Going to Barcelona Wine Bar has been the most fantastic exhilarating nights I have enjoyed in my…read morepast 52 years of life. My husband Dave and I go almost every month and the food and drinks are fantastic! I will say this restaurant draws a very young audience, but nonetheless we are always down to boogie. My favorites have been the goats whipped cheese, flank steak, patatas bravas, and the empanadas! And the drinks to absolutely die for! I always start Dave and I off with a pitcher of sangria, red of course, but he's not too keen on the fruity drinks so he always gets a beer. Overall experience is a 10000/10 am definitely going back next month. Xoxo Kathy!

One of my favorite go-to spots whenever I'm in DC! Barcelona never disappoints. The food is always…read morefresh, flavorful, and phenomenal, and the ambiance is top-tier. Plus, you never know who you might see while you're there! They also have a great Happy Hour with a really nice selection of food and drinks. Now, I've never been a gimlet girl, but after trying their Richmond Gimlet, my palate was officially expanded! A gimlet is now one of my favorite cocktails. The unfortunate part is that everybody can't make a GOOD gimlet, even though it seems like such a simple cocktail. Barcelona definitely gets it right! If you're looking for good music, a great crowd, delicious food, and even better drinks, definitely check out Barcelona. It's always a vibe!

I tried Del Mar for the first time last week. It's located right on the wharf, kind of right in…read morethe center too. I went late afternoon and opted for their tapas menu. They have two different menus depending on if you sit at the bar or regular dining. My group went with the regular dining and ordered their Spanish tortilla, fig salad, croquettes, and cheeseboard. The Spanish tortilla was a group favorite. It was fried but soft on the inside and topped with warm cheese...so good. The fig salad was solid, but the sprouts or other greens really took over and created an intense bitter taste when you didn't pair a bite with a fig. The croquettes and cheeseboard were fun additions as well, but the tortilla reigns supreme.

After a nice walk along The Wharf, our group decided to stop by Del Mar for lunch. Seeing it…read morefeatured in so many top food guides, we figured it was a good bet for a great meal. They seated us on a gorgeous terrace with sweeping waterfront views, but that's pretty much where the good vibes ended. Immediately, the seating process was a total mess--the staff seemed super confused about how to set up our tables, and they automatically brought out bottled water without us even asking. We decided to go with their $36 brunch deal alongside a few extra sharing plates for the middle of the table. Honestly, the food was fantastic. The crab cakes were packed with flavor, the eggs were cooked to absolute perfection, and having dessert included in that $36 brunch special is an incredible value for this area. Unfortunately, the service completely killed the experience. Despite having a huge team on the floor, the staff was slow, disorganized, and constantly mixed up our courses. To make matters worse, all the confusion led to mistakes on our final check. It's such a shame because the kitchen is doing amazing work and the presentation is spot-on, but the front-of-house team really needs to get it together.

Fun to try our first Jose Andres restaurant while visiting Washington DC for the first time in…read moredecades. We had reservations so the wait was minimal for our party of 6 on a weeknight. We enjoyed sangrias to start, and were seated at a fun foosball table where Elvis and other characters battled it out as we waited to order. The restaurant felt welcoming and festive with lots of bright colors and decor. The manchego cheese and olives, garlic shrimp, and chicken thighs were all very tasty, tender, and succulent. Chicken and mushroom paella was served tableside with a swoosh of garlic aioli on each plate. We finished with 3 desserts which were all very well done - who would think to combine olive oil ice cream with grapefruit? I love eating desserts that I would never prepare at home. Overall, this is a great place to go with a group. Check it out if you're in the area.

We were lucky to get a parking spot out front on a Friday for lunch! Staff are a bit prickly given…read morethe location in the heart of DC and possibly the move along service is due to the majority business lunch traffic. Food was good but a bit pricy - probably due to location. Love their interpretation of a Paper Plane drink.

3.5 stars but bumped for 4 for the cocktails, space, and service. Came to Taberna on a Monday…read moreevening and had an overall nice time. Service was great and attentive throughout with multiple waiters serving our table and the space is beautiful and cozy. It wasn't too crowded around 5:30 when we came and wasnt too busy overall. We left a little before 8 and it never got too loud or too crowded. I think walking in without a reservation would be fairly easy. They have a great cocktail list and I really enjoyed mine! It was a unique cherry and almond flavored drink while my friend went for a cucumber type drink. Both great. We shared 4 tapas which were surprisingly quite large and ended up being plenty for the both of us. We did patatas bravas, mushroom croquettes, fried manchego, and calamari. The tapas were good/average but nothing to rave about. Our bill came to about $120 which is probably about standard now but felt overpriced for what we got. They do a 20% service charge with 5% being operational and only 15% going to staff. Not my favorite...I dont mind a service charge but burying an operational charge into it made us confused on whether the expectation was to still tip or not. I wish restaurants were more transparent about this. I wouldn't come back for a full dinner but drinks were nice and service was great so I'd consider spotting in for a happy hour if in the area. Worth a try overall. I hope they consider giving their servers the full 20% of the service charge. 5% for operations should really be baked into the prices or otherwise listed separately.

