What is the 703 area code?

The 703 area code is the original telephone area code for Northern Virginia, covering Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Reston, Herndon, Vienna, McLean, Tysons, Springfield, Burke, Centreville, Manassas, Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, and 47 other cities.

Is the 703 Business Directory free?

Yes. The 703 Business Directory is free for both residents and businesses. Listings are SMB-only, never pay-to-rank.

How many businesses are in the 703 area code directory?

6,500+ active business listings across 64 Northern Virginia cities and 32 categories. Largest categories: Food & Dining (864), Health & Medical (644), Nonprofits (553). Top cities: Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Leesburg.

Do you cover the 571 area code too?

Yes. The 571 area code was overlaid on the 703 area code region in 2000. We cover both areas.

How do I add my Northern Virginia business for free?

Sign up at https://703businessdirectory.com/register. Claim an existing listing or create a new one. New submissions are reviewed by humans within 24 hours before going live.

How do I submit a community event?

Free at https://703businessdirectory.com/events/submit. Northern Virginia only, English-default. Editorial review within 24 hours. Events appear in the iCal feed at https://703businessdirectory.com/api/events.ics and RSS at https://703businessdirectory.com/events.rss.

Are chain businesses and franchises allowed?

No. The 703 Business Directory is exclusively for independently-owned small and medium businesses operating in the 703 area code. Chains, franchises, and national brands are explicitly excluded by automated filters.

Is the directory good for AI citations?

Yes. The directory publishes a machine-readable index at https://703businessdirectory.com/llms-full.json designed for LLM ingestion. The robots.txt file explicitly allows GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, and CCBot.

Best restaurants in Northern Virginia: a 2026 food lover's guide

Northern Virginia has one of the most diverse restaurant scenes in the United States — 64 cities, 800+ restaurants, cuisines spanning Korean (Eden Center in Falls Church is one of the largest Korean malls on the East Coast), Vietnamese (the original Eden Center strip), Ethiopian (Adams Morgan corridor), Afghan, Persian, Lebanese, Salvadoran, Peruvian, regional Mexican (not Tex-Mex), regional Italian (not Olive Garden), and even Northern Virginia-specific cuisines like Virginia ham biscuits and Appalachian trout. The challenge for residents and visitors isn't finding a restaurant — it's picking the right one for the occasion.

The seven restaurant destinations every Northern Virginia foodie should know

1. Eden Center, Falls Church (Vietnamese + Korean)

The Eden Center is a strip mall on Wilson Boulevard in Falls Church that houses 30+ Vietnamese and Korean restaurants, bakeries, and cafes, plus a Westgate Market grocery. It's been the regional center of Vietnamese-American dining in the DC metro since the 1980s. Signature dishes to try: pho at any Eden Center pho restaurant, banh mi sandwiches, bánh xèo (Vietnamese crepes), Korean BBQ at the restaurants inside the mall, and the Vietnamese coffee (ca phe sua da) at the cafes. Parking is limited; arrive early or eat late (after 8pm on weekdays). The strip mall is the busiest lunch option for federal workers coming from McLean, Tysons, and Arlington.

2. Old Town Alexandria (seafood, fine dining, historic)

The King Street / Old Town waterfront corridor has more than 100 restaurants in a 1-mile radius. Notable: seafood restaurants along the waterfront (the raw bar at the Fish Market is a 50-year institution), wine bars in converted townhouses, and Italian restaurants that source from Virginia farms. Browse Old Town Alexandria restaurants. Parking is metered but manageable on weekdays; weekends require a parking app and patience.

3. Shirlington (Arlington)

The Village at Shirlington is a walkable outdoor shopping + dining center south of I-395. It hosts the Signature Theatre and a cluster of independently owned restaurants that benefit from the post-show crowd. Notable: Busboys and Poets, the Carlyle, and several Mediterranean and Asian options. Browse Shirlington / Arlington restaurants.

4. Mosaic District, Fairfax

An outdoor urbanist dining destination near Dunn Loring / Merrifield with a dozen chef-driven restaurants, including one of the DC metro's best Korean destinations. Notable: the Iron Smoke BBQ + Whiskey, True Food Kitchen, and the various pop-ups that rotate through. Browse Mosaic District restaurants.

5. Reston Town Center

A walkable downtown-style dining district in suburban Reston. Mix of chains and independents; the surrounding area has Vietnamese pho houses, Korean spots, and the Leesburg Pike corridor's Indian restaurants. Browse Reston restaurants.

