Delicious tapas and paella! Every dish we ordered was worth ordering: charred octopus, gambas (shrimp), croquettes, mixed vegetables to name just a few. The paella marinera was absolutely cooked to perfection. Service is very friendly and attentive and the restaurant is quite cozy. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Paella marinera - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Yet another 10/10 meal at Guardado's. They just never disappoint! Recs: - Pinchitos: their mashed potatoes are so amazing. - Vegetables salteados: somehow they do sauteed vegetables super well- the flavor is unmatched. - Tortilla espanola: tasty omelette with potatoes, etc. - Lamb chops & NY strip steak: my parents' 2 favorites - Flan: their housemade signature dessert, one of my favorites - Chocolate mousse cake: comes with vanilla ice cream, not too heavy and super yummy! I found the regular chocolate cake a bit too heavy Jesus is awesome and provides excellent service. Highly recommend! read more

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I had an incredible meal at Guardado's for Bethesda Restaurant Week. The food was delicious, the drinks were some of the best-priced I've seen around DC, and the whole place was super cute! The Restaurant Week menu was such a great deal. Three tapas and a dessert for $35. Such a steal for the quality and portions. Highly recommend visiting this restaurant for restaurant week if you're looking for a great meal at a great price. For my tapas, I got the gambas al ajillo, seafood ceviche, and pinchitos. Everything was fantastic. The shrimp were garlicky and cooked perfectly! The ceviche was also super yummy! The only thing that would have made the ceviche better is if they served chips with it. It needed a little crunch for contrast. The mango mojito was a standout. It had the freshest mango I've had in months. I was embarrassingly eating the pieces at the bottom of my glass after finishing my drink. Now I need to figure out where they're getting mangoes this good in the middle of winter. Service was great but our waiter was really busy so there were a few times we had to wait a bit for him. He was super nice though so it wasn't a big deal. Also the restaurant had live music which was such a nice touch! Overall this was an amazing experience and I'd absolutely come back. Great food, fantastic drinks, and unbeatable prices. If you're in Bethesda you have to check it out. read more

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Great overall experience. Welcoming staff, excellent food, warm atmosphere. Food and drink (paella, salad, cocktail) were perfect. Service was friendly and not rushed. My 4th time at Guardado's, I'll be back. read more

Guardado's Restaurant is a good restaurant for modest Latino options. They have a limited menu of a variety of fish, chicken and two red meat items in a variety of dish platings. These come in appetizers and entrees. Their entrees are sized like appetizers. The food quality is good. Ok cuts of vegetables and proteins. Food is flavored ok without being too under or over flavored. Portion size is small. It's a nice place to relax and enjoy a light plate. The service from the waitstaff is excellent. Very friendly, polite and knowledgeable. I recommend Guardado's Restaurant. It's quaint. Maybe a nice afternoon date place. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We were in the area and decided to check it out. The 'croquetas de jamón' were burnt and the 'tortilla española' was flat and extremely greasy. If a Spanish restaurant cannot make those two iconic food items well, that was our signal to leave. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Tortilla española and croquetas de jamón - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

An amazing meal. You must try the lamb tapas and the sangria!have been coming here for years ! Must try !!

A group of us came to Guardado's for a friend's birthday. TBH, after checking out the menu and some of the other reviews, I wasn't too excited for the food, but you never know until you try. When I drove up, I noticed that it was a pretty small spot. Luckily, there was plenty of parking opportunities on the street, and a parking garage right across the street. My friend had a reservation, so we were seated right away. Once I walked in, I noticed how small the restaurant was. The table that we sat at was a bit tight, but it worked for us. After reviewing the menu, we decided to order a few plates and share. I opted for the gambas al ajillo, croquetas, pinchitos, plantains with cheese and beef, and papas fritas. I've been to a few other tapas spots in the Moco area, so I was curious to see how their food compared. Overall, the shrimp was good, and the garlic oil was perfect for dipping with their bread. The pinchitos were a delicious sausage over mashed potatoes. I think this was my favorite. The papas fritas were okay. I feel like it was definetly lacking flavor. The plantains with beef was good, but once again it was missing something. I've realized that overall I am just not a fan of croquetas, so I can't really give a fair review. We also ordered drinks. I opted for the mojito, which I sent back and replaced with a mango margarita. The margarita was a better choice. We then ordered some dessert. My sister and I shared the tres leches with the birthday girl. It was a bit dry and not the best. Someone ordered the flan, which was pretty good, and a chocolate fudge cake, which was a bit too much chocolate even for me. I give 2 stars because the service was ok, and I think they have a variety of options. However, I probably won't be returning. read more

