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    Cranes Spanish Kaiseki

    4.3 (769 reviews)

    Cranes Spanish Kaiseki Photos

    CRANES SPANISH KAISEKI ATMOSPHERE

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    Kay

    Cranes is my FAVORITE restaurant in DC for a nice place to celebrate something. Their "omakase" menu is my go to and always such a fun exploration of flavors and Japanese-Spanish fusion. The himachi and other pre-meat course courses were my favorite. They also have so many cocktails to choose from! I will return here again and again since they change up their menu every so often. The wait staff will pace your dishes based on your eating pace which I appreciate. The lounge modern nice but chill vibe is great to enjoy your dinner in.

    Curry Udon
    Jay S.

    A friend and I came here for happy hour to catch up and ordered a few dishes on their HH menu and I thought every item was solid with not much to say in terms of highlights. They were relatively small in portion as well, reflecting more of a tapas style. I thought it was innovative for them to incorporate Asian cuisine into small plates, which is becoming more often nowadays in fancy settings as well. The oysters had pretty good ponzu so I had a good time tasting it. The miso glazed tofu had pretty good crispy texture on the tofu skin but the flavor was slightly lacking because it relied on the glaze for flavor. The curry udon was a combination that I didn't think worked as well because the curry wasn't staying on the noodles as easily as it would on rice. Finally, the karaage chicken tasted pretty regular, and the rayu aioli had predominantly mayo flavor, so I thought it was just mayo mixed with some other stuff instead. Probably at some point I would return here again to try their food from other menus instead of just happy hour, like their omakase experience. I will say, though, that having 4-8pm as the happy hour time is a great move!

    Seafood rice "a la plancha"
    Jamie C.

    First time at Cranes. Came for restaurant week dinner. The service and ambiance are great. All of the staff was knowledgeable about the menu, very professional, and extremely quick to provide new utensils, answer questions etc. Hot towels are provided when you sit and the restaurant is extremely clean. I ordered the ole omagari mocktail. It has a watermelon lime flavor but I didn't love it. For $12 I would skip it next time and just have water. We ordered the patatas bravas (not part of the restraint week menu) for the table. Crispy and balanced by the sauces. Would recommend for a table appetizer. Of the restaurant week menu I liked the nori cracker, steak, and dessert the most. The nori cracker with edamame hummus was salty and crispy and a light start to the meal. The steak was perfectly cooked but I did not like the cooked pepper that came with it. Mine tasted burned and flavorless so I left it alone after one bite. I liked the onion and cracker paired with the steak. The dessert felt unique with the different textures and flavors. The mango and coconut felt very refreshing after the meal. The seafood rice was okay. The shrimp was well cooked but the rice and sauce flavor just wasn't for me. The salmon and tomato gazpacho was my least favorite. The salmon seemed fresh but the gazpacho was lacking in flavor for me. For $65 I wish I had enjoyed the food more. I would give the regular menu a try.

    Ken A.

    Been to Cranes a few times now. Twice in the bar and once in the dining room. The dining room experience was not good. We went in with a pretty good idea of what we wanted to order, but our server had other suggestions for us and acted like our choices were mistakes and we should order what he recommended. Also, we didn't ask for his recommendations. Anyway, we ordered some apps and drinks and flagged him down for more apps and drinks and then he never came back, so we didn't order mains. Our other visits were at the bar and the service was wonderful as was the food (both HH and non-HH) and drinks. We will return to the bar whenever we are in the area.

    Pescado frito
    Nicola M.

    I was so excited to try this place. We decided to have happy hour bites instead of the full dining menu. We tried several things. My favorite dish was the okonomiyaki tot - a flat tater tot with sauce which was great. The pescado frito was decent. The oyster was overpowered by the seaweed. The curry udon was just not good. The tequila cocktail was good. Our server was not very knowledgeable and had to keep asking questions to other staff. I did enjoy the ambiance.

    eggplant confit
    Iris P.

    good ambiance and wide spaces, although a but glammy for my liking. some of the "fusion" dishes were a little forced e.g., adding wagyu or ikura to dishes. the pork shank was really good but i felt like the tapas couldve had better execution. i expect novelty for a fusion place, but there wasnt anything *particularly* novel except for the butternut squash puree

    Oysters
    Leslie T.

    Food and service were excellent. Everything was good and the staff were very attentive. We did the tasting menu and oysters at the bar

    Patatas bravas
    Willie R.

