100 Very Best Restaurants: – Del Mar

Forget coupes, the best cocktails come in more elaborate vessels. Photograph by Scott Suchman

About Del Mar

cuisines
Spanish
Location(s)
791 Wharf St SW
Washington, DC 20024

Sure, Fabio Trabocchi’s palatial Spanish restaurant at the Wharf is pricey, but it also feels special in every detail. Flower-strewn sangria arrives in queen-like chalices; jamón Ibérico is served atop a candle-warmed platter for rendering its prized fat; and tapas such as tuna crudo in white gazpacho are artful. There’s a lot of style—from the jewel-toned bar to the breezy terraces—but also substance. We can’t name a better seafood paella, or a prix fixe lunch that feels like such a steal. Very expensive.