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    Jaleo

    3.8 (2.7k reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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    JALEO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Jaleo

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    Cono de salmón crudo con huevas de trucha* 6 Salmon tartare and trout roe cone
    Lily J.

    I met up with a few friends here after attending the nearby escape room. Jaleo has been on my list for a long time. I love Jose Andres and have been to a couple of his restaurants. The restaurant was packed. So for sure get a reservation if you can. First things first, the restaurant is beautiful. The art, the menus, the ambiance. Just a really great hangout spot. Our server was really knowledgeable and friendly. As for the food , unfortunately, i didn't have anything that blew me away. My mini hamburger/Ibérico de bellota mini hamburguesa was actually my favorite item. Very juicy and flavorful. Though $13.00 for one slider was a bit much. My least favorite was the rabbit confit with apricot puree/Conejo en salmorejo con puré de albaricoques. I was excited about this because I can't recall the last time I've ever had rabbit but I think it was the texture of the puree that took away from the dish. Coming in at the middle was the seafood paella. I know it's one of the restaurants headlining menu items but I found the seasoning inconsistent. The rice seemed a bit salty and the shrimp was pretty bland. Combining it to balance it out didn't yield the flavor I was hoping for. Weirdly enough, if I went back and the table ordered it again, I definitely wouldn't mind but probably wouldn't get it myself unless my companions were interested. All in all, I'm not opposed to trying other items on the menu should I know anyone who would like to visit though I can't say it hooked me enough for me to go on my own accord

    Arthur C.

    I went for brunch with my girlfriend, ordering a lomo de buey al Cabrales con huevo frito (steak and potatoes plate) and a pitcher. My food was good, but I wish the portion sizes were larger. The drink was tasty and strong enough to feel after two glasses.

    Pulpo a la Gallega
    Soo L.

    Is it spring yet? Had an amazing lunch experience at Jaleo this winter with warm modern interior with ample seating and friendly service. Did a walk in and didn't have to wait which was wonderful. It was a second visit after trying for the first time many years ago. Ordered endive salad, calamari, croquetas, gambas, pulpo, and scallops for food. Sloshed it all down with sangria and crowned it with a sweet ending of flan. Everything tasted amazing and authentic. Calamari and pulpo were tied as my favorite. The flan tasted a bit too lemony for me. I still dream about the tres leches I tried at Oyamel so I had high hopes for dessert but alas the food is their strong suit. Tldr it's Jose Andres - it's going to be good

    Croquetas de Pollo
    Stephanie S.

    I highly recommend trying out Jaleo during restaurant week! The food is delicious, but I will say that the normal menu is small portions (expected for tapas) for a high price. It is DC, so again, expected, but you get a good sampling of options for a reasonable price during restaurant week. I enjoyed the wine pairing with my food. The flan was my absolute favorite, so definitely save room for dessert!

    Interior view
    Lannae L.

    This meal was quite possibly the best meal I've had in over 7 years. The shrimp seemed simple with butter and garlic, but was definitely my favorite bite in at least 7 years. The calamari and squid ink dipping sauce was insanely good. The rest of the dishes we got were excellent. The desserts were light and a perfect way to end our meal. . The restaurant seems casual, wear jeans, wear a suit or dress, come as you are. The atmosphere is inviting to all. The service is also down to earth and inviting. However the waitstaff may appear casual, but the service was definitely 5 stars . I dripped sauce on the table, and the next thing I knew the table bus-service casually and efficiently wiped up the drips in a way no one noticed but me. The service was amazing. . Pro tip, this place is so popular, it is best to get a reservation.

    Karlee B.

    Wow!!! Seated early for our dinner reservation which was so appreciated. Service was good. Timing between dishes was perfect. Not a single bad bite the entire meal and pleasantly surprised at the portion sizes. Wish I had a bigger group to try the pallea with because it looked so good!!

    11/22/25 Flan al Estilo Tradicional de Mama Marisa con Espuma de Crema Catalana
    Rebecca F.

