I thought I posted a review on this restaurant. I saw some reviews reading don't let the basement entrance deter you. It did not. The décor was nice, waiters took forever, my dish was not good, it stated it was swordfish steak, but was thin and dry. I sent it back. They brought out tuna steak, but so rare I took it home. Potatoes looked like from can or boiled. Very bland. My date had string beans that looked like they came out of a can. The music in the bar was so loud, it overpowered the nice music in the dining room. Will probably not go back. read more

This restaurant has fantastic authentic Portugeuse food. It's an elegant white linen restaurant well decorated like your are in Europe. The service was in tact. I has variety of generously proportioned meat and seafood dishes.They also have grand selection of great wines and spirits. read more

I would give it 4 stars but here is the thing: It is a rather small restaurant; one table of five very loud and disruptive guests (and I mean loud) was allowed to disrupt what was possibly going to be a rather quiet and relaxed meal for the rest, and the restaurant did not intervene. I get it, the restaurant was in a tough spot; it was a birthday celebration for a group who thought they were the only people in the place and could care less about the rest; it is the restaurant's responsibility, however, to defend the right the other guests had to have a peaceful meal. Other than that it was fine; 4 dishes of salted cod were ignored and we went for the traditional dishes, which could have been Portuguese or not, but were pretty good, maybe a tad too greasy. Restaurant is hard to find for the first time, although it is just off Connecticut. read more

This was the email I sent to the owner, Duarte, after we held my grandmother's memorial luncheon. This man and his restaurant are truly remarkable: "Hello Duarte- On behalf of my entire family we wish to extend a big thank you for all you did to create such a beautiful luncheon for my grandmother's memorial. The space and atmosphere were perfect, the food was delicious, and the service was flawless. We even arrived considerably sooner than expected and instead of panicking you got everything together as quickly as you could and maintained the utmost professionalism. Also, your willingness to be open during hours you are typically closed did not go unnoticed. We all felt so well taken care of from start to finish. It was exactly what we needed on such a difficult day. And all of this was at a very reasonable cost. We actually had a couple of the guests share that my grandmother loved your restaurant so much that she had been trying to talk them into joining her for dinner for quite some time. I know she would've been thrilled to know that we were all there together enjoying a place she loved." read more

Food is very good but the wait staff is iffy. Told them via on line reservations and the hostess it was a birthday. Waited to be served, 20 mins for the check and no mention of the birthday. The hostess when called over was clueless. Finally got someone higher. We told them our concerns. Said no special occassion recognition. Other higher end restaurants will give a comp something. Not the price of paying for the dessert but it's a good business practice. They probably were embarrassed and brought one. No explanation or apology of misunderstanding of their policy. Good food but there are other Portuguese restaurants. read more

We are visiting Washington and decided to try a Portuguese restaurant since we enjoyed the food so much when we visit Boston or New Jersey. We ordered the chorizo a madeira, caldo verde, my son had the bife a casa and I had the fish special Dourado fish (grilled). The restaurant was very nice and service great. The portions were great and large so a define plus the only downside was the food was for most part bland. We are used to seasoned and spicy Portuguese food. The chorizo was just ok, not flavorful. The caldo verde needed something more, I guess more kick to it, the same type of chorizo was in it so maybe that had something to do with it. My son's bife a casa lacked seasoning and was not very tender. He told me not his favorite. As for the Dourado fish again lacked some seasoning or just more salt before grilling. Over all a good traditional Portuguese meal but on the bland side. read more

This place doesn't stop giving. We come here for special occasions and ordinary nights when we need a fabulous meal. The chef is amazing. The service is astounding. Magic in our mouths and before us in atmosphere and palate. No words to really describe this place. A jewel. read more

Tavira Restaurant - Before the night revs up! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

Amazing, let me repeat, amazing experience. Forget the location. Service is always perfect and the food...oh the food... pure magic! Try the pastéis de bacalhau and the delicious "Bacalhau a Pobre" (Fried Cod with onions, potatoes, garlic and black olives - with tons of olive oil) read more

Was a very pleasant surprise! Food was delicious & it's a quaint, wonderful, hidden treasure!

