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    La Cuchara

    4.2 (487 reviews)
    PriceyBasque, Spanish, French
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    La Cuchara Photos

    Business Info

    LA CUCHARA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dressy
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - La Cuchara

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    Reviews With Photos - La Cuchara

    40 oz ribeye
    Jennifer C.

    Went with a large party (10 people) and the restaurant accommodated our individual orders. Loved the building, great staff and a wonderful way you try a variety of foods. Everyone has a great time and we will return for pinchos and tapas. Giving 4 stars due to the entrees (steaks) not hitting the mark, but all other courses (including dessert) were fantastic! Favorites include: spinach croquettes, cheese and dates, fried oysters, raspberry financier and the churros!

    Wine menu
    Josie

    Never disappoints. Good value for your money. Amazing flavors across the menu. There is truly something on the menu for everyone. Really love the mesclun salad, but we could say that about so many dishes. Excellent service. Wonderful ambiance with ample seating. Even though it's large it feels incredibly intimate. Easily top 3 restaurants in Baltimore!!!

    Pintxos
    Qinyue H.

    The food at La Cuchara is truly amazing. I'm so grateful they brought the flavors of Basque cuisine to Baltimore. I really enjoyed their appetizers -- I would recommend starting with the Don Bocarte Boquerones in Olive Oil. It's a great entry dish, very refreshing -- I'd give it a solid 7.5/10. You also can't go wrong with their pintxos. We loved the Chorizo, Manchego, Shishito Pepper, Dijon, and Baguette combination -- it was so layered, with the savory flavor of the chorizo, the subtle sweetness of the shishito pepper, and the richness of the cheese all coming together beautifully. 8.5/10. The empanada is another great choice -- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside -- pure heaven! 8/10. The atmosphere is wonderful too. I especially loved the warm yellow lighting and the unique spoon decorations on the walls. The service has always been warm and welcoming. Overall, while their menu rotates frequently, you can always feel the care they put into every dish -- consistently high quality, never a miss.

    Fallen chocolate cake
    Vy T.

    Amazing Basque restaurant for tapas. Service was quick, helpful, and friendly. Ambiance was high quality and comfortable. Loved everything we ate including the jamon croquettes and wine.

    Pomme frittes, Crispy Oysters, and Mussel Escabeche
    Bridget L.

    Tapas heaven, potentially my favorite small plates in Baltimore so far! The ambiance upon walking in is very cozy with nice lighting and a beautiful wrap around bar. We did not make a reservation and had to sit at the bar as it was very busy, however we got to experience a wonderful happy hour there and would highly recommend bar seating for that reason! The happy hour included specialty gin and tonics, while we had two different types through the night, the ginger and cinnamon one blew me away I would go out of my way to get this again! For food we got Gruyère croquettes, not pictured, these were fairly small but for the price reasonable and so delicious! Next we got the fried oysters, mussels, and fries. The fries were devoured, especially with their sauce! The mussels were a classic mussel, definitely delicious and would order again. While the fried oysters were good, they didn't stand out to me and I probably would not go out of my way to order again. Lastly, we finished with some charcuterie, the jamon was carved right next to us at the bar, so definitely fresh! This was another favorite and paired well with bread and the manchego. We didn't know what to expect with the manchego coming in a jar, but it was very flavorful and the jam paired perfectly with it! Overall I would recommend to make a reservation if you dislike bar seating and to try the gin and tonic de jours if you have a chance!

    Tinned smoked sardine
    Sandra K.

    Great ambiance and decor, great service, and quite good food! Overall I liked this better than Tapas Teatros. We got the smoked tinned sardines (9/10), jamon croquettes (8/10, creamy texture!), patatas bravas (6/10, but may just be I don't like the method of cooking normally used for this dish and I enjoy crispier potatoes instead), cassoulet (8/10, best I've had in Baltimore, fall off the bone), and special wahoo fish (8/10, well cooked). Enjoyed our drinks as well - velvet underground and final word - latter had a fun chemical reaction that made the drink clear Definitely would come back!

    Spinach and Gruyère croquettes with aioli
    Brenda S.

    Came back to La Cuchara on a Sunday for half price bottles of wine and dinner and had an excellent experience! The food consistently remains top notch (I recently came back from Bilbao/Rioja and can say the Basque taste is authentic!) and I will come back when the weather is nice to sit outside!

