Washington, DC has enough Spanish restaurants in our directory to fill a weekend. This plan uses the opening hours each restaurant lists with us. Hours change, so check with the restaurant before you go. For the full list, see our Washington, DC guide.
Saturday lunch: Penn Quarter
Start in Penn Quarter, where two tapas restaurants are a short walk apart. Jaleo by José Andrés at 480 7th St NW first opened in downtown DC in 1993, according to its record, and has since expanded to Maryland, Virginia and Las Vegas. The menu covers dishes from Spain's different regions, traditional and modern. On Saturdays it lists 11:30 to 23:00.
Boqueria Penn Quarter at 777 9th St NW takes its name and inspiration from the tapas around Barcelona's Boquería market. Its record notes that some plates are inventions rather than strict tradition, such as Iberian devils on horseback with Cabrales cheese. Saturday hours are 11:00 to 23:00, so it also works as a later stop.
Saturday afternoon: 919 19th Street NW
Three of our DC listings share one address, 919 19th St NW. Casa Teresa was founded by Rubén as a tribute to his grandmother Teresa and to the home cooks behind Spanish cooking. On Saturdays it lists 11:30 to 22:00.
Jamon Jamon calls itself DC's first jamonería, a place for Spanish ham with cheese and fresh bread. Brasa focuses on open-fire cooking, with dishes like butifarra with mongetes (Catalan sausage with white beans) and alioli, and roasted vegetables. Neither lists separate hours with us, so check before going. If ham is the main event, our guide to jamón serrano vs ibérico helps with the menu.
Saturday dinner: Taberna del Alabardero
Nearby, Taberna del Alabardero at 1776 I St NW serves refined Spanish cooking and an extensive wine list in an opulent dining room with an outdoor patio. On Saturdays it lists 11:00 to 22:30.
Sunday: 14th Street, Wisconsin Avenue and a tasting menu
Barcelona Wine Bar 14th Street at 1622 14th St NW serves Spanish small plates and wine, and has a courtyard with an outdoor fireplace. It opens at 11:00 on Sunday and lists hours to midnight. The Cathedral Heights branch at 3310 Wisconsin Ave NW, with a sidewalk patio, lists Sunday hours of 11:00 to 23:00.
For Sunday dinner, Xiquet by Danny Lledó at 2404 Wisconsin Ave NW is a tasting-menu restaurant. Its record notes a Michelin star and the Guide's Sommelier of the Year award for 2022. The tasting menu has 22 courses built on Valencian cooking and a wood-fired kitchen. The restaurant lists opening hours of 17:00 to 22:00, Tuesday to Sunday; check when the menu is served when you book. We profiled it in Xiquet: a Valencian tasting menu in DC. For background on the cooking, see Valencian food explained.
The plan at a glance
- Saturday lunch: Jaleo (11:30-23:00) or Boqueria Penn Quarter (11:00-23:00).
- Saturday afternoon: Casa Teresa (11:30-22:00), with Jamon Jamon and Brasa at the same address.
- Saturday dinner: Taberna del Alabardero (11:00-22:30).
- Sunday: Barcelona Wine Bar 14th Street (11:00-00:00) or Cathedral Heights (11:00-23:00), then Xiquet (17:00-22:00).
- Casa Teresa lists no Sunday hours with us, and Xiquet lists no Monday hours.
