Kirby Club, a casual Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in the Mosaic District, will close September 8 and transform into a new restaurant with a new owner. NAJA, the new concept, will also be a Mediterranean restaurant and is expected to open a week later.
Kirby Club opened in Mosaic in 2022 and was on Northern Virginia Magazine’s Best Restaurants list in 2023 and 2024. The eatery’s name pays homage to co-founder Rose Previte’s grandparents’ Lebanese American social club, and its food maintained that legacy with authentic Lebanese Egyptian cuisine. The menu boasted a selection of Mediterranean dips, mezze, kebabs, and shareable platters.
Tariq Alaeddin, who has worked on the Kirby Club team for three years, will take over as owner and transform the restaurant into NAJA. Alaeddin is also Lebanese American.
“Rose has been an incredible mentor to me over these few years. My goal for NAJA is to honor the spirit that my grandmother instilled in me, how true hospitality feels like being welcomed home,” said Alaeddin.
A New Era
NAJA will “build upon Kirby Club’s celebration of Lebanese American cooking,” a news release said. Diners can expect Kirby Club staples like the creamy havuc dip, roasted chicken with toum, and branzino. The menu will also feature mana’eesh flatbreads and shareable mezze platters.
These flavors will take influence from the ingredients Alaeddin grew up cooking, like grape leaves, fresh herbs, and pomegranate molasses.
“Tariq has been part of Kirby Club since day one. We instantly bonded swapping stories about growing up with a Lebanese grandma and what she and that food meant to us as kids. To be able to have him take over this restaurant and make it his own is incredibly fulfilling and a continuation of this journey in a way I never could have imagined when we opened it three years ago,” said Rose Previte.
As for the atmosphere, the space will get a new look with “navy and cream tones, brass accents, and Mediterranean textures.” The outdoor patio will get a refresh, and the bar will become a centerpiece with flowers.
NAJA will also introduce an event series called NAJA Nights, “DJ-fueled themed evenings that bring energy and culture into the space after dinner hours.”
Feature image of Kirby Club by Rey Lopez
Dining and Cooking