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We just dined here for the first time and my parents have already declared it a new favorite. My favorites: + Gambas Al Ajillo ($13.95) - This classic sauteed shrimp dish was so good we even ordered a second round and used the bread to mop up all the olive oil in the pan. + Shrimp Quesadilla ($14.25) - I love a shrimp quesadilla but these surpassed expectations--there was plenty of shrimp and the tomatoes added a nice savoriness. + Plain Plantain ($4.50) - One of the best plantains I've had in recent memory and nice and caramelized on some of the edges. We also enjoyed: + Calamares Fritos ($12.25) + Pulpo A La Gallega ($12.50) - The octopus was so tender! + Croquetas ($9.50) - These were just okay and not super flavorful. + Paella Negra ($44.95) - We prefer our paella rice to be cooked through instead of al dente and was pleased to find it nice and soft. I thought the tilapia was a little fishy but overall we enjoyed it! Despite slight apprehension when looking through the pictures prior to our visit, we were very impressed and will definitely be returning! read more

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Great Paella and friendly service. The saffron rice was authentic and really satisfying. We had the seafood version, and the seafood was plentiful. read more

Good paella and attentive service. Always a good experience. Needs more tapas on the menu.

Always wonderful food, service and atmosphere at Guardados. We've been coming for years, and never tire of their delicious tapas and friendly service. read more

Recommend. My husband has selected their paella for his special birthday dinner for several years. We also come here with a dinner group and always enjoy it. Consistently good! read more

Delicious reasonably priced tapas and paella. We only ate about half of it between the two of us. Good service, quaint and cozy interior. Would recommend to anyone wanting tapas or paella. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Seafood Paella - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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A little crowded on the seating, but food was great and evenly spaced out so we wouldn't get overwhelmed with everything coming at once. We liked the chorizo and seafood dishes the best. The steak and pork loin were a little dry. read more

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Had a decent experience- I had the paella casera, I liked the sausage and chicken but the zucchini and mushroom made it too watery. I also got the omelet torta, pulpo, and croquetes for tapas. I loved the croquetes but I thought the pulpo and omelet were good but nothing spectacular. For flan for dessert which we really liked- waiter was great but at one point we needed extra spoon for dessert and never got it ( I think they forgot and they got a little busy) - otherwise the waiter was pretty attentive. The restaurant gets a little loud when busy but the space is quaint and adequate! read more

The tapas and paella are amazing! The service is very attentive, and the wine list does not disappoint. Growing up in Brazil, I and picky about flan. Theirs is outstanding, as are the after dinner drinks and coffees. read more

i had a 3 star meal here in 2017. This time was better. I had the mushrooms, a chicken tapas, calamari, and the spinach salad. All the dishes were well executed, with lots of tasty elements. I also enjoyed a margarita. The only miss was I requested no salt on the rim, and received a heavily salted rim. So other than wiping salt off my glass, my meal was spot on. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Happy hour choices - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I love this place, each of the tapas has a distinct flavor. The gambas were generous and delicious, mushrooms with a touch of sherry in the sauce, espinacas with raisins and apples, and an orange flan - all so yummy. I can't wait to come back. read more

Absolutely amazing date night spot. Was craving spanish food and thought we'd have to drive into DC- but this gem popped up on maps and I'm so happy it did. The food was amazing, the spinach salad and mussels tapas were stand outs. Our server was so attentive and sweet, I believe her and her husband are soon to be inheriting the place. She is clearly very passionate about their family's resturant. Absolutely come here if you want to feel at home in the best way. read more

Great place for reasonably priced and good quality paella. Tapas are also good. The tortilla didnt look as nice as some others but the taste was there. Service is really good here. read more