I wanted to order Portuguese food to remember my travels there. We ordered via Grubhub during the pandemic. Among other things, we ordered Pasteis de nata (plural for Pastel and lists "cakeS" in the description) but only received one item instead of two. We also ordered Bacalhau de Jardinheira which is supposed to be served with saffron rice, but we did not receive that. I won't be ordering from them again. read more

The restaurant is hard to find, for the first time visitor. But, after going through its green garage access door, it is all about good ambiance, good service and great food. I am surely coming back! read more

Average food, average service. What really gets me is that this restaurant does not seem to want to honor their Groupon guests. And my question is why promote your business on Groupon, if you are later going to treat your guests like they are worthless ? The moment they found out I had a Groupon coupon for the meal, their whole demeanor changed. Absolutely pathetic. Never going to go there again. And the food is way overpriced as well, MEH !!! read more

Beautiful food and we did the curbside (garage) pickup and they were kind enough to give us a bottle of wine to go with our meal. Will definitely go back. read more

This place is the best! Julio was our server and was spectacular. Food was incredible. Portions are generous.

I had never heard of this restaurant before but we recently moved to Kensington (not exactly a hip dining destination after our decades in Dupont Circle!) and were desperate to find something better than Peruvian chicken (which is actually quite good) and pizza. We stumbled upon a review of Tavira and decided to take a chance. Voila! (That's French, but I don't know how to say that in Portuguese.) What a serendipitous find it was! First, this restaurant is really hard to find. It's on Connecticut Avenue, but we never saw a sign for it on the road. We did, finally, spot a sign saying "Tavira Parking" with an arrow. It directed us to the parking garage underneath a very drab office building where we finally found the entrance to the restaurant. Once inside, we were in a period piece -- a very attractive bar beckoned (though no one was actually drinking there) and, off to the side, there was a small restaurant seating area with white table cloths, old-style decorative china place settings, extravagantly large floral arrangements and a room full of geriatric diners. Apparently there is an upscale retirement home nearby. My husband and i and one other couple were the only under-60 people in the room. Oops...just remembered...WE aren't under 60 either. I forget. Anyway... The servers were informative and efficient. They described several specials of the evening. The menu described still more, for page after page. This is a very large menu with a very substantial wine list, all focused on Portuguese and Mediterranean fare. It concerned me because...after all..how does a relatively small restaurant offer so many dishes and still keep everything fresh and perfect? Well, I don't know HOW they did it, but they DID do it! Every dish was perfectly prepared. We started off with salads -- I had a roasted red pepper stuffed with goat cheese on mixed greens and my husband had a tomato and goat cheese on greens. Both were fresh, sparkling and delicious. My partner opted for a filet mignon which was served perfectly cooked to his requirements. I chose the Portuguese seafood stew -- a mix of shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and fish with red and green peppers, potatoes and onions in a steaming tomato broth. Perfection!! That and our glasses of Portuguese wine would have been sufficient, but since we decided to forego the Portuguese flan dessert, the server insisted -- we were gifted two glasses of delicious port. A delightful end to a scrumptious meal. Don't let the difficulty of finding this restaurant deter you. And don't let the average age of the patrons concern you -- they obviously have lived long enough to know what's good in the neighborhood! Go to Tavira and enjoy a moment of real old-world hospitality and cuisine. You will not regret it. read more

Food was fantastic and good portions. Also loved the free parking. Only thing that was not so great was that I had requested a romantic table for our anniversary. We ended up being seated in the middle of the room on a table for four. Not much romance there. Besides that hiccup, the service was great. We would probably come back again. read more

