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Alta Strada Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar plans to permanently close its Mosaic District restaurant on July 25, ending about nine years of service in Merrifield.
The 120-seat restaurant opened in February 2017 at 2911 District Avenue, Unit 150. Alta Strada announced the closing on social media July 20 and attributed the decision to the cost of occupying the space.
“The reality is that the increase in rent made it impossible for us to continue,” the restaurant said.
EDENS, the company that developed and owns most of the Mosaic District, declined to discuss the asserted increase or its negotiations with Alta Strada. A company spokesperson said EDENS does not comment “on speculation, rumors, or business negotiations with retail partners.”
That leaves the restaurant’s explanation unconfirmed by the property owner. The amount and terms of the reported rent increase were not disclosed or independently verified.
Alta Strada invited customers to visit before the final day. “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.
“We’ll cherish these memories long after our doors close,” it added.
Boston-based restaurateur Michael Schlow conceived Alta Strada as a rustic Italian restaurant concept. The brand made its Washington-area debut in March 2016 with a restaurant in the District’s Mount Vernon Square neighborhood, followed by the Mosaic location the next year.
The Mount Vernon Square restaurant closed in November 2024, making Mosaic the brand’s last location in the Washington region. After the scheduled Merrifield closing, Alta Strada was reported to have three remaining restaurants: one at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut and two in the Boston area, including a location in the arrivals area of Logan International Airport.
One supporter has started an online petition asking the restaurant either to reverse its decision or find another home in the Washington region. The petition suggests malls in Tysons or Reston Town Center as possible destinations. Those ideas came from the supporter and do not represent an announced relocation plan from Alta Strada.
No replacement tenant for the District Avenue space had been identified in the source report.
The closure will remove a longtime restaurant from Mosaic’s dining lineup while leaving unanswered questions about the lease negotiations behind the decision. Alta Strada has publicly placed responsibility on a rent increase; EDENS has neither confirmed nor rebutted that account, instead declining to discuss its business negotiations with the restaurant.