    Outside
    Ana B.

    This was only the second time I had been to La Cuchara - a staple in Baltimore now having been open for 10 years. I went for the first time during the pandemic and sat outside and there was nothing wrong, it wasn't a memorial experience. This time around, I had the best dining experience. We went at 5 pm, right at opening, and I love the energy when the restaurant is kind of empty. The location is out of everyday view as it's the light rail/ train tracks but the parking lot is huge and the venue is big. The service here was unparalleled, Benedict our waiter was so adorable and so friendly. We told him we needed to leave by 6:30 to get to our show and he did a constant time check with us. We also chatted with the som, who they call Red and he was super fun to chat with. La Cuchara - a Spanish tapas restaurant carries as the name implies a lot of Spanish wines and French. The tapas here are large portions and the staff did a great job explaining the menu. The menu also change here frequently. The bread service here is excellent and you can buy their loaves to go. We got half pours of the wines - yes they do that here - and got a bottle of a fun orange from Alicante (which we realized we had had previously). The spinach and gruyere croquettes were so good, they're a soft texture and light despite being fried. The beef empanadas were cute but nothing super special for me (but I'm super picky about empanadas). The tapas: red snapper (with a poblano chimi) and squash (with labneh and pistachios) were exquisite. The red snapper was fried but it was still so good. My favorite was the squid ink fideuà - a delightful vermicelli paella, I loved how light it ate even though it was filled with butter, chorizo and all the seafood. I will definitely be adding this to my Baltimore rotation, I can't believe I haven't been here since 2020!

    Complimentary bread
    Tiffany D.

    I only dropped in for appetizers, as this was Stop #1 on my WoodBerry Food Tour. The service was excellent--- which is great because gratuity is automatically included. The restaurant is also very nice, but casual enough that you can just swing by for happy hour. The complimentary bread plate is unmatched. The breads were very delicious. They have wine flight options that were great for trying out several kinds of wines. Notable appetizers were the shrimp dish and the oysters. I would come back again to try out the full experience.

    Tiny Tomatoes, Compressed Cantaloupe, Whipped Ricotta, Rosemary Picada
    Annie L.

    Truly one of the best of Baltimore, La Cuchara should be on every foodie's list. Approaching the somewhat hidden, unpretentious exterior, you would not know that you're about to be transported. The spacious yet intimate interior is dimly lit, revolving around a beautiful, central bar. The staff is welcoming, approachable and attentive from top to bottom. Their knowledge of the menu is undeniable and exceptionally helpful when you're looking for recommendations. The menu caters to a family style, multi-course meal--ideal for those wanting to try different plates. As a vegetarian, I've always appreciated the menu's range in offering ample veggie friendly options. Including photos of the dishes that we ordered during this occasion, but you truly cannot go wrong. One of the best parts of the menu is how seasonal and ever-fluctuating it is. La Cuchara makes it easy to come back and never have the same thing twice! The plates themselves are artistry, while each bite is an explosion of flavor and complex, intertwined textures. The ingredients exude local, highlighting the best of the region's offerings. Run don't walk to your next meal here!

    Menu marked up for gluten intolerance (anything with an X contains gluten)
    Anna S.

    This past Sunday, a group of friends and I had some dinner reservations that ended up falling through. Cut to: nine people, all hungry, with nowhere to go on a Sunday night... during restaurant week. We called around to La Cuchara at 8pm and asked if they could potentially accommodate our party of nine. I know I probably sounded insane to the hostess, Olivia. However, after a brief hold she assured me she could accommodate us and said come on in. When we arrived only 5-10 minutes later, our table of nine was already set for us. The sommelier recommended some fabulous bottles of wine for us, including a magnum, and let us know that any bottle over $100 was half off. A sweet deal and perfect for our big group. Our server, Dana, was great. She tolerated our countless orders of tapas and maintained a friendly demeanor throughout. We had some dietary restrictions in our party, a vegetarian and gluten free, but she went the extra mile to personally mark up menus for us with the things we could each enjoy. I really appreciated that. Everything came as expected, with a small wait between a couple dishes and one missing plate of lamb. In the end though, it didn't matter because we were stuffed! My favorites included the crispy artichokes served with broccoli and squash. Each veggie was expertly coated in rice flour and perfectly salted and dressed with a lovely aioli. The shrimp were also very tasty and flavorful. The patatas bravas were a generous portion size and exactly what you think of when you picture patatas bravas in your head. The drunken manchego cheese came in a small mason jar and was definitely drowning in olive oil, a combination I've never tried before but would certainly reach for again. I would totally return for another meal. I even hear they have all day happy hour on Sundays at the bar. What really stuck with me though was the level of service and commitment to hospitality. They welcomed all nine of us in within the last hour of service and still went above and beyond to make our experience great. Thank you!

