Boqueria Penn Quarter — Restaurant in Washington

My partner and I ate here for happy hour and had the espresso martinis, white sangria, their seasonal beer (Estrella lager), patatas bravas, mini hamburguesas, and a paella de marisco. First off I want to express gratitude to Nelson and Sally for their excellent service and their communication with us as guests. It did not feel as though they were hovering but knew exactly when to check in to get us another drink and facilitate our dining experience. -Drinks: the drinks were delicious, if you enjoy a strong coffee flavor in your espresso martinis you would enjoy these, I personally prefer a creamier espressotini. My partner had the beer which I tasted. I am not the biggest beer fan but it was very smooth at first and had that typical bitter aftertaste that I typically dislike from beer. This is a sidenote but if you had a radler and enjoy those or would be open to being a bit of a mixologist at your table, I mixed the beer with my sangria and it was delicious! I found that it cut the bitter after taste of the beer completely. Food: the mini hamburguesas were surprisingly the best burgers I've had in dc and I absolute would come back here just for those. You can never go wrong with patatas bravas, they were nice and crisp, and the aioli sauce was stellar. Really I came here to satisfy my craving for paella and really wanted to have a Valencian style paella experience, which I'm sad to report I did not have. The rice was a bit oily and salty to my liking, yet did not have any seasonings I could detect beyond the flavors of the sea. The seafood itself was ok but I ended up not finishing my plate. I'm hoping it was a one off but I am absolutely willing to come by and try out another of their dishes. Atmosphere- the vibes of the restaurant is super cute, I loved the decor and the lay out, particularly the lighting of the restaurant. There was some background music but it was nothing that would present a challenge to holding conversation. Kudos to the decorator to having managed to capture a cosy, intimate environment despite the more open layout. Bonus point for a clean and well...

Nice meaty spot with potatoes and sangria! We grabbed an early dinner and enjoyed the Coca de Setas flatbread bursting with flavor and crispy Potatoes Bravos while the Tortilla Espanola missed the mark.

Coca de Setas flatbread (5/5) - The cheesy mushroom and caramelized onion on thin crispy flatbread was scrumptious! The bold sharp idiazabal cheese, crunchy pine nuts, and arugula elevated the flavor. All the ingredients worked well together. Excited to try the Pan Con Tomatoes flatbread next!

Potatoes Bravos (4/5) - Crispy and smothered in tomato sauce with a nice spicy kick and coated in garlicky aioli sauce.

Tortilla Espanola (2/5) - The Spanish omelette similar to a potato and onion quiche quiche was stone cold and lacking in flavor to my disappointment. Kept searching for a good bite, but never found one.

de Cerezas Seasonal Cocktail (2/5) - Rose sangria was tart and not a bubbly cocktail that I hoped for. Where was the "Cava float"? The cherry cordial and vodka didn't do much, the cocktail needed to be more balanced out. Maybe some fresh juice? Couldn't taste the "Anis" spice. The nice server kindly remade the drink, while it was a bit more bubbly the 2nd time around, it still feel flat. Will go with the traditional sangria next time!

Costillas de Matanza (3/5) - Disclaimer: I didn't try the ribs. I heard that they were oily and lacking in spices. That being said, all 5 ribs were finished by 3 guys (one of them was opting out and then helped to finish them off).

Get here early for happy hour at the bar! We got there at 5:15 on Fri, and not a single seat was open. Best to come earlier in the week or grab a seat around 4:30.

Strongly recommend a reservation for a table on the weekends as the restaurant gets booked up. Luckily, we were able to snag a table by the open doors catching a nice breeze (given a 1 hour limit) for an early dinner around 5.

Will come back for the crispy Potato Bravas and explore other dishes on happy hour - Pan Cone Tomate flatbread, Escalivada grilled veggies, Nutella stuffed Churros,...

We love tapas! This particular location is in Penn Quarter which is within walking distance from our hotel. We originally were looking for the La Tasca restaurant in Chinatown, but found that it was no longer in business. Thankfully we found Boqueria. I think the only difference is that their tapas menu is somewhat limited. Although, what they had was traditional and very similar to the tapas we had in La Ribera and Diagonal Mar. The flavors were all there.

We arrived on a weekday for an early dinner. We didn't need a reservation for that time. There was a larger group in one of the private rooms, as well as a few happy hour visitors. It was so nice to get a large booth near their open kitchen. The atmosphere was great, and actually very quiet compared to other tapas experiences. I doubt it's like that past 6pm.

We had a few of our favorites. The portions were small, but perfect for the 2 of us. I could definitely taste the spicy smoked paprika in the Patatas Bravas. It was delicious. The Pimientos de Patron were much larger than others we've had in the past. What was cool is that my husband happened to get that occasional spicy hot pepper. I was happy to hear that. He loves them. We also loved Boquerias's version of the Pan con Tomate that is topped with piparras. It was a nice touch. The Croquetas de Setas were tasty, but too small of a portion. It will leave you wanting more. I'd order 2 of them so that you have a total of 6 croquettes. The 5 oz serving of Picanha a la Parilla was the perfect size for sharing. It was cooked perfectly with a great seasoning.

For dessert, we split the churros with chocolate sauce. I don't think they have the stuffed chocolate churros on the menu anymore (unless it's a secret menu item). The churros were on the thinner side. The chocolate sauce wasn't as thick as it should be. It still tasted good, but not the best we've ever had. I'd try a different dessert next time. Yes, there will be a next time. The tapas that we shared...