Jaleo DC

This is an old favorite that’s still on its game. Delicious and well prepared food — and a very reasonable lunch.

Dinner was absolutely fantastic!! The restaurant was packed when we got there and the hostesses were very professional (even when the guest in front of us was berating them for a 10 min wait). The tasting menu was delicious and we were able to try so many things! I didn't get our servers name but she was great, accommodated a food swap and told us all about each dish. Strongly recommend

Superb food, friendly, attentive and helpful service, spot on wine recommendation, all at an exemplary price quality ratio. Would definitely return.

Disappointing experience. We were 5 minutes early for our reservation and still waited thirty minutes for a table. Had the tasting menu with wine pairing but neither could arrive simultaneously. Disappointed with the food and service.

Had been there for a Sunday brnch and I thought the food was better. I fund the crispy calamari too salty this time. The 2 sauces on the side of the mini potatoes were so so. I did not like the taste of honey at the bottom of the cold mussels. We may not have picked the right dishes. I will have to try again.

Always reliable food—patatas bravas and gambas al ajillo as good as ever, beet salad and grilled peaches were new to me but delicious! We were seated in a corner of the restaurant, which was not great for people watching but excellent for quiet conversation. Noise levels tend to be high.

Como en España

My girlfriend’s birthday.

My husband and I visited Jaleo before going to the Free for All at the Shakespeare Theatre. We arrived for our 4:45 reservation to dine in the restaurant as empty as we’ve ever seen it. We asked for the pre-Theatre menu which we love, and then added some dishes from there, along with a bottle of nice rose wine. Louda took great care of us and we had a great experience, as we have come to expect from one of our favorite restaurants! By the time we left the place was busy and buzzing like usual. Love Jaleo.

One of the best meals we have ever had! Chef Robbie was wonderful!

As part of a girls trip we went toJaleo to end our day and it was the best decision. There are a lot of menu options and as it was our first time there we decided to go with the Jaleo Experience. It was absolutely worth it. 14 courses of the tastes of Spain. I cannot think of one plate we did not like. It’s great because now we can go back and know what to order for the table. Such a great experience, vibe and staff.

Our first visit to Jaleo was absolutely spectacular !!!!!!. The food was superior, from the cheeses to all of the tapas and drinks. Our waiter, Tony, was very knowledgeable about the foods and pairings, his suggestions were spot on and he was very friendly. We will definitely return. Actually, the next evening we dined at Oyamel, the Mexican restaurant of José Andrés, which was also outstanding . Kudos to J. A. and his staff for such quality food and ambiance. We can't wait to dine at his other restaurants when we return to DC.

Such a fun meal with friends as we celebrated a birthday. All of the dishes sampled were excellent, as always and the great service made it even more enjoyable. A truly wonderful time made more special at Jaleo.

Great service. Food was overall excellent and great presentation. Well worth the price.

Always a hit! Tried the octopus this time: a winner. Half carafe of sangria just enough for three to have a little more than a drink. Group likes the sausage; bread with tomatoes to start is a classic. Service is helpful and attentive without being too overwhelming.

Special food, veru nice ambience and impeccable service. Clean restrooms.

Sergio our server was very good and my only concern was how slow the open tables were were filled with patrons. I’ve been to Jaleo on many occasions and have not witnessed this aspect before.

We love Jaleo. The food is outstanding. Our waitress, Kimberly, did an excellent job. We went back two nights later.

The food was spectacular as was the service!

We had an excellent meal at Jaleo. The food and service were excellent. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants.

Unique dining experience...food was beautiful and delicious. Can't wait to visit again!

I've been coming to Jaleo's for about 20 years, and this was my most disappointing visit. Waiter was very friendly, but not particularly helpful with questions about differences between different dishes with similar ingredients. Also, disappointing that I made a reservation well in advance but didn't get one of the side tables. Finally, while admittedly I'm getting older, please make the writing on the menu larger!

Great food and nice atmosphere. Great place to go with a group.

Amazing food. Prices on the high side for tapas but totally worth it!!

I lived in D.C. for over six years and frequented Jaleo in Crystal City. I was visiting and after touring the National Portrait Gallery had dinner at the D.C. restaurant. I had the Jaleo Experience tasting menu and it was fabulous. There are 10 to 12 tasting plates including a refreshing citrus ice/ice cream dish to end the meal. It's hard to pick a favorite as all the dishes were perfectly prepared and delicious, although the potatoes prepared with a spicy red sauce were outstanding. Best tasting menu I've had since the one I enjoyed at Michel Richards Citronelle in Georgetown years ago. Bravo!

Incredible dining experience, a must while in DC!

The bread is amazingly addictive and the olive oil dip is delicious. We had the chicken and mushroom paella which was also excellent and worth the wait. The wait staff were lovely and accommodating.

We used to go to Jaleo several times a year when our daughters were in college. This was our first time back in 12 years. I am happy to report that the food is still outstanding. Some of the dishes have evolved and become more fanciful. One thing that has not change is the variety of flavors, the outstanding food, and the coordination between the kitchen and the servers to properly pace the meal.

The place is very nice, good atmosphere and the food is excellent. We had croquetas--ham and chicken, scallops, butifarra, shrimp in garlic sauce, pulpo, salpicon de cangrejo. All of which I would recommend. The red sangria is different than most I've had. It was delicious with a distinctly light smokey flavor. A must have. Our server was very personable, but little things such as not giving us serving spoons although we were sharing tapas,It's why I gave 4 stars instead of 5.

Traditional to inspired Spanish tapas. The location is ideal if in a visit to DC.

Great food, welcoming and knowledgeable service, convenient location and ambiance.

Food was good as usual. My out of town guests liked it a lot. They liked the decor too and the foosball table and the bathroom. Only disappointed that they weren’t serving the paella we wanted that night. Best flan. Light and not eggy, very creamy. Tortilla espanola was eggier than I’m used to but light and fluffy. A bit light on the potatoes. The spinach was unusual with raisins, pine nuts, shallots and apple. Really good. The rabbit confit was more tender than chicken. Pretty good. Croquetas were light and good as usual. Jason was good too

Great hostess. I had mistakenly made a reservation for two instead of four, for a busy time of the afternoon. She was very accommodating and was able to get us a table for four.

We had an excellent experience at Jaleo! Will definitely return!

Food was amazing and the service was great! Can’t wait to go back. Our waiter Julian was excellent!!

Great food and attentive service. Highly recommend.

Tapas all good, punctually served. Wine flight OK. Perfect for informal gathering.

We were really excited to try Jaleo DC and we were not disappointed. My family shared the sliced apple and fennel salad and the ham fritters while we waited for our paella to be made. All of the food was delicious. The food was spaced out wonderfully so that we walked out of the restaurant full but not overstuffed. The staff were very helpful in helping us select out meal and seeing to any needs we had. If we are ever in the DC area again, we will definitely consider going back to Jaleo.

Food took 45 minutes to come out to our table. We got there at 6:15 and food was brought out close to 7pm. It was mediocre at best. Fried calamari completely over cooked

The ambience and service were great but I was disappointed with a couple of food items. The ham croquettes were way too salty and the squid in its ink with rice was too bland and I had to ask for salt. I was excited about the Spanish omelet but it was mostly egg and not as much potato although this may just a preference thing but the people that went with me thought the same.