    Chanterelle Mushroom
    Annie G.

    We had a great great birthday dinner. The food was all tasty. I especially love the Chanterelle mushroom--- it was lemony, with cheese aroma, and mixed with kale's crunchy. Very special. The wine and cocktails were also outstanding. Five of us all ordered different drinks. I love the one with gin. Mine was sparkling rose, which was also tasty and complex flavored. It was leveled up restaurant. Great for date night and dinner with friends. Lots of two-person tables. Definitely not noisy compared to some other Spanish tapas place I have been (thanks to its large inner space!) I think I would definitely back for other important occasions.

    Patatas bravas
    Kari H.

    La Cuchara is located in the Meadow Mill Complex in Woodberry, Baltimore, a setting that complements its industrial-chic vibe. There is ample free parking in the parking lot directly outside the restaurant. We went here to celebrate my boyfriend's 30th birthday, and this hidden gem felt like a special find, tucked in an unassuming area. The food was absolutely delicious, with a variety of shareable Basque-inspired tapas and hearty plates. I especially loved the flavorful, garlicky shrimp, tender steak, and savory yet sweet beef empanadas with their perfectly flaky crust. The mesclun salad, with its delightful mix of pears, blue cheese, and a honey banyuls vinaigrette was a real standout for me. I just loved it. My boyfriend practically inhaled the steak. It was juicy and very flavorful. The service was thoughtful and attentive, and our server even included a candle on his birthday dessert (I requested this in the reservation). La cuchara was a fantastic spot for a celebratory evening with great food and ambiance. I'll definitely be back. -I recommend booking a reservation well in advance, as the popular 6 to 7 p.m. dinner slots were already sold out when I booked a week ahead.

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    4 months ago

    We loved the dessert -- it was absolutely delicious, especially the candy bar. The servers were also really great!

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    La Cuchara Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - La Cuchara

    Do you serve Paella ? How do you fixed it and what do you put in it?

    I've never seen paella on the menu here. Paella is more Valencian (southeast Spain) and this is place is Basque (north/northeast Spain and southwest France). They specialize more in small plates than big dishes like paella.

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    Atxondo

    Atxondo

    4.8
    (104 reviews)
    33.8 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
    Patatas Bravas (Fingerling Potatoes)
    Patatas Bravas (Fingerling Potatoes)
    Atxondo

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    Tapas Teatro

    Tapas Teatro

    4.0
    (356 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    It has been a long time since I ate here or a drink here, but I was at the Charles recently and got…read morea preshow drink. I highly highly recommend their vermouth sodas. It's just a really light drink and you get an olive. It's nothing super special but it does taste really special. The cool thing about tapas teatro is that you can order a drink here and take it inside the theater. Honestly, this place is one of the most solid institutions in the city so I'm very glad that they were doing well. The food here was a mix. My favorite bite was probably the octopus and romanesco sauce. A few things were a mess like the random loaf of bread they gave us to start that was dry. The ambience probably hasn't changed much since since they opened, which was probably around the early 2000s it's giving very much a sex in the city vibes of the years past but honestly there's nothing wrong with it and it's a solid place. I really hope they never go out of business.

    I know Tapas Teatro isn't new news but I think there's something to be said for a restaurant that's…read morebeen around decades, has had almost the exact same menu the whole time, and still brings in a solid crowd most nights. We went back after a movie night recently and tried the chicken with the cumin aioli. It was incredible! Grilled to perfection with the perfect char while still being juicy. Then a few nights ago, we perfected our order by selecting the brussel sprouts (probably some of my favorite brussels EVER), the papas bravas, the shrimp, and the chicken. These four dishes have become our go-to and while I'm eager to try more from the extensive menu, I don't think I'll get tired of these. We also tried the paella which is the most expensive dish on the menu at $29 but it is also probably the largest serving size on the menu. It was pretty good but could've used more cracked pepper and/or saffron. I'd probably skip it next time. I'm still in love with their sangria and this time we got a pitcher and also tried the white sangria. I don't normally like white sangria but this one I enjoyed -- although the red still takes the cake for me. Service was friendly and fast, as always. The check was super reasonable for the amount of food, in my opinion. We will definitely be back! This spot is probably in my top 10 favorite places in Baltimore. I love the welcoming atmosphere and the consistency.