We did take out so I can't say too much about service or ambiance, but the food spoke volumes. We had the seafood paella and it was outstanding. A great spot for solid food. would love to try the small plates another time! read more

Deliciously simple! Food was so good shrimp quesadillas, chorizo -yummy!!! Server, Jesus was outstanding! read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Menu - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We usually go to Guardado's for Valentine's Day. They used to have a special of unlimited Tapas but this year the special was a prix fix meal so we ordered tapas off the menu. We love the food and the friendly service. We are never rushed, and the Staff is always lighthearted and smiling. The flan is the best. It's just better than every other flan I've tasted. We also always get the endive salad, a dish that was served at Jaleo years ago and I assume the chef took over from his time there. Other favorites include: lamb chops, calamari, papas fritas, Gambas Al ajillo, plantains with cheese. I know there are official names to the dishes, but I don't remember them all! The tapas are a good size to share with a dinner companion. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Plantain with Cheese - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Still my most favorite restaurant in Bethesda. Consistently great hospitality and wonderful food. I know this will be a contentious point to some but I still like the paella here more than Barcelona. The tapas and wine section at Guardados are also better in my opinion. The happy hour specials for beer are pretty amazing ($2 beers). Yup two bucks. And $6 tapas and cocktails. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - $2 beers and $6 drinks! Half priced bottles of wine on Tuesday also. - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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We have been here once or twice per year. Staff were warm and friendly as always. Ceviche had strong taste as usual. Spinach salad was a great mix of vegetables, fruit and almonds. Manchego cheese on sourdough bread concluded the appetizers. Paella negra simmered with squid ink fit in with wide variety of seafoods. Grilled pork loin was kind of over cooked this evening. Grilled chicken things and grilled salmon were tender and juicy. Steamed mussels were a good finish on main courses. Both flan and tres leches cake were well prepared and delicious. read more

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Guardados has consistently been a top spot for me! Extremely reasonable prices and great food. They still offer their excellent weekday happy hour! Most recently, I was here for dinner but the prices are still great. I am really particular about sangria and they have one of the best red sangria I've tried in the dc area. The pulpo a la Gallega is on point!!! The paella takes a long time but is also great. My husband loved the chicken quesadilla. Highly recommend! read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Fiesta Paella - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Meh! Why would they make Latin American food look so primitive and bland? Very little care in the crafting of the dishes, the flavors just didn't give me much and I had to kind of re-season my food with salt, pepper and lemon juice. I think they could do way better with presentation of the dishes and flavors. Also, please clean those shrimp! Nobody wants to eat shrimp with the vein in it. The service was on point, that I have to say. Super attentive, water glasses constantly filled and the waiter we got was very knowledgeable about the menu items, and funny! Not a come back for me. read more

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We found this spot accidentally when we were going to grab pizza. I'm so glad we did! We are from Texas and where excited to find Spanish food walking distance from our hotel. The place is small and intimate, there is a big window in the front letting you view the inside. The warm and welcoming view is what got us through the door. We were seated immediately and given water and bread. We ordered the paella marinera (seafood paella) and fried calamari SO DELISH! The paella says it feeds 2-3 but it can easily feed 4 now the only thing is order it as soon as you get there as it is fresh and takes longer than most of the dishes. It's reasonably priced for the amount of people it can potentially feed. The calamari was great with the aioli but also alone because the sea salt gave it a great taste. Lastly the gentleman helping us was great! Great conversation and he helped pack our leftovers. I would definitely return to eat here. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Paella Marinera - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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A friend and I ventured here on a rainy Friday evening. We were seated immediately and staff quickly attended to us and consistently refilled our water glasses. We ordered several tapas that came out quickly! We tried the croquettes, Jamon and cheese plate, potatoes and Spanish omelette. We were satisfied with all and began discussing how this would be a great spot for an office party or option for in office catering. Everyone was friendly and we definitely would like to return! read more

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Tapas Food Artistry Walked into an unassuming , ordinary single story building planning a quick working lunch. The menu threw me off. Taquitos, paella, chorizo, and four pages of choices without suggestions or guidance. This took some thought. Lunch should be two or three choices. And two were more than enough. The waiter was experienced, knowledgeable and helpful. Main courses will take 10-15 minutes. Other tapas dishes will come out right away. I chose a quick appetizer and a main course of plantain with beef and cheese. The food was amazing. Flavorful, unique and just fun stuff. For each dish the portions were enough to enjoy the dish and not enough for a full meal. Two were more than enough. With all the choices, I need to be back here soon. read more

