Times have changed since the days when the town’s only small plates were at these Spanish tapas houses. Now sharing rounds of several dishes is as common as the traditional three-course meal–and although José Andrés’s menus have evolved, much remains the same. Tapas we’ve been loving for years include goat-cheese-stuffed red peppers, crusty bread rubbed with tomatoes and layered with thinly sliced Manchego, a textbook gazpacho, and warm dates wrapped in bacon. Some changes are on the horizon: This year, the original location in DC is scheduled to get a renovation.
What to get: White gazpacho with grapes; ham croquetas; patatas bravas; garlicky shrimp; apple charlotte; flan.
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