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    Tapas Teatro
    Grilled Octopus
    Grilled Octopus
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    Restaurante Tio Pepe

    Restaurante Tio Pepe

    3.6
    (411 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$$

    Food was great. I had the Chilean sea bass & and Pine nut cake. Really enjoyed the Spanish…read moreatmosphere!

    Good food, nice staff, nice decor, good for groups, upscale pricing…read more We planned a gathering of friends from all over the area. Tío Pepe came to mind as an old-school favorite, and it drew in some folks we havent seen in a while for a chance to get haircuts and dress up a little for a memorable dinner. Reastaurante Tío Pepe is a nicely decorated taste of old Spain and Europe, a little north of downtown Baltimore. Look for the deep red awning over the descending stairs. There's an ample garage across the street. Around 6:30pm on a Saturday, we entered a lush hall and a dark comfortable bar area, with a coatcheck room just to the right. We arrived a little earlier than our group, so we found seats at the smallish full-bar with the imperial-red or ruby-red granite top. We had a great old $15 Catalonian Yzaguirre sweet red dulce vermouth rojo, caringly flavored since 1884 with distinct yet mild herbs reminiscent of the way the beverage is custom-infused in the old small bars across Spain. It was slighlty-sweet and richly complex. Quite refreshing, and they have even nicer vermouths on the menu, too. And we had an $10 rich amber dry white sherry, possibly a Gozales Byass which we noticed mentioned on wall décor, milder than the vermouth yet also fully flavored. We liked the authentic ambiance of white-painted stone walls and well-chosen items of décor from Spain. Our group of 20-or-so was split into two tables. And the eleven at our table also went through three $32 pitchers of tasty sweet sangria! So it was a lovely evening :-) Waiters in bright red jackets were very attentive. The food we chose from Pepe's extensive menu was good. We got $14.50 garlic caracoles, snails in butter, to pass around as an appetizer. A fun gently-flavored rather-chewy treat for the adventurous! Well, "caracoles". We had $10 Crema Escarial, a flavorful bisque with seafood and Brandy de Jerez. It had only the tiniest brunoise-size chunks of seafood in it, though, or whatever the Spain equivalent of "brunoise" is. We had a $13 Sopa de Pescado y Mariscos, a soup loaded with shrimp, mussels, clams, fish and lobster chunks, plus rice and some veggies. This was a much heartier choice. We had $17 Ostras Gratinadas, an oysters-Rockefeller of five large oysters loaded with spinach and cheese. They were very tasty and satisfying. We had a well-made $10 salad that included artichokes, beets, watercress and a sweet vinaigrette.  Many of us had different fish dishes, most around $36. They were fresh and tasty in a variety of flavorful sauces. The $36 sole, Filets de Linguado Alcázar, was perfect, with hollandaise made with bananas! That was a real treat! Ask your servers about off-menu apps and mains, too. We ordered fun twice-fried "puffed" potato wedges for everyone, hot, light, and just a little salty. We shared $14 Tortilla Sorpresa Fantasia Española, a baked Alaska, prepared table-side by red-jacketed staff. An exciting delicious spectacle! And a number of us split huge tasty $12 Brazo de Gitano a los Piñones, lush pine-nut whipped cream rolls.  A few weaker points: it was a busy night for the restaurant, and staff seemed a bit behind the curve. Food took a very long time to come out, around 3 hours from start to finish, and some of us had entrees half-eaten while others were still waiting. Several of us said their rice was only lukewarm. A couple of folks were unimpressed by the tenderness of their fish. For two of us, the total at dinnertime was $135 before the tip, and we had really modest dishes plus we paid for one of the pitchers of sangria. I imagine others were over $175 per person. The restaurant at large seemed happy, and we liked our food and drink. But for me, i expect everything to be quite delightful at those prices. I admit, most of the time we have previously come here over lunch, which has lower prices. It was fun evening, and our group seemed very happy, with several toasts and homages to our family of friends, and the hospitality of Tio Pepe :-)

    Photos
    Menu artwork
    Menu artwork
    Paella Valenciana
    Paella Valenciana
    A smallish full-bar with an imperial-red or ruby-red granite top.

