The dining experience was unsatisfactory. The lamb chop was bland, and the oxtail portion was notably small. The chicken and vegetable fideuà was overpriced at $35 per person, considering it only contained noodles, chicken, and a few vegetables. The sangria lacked a distinct wine flavor, and the server discarded the remaining sangria in the pitcher, prompting us to request that the pitcher be left on our table to avoid unnecessary waste. Furthermore, the sangria was excessively diluted with ice and fruit. My dessert primarily comprised whipped cream, and the service was considerably tardy. Despite reserving our table days in advance, we were seated near the kitchen area. We requested a change, but despite other empty tables being available, we were informed that they were already reserved, but they remained empty during our entire stay there. To our dismay, we discovered additional charges on the bill, including a 5% wage fee and a 5% service fee, in addition to the suggested gratuity of 15-22% of the total bill. This pricing structure seemed excessive relative to the standard of service we received.
Great service - nice change from so many other restaurants who rush to give you the check to get rid of you! The Octopus “a la brassa” was wonderful as were all the tapas and the main dishes. Check out “ the most beautiful restaurants in DC”.
FancyPants
The service, food and music were all fabulous! Loved the decor and the flamenco and Spanish guitar were a real treat. Sat at the bar after dinner and the bartender was delightful. We'll be back.
chenipher
Great pre-show restaurant close to Constitution Hall. Reservations were easy to make. Food was average although the pulpo was a standout! Only drawback was pricing for the food—felt it was a bit overpriced for what it was.
Tth217
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. My wife has worked and lived in the DMV area her entire life and was surprised she never heard of this place. She was extremely grateful that I found this and wants to come back again. We started with a bunch of tapas and got quite a few. All were good but the Gambas Al Ajillo was AMAZING. Make sure to save some bread to dip in the sauce which our waiter recommended. We also got a pitcher of the red sangria which was good. For dinner we got the paella de marisco and my goodness was that good. If you like seafood, this is the paella to get. For dessert we got the goxua which we have never had before and were very glad we got. Everything here from the service to the food was fantastic. There's a reason this place has been here since 1989 and it's because it's delicious. It's also good to pay attention to their specials, such as happy hour and flamenco on Friday and Saturday nights. If there is one place in DC you need to try, this is it.
We were disappointed by the food. The paella was greasy and not very flavorful. The lobster in the paella was undercooked. The tapas was mediocre. The shrimp was way overcooked, the croquettes were good but not great. Definitely not worth the price we paid for it all. Lovely place, good service but just not delicious enough for the price you pay.
JohnM
Beautiful dining room. Spotlessly clean and lovely decor and surroundings. Service was impeccable. Food was very, very good (I've only had Paella once or twice before, so I'm not an expert; I suspect it can get better, but it was very good). I would love to go back.
Maeia
The special grilled squid with rice and the Cherry Gazspaco soup were excellent. They ought to serve them on their regular menu as they were the best we had in this restaurant. The service was ok. We all ordered the same entree mine came without the pesto sauce. The chef forgot it. Although the restaurant was not full, it was hard to catch the attention of the waiters. All in all we enjoyed our lunch and will go back if they serve the same special.
KeithP
Beautiful restaurant and food was spectacular. They were very busy and sort of forgot about us at the end of our meal. That being said, I will still highly remember this restaurant because the food and ambience are superior.
Benny
This Spanish restaurant was a great find. I liked the decor and the atmosphere. The staff were attentive and our meals were delicious. I had two tapas. I chose the Escalivada and Mollete de Txangurro. My husband had the paella which he enjoyed. We had a 12pm lunch reservation and there were a handful of other guests dining. When we left at 1:30p the restaurant was in full swing Spanish style.
Celebrated our anniversary dinner here! Table was gorgeous covered in rose petals and got complimentary champagne! Service and ambiance were great. We got several tapas and the lamb entree was AMAZING, however the seafood paella was way too salty. Would return for happy hour.
C M
A+ for service and atmosphere! The live music/flamenco dancing was vibrant and delightful. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. As for the food, it was a hit or miss. For the tapas, the whisky pork tenderloin with potatoes was cooked well but the sauce had an odd tang to it. It may be an acquired taste and not for everyone. The grilled eggplant was soggier than expected and I don’t think I’ll get it next time. The Serrano ham and manchego cheese appetizer on the other hand, was absolutely scrumptious! The chicken and seafood paella (the reason why we chose this restaurant) was a big let down…the dish was way too salty and I couldn’t fully enjoy it without downing water. The chicken and mussels/clams however, were tender and cooked well. The churros and chocolate dip for dessert were divine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Churros Con Chocolate
BlueAxis
Great atmosphere, good service and very average food, heavily overpriced. I just hate when they take Spanish blue collar tapas across the ocean and pretend it is some form of delicacy, and charge accordingly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Ainhoa Alzaa Rubio
Mandatory stop for people who appreciate good food. Spanish restaurant in Washington.Excellent food and service. Sure hit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Paella de Arroz Negro, Torrija Alabardero Con Salsa de Caramelo Y Helado de Vanilla, Tarta de Queso, Chuletas de Cordero A la Brasa Con Arroz Cremoso Con Boletus, Croquetas de Jamón Serrano
MadsH
We had a lovely lunch at Taberna del Alabardero earlier this week. The service was fantastic and food spectacular. We enjoyed the Iberico ham tabla, paella, salmon and the lamb. All very well presented and delicious. We managed to squeeze in some desserts- highly recommend the chocolate cake, apple pie and the French toast. Writing this I'm tempted to book us all again very soon. Thanks to the Taberna del Alabardero team for making our celebratory meal so special!