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One of the very best restaurants in the DC area, in our humble opinion! Nothing fancy, the decor is a little outdated, but the food is fantastic, which is after all, the reason we go out to eat at a restaurant! There is a reason why this institution has been around for such a long time in what is today...posh Bethesda, MD. Please, oh please, don't change... anything, well almost anything... read more

Got a rec to come here so we wanted to stop in to try. Came during the week and we were seated right away. Server was great and their happy hour deals are pretty unbeatable. $2 draft beers (selection of 4, including Kona Big Wave and Blue Point lager) I got a few of the tapas including Croquetas, Filet Mignon, Filete De Res and Chorizo Fundido. They were all pretty good, but I don't think I'd return for them. I think my downfall was not being a seafood person as it seemed to be the star of the show. The paella looked great and was a very large portion. I overheard some ladies talking about the tres leches being the best they have ever had, but I skipped on dessert as I had some waiting back at home. There's a large parking garage right across the street. 2hr parking for $3. The area seems very walkable with a ton of other restaurants and bars around. read more

Zarzuela de Mariscos, what a fun dish to say. But it just didn't do it for me. The white fish and potatoes were soggy in a scorching broth. I had to scoop the seafood onto a separate plate so that it could cool before entering my mouth. When I tasted some of the soup, it was well-seasoned and good, but it just wasn't enough to hold the dish together. I should have gotten what my husband ordered, the Carmarones a la parilla. Had a small bite, but the shrimp and the peppers were delicious. Not opposed to trying again, just need to order better. read more

Delicious Spanish- Latin American tapas, not a chain-restaurant. PROS: lomo de puerco - tender juicy pork loin, cordero - tender delicious lamb chops, gambas con chorizo - shrimps and sausage sauteed in special sauce, calamares fritos - crispy calamari with cheese dip Nice deals for happy hour. CONS: croquetas de pollo - breaded outside, mashed potaro with chicken bits inside Ambience is intimate, traditional small-town Mediterranean restaurant... Spanish serenade singer in the corner of the room. Service is friendly, patient and attentive. read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Croquetas and calamares fritos - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I always enjoy my dinners here. The tapas are all fantastic. If you order the paella, I recommend the ink sauce ones. I feel the rice is under cooked for the others. read more

Oh my goodness. I ordered the stuffed trout and it is crazy delicious. I am really looking forward to coming back here and try more things on the menu. By the way, I really really like food and I don't say some thing is good for the heck of it. The wait staff also don't hover but they are there when you need them to be, which is nice. I like this place :-) read more

Guardado's Restaurant - Prerequisite - Spanish Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I had a gift certificate for Guardado's that was due to expire soon and suggested to my guest that we give this place a try for our business lunch meeting. Food was pretty great overall, but I was not too impressed their Lomo de puerco dish (grilled pork loin with brandy pineapple sauce). The dishes I really enjoyed were their Ensalada de espinacas con camarones (spinach salad with grilled shrimp) and Tortilla con chorizo (Spanish omelet with Spanish sausage). I could not believe how fresh their salad vegetables were and the Spanish sausage omelet was both a delicacy and nice comfort food. Food is not the most authentic Spanish/latin fusion as it is a bit more americanized. There was nothing wrong with our server - I was simply expecting more due to the high bar that has been set by other restaurants in Bethesda and similar tapas places. I noticed that they have some good deals for their happy hour and I will be returning to take advantage of it for sure. read more

Friday evening dinner. Great food but very disappointed with the service received. Our server made so many mistakes, but the most notable was when he brought the main dishes before the appetizer. ‍ On top of that, he got attitude when I told him to cancel the appetizer since we got the food already . After that moment, he ghosted us and left us "dry". Honestly, a nice place to eat well, but do not expect great service. You will be as disappointed as I was. read more

Good food and good service as always! I reserved a table ahead of time and got a table upon arrival.