Originally came for restaurant week but was disappointed by the menu because it was the standard flat rate price but then most things had an add on price as well which is not what a restaurant week menu is supposed to be. So we ended up doing happy hour instead which worked out cheaper. There is indoor and outdoor seating. We originally booked outdoor but then asked to move inside after my companion was being bitten and they were very accommodating. We had two servers, Nelson who was very nice and then once we moved inside we had a young lady who was also working the bar. From the menu we had the Garlic shrimp and that was very good. If you haven't tried dipping the bread in that sauce, you should. And then we tried both the ham and mushroom croquettes- I preferred the ham. We also had the mixed seafood paella. Note that it's not $25 for the table but $25 per person eating. It comes in one big dish and they serve it to you table side into individual plates which was exciting. That was good as well. Overall I would probably do happy hour there again but know it's going to be a bit pricey.

My Spanish wife from Spain loved it so close to home. Food was great , service better and they had Estrella Galicia which I can't find anywhere. And the inclusivity of actual good bread.

Had to try this place when we were walking through the neighborhood two months ago. It was restaurant week and my kids opted for that menu. They had patatas bravas, croquetas, paella Valenciana, chicken in garlic sauce, flan, and churros. All tasted good but the paella had a different flavor from others he has had. The chicken was slightly underseasoned, but not as bad. When I looked at the paella plate, I saw artichokes. Definitely a first. I ordered from the brunch menu with two fried eggs, jamon iberico, and patatas bravas with truffle. Nicely done. We also had the crema catalana and a plate of jamon iberico. Can't go wrong. The decor was tastefully done. A good place for dinners or even tapas during happy hour. Until next time!

5 stars for a really great hidden tapas spot. My wife and I were looking to complete a card for the Spanish embassy related to tapas and saw Taberna del Alabardero was near my work. We called ahead to see if the venue's patio allowed dogs (it does!) and headed over to check the spot out. Located near the intersection of 18th and I next to another tapas spot (Tia Pepa), Taberna doesn't look like much from the outside (honestly I thought it was a bar when I had previously passed it), but the venue is actually very nice. However, we elected to sit outside with our pup in the covered patio area. Our waiter came up soon afterwards to greet us and bring us menus. He and the staff were solid throughout the meal, except for taking a long time to bring the check at the end (a phenomenon that is resurfacing at many venues with the pandemic behind us). My wife and I decided to order a bunch of tapas rather than get main courses, and boy did we get a lot of food. This includes: 1) the bunuelos de txangurro (crab fritters), which were solid when dipped in a fun white sauce my wife ordered that I can't remember, 2) pork belly (solid), 3) berenjena Frits con miel (eggplant chips drizzled with honey that were awesome), 4) croquettas de Jamon (ham croquettes that were solid), and 5) gazpacho (solid). However, the true star of the show surprisingly enough was the shrimp mango salad. It came with pistachios, a huge piece of Carmelita's goat cheese, and a great vinaigrette. It was absolutely delicious and something I would eat for lunch any day. Overall, Taberna del Alabardero delivered us a great tapas experience. The solid service and food make this a great "hidden gem" spot to check out.

