I will be in DC with my wife this Friday night, so I am looking for a few restaurant recommendations. We are thinking a tapas-style place might be fun (small plates, doesn’t necessarily have to be Spanish quisine), with a nice wine list, good vibe, decent stemware, etc…you get the drift…
Alternatively, an Indian restaurant would be a good fit for us as well.
Rasika, Zaytinya, Jaleo sound are the places to go under your criteria, although the wine lists aren’t great. If you care more about wine, go to Proof (which has it all–food, vibe, wine list–just no small plates).
Rasika is one the four or five best restaurants in DC, in my view, and one of the best two or three Indian restaurants I have even been to, here or abroad. Zaytinya is a Jose Andres restaurant and is loads of fun, as is his haute Mexican place Oyamel – both are exclusively small plates.
Cafe Atlantico is closed right now – Andres opened “America Eats” in its space. (Actually, Jaleo is also closed right now, but I think it opens this weekend.)
Estadio is the best tapas place in the city right now, and has a decent wine program (heavy on Spanish), as you’d expect from the owner of Proof.
I live nearby Cork and am a fan, but I haven’t been there since they changed chefs. The food used to be quite good, and the wine list is decent – the rotating flights are often fun.
And there is always Dino’s in Cleveland Park. It is Italian and Dean Gold (owner) has a very good wine list. And he is a member of this forum. He is a great guy and I like to support his restaurant.
Yes, Howard, I have a friend in this weekend and when I called to reserve they laughed. Politely, it must be said, but there was a definite “you are kidding, aren’t you?” tone in the voice on the other end at both places.
Cava near Eastern Market does some nice small plates, and has really nice outdoor seating. +400 on Rasika, and I’m a sucker for Jaleo. I’ve never really liked Zatinya; feels like it’s trying to hard to be good. Oyamel is very good but overpriced. Cafe Atlantico is adios I think, but I believe something else is opening in its place? Haven’t been over that way in a while… and I work 2 blocks away. Proof is another favorite. Not small plates, but big on awesomeness. Palena is also outstanding. Good luck!
Try Mintwood Place. Just opened a couple of months ago. Great food and excellent wine service. We brought 4 bottles with us and the server brought us 6 new glasses for every new bottle without us asking. I told her she did not need to do that and she said it was no problem. I believe the chef was the sous chef at Central.
Cork has excellent small plates, but it is a bit of a madhouse and very crowded on weekends. Estadio has lots of small plates and charcuterie, but as you would expect for a relatively new place, the wine list is on the young side. Proof has charcuterie and cheese plates and an extensive wine list with an occasional bargain. And a second for Dino. The owner is a total wine guy and if you call ahead, I bet he will make your visit a fun one. Indique in Cleveland Park is no Rasika, but good Indian and a fair corkage policy.