Frommer's Review
Dress up to visit this truly elegant restaurant. You'll receive royal treatment from the Spanish staff, who are accustomed to attending to the real thing -- Spain's King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have dined here. The Taberna is also a favorite of dignitaries attending meetings at the nearby World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The Spanish government recognized the Taberna as "the best Spanish restaurant outside Spain."
The dining room is ornate, with red tufted banquettes, green satin stretched across chairs, and gilded cherubs placed at ceiling corners. Order a plate of tapas to start: lightly fried calamari, shrimp in garlic and olive oil, artichokes sautéed with thin smoky serrano ham, and marinated mushrooms. Although the a la carte menu changes with the seasons (look for the duck breast with sweet vinegar sauce in spring), several paellas are always available, including the rich and flavorful seafood paella served on saffron rice. Other signature dishes are the stuffed squid sauced in its own ink and the traditional salted cod (bacalao). The Taberna also offers vegetarian lunch and dinner menus. The wine list features a selection of 315 wines, some American, but mostly Spanish. Good deal: Weekdays 3 to 7pm, tapas are half-price at the bar.
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