    We had dinner here before going to a CAPS game and this is definitely a team favorite spot. How could it not be with delicious tapas, vibrant decor, and it's Chef Jose Andres... hello!!! Jaleo opened in downtown DC in 1993 and consistently ranks as a top DC dining destination and It was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2017 & 2018 Michelin guide to Washington, DC. In 2010 Chef Andres opened World Central Kitchen. He has been named one of Time magazines "100 Most Influential People" in 2012 & 2018, awarded the 2015 National Humanity Medal from President Obama and is an internationally recognized humanitarian. He's also a New York Times best selling author. The tapas aka small plates are designed to be shared, and they are the best authentically Spanish and local ingredients tapas, all inspired by Chef Jose Andres' childhood. We were a party of six and wisely made a reso. Our table was ready for us and we started off with some cocktails and got right into it with the food because hey small plates are cool like that. Being a party of six we shared a lot; too much to describe here, but the pictures of the food speak for themselves! Suffice it to say that we had a wide selection of meat, seafood, and veggies, followed up with dessert and of course good wine throughout. LQQK at those pics & you'll understand. Service was exemplary, and the atmosphere was perfectly lively and fun. Go here and support a local business and a celebrity humanitarian chef who is doing a lot of good in this world! Trust me you will not be disappointed.

    Tinto de verano
    Diana M.

    Jaleo has greatly surprised me. My partner and I stopped by as we were were looking for places to eat in DC. This place was so BUSY we had to go eat at the bar. Galileo was an outstanding bartender with the most amazing hospitality I've ever experienced in DC. He greeted us in an instant, gave us menus, was able to make a drink upon request swiftly and put in our orders promptly. The food that arrived shortly after, I can't even put to words how well balanced these flavors were. I reordered the Carne asada con Piquillos twice! (Almost 3) 10/10. Ambience was lively, the restaurant was packed! I can definitely see this place in my recommendations for my friends and I to come visit.

    Appetizers (and my favorite potatoes up top!)
    Lydia N.

    Super busy on weekend nights but it's a fun vibe when you're out with friends, and definitely worth it for the food! The paellas are huge so be prepared to share with a large group, but I personally like the tapas more. My favorite are the potatoes - SO satisfying with the cream sauces they're served with! The sangrias are also amazing, I highly recommend sharing a pitcher with your group.

    Canelones de Cerdo Gratinados con Salsa de Bechamel
    Megan H.

    We came in around 8:30 and sat at the bar. The bartenders were all friendly and had great suggestions. The sangria with cava was sweet and fresh. The paella takes about 45 minutes so we ordered one right away and then 1 tapa. The paella was amazing. Very rich and flavorful and perfectly cooked. The tapa was a type of pasta cannoli covered and cheese and stuffed with meat. It was very delish.

    Lamb
    Leslie S.

    This was my first time at the restaurant. Thule food was so scrumptious! Melted in my mouth! One of the best flavors in DC for sure! I like that the menu had several small plates for a decent price so we could essentially sample the menu. The restaurant was packed, so definitely have a reservation! Even so, the staff worked like clockwork and were super nice and attentive!

    Menu page 1 (I know the photo is bad
    Zack B.

    Came to Jaleo for my surprise birthday dinner! It was amazing! I've attached some photos of the menu for whomever reads this. And because i'm terrible at labelling what's in my photos. Anyway, despite the happy hour crowd (Jaleo really could benefit from expanding the restaurant's footprint whenever possible) which dissipated about 20 minutes into our reservation, our food was amazing. We shared a medium sized pitcher (good for 2 full rocks glasses each) of one of the Sangrias (my wife picked) and then chose several Tapas. Some of the photos of what we had are below and everything was super tasty. The potato and cod fritters, seared Scallops (they're on the third page) and the mushroom dish were the highlights for us for sure. But, across the board everything was a super flavorful and simple elevation of what your impression is. We did briefly contemplate the tasting menus, but we thought it best to just order a la carte. I think that's the right call. Also, the staff were super friendly and very helpful with our questions. My only nitpick is the Pan de cristal con tomate, while really flavorful and tasty didn't particularly strike me as "ethereal" as described on the menu. But that's a person nitpick. It also doesn't aesthetically look the best, I think it needs an herb sprinkling, despite how tasty it is. Just a heads up that, as I mentioned, the space gets CROWDED for happy hour, but by 6:45/7 there's plenty of tables. So just bear that in mind if you have a reservation around 6pm. We were at one of those small nook tables across from the bar but still had plenty of space despite there being people behind either of us.

