Boqueria
1837 M St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-558-9545
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Opening Hours:
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner.
Nearby Metro Stops: Dupont Circle
Price Range: Moderate
Dress: Informal
Noise Level: Chatty
Website: http://www.boquerianyc.com/
Best Dishes:
Shrimp with garlic and olive oil; dates wrapped in bacon; spinach with raisins and pine nuts; squid a la plancha; hanger steak; roasted-carrot salad; flatbreads; pork-shoulder confit; prawns with corn and heirloom-tomato salad.
Price Details:
Small plates $5 to $19.
It was a gutsy move for this Manhattan tapas bar to make its way to Washington, an already small-plates-mad town. Turns out that keeping the earth-toned dining rooms and Carrera-marble bar loud and crowded wasn’t a problem. And not just for the myriad sangrías—we like the rum-spiked white variety—and Spanish wines.
The kitchen sends out fine renditions of familiar fare, such as a skillet of shrimp sizzling in olive oil and shavings of garlic or spicy patatas bravas mellowed with aïoli. Round those out with beautifully balanced salads, often-excellent chalkboard specials, and heftier plates such as a hanger steak with shishito peppers and mojo verde.
Don’t miss: Bacon-wrapped dates; grilled squid with romesco vinaigrette; spinach with raisins and pine nuts; shrimp-and-grapefruit salad; lamb sandwich with salsa verde; flatbread specials.
Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.
