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Jaleo DC, Washington, DC

Jaleo DC

4.6
4.6
9887 Reviews
$31 to $50
Spanish
Jaleo brings alive the spirit and flavors of Spain with a menu reflecting the rich regional diversity of classical and contemporary Spanish cuisine, under the direction of renowned chef José Andrés. Jaleo offers an impressive assortment of tapas, the traditional small dishes of Spain, as well as savory paellas, superb sangrias and a fine selection of Spanish wines and Sherries in a festive, casual atmosphere.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 19 times today
Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Cuisines

    Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates

  • Hours of operation

    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:00 pm

  • Phone number

    (202) 628-7949

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Executive chef

    José Andres; Head Chef Robbie Meltzer

  • Catering

    Catering on a whole new level; José Andrés Catering elevates catering and event planning to new heights in the Washington, DC area and beyond. Now you can experience the inspired creations of celebrated chef José Andrés at your own party or venue. Visit us for more information at www.joseandrescatering.com, or call us at (202) 628-7949.

  • Private party facilities

    Jaleo brings alive the spirit and flavors of Spain with a menu reflecting the rich regional diversity of classical and contemporary Spanish cuisine, under the direction of renowned chef José Andrés We offer a variety of spaces for your special event.

  • Private party contact

    Janice Conner: (844) 843-6573

  • Neighborhood

    Penn Quarter

  • Cross street

    E St.

  • Parking details

    Street Parking

  • Public transit

    We are located 1 block south of the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro station on the yellow, green and red lines. Take the 7th and Arena exit, walk one block south. The restaurant is located on the right hand corner of 7th and E St.<br /><br />We are also 1 block North of Arhives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station on the green and yellow lines.

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 9,887 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Sort by

  1. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    All was fabulous!
  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always great. Have been eating here since '96. Can't say much more.
  3. JustinG

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience3
    Did not live up to the reputation. The server recommended that we get 3-4 tapas per person. However, after having 4 of them, we could not eat anymore as they are much larger than we expected. I think 2 per person is enough. We didn't love any of the 6 we ordered. Two of them were not good. The cold eggplant and peppers was off. One bite and that is all we could stand. The best part of the meal was the wine. It was a lousy experience from start to finish.
  4. Mcbl

    Philadelphia

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Jaleo’s food, service and atmosphere are always exceptional. Thanks once again for another unforgettable and amazing experience.
  5. ThomasK

    New York Area

    29 reviews

    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on May 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great small plates, tasty sangria and excellent service.
  6. OpenTable Diner

    Caribbean

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on May 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and service. The waiter was very nice. Love it.
  7. OpenTable Diner

    Baltimore

    1 review

    vip
    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience1
    The table wasn’t ready for 45 minutes despite having a reservation.
  8. OpenTable Diner

    Austin

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall3food3service5ambience3
    The food was cold by the time we got it. The tables are so close together you are basically in the conversation next to you.
  9. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 21, 2023

    overall2food2service3ambience2
    The space in between tables are very small. Due to the narrowness, the waitress has to serve and keep the main course far away from our table, actually in a room across the hallway. The Paella being the main plate at the house came with almost uncooked rice and squid, difficult to digest. We were dissatisfied; the day before, we only ate Tapas at the same restaurant, and gave them five starts.
  10. JJMart

    Miami

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent food and Service. Will be highly recommend. Thanks.
  11. OpenTable Diner

    Hawaii

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Was seated earlier than my reservation during busy time (6 pm). Hostess was gracious, server & busser staff very attentive. Food was different - but sooo good! Definitely NOT Mexican.
  12. OpenTable Diner

    Caribbean

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our table tried the tasting menu and it was outstanding. Our waiter Billy went out of his way to exceed our expectations….Great service, food and evening!
  13. BettyR

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 18, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Food and service and ambience were very good as usual. My coffee served with dessert was cold. They offered to get me another cup within 5 minutes but I had theater tickets and couldn’t wait.
  14. Petesip

