with a planned VRE and Amtrak station nearby and a planned 330-key hotel across the street.

The Rest of 2026, Block by Block

South of 2011, most of the year's openings were counters and casual spots, many of them around Water Park.

Dolan Uyghur, on 23rd Street, fits the older Crystal City pattern of an independent restaurant opening in an existing storefront. Among the new places, it's an exception. Tiki Thai, also planned for the area at 244 19th Court S., has pushed its opening to summer 2027 while it works through permitting.

The wine shelf has also moved. When Crystal City Wine Shop opened in 2012, it was the only gourmet wine shop in Crystal City. Flight Wine Shop opened at 269 19th Court S. in March 2025, and Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique has been on Restaurant Row since 2022.

A Calendar With Hosts

Most of the seasonal events between now and mid-December come from Water Park or the National Landing BID:

1. Sunday, November 15, 1 to 5 p.m.: Water Park's Fall Market, with local vendors and seasonal goods.
2. Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Lodge, the BID's free winter festival at Metropolitan Park, 1330 S. Fair Street. It has holiday train rides, photos with Santa, art activities with the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington and the Dog Holiday Sweater Contest. Covered tents keep it going rain or shine, and RSVPs are free.
3. Saturday, December 12, 5 to 7 p.m.: The Arlington Philharmonic Brass Quintet plays seasonal music at Water Park.

The Lodge's vendor market is curated with Made in Arlington. Featured makers include Inherently Imperfect Wood Studio, Lemon & Whim, Marcella Kriebel Art, Sarah Cecelia Jewelry & Metal Goods and The Wandering Shelf. The BID produces the festival with support from Amazon.

Under the Clock at Westpost

The Pentagon City side follows the same pattern. Westpost, the shopping center owned by Federal Realty where El Mercat closed, now draws winter crowds to a seasonal ice rink. The rink opened October 30 with a Halloween "Thriller on Ice" weekend. ARLnow lists these prices and hours for the season:

• Skate rental: $6
• Sessions: $11 online or $12 walk-up for kids 12 and under; $12 online or $13 walk-up for ages 13 and up; $11 for seniors
• Sunday and Monday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Tuesday through Thursday: noon to 10 p.m.
• Friday: noon to 11 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

El Mercat's former address, 1301 S. Joyce Street, is also where founder Nicholas Mounts planned Ember. He describes it as a Euro-fusion restaurant "leaning French," with dry-aged meats, five seating areas and a "secret lounge," in the space Mattie and Eddie's left in July 2024. ARLnow reported in July that he was aiming for a September grand opening, and Ember's website still talks about the time "before the doors open."

Above the rink, the large clock on the Air & Space Forces Association headquarters reads 10:17 and has for some time. A Federal Realty spokesperson told ARLnow that because the clock is more than 20 years old, some parts have to be fabricated, and the company expects to have them by late December before installing them. On Saturdays the rink opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m., so skaters there at 10:17 in the morning or 10:17 at night will see the clock show the right time.

If you own on or near Crystal Drive, these changes affect how buyers will see your block, from who now takes the storefront across the street to which evening places are within walking distance. Brittanie DeChino can walk you through how National Landing's new openings fit into the value of your home. Start with Get Your Home Value.