I bought a Groupon for the Tavira Restaurant as we have our home in Portugal and saw the great write ups. 1st. Beware of Groupon's deal. The Atmosphere is nice, until they realize you are GROUPON. Then the fish of the day turns from Sword Fish to Tilapia, rest assured tilapia is not a specialty of Portugal or the Mediterranean so shame on the Chef. 2nd. The only 2 things on our menu which were Portuguese was the Carrot Soup and the Portuguese Custard tarts. We had the Carrot Soup , not bad but sweetened for 'american taste' The tilapia was ok but soaked in oil. The Pork Shank was tasteless and with the Pasta -- not Portuguese , and am sure any mediterranean country would be embarrassed at the presentation as well. My Carnivore husband could not eat it. 3rd. When I asked to have a small break before they bought the deserts of non Portuguese Ice Cream and Cake, it was met with a SMIRK! Having to pay tax and 18% tip was not good. Before we left the people on the able next to us were not Groupons and had a totally different experience. So TAVIRA if you want people to come back or recommend you, treat everyone the same, do not change the Fish etc. At least we know when we are back in Portugal in 2 weeks we can have the real thing. I mean no Caldo Verde-- so easy to make No Bacalhau - and where is the fabulous if basic Chicken Piri Piri. I just did a cooking Demo , including home made Piri Piri sauce for the IMF family Association and I know the costs and how good the food can taste. read more

We love Tavira; The food is great as is the service. The parking is the best. It is quiet ( although there were some little kids there on a Friday night, but it was Xmas eve.) We've been there many times and have never had a bad meal or bad time. read more

I used to come here often to have lunch and also for drinks. But it became a special place of destination when I brought my wife to have dinner for an event with live music. Everything was just perfect, they placed us inside of a private room with a few other couples, very romantic I might add, the service and the attention the waiters provided was exceptional, very friendly, knowledgeable with their wine, and even made a great old fashion (and I can be picky with my drinks), also very attentive to what we order and the way we wanted it. The food was delicious, there is a reason why I used to come here a lot! Husbands... be good to your wife, and bring them on those special events they usually have, you won't regret it. Needless to say, I love this place. read more

Excellent food and service. Quiet enough to carry on a conversation,

Let me start off by saying I was raised in Portugal, have three professional aunts who are chefs focusing on Portuguese cuisine and parents who are Portuguese bakers. So for all I can say food is important in my family. When I moved to DC I was happy to find a Portuguese restaurant, but being the only one, this feeling would soon be bitter sweet. While Tavira does have many Portuguese dishes,my here addition of non traditional dishes really takes away from the authentic dishes. I had the codfish a braz, one of my favorites but while it was okay, it wasn't fantastic. If you want to dabble in Portuguese food, try this place, but if you want to blow your mind, take a trip to Newark NJ, Lisboa in Waterbury CT. read more

This place was great! Free parking in this area makes anyone happy...then fantastic bread, wine, and food. I had the salmon which I'm always pretty big on but it was great. My friend had the avocado crab appetizer and that was spot on as well. A different presentation than we were expecting but the good was definitely aimed to please as was the service. Our server made sure he had our order right and was very courteous. read more

Came here for date night with my wife in January 2012. Based on previous reviews, I expected to have to trek through Himalayan wastelands and ask a Yeti for directions to find the place, but in fact the name of the restaurant is on the side of the building in 10' tall letters -- can't be much more obvious than that. We were seated promptly and several servers recited the specials (3 fish, 2 meat specials) for us and made a wine recommendation (a nice, if pricey, Albarinho). We both very much enjoyed our dishes (white fish if memory serves - it has been a while and I forgot to finish the review). Service was prompt and friendly -- if you can't handle someone with a thick accent and limited English, don't go looking for an authentic restaurant! read more

This is a fantastic restaurant - great food, great service - just always a relaxing, fantastic meal. It is an intimate setting. Even though it is downstairs in a large office building, the atmosphere is quiet and personal. A great value with the whole family or just a couple. We've come here many, many times for lunch and dinner and it never disappoints. read more

Tonight was about to be ruined by disgusting crew of Tavira but thanks to our humble friends, we were able to save it by leaving Tavira and going somewhere else nearby (Manoli Canoli). Let me explained what happened: It was my pregnant wife's birthday and I ordered a special cake at "Just Cakes" located in Bethesda, MD. When we (8 adults and one kid) arrived Tavira, they said "they don't accept food from outside!!!" I told them "it is not food, it is just a cake" they said "no, we cannot let you eat it here". We asked them kindly 3 times to help at this special night of ours and they refused it all those times. Just imagine, 8 people (one of them was pregnant) and one 2.5 years old kid at a snowy night in Maryland, who were not allowed to have a birthday cake. Unbelievable. So we left Tavira and went to Manoli Canoli, right across the street. We ate, we drank, we chatted, in short we had fund. What about the food? Food was OK but sometime people and service are much more important to have a great time. To sum up, I am not telling you that Tavira has good or bad food. All I am telling you that Tavira is not a place to celebrate special events. read more