    Sarah T.

    We LOVE Jaleo. It's great for groups because you can order a bunch of plates and share. Everything we've ever ordered has been delicious. They have plenty of vegetarian options and a great red sangria as well. We love to bring family and friends who are visiting. The restaurant is nice and service is always great. We have never been disappointed.

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    7 years ago

    This is an AMAZING place for tapas and speciality drinks. Creative, beautiful and energetic. You'll pay, but you won't regret a dime of it.

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    Page 32 of 68

    Jaleo Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Jaleo

    Are there any quiet tables or areas?

    No, on a busy night it gets quite loud. Seating is also quite close to other tables not in your party.

    Can they accommodate food allergies?

    Yes, Jaleo is very accommodating for food allergies, and the staff is knowledgeable about ingredients & potential cross-contamination. They also have an allergy menu available for gluten-free options, but your best bet is to speak with your server… Read more

    Are most dishes spicy or can they come not spicy?

    No, not all dishes are spicy. In fact, plenty are not spicy.

    What vegetarian options do they have?

    They have a lot. They have an awesome beets salad, apple salad, pan de tomate. Their patatas bravas are delicious. They have red pepper that are grilled. And a lot more

    Is extra time needed for paella, particularly the vegan paella?

    The menu online - states that you need to allow up to 45 minutes for prep time for ALL Paellas

    What is on the tasting menus? If it rotates, what can we expect in terms of cheeses, seafood, hams, etc?

    What place? I've done several review's recently

    Is the outdoor seating heated?

    Yes! It can still be a bit drafty but they have multiple heaters running

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Boqueria Dupont - Gambas al Ajillo

    Boqueria Dupont

    4.0(1.7k reviews)
    1.3 miDowntown
    $$$
    Outdoor seating
    Private events

    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.

    Excellent food, great atmosphere, fantastic service! I wish I had photos of the food, but I was…read morehere with a big group and we descended on the plates like a pack of animals. It was so good. General consensus: the Hugo should just be ordered by the pitcher -huge hit. The Spring Gin & Tonic was excellent. The Iberico Washed Old Fashioned was okay. The Patatas Bravas were a HUGE hit. It's a day later and I can't stop thinking about the sauce. The Escalivada was also a crowd favorite. The Gambas Al Ajillo was universally loved. The sauce the shrimp are swimming in was amazing with pieces of garlic and peppers swimming in oil. Sop it up with the bread that comes too. I heard great comments on the octopus. I also really enjoyed the BOQUERONES CON NARANJA because I'd never seen anything like it. Really yummy if you like a salty briny bite. Our server was amazing and incredibly patient with our large group. Fantastic restaurant!

    Photos
    Boqueria Dupont - Shishito Margarita

    Shishito Margarita

    Boqueria Dupont - Paella De Mariscos

    Paella De Mariscos

    Boqueria Dupont - Brócoli con Ajo Blanco

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    Brócoli con Ajo Blanco

    Boqueria Penn Quarter

    Boqueria Penn Quarter

    4.2(612 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$
    Private events
    Outdoor seating

    The food was so good! We tried the Patatas Bravas, Croquetas de Setas, Gambas Al Ajillo, and…read moreBoquerones con Naranja; everything was flavorful and well prepared. Each dish had something special, and we honestly enjoyed all flavors. It was very busy and a bit loud to make conversation, but the server was really nice and attentive despite how packed it was. Overall, such a great experience and I'll definitely be back!