    Washington DC

    39 reviews

    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on May 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience3
    Always good for another visit! Our fourth visit in three years, with different couples. Whomever we invite, they thank us. Our next visit will be with friends who said, 'Please, can we go there again?' We love the food, the helpful wait staff, the food, the wines, the food, well, you get the idea. It's small plates -- if four people share, you'll get one bite of each dish, which means you can try a whole bunch of different foods. Some favorites: the little tiny cone filled with salmon tartar and topped with caviar; the sautéed spinach (a must!), the roasted red pepper dish; the bacon-wrapped dates; the fried cod and potato fritters; and don't forget the platters of cheeses and/or sausages! It's wonderful food! If your waiter recommends a special, believe him or her and try it. The place can get a little noisy at popular times (say, between 6 and 8 PM), ,making conversation more difficult. That's our only negative. On the positive side, we always look forward to returning.
  15. LK25

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on May 6, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience3
    I generally love Jaleo and all Jose Andres’ restaurants- but this last meal wasn’t up to par. The beet salad - which I’ve had hundreds of times - is a good example. Typically, there’s been big chunks of a medley of different varieties of beets - but this time small cubes of the most common type. They weren’t flavorful- but dare I say there were far too many( I’m a beet lover) - with no balance with the rest of the ingredients. It was like a TGIF salad - sounds good but tastes meh . That lack of effort or attention was noticeable in other dishes as well . Please ! Jaleo has always been so reliable - but I’d think twice about going there again soon.
  16. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    We had a good experience. I especially appreciated our server’s responsiveness to the needs of my elderly mother.
  17. rceb

    New Mexico

    36 reviews

    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined on May 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We gathered for a small birthday celebration. The food was wonderful, as always. The service is impeccable. The entire celebration was wondeful.
  18. PeterS

    Portland

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on May 1, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience3
    Service was excellent. My expectations might have been too high, but I was disappointed with the food selection and preparation. Table lacked privacy.
  19. nakanoquinn

    San Francisco

    61 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    61 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    We went to Jaleo prior to a show, and the food was wonderful. We stuck to tapas, to have the most variety, and since there were 2 of us. The pan con tomate was very tomato heavy, but flavorful, and still crisp. The gambas al ajillo were delicious! There's a shaved melon con jamon salad, which hit on every flavor profile, and was texturally complex. There were other dishes, but those stood out to me. We told them when we needed to be ready to go, and they made sure the dishes hit our table quickly, but not feeling rushed, and we had our check paid 2 minutes prior to our cut off time. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
  20. OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Birthday brunch with friends. The food was outstanding. The portions just perfect. The service was outstanding and our server very attentive. Truly enjoyed and definitely we will be coming back and trying other Jose Andres restaurants.
  21. Pdfriends

    Charlotte

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on April 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Very busy restaurant. Not surprising given the food quality and service
  22. MariaS

    Pittsburgh

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on April 27, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    We had the Experience menu, which was amazing plays of contrasting flavors and reminagined classics! Overall, it was really a great meal, though by the time we got to the last savory course, we were pretty full. While it's a tapas restaurant, getting the Experience creates more a six-course meal than a traditional tapas/pintxo situation. The service was exquisite, and overall, it was a great treat to eat at Jaleo!
  23. BarbaraF

    Washington DC

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on April 27, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We came to enjoy Gin & Tonic Fest and were delighted. The tapas paired perfectly with our drinks. Jaleo never disappoints. ♥️♥️
  24. RobertS

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 25, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Really tasty food, good sangria, and every dish was good. Particularly liked the veggie dishes (and I love meat, so I think these were unusually good).
  25. Disappointed

    San Francisco

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall4food4service2ambience4
    Food was excellent, but our server was really slow and inattentive. She might have been new. Another server jumped in and helped when we wanted to order wine, which was helpful.
  26. Kats

    Washington DC

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience5
    Really appreciated the front desk staff encouraging us to sit inside, even though our reservation was outside as terrible weather rolled through during our meal. Food was delicious. Price point is high but so is quality, so ok.
  27. Kushka

    Austin

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on April 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was excellent! Highly recommend going there during the week for lunch. Service was excellent and the 1-hour lunch was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed it and it took the time advertised. Great ambiance too.
  28. LeonL

    Baltimore

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on April 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Food quality and taste continue to impress and restaurant manage to maintain it throughout many years. We were short on time and waiter did an amazing job to get our order on time
  29. KarlK

