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

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

Guardado's is a throw back restaurant in the best sense of the word. It is family operated, and…read morethe place has a warm and hospitality you do not often find. The selection of Tapas is lengthly and I have never had on I did not like. Wonderful entrees such a Paellas are also available. Do not let me forget, the drinks are great too. The Margaritas are my favorite.

Dennis was an AMAZING server with great service and the food was fantastic! Such a fun birthday…read moredinner!!

The flank steak and potatoes bravas were excellent. The service was quick and very nice. The…read moreambiance was cool and upbeat, a fun place to go with friends. However it was pretty loud if you prefer a quieter dinner. Would definitely go back!

Finding this restaurant can prove difficult...if your GPS lands you at the back of the building…read morekeep going around. If you lands you at the train tracks, yes that tiny road leads to La Cuchara. Prompt greeting by the host and very attentive service throughout our dining experience. I enjoyed all appetizers (Pintxos) but my absolute favorite was the beef empanada, it was so full of flavor. The tapas potatoes and salad were very tasty too. I had the rainbow trout for entree, for which the cuts were coming up short so they asked if shrimp was ok to add. I enjoyed the flavor of the shrimp, but I think the fish lacked seasoning- it was the only plate I didn't enjoy. Had the Aim to spark cocktail, a very well balanced drink! I'd visit again!

My friend and I had an amazing experience here. We came for happy hour and found seats at the bar…read more The bar was huge with ample seating as well as it appeared to have plenty of tables for dining. We both got a glass of wine and ordered two small plates to share. After quite a while of waiting for our food, the bartender checked to ask what we had ordered. He had forgotten to put our order through and to apologize, gave us a bit more wine to compensate which was super appreciated. Our dishes came out quickly once they were placed. We had gotten the Beef Empanadas and Dumpling Squash Beignets. The beignets weren't what we were expecting but were delicious. They were fried balls with squash cooked inside - very tasty. The empanadas were just as good with plenty of beef and a great aioli. All around, an amazing first experience here. The ambience was lively and service was great. Food and drink specials were just as amazing. We will definitely be back!

Ruben's Paellas are EXQUISITE! I'm not sure how he gets such great texture out of his rice, and the…read morelayers of flavor. I take great pride in being able to cook excellent tasting rice and his skills far exceed mine. I look for another opportunity where I can hire him again to feed a small army. In addition to his excellent cooking skills, he's such a jovial and entertaining person to be around. He'd make a great addition to any party or social event you host, large or small.

THE BEST!!! I've had paellas from Paellas & Cos at different parties and they are absolutely…read moreamazing! Always cooked on the spot (so cool to watch the process). Ruben is extremely friendly and clearly knows what he is doing. Highly recommend!!

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.

Barcelona was hands down the best meal we had during our time in Reston. We were lucky enough to…read moresit out on the patio, enjoy some great weather, and have an outstanding dining experience from start to finish. Our server, Maria, absolutely made the night. She was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, and struck that perfect balance of checking in without hovering. Great service can elevate a meal, and Maria did exactly that. The food was excellent. The paella was delicious, the patatas bravas were flavorful, and both the pork belly and bacon-wrapped dates were standouts. The sangria was also fantastic and paired perfectly with the meal. Now, I've had Spanish food in places where it's a little more authentic and refined, so this wasn't necessarily the best Spanish food I've ever had. But considering we're in Virginia, Barcelona absolutely exceeded expectations. The quality of the food, the atmosphere, the patio setting, and especially the exceptional service combined to create a five-star experience. If you're in Reston and looking for a memorable dinner, Barcelona should be at the top of your list. Ask for Maria if you can she is fantastic.

Small tapas: beef empanada tasted like pasta sauce & beef which was my least favorite, croquetas…read morewas amazing! Fried perfectly & the filling was so tasty, pork ribs was my absolutel favorite with a rich Smokey taste! These were super tender as well. Large Tapas:I got the seafood paella which reminded me a lot of Spain. Seasoned well & a wide variety of seafood with shrimp, clams, mussel, and octopus. This was super filling. Service was incredible & super friendly! Recommend an online reservation as this location does get packed during weekend dinner.

Food was Fantastic - I will go there again without a doubt…read more Service however was reareallyl bad - the waiter took the order had someone else deliver it and missed putting one of our orders in the kitchen. He never showed up to ask us how the food was and if there is something else we needed. After quite some time had to signal another waiter and explain to him yet our waiter never came out till it was time for the check. While exiting the restaurant we were told the front door is closed and for us to exit through the side - but there were people coming out of the front door. If the food was not fantastic we would never visit it again. Food was worth the money.

I highly recommend it. The seafood rice is very good, and the octopus is soft and glutinous, which…read moreis also amazing!