| Address | 480 7th St., Washington, DC 20004 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 628-7949 |
| Fax | (202) 628-7952 |
This place is running on chef Jose Andres' reputation and Spanish food's ability to please most people. The food is not strictly tapas; it's more of a small-plates factory where Andres can invent what he wants. Simultaneously casual and fancy, industrial and polished, it's also fast food and food for lingering. The space is cramped, loud, and feels pushed into a corner room; it's anything but relaxing. Some great tapas joints in Spain manage the trick of serving beautiful, ready-made, epicurean small plates while maintaining the atmosphere of a casual hangout. Jaleo mostly does the opposite—small plates based often on common food, some choices almost austere, but with the feeling of a reservations-needed destination restaurant. The food often doesn't live up to the feeling.
A good example was a daily tapas special of pimentos stuffed with cheese. Good, but the two peppers were tiny (a few inches long), and the cheese didn't exactly fill them up; it was more like a layer of cheese inside. Seven dollars for this, a dish whose size more suggests an amuse-bouche. It was insulting. The olives and cheese tapa contained an admirable selection of olives, but perhaps only five small cubes of Manchego cheese. An order of seared scallops will get you two of them. Want an individual cheese from their selection? $6 for a *half-ounce*.
The mussels are a better value; at least you receive a decent portion. The broth-based flavor is tasty and complementary, but not memorable. The potatoes Canary Island style are tiny potatoes cooked until the thick skin is wrinkled, dunked into a cilantro-based mojo verde. Heavy on the oil (but everything is heavy on the oil here), but good. You need some starch for your stomach anyway. Better keep asking for more bread. The paellas may be the best value here; the pan is huge but it's shallow as well. The vegetable paella is available with shrimp for an extra $5 but whoops, they added and charged us for the shrimp automatically, without asking. (They took it off when we complained.)
You'll need wine with your food, and the waiters will push push hard for it. The selection is great, but have a backup choice because they may be out of your first one. One night, they were out of the first three bottles we selected. Wine by the glass is expensive and the pours (confirmed by my bartender) are only four ounces. Service is amazingly iffy for such a joint that seems otherwise tightly run.
For any flaws of the place, you can still feel that there is an experimenter behind the menu, someone who really likes food and wine. My problem with him is that he expects me to pay a lot but doesn't deliver a lot. Yet no matter what I write here, this place will remain wildly popular.
Jaleo is good, just not as good as Zaytinya. Some of the tapas are great- the croquetas de pollo, the mushrooms with walnuts and raisins, the apples with manchego cheese, even the fried shark bites. Others are pretty lame- the asparagus with almond sauce was bland, bland, bland and the sauteed spinach with almonds- mediocre. The chorizo was only OK as well.
I do like the gerkins/olives they put on the table, although I wish the olives had no pits.
I do give props to the sangria, which includes real fruit. And the dessert- the Basque almond cake with a lemony sorbet- yummmmmmyyyyyyyy.
But the service is mediocre- they forgot one of my friend's tapas so she had to request it again. I watched waiters rolling their eyes as they walked around the restaurant or scowl at patrons' backs. Also, to make it worse, they would not split the check, and the check was all in Spanish. So my four other friends and boyfriend spent at least 20 minutes trying to figure out who had what, consulting the menu over and over. C'mon!
Overall, I'd pick Zaytina or La Tosca if I want some yummy tapas and great service.
While overall the food was good, I was a bit disappointed, considering all of the positive reviews I've heard. In particular, our portion of a chicken tapas was essentially half chicken fat. Other than that, dishes were good.
The major downfall was the service. Our waiter seemed to forget us for long spans, neglecting to refill waters and check on us. We spent over 15 minutes trying to flag him down and get the check. Our evening quickly turned from relaxing to aggravating due to the service.
I was curious to try the famous Jaleo Tapas. I went with my wife on weekday. Oh my god we orderd some mush potato ( really bad ) and some chorizo that in personal profesional experience like chef...it was re heat, really poor tecnique when you run a slow restaurant. I left without eat.
Great food -- in the league with the famous tapas places in Seville and Cadiz -- but obscenely crowded and loud on weeknights and even worse on weekends. The most enjoyable meals I've had here were in mid-afternoon when the pace is civilized.
By far the best dining experience I've had in this city... Tapas is a fun way to eat dinner, because you get to try so many different dishes, and their cuisine is authentic Spanish. Among the four of us, we tried 9 tapas, 1 dessert, and 2 drinks. The best items on the menu were the fried shark, the tortilla, and the apple manchego salad. Oh, and of course, the sangria.