We met here with family for a nice meal and what we had hoped would be very good paella. My husband…read moreand I are usually the only 2 that do not eat seafood like mussels and shrimp, so we have been out of luck at other paella places. So, we were very pleased to see that Taberna offered 2 different chicken only paellas. Right off the bat, the location is very nice. It is clean and well decorated. We were there on a Tuesday night, so it wasn't crowded at all. The entire staff was amazing. Very friendly and attentive. We ordered the Tortilla De Patatas (Spanish omelette with potatoes) as appetizer. It was very delicate and creamy, but had zero flavor. Not one hint of salt or any seasoning. The sauce with it was never explained. We think it was some sort of aoli. Again, not a hint of salt. The main flavor from it was from the olive oil it was cooked in, which was not the flavor we were hoping for. My husband and I ordered the De Pollo Y Txistorra (chicken and chistorra sauage) paella. The amount we got was rather large and would have easily fed us both. However, the sausage was not at all what we expected. It looked like Slim Jim's had been broken in two and placed on top. Granted, the sausage was flavorful, it just wasn't visually or texturally appealing. In addition to the sausage and the chunks of chicken, the paella had chunks of some other meat that we think was pork. Also, Canelli white beans, which my husband hates, and large chunks of artichoke. Again, no salt and no real flavor. The one thing I was extremely excited for was the socarrat. But, there was none. I am not sure if the staff just didn't scrape it off the pan and give it to us, or it wasn't cooked properly and just didn't have it. Ours was not the only paella without it. It was very disappointing to not have that vital element. Of our party of 8, only 2 finished their paella. We really could have made better rice a roni at home and saved the $74 (just for my husband and myself). At the end, one person got the Arroz Con Leche (Spanish rice pudding) and another couple got Milhojas De Crema Con Almendra Tostada (a puff pastry and creme dessert). The rest of us had coffee and cappuccino. We were also brought a plate of tiny cookies. One was a chocolate no bake cookie that ended up being pure cocoa and rice cereal. The other cookie was a bland butter cookie. For the price of what we got, and the mandatory 20% charge, plus a tip, we felt this restaurant was very overpriced and not worth the trip. I don't think we will be coming back.

Great outdoor dining area. The complimentary warm bread and olive oil are amazing. Save some…read morebread for the tapas especially the ALBONDIGAS. Dipping the bread is the Jamón-Tomato Sauce is almost as good as the meatballs themselves. The crispy okra was fried perfectly. The pescado frito was good but probably not worth the money. Extensive wine by the glass selection, several good draft beer and signature cocktails make this a great dining experience.

Barcelona is the perfect spot for a romantic date night. Every tapas we ordered was absolutely…read moredelicious, and the service was attentive, friendly, and fast. Our favorites were the patatas bravas, the pork belly, and the seasonal pork ribs--which were so good we ordered them twice... and completely forgot to take a picture lol. Highly recommend if you're looking for an incredible meal and a great atmosphere!

Came to Boqueria during DC's Winter Restaurant Week and had a great time! It was a good deal too,…read moreand I left so full. Started off with the "Taste of Spain" which included Pan con tomate, Aged manchego, Jamón Ibérico de bellota, and Boquerones con naranja. Since I couldn't eat the latter two, the server said they could double the first two, which was so appreciated. For my first course, I chose the Escalivada (fire-roasted eggplant, red pepper, labne yogurt, fresh herbs, olive oil, served with focaccia) and Croquetas de setas (creamy mushroom croquettes with truffle aioli). The Escalivada was tasty, but more on the tangy side; the bread was more crostini-like than focaccia. The Croquetas were so good: creamy, savory, umami inside and crunchy outside. Next, I got the Zanahorias (spiced baby carrots, sweet and sour reduction, orange honey yogurt, mojo verde, Marcona almonds) and Patatas bravas (crispy potatoes, salsa brava, pimentón, garlic aioli). When I tell you those carrots had me dreaming about them later, I'm not kidding- all of the different flavor combos paired with the perfectly cooked carrots were amazing. The Patatas bravas was pretty classic- crispy potatoes with creamy aioli and tangy tomato sauce. Finally, for dessert, I had the Tarta de naranja (orange olive oil cake, citrus-honey yogurt), and my friend had the Tarta vasca de chocolate (Basque chocolate cheesecake, macerated strawberries, chantilly cream). Both were tasty, but the Tarta de naranja was so good: perfectly dense cake, refreshing citrus, and great contrast with the yogurt. For my drink, I got the Forget-Me-Not refrescante (butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime, ginger beer). Very interesting drink, not sure I'd order again but it was good. Service was great, super willing to accommodate my vegetarian dietary restrictions. Ambiance is really nice, very modern and elegant. Very accessible by metro, just a short walk from the station. 10/10 would recommend!

First... man the chairs were UNCOMFY. Theres two types of stools and the padded one feels slightly…read moreslanted forward and small. But anyways Paella was delicious, the flavor profile was super fun. We got the short rib and seafood, and we all preferred seafood as the short rib was a bit heavy. The fish in it was crispy and so good, especially with the green sauce- nice herby and refreshing contrast. The figs were interesting and fun. But not that filling... I did not like the patatas... sauce was good but the potato itself had none of its own seasoning and was tough. Yes crispy but not pillowy inside. The octopus was delicious and super tender. Would come back for seafood paella and charcuterie.

