Jaleo, at age 28, is now ancient in terms of restaurant years, but sure doesn’t act it…or look it. A creative redesign added artwork by contemporary Spanish artists, foosball tables with chairs made from Vespa scooter seats, “love tables” closed off by metal curtains, and other whimsical touches, even in the restrooms, where photographed faces smile up at you from the floor. Chef extraordinaire José Andrés is 28 years older as well, and in that time has grown into a culinary and personal phenomenon, with restaurants here (Zaytinya, Oyamel, China Chilcano, Beefsteak, Spanish Diner, minibar by José Andrés), and elsewhere, and a number of cookbooks. Not to mention his humanitarian work fighting world hunger through his non-profit, World Central Kitchen. During the coronavirus pandemic last year, Andres actually closed his D.C. restaurants to the general public and reopened some of them as community kitchens for anyone in need during the outbreak. But it all started here at Jaleo, when Andrés introduced his version of Spanish tapas to the capital. Andrés and his staff may fiddle with the menu of some 60 individual small plates, but you always know you’re enjoying the best tapas in the city (some say in the country). Look for fried dates wrapped in bacon and served with an apple-mustard sauce; mini-burgers made from acorn-fed, black-footed Iberico pigs; and roasted sweet onions, pine nuts, and Valdeón blue cheese. Be adventurous.