Jaleo is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Despite being a vegetarian for the first year I lived in the District, and a vegan thereafter, I've always found enough to satisfy. It takes a little hunting through the menu, but there are plenty of options, all of them fabulous.
My all-time favorite has got to be a tie between the classic Catalonian pan con tomate (bread rubbed with olive oil and tomato, here served with amazing manchego atop that vegans can either remove or ask to be held) -- deceptively simple yet one of those joys that proves that the best things in life are, in fact, vegan (think: chocolate; gin; bread/tomato/olive oil); and the plate of morel mushrooms with caramelized mushrooms. I couldn't find the latter this time 'round (must be seasonal), but if you ever do, snap them up -- the sweet onions bring out the earthy flavor of the mushrooms. This is one of the few places where I can be counted on to literally moan over my food, and where I regularly have to shut my eyes to concentrate on the amazing flavors in my mouth.
The sangria: best in town. If there's a wait for a table, go to the bar and order a carafe for you and your friends to start off with.
The only possible detractor from this top-notch restaurant is inherent in its shtick -- it's a tapas joint, meaning that everything will come in very small portions. This translates directly into me exceeding my lunch budget every time I go there, but it's so worth it.
Jaleo offers a delicious selection of authentic Spanish tapas. Diners have the chance to order a large selection of small plates of Spanish and Spanish-inspired food, which offers a delightful chance to try out many different dishes at one meal. Paella is also available in full entree sizes. While much is tasty, we had particularly good luck with seafood--shrimp cooked in garlic and scallops with serrano ham were standouts.
One word of caution in ordering--those $6 to $10 small plates add up quickly, and it's difficult to tell exactly how small the plates will be, and how quickly you'll fill up. For example, if you order steamed mussels, you'll get nearly 20, virtually the same size as any other restaurant's appetizer portion. The rosemary lambchops, however, are a single pair of chops. Fortunately, the food is good enough and the tapas ordering process is diverting enough that the irregular portions don't detract from the overall experience. Surprises are part of the fun, and I'd rather have 2 delicious lambchops than 6 mediorce ones.
Jaleo also earns points for a top-notch waitstaff. Servers are familiar with both the extensive menu and the process of ordering tapas, which can be a bit perplexing for newbies. They are also amazingly efficient, considering the number of dishes per table, and constant clearning of small plates that pile up after each round of ordering. That said, tapas meals are meant to be leisurely and sociable, so even though the restaurant is located adjacent to the Shakespeare Theatre, it might be difficult to make curtain time. Go with lots of people, ordering lots of food and honey-laced sangria, and have a bite of everything. All that sampling and snacking and sharing and chatting shouldn't be rushed, you know.
I only give it 4 stars because it's not as good as my benchmark for tapas, Tasca in Boston. But this was great. The waiter was friendly, helpful, and patient as we debated our selections. The sangria was tasty. My favorite: The stuffed red pepper.
Cuttlefish and Squash Bloosoms were the special hot tapas.
Felt like Spain except for the price and early evening dining.
Good deal avaialble via a sherry flight.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in town. There is an extensive menu to choose from and the items change seasonally. There truly is something for everyone to enjoy. They offer both hot and cold tapas and each menu has a variety of options for vegetarians. At lunch they also offer sandwiches. The desserts are delicious, albeit super indulgent. I would also highly recommend the Sangria. Jaleo is truly a treat for your palate. My only complaint is that the service is inconsistent.
They also have a location in Bethesda, however, the atmosphere isn't quite as lively as its downtown sister.
I was impressed that with such a large party on a Friday night we did not have to wait at all. The food was terrific, almost universally. Best of all, we were all satisfied and properly buzzed, and the entire check was only about $20 each. Quite a bargain for the quality. The only issue was the service. The server wandered away having taken only 6 orders (out of seven people). We also had to flag her down to get refills on our (excellent) sangria.
Excellent variety, a seasonal menu, a good wine list, and sparkling sangria. Such a nice place to relax.
Vegetarians finally get some respect! Jaleo offers tasty, creative vegetarian tapas (even 1 or 2 vegan options, if I'm not mistaken) that are filling enough to absorb all that fine sangria. I ordered the endives with goat cheese, oranges and almonds, and the manchego and apple salad. My friend ordered a shrimp dish and a mushroom rice dish (which I also tried... another winner!). Bartenders were attentive without being overbearing. Prices are quite reasonable for the quality, especially in comparison to some other tapas/meze joints in the area. The bar area is "cozy" but we still managed to find seats at the bar during happy hour. The atmosphere is unpretentious and it's conveniently located just a few blocks from the E Street Cinema.
