Jaleo

Frommer's Review

In theater season, Jaleo's dining room fills and empties each evening according to the performance schedule of the Shakespeare Theater next door. Lunchtime always draws a crowd from nearby office buildings and the Hill. This restaurant and executive chef/partner José Andrés may be credited with initiating the tapas craze in Washington, where it remains popular 16 years after Jaleo debuted. Though the menu offers a handful of entrees (available only after 5pm), you really want to consider those tapas -- 60 at last count, but more are always being added. These include a very simple but not-to-be-missed grilled bread layered with a paste of fresh tomatoes and topped with anchovies; date and bacon fritters; torta es pagnola (a layered omelet); savory warm goat cheese served with toast points; a skewer of grilled chorizo sausage atop garlic mashed potatoes; a delicious mushroom tart served with roasted red-pepper sauce; and gazpacho. Paella is among the few heartier entrees (it feeds two to four). Spanish wines, sangrias, and sherries are available by the glass. Finish with a rum-and-butter-soaked apple charlotte in bread pastry or a plate of Spanish cheeses. The casual-chic interior focuses on a large mural of a flamenco dancer inspired by John Singer Sargent's painting Jaleo.

Jaleo has two suburban locations, at 7271 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, Maryland (tel. 301/913-0003), and 2250-A Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia (tel. 703/413-8181).

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Back to Top