Bar Spero
Permanently Closed
Seafood bar & grill with open-fire grilling & raw bar
Seafood bar & grill with open-fire grilling & raw bar
"Chef Johnny Spero’s downtown ode to Basque country transitioned to a tasting menu model this summer. The four-course dining experience goes for $75 a person and features seafood, land, vegetarian, and of course snacks to finish the evening. Diners can still go the a la carte route at the bar and across the dining room." - Vinciane Ngomsi, Tierney Plumb
"D.C. just got (more permanent) four-course tasting menu over at downtown’s Basque-themed Bar Spero, where chef Johnny Spero turns to a prix fixe format for $95 per person (or order a la carte at the bar)." - Tierney Plumb
"Michelin-starred chef Johnny Spero (Reverie) brought a slice of Spain’s buzzy Basque country to D.C.’s Capitol Crossing complex last fall with the splashy debut of seafood-heavy Bar Spero. The well-traveled chef makes good use of a fire-fed grill to prepare everything from elegant Spanish turbot to meaty pork from the Shenandoah Valley. The raw bar is stocked with whatever Spero can get his hands on—including Nantucket scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp, or lobster—and doesn’t limit itself to marine life (see: a beautiful beef tartare). Compliment the entire meal with sesame sourdough from Maryland’s buzzy new bakery Manifest. A neon-lit bar serving cocktails, wines, and regional beers on tap joins a soaring, blue-toned dining room filled with wooden four-tops and built-in booths. Reserve a table online. After suffering fire damage, Georgetown’s dearly missed Reverie made a triumphant comeback in February." - Tierney Plumb, Eater Staff
"Ever been caught staring at yourself in someone’s mirrored sunglasses? Chef Johnny Spero’s seafood-centric spot downtown plays on that mishap with a large rose-tinted mirror shaped into a pair of sporty sunnies above the two sinks. But there is no reason to shield your eyes from the pristine and clean white-tiled bathroom, which is the perfect minimalist canvas for the quirky mirror pièce de résistance. And Spero’s Michelin-starred Georgetown tasting room Reverie resurfaces tonight, March 26, with bidet-equipped black toilets and heated seats." - Abi Newhouse, Nicole Schaller, Eater Staff
"Bar Spero’s assistant general manager Jaryd Spann in DC, and why he chose to carry all three RdV wines at the inspired, seafood-focused restaurant." - Kat Odell