Cheap Eats 2008: Bar Pilar

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Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Cynthia Hacinli , Ann Limpert , Dave McIntyre , Rina Rapuano

Bar Pilar

1833 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202-265-1751

Cuisines:
American, Modern, Tapas/Small Plates

Opening Hours:
Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Sun:
Evening: 05:00 PM - 01:30 AM Fri,Sat:
Evening: 05:00 PM - 02:30 AM

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
U St./African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Rowdy

Reservations:
Not Accepted

Special Features:
Late Night, Party Space, Weekend Brunch

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
roasted potatoes with aïoli; Marcona almonds; warm olives; braised chicken; chorizos with white beans; seared mahi-mahi with turnips and figs; honeyed goat cheese with figs; grapefruit with lavender honey.

Price Details:
Small plates, $4 to $11.

Why go: Vintage maps and photos of Hemingway—the place is named for a character in For Whom the Bell Tolls—give the place charm, but it also has substance: The cleverly conceived small plates are of the moment—and wonderful.

What to get: The menu changes daily, but recent winners have been delicate pea shoots with fennel and a tangerine vinaigrette; a Spanish tortilla with goat cheese; an earthy stew of chicken braised with bacon and garlic; seared scallops with maple/balsamic-glazed beets and Meyer lemon; grilled banana bread with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of toffee.

Best for: Diners as culinarily adventurous as they are fiscally cautious.

Insider tip: Every Tuesday, general manager Adam Bernbach holds “cocktail sessions” during which he creates five offbeat cocktails.

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