I really enjoyed my time here at Tavira. I took my 3 little boys to celebrate my husband's birthday and the waiters were very nice and helpful. The food came so fast and everything tasted so delicious. I'll definitely come back. read more

Food was not too bad, but this place is way too overpriced for the food you get there. In addition, they had the Capitol Deal going on, just recently, and it turned to be a rip off. They end up doble charging and giving $40 dicount on what you paid for the voucher. 20% mandatory tips for 6 people is another reason why we won't come back to this place. I agree that NOVA does not have very good Portuguese food in the area, but I would recommend Columbus Grill as a good unexpensive alternative if you want to give a try. read more

We just came back from 2 weeks in Portugal, and were hoping to recapture the excellent culinary experiences we had.  We came out disappointed. We were three. One ordered the three-course prix-fixe dinner ($25), and the other two ordered a-la-carte. The prix-fixe dinner was pretty awful: The salad was elementary, the chicken breast was thin and dry, and the ice cream dessert was below supermarket-brand quality.  You'd get better food at a cafeteria. Appetizers: The chorizo sausage appetizer ($7.00) was excellent, but quite small (probably 2 ounces).  Since the actual cost of a sausage is a small component of the overall charge, one would expect a more generous portion (two sausages for a dollar more?).  The bacalahu fritter was hard and gummy -- much inferior to the bacalahu served in Portugal. Main dishes: The grilled fish was good, but rather small for the hefty price ($30). It was served with one tiny potato sliced in half, and half a cup of kale.  Does the chef assume that the customers are on a diet?  Can't you serve a side dish of 4-5 small potatoes? The seafood paella was fine and the quantity was reasonable, but, again, not worth the price ($35). The wines of Portugal (especially from the Douro valley) are excellent and a great bargain (both in Portugal and the USA). We ordered a Douro.  It was good, but, again, for the price ($40) we expected a much better bottle. Both desserts were good and the complimentary glasses of house port were a nice gesture.  The dining room is nice and elegant and the waiters were attentive and polite. The bottom line: On a scale of 10, the quality of the food was about 7.  Yet the value (quality and quantity for the price) was not more than 4. read more

What a pleasant surprise. We were sorry we had waited so long to have dinner here. We found the decor, place-setting china, quiet ambience, capable and pleasant staff to be just what we like. No one referred to us as "you guys" or intruded on dinner innumerable times to ask if everything was "ok." The menu items were interesting and varied so that even being "allergic" to shellfish was not a problem. We look forward to our next visit so we can try some of their tempting desserts. read more

Tavira Restaurant - My dining partner with wall mural at Tavira - Mediterranean Near Me - Chevy Chase, Maryland

I love the ambience and atmosphere..but the food is the winner. Fresh exquisite and stylish food....nice place to take a first date or even your parents. read more

This is a gem of a restaurant. Authentic Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine of the highest caliber. Easy to make reservations. Free and proximate parking. Warm and comfortable atmosphere. Friendly, knowledgeable and attentive service. And absolutely delectable food. The menu is enticing, rich and diverse and always supplemented by seasonal specialties. You cannot go wrong with any menu choice. A++++. Bravo! read more

Two of us has a dinner there. We had Bife á Madeira and Tamboril á Lusitano. The food is pretty good, but well overpriced ($50 for both). The portions are small for a main dish. For dessert, we had Leite Frita da Avó, which is so so. The dessert portion is tiny for $8.75. The restaurant does not list the price for desserts. We would not recommend it. There are so many great restaurants in the area. read more

Such a nice staff and tasty food. No one can beat their carry out lunch special... no one. 6 or 8 bucks a dish and you can choose from a variety of dishes. The ribeye sandwich is deliciously marinated read more

One of the few places in its vicinity I would characterize as rising to the level of "fine dining." Excellent complex and exotic dishes. They accept restaurant.com coupons - which is a big plus for me. I've been there several times over the last few years. The food is always outstanding and the service is always very professional. The waiter was very busy and brought a white zinfandel in place of the red zinfandel I ordered... but it got worked out without a problem. Yes, it's in a weird location. I got over it. :) read more