The dining experience was unsatisfactory. The lamb chop was bland, and the oxtail portion was notably small. The chicken and vegetable fideuà was overpriced at $35 per person, considering it only contained noodles, chicken, and a few vegetables. The sangria lacked a distinct wine flavor, and the server discarded the remaining sangria in the pitcher, prompting us to request that the pitcher be left on our table to avoid unnecessary waste. Furthermore, the sangria was excessively diluted with ice and fruit. My dessert primarily comprised whipped cream, and the service was considerably tardy. Despite reserving our table days in advance, we were seated near the kitchen area. We requested a change, but despite other empty tables being available, we were informed that they were already reserved, but they remained empty during our entire stay there. To our dismay, we discovered additional charges on the bill, including a 5% wage fee and a 5% service fee, in addition to the suggested gratuity of 15-22% of the total bill. This pricing structure seemed excessive relative to the standard of service we received.
Great service - nice change from so many other restaurants who rush to give you the check to get rid of you! The Octopus “a la brassa” was wonderful as were all the tapas and the main dishes. Check out “ the most beautiful restaurants in DC”.
The service, food and music were all fabulous! Loved the decor and the flamenco and Spanish guitar were a real treat. Sat at the bar after dinner and the bartender was delightful. We'll be back.
Great pre-show restaurant close to Constitution Hall. Reservations were easy to make. Food was average although the pulpo was a standout! Only drawback was pricing for the food—felt it was a bit overpriced for what it was.
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. My wife has worked and lived in the DMV area her entire life and was surprised she never heard of this place. She was extremely grateful that I found this and wants to come back again. We started with a bunch of tapas and got quite a few. All were good but the Gambas Al Ajillo was AMAZING. Make sure to save some bread to dip in the sauce which our waiter recommended. We also got a pitcher of the red sangria which was good. For dinner we got the paella de marisco and my goodness was that good. If you like seafood, this is the paella to get. For dessert we got the goxua which we have never had before and were very glad we got. Everything here from the service to the food was fantastic. There's a reason this place has been here since 1989 and it's because it's delicious. It's also good to pay attention to their specials, such as happy hour and flamenco on Friday and Saturday nights. If there is one place in DC you need to try, this is it.
We were disappointed by the food. The paella was greasy and not very flavorful. The lobster in the paella was undercooked. The tapas was mediocre. The shrimp was way overcooked, the croquettes were good but not great. Definitely not worth the price we paid for it all. Lovely place, good service but just not delicious enough for the price you pay.
Beautiful dining room. Spotlessly clean and lovely decor and surroundings. Service was impeccable. Food was very, very good (I've only had Paella once or twice before, so I'm not an expert; I suspect it can get better, but it was very good). I would love to go back.
The special grilled squid with rice and the Cherry Gazspaco soup were excellent. They ought to serve them on their regular menu as they were the best we had in this restaurant. The service was ok. We all ordered the same entree mine came without the pesto sauce. The chef forgot it. Although the restaurant was not full, it was hard to catch the attention of the waiters. All in all we enjoyed our lunch and will go back if they serve the same special.
Beautiful restaurant and food was spectacular. They were very busy and sort of forgot about us at the end of our meal. That being said, I will still highly remember this restaurant because the food and ambience are superior.
This Spanish restaurant was a great find. I liked the decor and the atmosphere. The staff were attentive and our meals were delicious. I had two tapas. I chose the Escalivada and Mollete de Txangurro. My husband had the paella which he enjoyed. We had a 12pm lunch reservation and there were a handful of other guests dining. When we left at 1:30p the restaurant was in full swing Spanish style.
Restaurantji Recommends
Celebrated our anniversary dinner here! Table was gorgeous covered in rose petals and got complimentary champagne! Service and ambiance were great. We got several tapas and the lamb entree was AMAZING, however the seafood paella was way too salty. Would return for happy hour.
A+ for service and atmosphere! The live music/flamenco dancing was vibrant and delightful. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. As for the food, it was a hit or miss. For the tapas, the whisky pork tenderloin with potatoes was cooked well but the sauce had an odd tang to it. It may be an acquired taste and not for everyone. The grilled eggplant was soggier than expected and I don’t think I’ll get it next time. The Serrano ham and manchego cheese appetizer on the other hand, was absolutely scrumptious! The chicken and seafood paella (the reason why we chose this restaurant) was a big let down…the dish was way too salty and I couldn’t fully enjoy it without downing water. The chicken and mussels/clams however, were tender and cooked well. The churros and chocolate dip for dessert were divine.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Churros Con Chocolate
Great atmosphere, good service and very average food, heavily overpriced. I just hate when they take Spanish blue collar tapas across the ocean and pretend it is some form of delicacy, and charge accordingly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Mandatory stop for people who appreciate good food. Spanish restaurant in Washington.Excellent food and service. Sure hit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Paella de Arroz Negro, Torrija Alabardero Con Salsa de Caramelo Y Helado de Vanilla, Tarta de Queso, Chuletas de Cordero A la Brasa Con Arroz Cremoso Con Boletus, Croquetas de Jamón Serrano
We had a lovely lunch at Taberna del Alabardero earlier this week. The service was fantastic and food spectacular. We enjoyed the Iberico ham tabla, paella, salmon and the lamb. All very well presented and delicious. We managed to squeeze in some desserts- highly recommend the chocolate cake, apple pie and the French toast. Writing this I'm tempted to book us all again very soon. Thanks to the Taberna del Alabardero team for making our celebratory meal so special!