    A very swanky place. Me and a date were walking around Galleryplace for a place to sit and when we…read morewalked in and we knew immediately to ask for a table. The dark warm mood lighting, the corrugated wall, the intimate seating, and of course the small share plates makes for the sexy experience tapas is suppose to be! It is typical of Spanish flavors, heavily relying on high-end cured meats and cheeses, and classics such as croquetas. There is something very special that goes into tapas because its suppose to satisfy you based on good taste over quantity. Large shrimp in a generous skillet of olive oil and slow cooked garlic slices and a iberico mac and cheese are some examples of how they elevate classics we are familiar with. We really liked that they learned into garlic and spice. We found dried Aji Caballero in our meal, great attention to source country. They have a very robust and generous drinks menu. Loved watching others not dining alone and embracing that share quality of the menu design. Perhaps it is not the best tapas I had, I would have liked to see a balance with lighter citrus flavors but maybe that was an ordering issue. At some point, since the menu heavily leans towards rich and decadent, its better to plan around that. Our waitress was amazing, she explained the questions we had on the ingredients and was on it with the refills.

    Photos
    Boqueria Penn Quarter
    Boqueria Penn Quarter - Shishito Margarita

    Shishito Margarita

    Boqueria Penn Quarter

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    Taberna del Alabardero - Paella de Langosta 
 with Lobster, Shrimp, Mussels and Clams

    Taberna del Alabardero

    3.8(681 reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$$

    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 came to DC for a long weekend and because I didn't know how the flught would go I didnt make any…read morereservations uoon arrival and decided to wing it. We passed Taberna Del Alabardero on the walk from the subway to the hotel. It looked festuve, pretty and there was outside seating. We glanced at the menu and decided to go back. The staff were friendly, attentive and provided great service. The first place I've been where they poured Gray Goose in my glass in front of me. Fantastic! The decor inside was beautiful and my favorite color, green. The pictures on the wall and the colorful drapes with wood accents made it very spanish and kund of historical lookimg. The food was amazing! We ordered the octopus off the main menu and 2 items off a June experice menu. The octopus tasted smoked to me. I ordered because based on what I read about the restaurant I felt they would do it well.. and they did! The potatoes needed a touch of salt for us, but we are salt people. The Croquetas were so creamy and delicious with the garlic shrimp. The cream cheese on the toast set off the flavors of the carleized onions and whisky reduction pork. The coup de grâce was the Cheesecake desset. It was warm and a combo of airy and dense. The granny smith apples on the side were tart and pallet clensing. So good! We also received shirtbread cookies and a chocolate cookie thing that were delicious! The prices are on the expensive side, but definitely worth it. Great place for sharung and date night.

    Photos
    Taberna del Alabardero
    Taberna del Alabardero
    Taberna del Alabardero - Pulpo/octopus

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    Pulpo/octopus

    Atxondo - Fingerling potatoes and Panfried Salmon

    Atxondo

    4.8(104 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    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. .

    Very solid 4 stars for Atxondo. Just a note that while there are paper menus, the QR code menu has…read morea lot more options. The service is very nice and attentive an adds to the homey feel. Atxondo really strikes me as an underrated gem. It's only about a mile walk from the Petworth Metro, is right on several bus lines and for us, coming from silver spring, the drive was a very easy ~15 minutes. Intrigued to hear how often people in the neighborhood come here. It's mostly a tapas style, so everything but the paella is smaller plates. Everything is wonderfully tasty. The mini chorizo, with the accompanying chips absorbing the chorizo liquid were awesome and our group also loved the cremini mushrooms. I love a good paella and Atxondo's is a standout. really wonderfull flavored and plenty for our group of 5. They say it's enough for 2-4, but unless its your only meal of the day, I fully think a group of 2 would have leftovers. It's definitely on our list to return

    Photos
    Atxondo
    Atxondo - Patatas Bravas (Fingerling Potatoes)

    Patatas Bravas (Fingerling Potatoes)

    Atxondo

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    Jaleo - spanish - Updated July 2026

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