We were seated right away at Jaleo at about one o'clock on a Saturday. Had anchovies and roasted red peppers, grilled quail with pisto sauce, pan de tomate, tortilla, and a cheese plate with luscious Spanish sherry. Maybe it was the Lustau, I forget which I ordered.
If the tapas I had at Cal Pep in Barcelona are a 10 this would be about a 7.5. Anchovies were not as big, and the cheese plate was quite plain, although the murcia, a goat cheese marinated in red wine was interesting. The grilled quail was a high point, crispy and delicate with an earthy sauce. So, really good but no bargain...these "small plates" add up quick. The sherry was the high point!
Jaleo gets very crowded so beware...get there early to beat MCI crowds on weeknights. Or you can also have the full menu at the bar and the bartenders (Freddy and Diego) are very cool and helpful. Overall, the crowds and wait for a table are worth it --the food is excellent.
Must haves are the portabello mushroom, the garlic shrimp, and the croquetas. Steer clear of the fried shark which is dry.
Jaleo has something for everyone. What's more, the environment lends to sharing fabulous tapas and tasting a variety of flavors and exotic foods. This restaurant tops my list of best dining experiences in DC. My favorite: the sauteed spinach and pinenuts with apples, and the rabbit with stewed figs and apricots.
I am constantly amazed that this restaurant receives even an above average rating from local critics. Okay, in all fairness, I do like their sangria and the restaurant is attractive. But the food is never better than okay, and in many cases, it is almost inedible. Particularly their seafood dishes, which always taste (and smell) fishy and seem to be prepared with week old ingredients of Soviet Safeway quality. Periodically, I am harangued by friends to revisit the place, and I am invariably surprised by its mediocrity. If you want "little dishes" go to Zatinya; and if you want Spanish, go to Taberna del Alabardero. Those restaurants will also surprise you, although in a good way.
The servers always have favorites to recommend if you ask, and they're right on the mark. Go with adventurous friends who like to share and you'll have one of the best meals in the city. And save some room for dessert!
The service is prompt and the tapas is brought out as it is prepared (Great for nibblers!). I highly recommend the white sangria. A great place to hang out on a week night!
Jaleo is wonderful for drinking lots of sangria with a large group. It is definitely one of my favorites in the city. Every time I go I start plotting my next trip back about halfway through the meal. I've tried four or five other tapas places in the D.C. metro area and Jaleo is by far the best.
We didn't want to wait for a table, so we sat at the bar. The bartender was very gracious and attentive, despite having a full, high-turnover bar. We tried shark and squid tapas, which were surprisingly tender and pleasantly flavored--usually not my experience with either type of seafood. The only thing I would change about the experience is that I would have skipped the sangria--it had a slight vinegar taste that couldn't be masked by the fruit.
Whats not to love? They do the menu right and the experience is always very positive. I like to take out of town visitors or meet friends who have not tried it before. Everyone finds something they like and the price is right. Watching the waitress clear a half eaten $5 tapas sure beats watching a guest pick over a $35 entree when you're picking up the check. People watching out the windows can be fun. When I first moved to DC there really was no place to take visitors after walking the Mall. Now there is and Jaleo has company to boot. Great improvement in the city.
A certain ex of mine hated Jaleo -- he described it as the place where "you go with a big group and they bring out all these small plates and you spend $40 apiece and go home hungry." Perhaps he was at a different restaurant, or maybe he just didn't get the tapas concept, but while it's certainly easy to spend $40 apiece, I've never left Jaleo hungry. The selection of tapas is excellent, with some standard hot and cold tapas, as well as an extensive seasonal menu, and there are also paellas and a few assorted large dishes for those who don't like the tapas experience. But it's a wonderful way to dine: tasting all manner of different dishes, many of them so rich you wouldn't want to eat a whole meal of the item anyway. Two tips: always ask your server what their favorite dish is -- that will often glean a pleasant surprise that you may have overlooked while perusing the extensive menu; and consider the house-made sorbets, which can range from rosemary-honey to cava to orange -- they are excellent and a lovely way to wrap up a fine meal, particularly when accompanied by a delightful glass of sherry or cava.
Jaleo serves a variety of Spanish tapas, or appitizers, and has just about anything to suit your taste. The bread is excellent, along with the authentic Spanish dishes, and service is excellent, despite the consistantly busy atmosphere. One of my favorite places to eat.