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    A smallish full-bar with an imperial-red or ruby-red granite top.
    Boqueria Dupont

    Boqueria Dupont

    4.0
    (1.7k reviews)
    36.4 mi
    $$$
    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
    Shishito Margarita
    Shishito Margarita
    Paella De Mariscos
    Paella De Mariscos
    Brócoli con Ajo Blanco

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    Brócoli con Ajo Blanco
    Taberna del Alabardero

    Taberna del Alabardero

    3.8
    (682 reviews)
    36.6 mi
    $$$

    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
    Pulpo/octopus

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    Pulpo/octopus
    Boqueria Penn Quarter

    Boqueria Penn Quarter

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

    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.

    We wanted to try it for a while and finally we got the time. It's week day lunch, and it was quiet…read moreand nice. Waitstaff were pleasant and helpful. It's a typical Spanish tapas food, we ordered a few dishes, and we both loved MONTADO DE BISTEC Y CHORIZO. I have been thinking about going back to try other dishes.

    Photos
    Boqueria Penn Quarter
    Shishito Margarita
    Shishito Margarita
    Boqueria Penn Quarter

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    Palette 22

    Palette 22

    4.4
    (2.6k reviews)
    41.5 mi
    $$
    Full bar
    Large group friendly

    Palette 22 had been on our list for the longest time, and now we're just upset we didn't try it…read moresooner! We went on a Saturday night and made a reservation, which I'd definitely recommend. The space is so unique and artsy. The walls are covered with beautiful artwork (some of which you can actually purchase), and even the menus are works of art. It made the whole experience feel fun and creative. The staff was wonderful, especially our server Noah, who was incredibly attentive and made the experience even better. We did the bottomless dinner, and the value is honestly unbeatable. We tried the grilled gem lettuce, marinated cucumbers, street corn, hoisin-glazed pork belly bao buns, P22 cheeseburger sliders, spicy shrimp & pancetta pizza, funghi pizza, dan dan noodles, rigatoni norcina, and the sesame steak skewers. Everything was delicious, but the standouts were the dan dan noodles (rich, savory, and packed with flavor), the funghi pizza (crispy with earthy mushrooms and perfectly melted cheese), and the sesame steak skewers (tender, juicy, and coated in a flavorful sesame glaze). The hoisin-glazed pork belly bao buns were soft, fluffy, and packed with melt-in-your-mouth pork, while the rigatoni norcina was creamy, comforting, and perfectly cooked. The grilled gem lettuce was also a fresh, flavorful way to start the meal. For drinks, the white sangria and pomegranate ginger mocktail were both refreshing and delicious. Dessert didn't disappoint either, the flourless chocolate cake (with candied pecans instead of hazelnuts) was rich without feeling too heavy, and the churros were light, crispy, and perfect with the caramel and chocolate dipping sauces. We finished with cappuccinos, which were the perfect ending to the meal. 10/10 experience, we'll definitely be back!

    Late to the party as I knew of Palette 22 for a long time but never dined. I went on a weekday for…read morehappy hour with a pretty decent appetite. The focus of this restaurant is on food and art. I saw a man painting when I walked in here and it was very detailed. It is a lively scene in here. Palette is a nice play on words for the art palette and palate for taste. They serve tapas (small plates) for a reasonable price. There is an all you can eat option in which your entire table has to order, or you can order a la carte. I ordered primarily off the happy hour menu which included the chicken slider, shrimp tacos, jerk chicken skewer, garlic wings and for dessert, I got churros. Most of the food here were extremely salty and did not agree with my palate. The shrimp tacos were the best thing I ate as the veggies gave the taco a refreshing taste. Not the most sanitary either as I found a piece of hair in my food. There is a parking garage nearby a block away.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Dark Chocolate Mousse chantilly cream, hazelnut crumble, chocolate sauce
    Dark Chocolate Mousse chantilly cream, hazelnut crumble, chocolate sauce
    Each table was prepared for the small plate brunch!

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    Each table was prepared for the small plate brunch!

    La Cuchara - basque - Updated July 2026

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