Legit HH and great food. Met up with my old college roommate before the wizards season opener and…read morethis place got us fed well. I ordered patatas bravas twice (crispy and filling), the beef sliders (tender but needed a bit more sauce), mushroom croquetas (tasty and small) , and the shishito margarita (refreshing). Everything was great and our server was on point, always checking to make sure we were good. The inside is pretty spacious and decorated well. Great place for date night honestly. I'm definitely bringing my wife here in the future.

Amazing and very friendly service! We came on a Sunday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised when…read moreour sever indicated to us that they had happy hour. I don't think I've ever been to a restaurant that has happy hour during weekends. The happy hour menu was very extensive and had fabulous options! The standouts: - seafood paella: 10/10, we had to wait a bit to get it but it was worth it - patatas bravas: 12/10, crispy, flavorful with a nice spicy kick to them - croquetas de jamón- my kids' favorites - pan de tomate- great option for kids (and adults lol) The not so favorite: Dates with blue cheese Overall it was a delicious meal! The ambiance is beautiful and we can't wait to be back! P.S. everything looked sooo good that I forgot to take pictures of most of the things before we ate them!

This is a neighborhood gem. The food is always fantastic. The service is always top notch. The…read morestaff is friendly and attentive. Whenever friends visit from out of town, we bring them to Atxondo. And if they visit again, they always ask to go back again.

I went to Atxondo hoping to taste the work of a Basque chef, and found out that the new chef is…read morefrom El Salvador, but has studied cookery in Spain. After having a full meal with cocktails, appetizer, entree, dessert and coffee (about $70 per person), I concluded that Atxondo will be a definite future destination for Happy Hour and light bites, but that my full meal dining dollars will be spent elsewhere. The Patatas Bravas (Fingerling Potatoes) were outstanding, with their two tasty sauces and rich, crispy flavor and texture. The Hibiscus Margarita with its salt and tajín rim was good enough to warrant a second one... but the Sangria was lackluster due to the complete absence of cut-up fresh fruit in my glass. The "Crispy Duck Breast" is no longer served whole, but sliced on a bed of sauteed kale... and, sadly, seemed to be only a shadow of its former self. The Lamb Meatballs suffered from being mushy (a coarser grind would have made a world of difference in the texture) and lacked that meaty exuberance one treasures in any kind of meatball. My serving of Basque Cheesecake was almost comically tiny (at $9 per serving, perhaps not so funny after all). But my cup of Americano came out of the espresso machine strapping strong and piping hot, with a gorgeous head of natural crema from the oil of the coffee beans. So I will definitely return for a future Happy Hour to devour the outstanding Patatas Bravas and sip the good Margaritas, and to try the bargain Manchego Burger and other Happy Hour bites. For serious dining, Atxondo falls short of the mark... but for drinks and bar food, Atxondo turns out to be a real neighborhood gem. .

My life partner (26 years and still counting) treated me to a birthday dinner at Casa Theresa. It…read morewas a most pleasant surprise! First off, our server offered us two sparkling wines (compliments of the restaurant). Unexpected but very much appreciated! For starters we had the Chicken Croquettes (Croquetas De La Dolors) and the Tomato Bread (Pa Amp Tomaquet). I also had one Ham Croquette (Croquetas De Jamon), which was good but not quite as tasty as the Chicken version. We accompanied this with two glasses of their nice Alberineo. We also shared one Vermouth flight. For mains my partner had the grilled octopus while I had one of the signature dishes: Corn-fed Pork (Presa Iberica De Beloit), which was tender, juicy and delicious! I'm not a big meat-eater but this was worth every bite! However, the portion did seem a bit smaller that the advertised 6 oz. I also sampled my partner's octopus and concluded that it was just about the best I have ever tasted - certainly the best in the DC area! It was tender and moist. Our waiter warned that the portion size was small but it actually was about the same size as my pork dish. I will order the octopus on my next visit. Being quite full, passed on dessert. But our waiter brought me a complimentary flan dessert with one lit candle on top. Another nice touch. The last time I dined at Casa Teresa was Restaurant Week-2025t. That meal was good but this one totally overshadowed it. And the total bill was less than we had expected. Not only does Casa Teresa excel in food, service and ambiance, it's also bargain-priced. Casa Teresa rocks!!!

As a DC Native who lived in Spain for years I want to support Casa Teresa, yet Casa Teresa took…read moreaway my sense of safety while dining in America. During a visit to watch the World Cup a fellow customer claimed I was "bothering her." Management immediately asked me to leave and then instead of attempting to understand the situation, Richard Brandenburg, the CEO, escalated the situation by calling the police. At the time I believed he was management. The staff continued to serve me food while the police were on their way. I have a hard time believing the actions of staff or the women were not motivated by my race or gender. Sharing this online is difficult as racism, microaggression and unconscious bias exists in many forms and we learn to stay silent due to shame. In this case a post needed to be shared so other patrons do not face the same experience I did.