    I came to Cranes the other night and am glad I did! Knowing that heavy Japanese influence equals lots of seafood and thus allergies for me, I called ahead of time to see if they would be able to accommodate my allergy and they were. The venue itself is tastefully decorated, and I chose to sit at the bar--it's always more engaging that way! I was right under the crane decoration that fit perfectly in the space. I started with a Matcha Do About Nothing, a tequila-based cocktail with yuzu bitters, which was quite delicious. I have never been able to resist patatas bravas, so I ordered those. They come in a non-traditional preparation, as little rectangles with a yuzu aioli that has just enough yuzu flavor to be present but not overpowering. Then I moved onto the Wagyu beef, and admittedly, it was tougher than I am accustomed to Wagyu being--not that melt in your mouth quality. It was good, but not at the level that I was anticipating. But I am also biased by mostly ordering it in Japan, and it's always hard to match that quality. The Kuro Kyoto, with a house-made blend of Japanese whiskies, was tasty and potent! My server was absolutely HILARIOUS the whole night! When I mentioned my allergy, he said, "Oh, they already told me about you! We've got an Epi-Pen in the back!" I really enjoyed my experience here and would be happy to return!

    Mushroom soup
    Carmen L.

    Y'all. Let me tell you about this place. Located in a very unassuming storefront, you'll walk past it if you're not paying attention. Stepping inside is like going from a concrete city to a beautifully decorated, modern chic yet minimalist setting. I visited for lunch ($35) during Winter Restaurant Week 2025 with five girlfriends and we all walked out of there happy to have had the experience. That's probably the best way to describe it: an experience where flavors you thought should never mix create a magical taste. Since we were there for Restaurant Week, the menu was set. We started with a mushroom soup that blew me away, and the entree was essentially a bento box that included poached shrimp, glazed tofu (crispy and just perfect), fancy rice, wagyu pulled beef, and chicken katsu. I don't even know where to begin because everything was just superb. Tapas portions but with that Japanese flavor. Everyone was delighted with every bite they took. For dessert we were given a sorbet of sorts. I, sadly, don't recall the flavors but it was superb through and through. Overall, the food was fantastic and I'd return for a regular meal anytime. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!! Service was prompt and cordial.

    Delicious Chocolate mousse
    Dinh D.

    Been here once for a restaurant week and it was so good! I think we tried I forgot how many dishes in that course meal. Best part was the main entree which was the beef cheek and the dessert which was some chocolate mousse. The ambiance and decor is what you'd expect from a Michelin place. Service was great. They explained each dishes for us.

    Tofu was just ok
    Stephanie L.

    Came here first the Bento for lunch and was utterly underwhelmed. Service, while friendly, was super slow. I came in at 12:45pm, got the soup and amuse bouche 10 min later and the actual bento at 30 min after seating. The highlights were the mushroom soup, tempura (perfectly lightly battered and seasoned, since it came without typical dipping sauce) and churros. The katsu, tofu and fried rice was something I'd get at an Asian fast food place and none of the dishes stood out for fusion of Japanese and Spanish flavors. Took a while to get my check paid (think servers were also having their lunch break) so ended up spending over an hour here. I'd skip here first the bento - it just looks pretty. Perhaps dinner might be a better option.

    Fried rice, tasty
    Kelly M.

    REVIEW OF HAPPY HOUR: wow a great find for happy hour! They have a pretty good size bar area so you can show up even with a small group and find a spot. We enjoyed house wine, sake and a couple cocktails. The cocktails were a little overly sweet so I'd probably stick with sake and cocktails next time. For food, we liked everything for the most part: fried rice, ramens, croquettes, potato tot, tofu, and above all the incredible churros. Fried fish was a little bland. All dishes are quite small but it turns out to be a decent deal at the happy hour prices!

    May C.

    Food We went during restaurant week to try a portion of the menu and were throughly impressed! The flavor combinations are unexpected but worked. Service Great service! Wait staff were discreet, but would clean up any small mess on the table promptly. Ambiance We arrived a bit before dinner rush and loved how warm the overall interior was.

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    Cranes Spanish Kaiseki Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cranes Spanish Kaiseki

    Are toddler (3 years old) allowed to come in for dinner?

    Absolutely

    What days/time is happy hour?

    Happy hour is every day, from 4-6pm. That is in the bar area and the patio. Happy hour on the patio is available upon request.

    What is the dress code?

    Casual/dressy for sure... dont wear shorts or a T-shirt. This is a Michelin starred restaurant

    Do they have vegan options?

    Yes, just talk with your server. They will take care of you.

    View All 6 Questions

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    Cranes Spanish Kaiseki - tapas - Updated June 2026

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