After seeing the White House from afar, we walked a few blocks over to Taberna del Alabardero for an early dinner. When browsing quickly on Google, I completely overlooked how elegant the restaurant would be since I was just excited for some tapas. Needless to say, we felt fairly underdressed in our vacation-wear, but the staff didn't seem to mind and took great care of us throughout our meal. With this being more of a fine dining spot, pricing is steeper. Some sections of the menu note that the listed price is per portion (like for paella), so you'd need to multiply the price by the number of people eating it. If you're sticking with tapas, like we did, you don't need to worry about this. While waiting for our food, one waiter came by with a bread basket and I selected a slice of their raisin bread. In general, the service was outstanding. They traded our plates out halfway through and kept our waters full. The waitstaff appears to work together on tending to all tables, which they did with great organization. + PULPO A LA GALLEGA ($20): Tender pieces of octopus were served with potatoes and sprinkled liberally with Spanish paprika. The octopus was perfectly firm and not rubbery at all. The dish overall tasted very natural. + TORREZNOS DE SORIA ($15): This cured pork belly had a super crispy exterior and was sprinkled with what I believe was paprika. The pieces of pork were meaty and had pretty proportionate layers of meat to fat. + GAMBAS AL AJILLO ($19): Plump and deshelled shrimp in a garlic olive oil. Between the crispy garlic pieces and mild heat from red pepper flakes, these shrimp had so much flavor. My favorite plate of the night! + TXIPIRONES EN SU TINTA CON ARROZ ($20): Baby squid with ink sauce and rice. The squid was so tender and I could not get enough of the creamy buttery rice. Definitely order this. + POLLO AL AJILLO ($16): Pan-seared rosemary chicken in a garlic & white wine sauce. While the chicken was nicely cooked, I actually didn't taste much garlic and instead, the rosemary dominated the flavor. Meh, I'd skip this dish. + MOLLETE DE TXANGURRO ($16): The menu describes this as just a crab cake, but it actually came in sandwich form, like a slider. The bread overpowered the crab cake which was somewhat bland by itself. It came paired with a small side of greens, tossed in a slightly tangy, sweet, onion-y dressing. + BERENJENAS FRITAS CON MIEL ($10): Thin slices of eggplant fried to a golden brown and drizzled with honey. I've never had eggplant like this before... it was truly addicting! We loved the eggplant and shrimp dishes so much that we got a second serving of both. At the end of our meal, they served complimentary butter cookies and chocolate crisp treats for a sweet ending. The classy atmosphere, attentive friendly service and variety of food made this a worthwhile splurge and wonderful experience.

The food was so good. We went for happy hour. The olives were European quality. I could have eaten 4 of these bowls! The service was efficient. The ambiance was impeccable. It felt like you were in Spain with the decor and quality of food. There was live music that started at 8pm. We went on a Thursday. Highly recommend.

Came here for happy hour after a long day at work. Enjoyed sitting on the patio with the fans offering a cooling breeze. The staff were quite attentive, though one female server took away our utensils when one of my colleagues said she wasn't staying past one round of drinks and the server assumed we weren't ordering tapas or entrees. My caipirinha was delicious and I would have loved some Brazilian cheese bread but after my two remaining colleagues & I finished our drinks, we chose to go elsewhere for dinner.

Spanish restaurant with great atmosphere. Every worker was helpful and attentive. I was not very hungry so ordered a shrimp tapas and pork tapas and the shrimp was seasoned perfectly. The pork was cooked as advertised, but the shrimp was a hit. I completed the meal with apple pie and a coffee. The apple pie was so tasty! Two days later I ate here again and ordered a Tapas calamari and egg plant. I really enjoyed the egg plant it was cut very thin and was crispy like chips. I completed the meal again with another apple pie. Clean place and cool atmosphere. A must try place.

I suppose with all of the restaurants available in DC, if I find somewhere I come to twice in a week - it probably deserves 5 stars. I stumbled upon this restaurant when looking for a flamenco show. I love flamenco and wanted to see some. This restaurant popped up as having flamenco on the weekends. I immediately snagged a reservation. You don't have to buy tickets for the show, just make a reservation during the show time. You can tip the performers at the end if you are so inclined. I was. The first time I went was as a double date, the second time as a girls night. The wait staff remembered me! They even remembered I have a food allergy! Imma call that service. The food? Amazing. We got tapas, paella, and dessert. I loved all of the taps I had, the tomato bread one with iberico ham is so good, the tortilla is prob one of the best I've had, and the apple pie...the apple pie! Delicious. I didn't find anything I tried that wasn't extremely good. I couldn't try a few things on the menu because of my food allergy, which was disappointing - but it was great that the staff knew the menu, ingredients, and cooking processes well enough to safely advise me. They also confirmed everything with the kitchen. The flamenco shows were great. They had musicians and dancers both nights. I am going to return. Next week perhaps?