Dining at Bar Spero in Washington, DC happened by chance, but I was delighted by my experience.
We had a reservation at another restaurant but it was cancelled three hours before when the restaurant’s AC broke. I scrambled to find availability elsewhere and luckily, Bar Spero was available.
While we were bummed to miss dining at the other restaurant, Bar Spero was fantastic! Read on to hear more about my experience.
Bar Spero
Because of our last-minute reservation, I wasn’t sure what to expect at Bar Spero, but the experience was worthy of their recent merit of being added to the Michelin guide in March. The designation hasn’t been announced but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a Michelin star.
Bar Spero opened less than a year ago, in September 2022. Their chef, Johnny Spero, is no stranger to being part of an award-winning team. He has worked at various D.C. restaurants, including Minibar, Noma in Copenhagen, and Mugaritz in Spain. Most recently, he opened Reverie, his first D.C. restaurant, which earned a Michelin star and is temporarily closed because of a fire in August 2022. Needless to say, Chef Spero knows what he’s doing when it comes to exceptional dining.
I enjoyed the sleek and stylish design of the restaurant. The booths look cozy and the interesting lighting silhouettes give sophistication.
As for the cuisine, Bar Spero is inspired by Chef’s many travels, especially Spain. The menu features a raw bar and open-fire cooking.
Drinks at Bar Spero
To start, drinks. Cocktails are a riff on classics and they also have a curated wine list with wines by the glass, carafe, and bottle. They also have a more extensive selection than other places when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks, including mocktails and non-alcoholic wine.
Our cocktails (a paloma and banana daiquiri) were good but I would opt for a glass of wine next time.
Dinner at Bar Spero
For food, we shared a few delicious plates. The menu is a la carte and divided into hot, cold, let’s go, and sweet.
Beef Tartare, capers, fried potato, allium – Beautiful and delicious
Charred Cabbages, anchovy cream, Idiazabal cheese, bonito
Grilled Oysters, sauce sidra blanc, pickled garlic and brown butter – Stand-out dish! The sauce on top made it incredible
Hamachi Collar, gochujang, spicy greens – We typically order fish collars whenever we see them and this one did not disappoint. Loved the smokey flavor.
Torrijas and Green Walnut – I loved our dessert. Torrijas is similar to French toast and bread pudding. We devoured this one!
Every dish we had was mouth-wateringly great. I would eat all again except for the Charred Cabbages. While that dish was good, I’d want to try another dish.
If you’re looking for a more unique dish, order from the Let’s Go section where you can get Turbot (fish), Jonah Crab, or Beef Rib.
How Much is Dining at Bar Spero
The menu is a la carte, so you can choose how much to spend. Dishes range from $12 to $74. Glasses of wine range from $12 to $29 while cocktails range from $16 to $19.
Tax and service charges are included on the check.
How to Make a Reservation
Reservations can be made online at Resy. Dates and times are released at a rolling seven weeks and it is easy to get reservations.
Details for Your Visit
Here’s a quick list of what to know prior to your visit.
- Cuisine: Spanish-inspired, raw bar
- Meal offered: Dinner only
- Ambiance: Comfortable, classy
- Attire: Business casual, no dress code
- Noise Level: Average
- Pricing: $$
- Dietary restrictions: Limited available for these allergies – dairy, allium, nightshade
- Reservation: Available and suggested
- Groups: Contact directly for groups larger than 6 people
- Seating options: Table, bar booth
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Parking: Street
Bar Spero
250 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001
https://www.barspero.com/
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