6. Annandale (Korean + Vietnamese)

Annandale is one of Northern Virginia's under-the-radar food destinations. The intersection of Little River Turnpike and Columbia Pike hosts 80+ restaurants within walking distance, with the largest Korean community outside of Eden Center. Notable for late-night Korean BBQ, Korean soup houses (gamjatang, seolleongtang), Vietnamese cafes, and the best Korean bakeries in the DC area. Browse Annandale restaurants.

7. Historic Manassas / Old Town Manassas

Old Town Manassas has a smaller but high-quality restaurant scene centered around Center Street and the Manassas Train Depot. Notable for the Cuban cuisine concentration (Rivas family restaurants), the Vietnamese cafés, and the various wine bars and farm-to-table options that draw from the surrounding Prince William farm country. Browse Manassas restaurants.

Quick facts about Northern Virginia food

The 703 area code has more than 860 restaurants in active listings (see /category/food-dining)
Most common cuisines: American (general), Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican (regional + traditional), Chinese (Sichuan + Cantonese + dim sum houses)
Most expensive average ticket: Old Town Alexandria waterfront (steak houses + seafood, $50-$150 per person)
Best late-night food: Eden Center, Annandale, Annandale-Korean-BBQ, Merrifield
Best dim sum: various Richmond Highway (Route 1) spots, plus Centreville
Food safety scoring: Every restaurant has a Virginia Department of Health inspection record searchable at vdh.virginia.gov

How to pick the right restaurant in NoVA

For business dinners

Old Town Alexandria, Tysons, Reston Town Center, and Mosaic District are walkable and have reliable fine-dining. Rosslyn has a cluster near the Metro with private-dining options. Restaurant parking matters more than food quality for client meetings.

For families

Mosaic District (Fairfax), Reston Town Center, and Shirlington have kid-friendly patios and chains that handle dietary restrictions. Eden Center has the best banh mi sandwiches and tofu options for kids who are picky.

For date nights

King Street in Old Town Alexandria is the classic pick. The Mosaic District, Reston Town Center, and Del Ray (a sub-neighborhood of Alexandria) all have a strong date-night energy with walkable streets.

For solo / counter service

Eden Center, Annandale, and the Falls Church / Seven Corners area have the best counter-service Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese options.

For groups & larger parties

Most NoVA restaurants handle 8-12 people well. For larger groups (15+), call ahead — many of the Old Town Alexandria restaurants have private event space. Restaurant parking matters: groups often meet 30 minutes early just for parking logistics.

Reservation patterns in NoVA

Old Town Alexandria on weekends: book 2-3 weeks ahead for prime times (Fri/Sat 6:30pm-8pm)
Eden Center: typically no reservations, walk-in only
Mosaic District: 1-2 weeks ahead for prime times
Tysons restaurants: same-day reservations often work; weekday lunch is easy
Off-peak/NoVA standouts: Tue-Thu lunch (easiest to get tables), Mon-Wed dinner (open tables without reservations)

How the 703 Business Directory stays useful for food discovery

The directory lists real restaurants by category and city, with verified contact info (phone, website), category names, city, and short descriptions. The category-subcategory filters let you drill down to specific cuisines. Restaurants that have owner-claimed profiles show up first.

For each city, the directory surfaces what locals and visitors have rated as the best [cuisine] in [city]. The guides are written specifically for Northern Virginia, not aggregated from national review services.

Frequently asked questions about Northern Virginia restaurants

What is the most famous restaurant in Northern Virginia?

Hard to pick one. The most historic is the Old Town Alexandria Fish Market (open since 1805, the oldest continuously operating seafood house on the Potomac). The most awarded in recent years has been the Inn at Little Washington (in Washington, Virginia, technically 540 area code but often associated with NoVA fine dining). The most beloved "neighborhood restaurant" is whatever Vietnamese or Korean spot is closest to your office.

Do Northern Virginia restaurants accept credit cards?

Yes, almost universally. The few cash-only spots are usually small banh mi shops, taquerias, and Salvadoran pupuserias — typically $5-$15 per person.

Are there any Northern Virginia restaurants with Michelin stars?

Not from Michelin's DC guide (which doesn't include NoVA coverage as of 2024). Northern Virginia has been a frequent request from food writers. The absence of Michelin stars doesn't reflect the quality of the food scene.

What is the best neighborhood for restaurants in Northern Virginia?

Depends on cuisine preferences. Vietnamese + Korean: Eden Center or Annandale. Fine dining: Old Town Alexandria. Date night: King Street or Del Ray. Family-friendly: Mosaic District or Reston Town Center. Quick + cheap + late-night: Eden Center.

Where can I find food trucks in Northern Virginia?

Food truck rally events happen regularly at breweries (Vienna's Caboose Brewing, Ashburn's Old Ox, etc.) and at the various farmers markets. Browse Arlington food listings for current hot spots.