We had dinner at Tavira for the first time this month. We ordered the first Salt Cod entree on the menu and the Corvina daily special. Both were excellent ! The service and atmosphere were also first class. The only disappointment was that there was only one (1) Portuguese red wine available by the glass. Parking for dinner in the building garage was convenient and free. read more

I was searching on the Washington Post G.O.G to find a place to go for Easter dinner with my fiance and our family friend. We picked this place because of the proximity to their house and the fact that we are going to Portugal for our honeymoon. When you arrive there, turn left off of Connecticut Ave at the light and park in the lower level of the garage. Parking is free and the direct entrance into the restaurant is down there. We were greeted immediately upon entering the bar area and we kindly seated despite not having our entire party there (it is extremely annoying that more and more places now will not seat members of groups without the entire groups there). While my fiance and I were waiting we were greeted by three waiters to take care of any drinks. When the rest of our group arrived, our waiter presented a sample white wine sangria to my fiance which was excellent. Another waiter came over and told us the entire specials list and another waiter brought us our drinks in a very quick turn around with the complimentary bread. We ordered three special appetizers and they were out on our table in less than five minutes, and our main courses were on our table very shortly after we were finished. We tried the monkfish, mussels and shrimp stew, the grilled dorado and octopus for our main courses. Everything was prepared well, was light and fresh and high quality. After dinner we had a plate of flan for desert, a cappuccino and were treated to two small glasses of Porto. It was a very excellent meal with great service and a good price. When we are back in the area we will definitely return. read more

The caldo verde was ok, but the rest of the meal was pretty good. The wine from Alentejo was great. Nice atmosphere and very knowledgeable waiters. I had the lamb and my date the bacalhau. Both were delicious. For dessert we had chocolate mousse and pudim flan. The mousse was pretty good. I would eat there more often if I lived closer. read more

We recently went here for dinner for the first time, and will definitely be returning! The waitress was extremely nice, entertaining and sweet. She gave us lots of wine samples until we found the one we wanted! She also steered us to the BEST dessert (I think it was a special). Anyway, I ordered the grilled trout and it was really delicious. Vegetables that went with it were cooking just right as well. The only reason I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because my husband was not thrilled with his meal. He ordered lobster as part of seafood paella and didn't realize that he would have to do the work (taking the meat out of the shell). So it's not really the restaurant's fault! He also preferred my dessert to his, so I'm just disappointed he didn't have the same experience I did! He loved his salad though! My appetizer of crab and avocado was also very refreshing. The menu is very varied, and has so many tempting things on it. We want to go back and try some more. I agree it would be a great restaurant to take visiting parents. Elegant dining room, yet low key atmosphere. read more

First off, Tavira can be a little tough to find. It's in what is basically a multi-use office building which, at night, looks closed from the outside. And it's in the basement of that closed-looking building. But follow the signage, and you'll get there. Happily, though, Tavira's food is better than its location. I Had veal which was nicely done - not too dry, and with a good wine sauce. My wife had a pasta and seafood dish which she liked. The price was a little high for what we got, but overall, we were satisfied. The best and worst of Tavira, though, have nothing to do with the food. The best is the ambiance. The restaurant is nicely designed - we sat in a room with wood paneling, set up like a little cottage - and enjoyed live quiet music, a mix of classical and jazz. The worst was the service. The staff was polite and friendly, but just very slow. Also, the bussers loudly cleaned up, set up, and moved tables right next to us, even though no one took those seats while we were there - a bit annoying. In sum, Tavira gets good marks. We probably won't go out of our way to come back, but we had a good enough time, and I'd certainly recommend it to someone already in the area. read more

A friend and I went to Tavira last night. The service was EXCELLENT, the atmosphere is also quaint and wonderful. I noticed that there were a large amount of senior citizens there also. The only problem I had was the food. The seasoning was very mild. I got the potato pureed soup which was just right but then I got a seafood dish with saffron sauce. Since I go to many Indian restaurants I was thinking the saffron sauce would be very flavorful but it was not. Very disappointing. I would go back again and try other dishes though. read more