    Richmond

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    It was a great experience, I am very Leary of going into DC with all the crime reported on the news , but we had a great time food was a great experience our server was exceptional she was very helpful and patient. I recommend anyone that has a special occasion coming up make reservations.
  30. Tommie

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    One of my favorites. I always feel as though I am supporting World Central Kitchen and its good work around the world.
  31. Jkelly

    Washington DC

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on April 15, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Great food and environment! Waiter seem a bit distracted and in a rush when we were trying to get more information about some of the dishes. Overall great tapas!
  32. Dineoutexpert

    Washington DC

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on April 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Cherry blossom parade and we had the cherry blossom brunch drink and menu
  33. OpenTable Diner

    Richmond

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always a joy. Attentive staff, great food, wonderful ambience.
  34. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 13, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience4
    Poor service. Food not as good as it usually is.
  35. DCisHome

    Washington DC

    12 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on April 13, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    food always excellent! our recent reservation was at 3:00 PM on a weekday afternoon, thus the quiet noise level -- it was wonderful!
  36. Prof

    Chicago

    116 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    116 reviews

    Dined on April 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We ordered a half pitcher of Cava sparkling sangria - delicious, reminiscent of Madrid. We then started with a plate of ham and 3 cheeses along with asparagus in a tremendous tomato remoulade. We were so full that we ordered a salad. It was huge with beets, lots of greens and Valedon cheese. We could barely walk after such tasty and filling foods! We can’t wait to return to Jaleo for another fantastic meal.
  37. Localfavorite

    Washington DC

    16 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on April 11, 2023

    overall3food5service3ambience4
    We always love the food at Jaleo but service is consistently spotty. This is the second time we've had difficulty getting our drinks and bill in a timely way when dining before a theater event. We notified the server that we needed to depart by 7:15 (we arrived at 6:15 pm). She took our drinks order but they were not served for about 20 minutes -- we needed to ask another server to intervene. Our meal arrived promptly and was delicious. But difficulty again with getting the bill and arranging payment in order to leave by 7:15. With two theaters in the area, aren't the servers aware of the need for timeliness?
  38. AnneMarieS

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 10, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience4
    I ordered one cheese appetizer & they brought me the incorrect one. Left the wrong one and did bring out the correct one and charged for both.
  39. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall3food3service3ambience5
    You can go get a fine dining meal that will fill you up for these prices. Not worth it
  40. LaurenceM

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience4
    Very expensive for what you get in the plate. Small portions made from very simple ingredients but high in the price range. Far from the tapas you can find in Spain.

Safety precautions

  • Protective equipment

    • Waitstaff wear masks
    • Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking

FAQs

Jaleo DC does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Jaleo DC also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 628-7949.

Jaleo DC is rated 4.6 stars by 9887 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 19 times today
Google Map for Jaleo DC

480 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004

Additional information

  • Cross street

    E St.

  • Neighborhood

    Penn Quarter

  • Hours of operation

    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:00 pm

  • Cuisines

    Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates

  • Dining style

    Casual Elegant

  • Dress code

    Smart Casual

  • Parking details

    Street Parking

  • Public transit

    We are located 1 block south of the Gallery Place/Chinatown metro station on the yellow, green and red lines. Take the 7th and Arena exit, walk one block south. The restaurant is located on the right hand corner of 7th and E St.We are also 1 block North of Arhives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter station on the green and yellow lines.

  • Payment options

    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

  • Executive chef

    José Andres; Head Chef Robbie Meltzer

  • Additional

    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

  • Phone number

    (202) 628-7949

  • Catering

    Catering on a whole new level; José Andrés Catering elevates catering and event planning to new heights in the Washington, DC area and beyond. Now you can experience the inspired creations of celebrated chef José Andrés at your own party or venue. Visit us for more information at www.joseandrescatering.com, or call us at (202) 628-7949.

  • Private party facilities

    Jaleo brings alive the spirit and flavors of Spain with a menu reflecting the rich regional diversity of classical and contemporary Spanish cuisine, under the direction of renowned chef José Andrés We offer a variety of spaces for your special event.

  • Private party contact

    Janice Conner: (844) 843-6573

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  • Cookie Preferences
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