El Taller del Xiquet

We accidentally stumbled on this restaurant in our visit to DC. This restaurant exceeded my expectations on so many levels. Everything we ordered was beautiful and the way the talented chef, Danny Llado, brought the flavors together was masterful. Octopus was made to perfection and the accompanying sauce was amazing. Seafood Salcipo appetizer with razor clam was out of this world. The light citrus light creamy sauce made you want to lick everything on the plate. Duck paella was the best take in paella we’ve ever had. The noodle seafood paella had great flavors but was a bit salty for us. Now hands down, the Iberico pork steak with crispy pork belly entree was our favorite!!! I don’t think we’ve ever had Iberico this amazing before. Dessert was creative- chocolate mousse was very good! We did the A Là Cart room but will be back for tasting menu which looked amazing and after trying this chef’s creations, I know it will not disappoint. Can’t wait to go back! I’m a fan of this chef now. And…btw the staff was truly exceptional!!! Never left our table with any crumbs and our drinks were always filled. Everyone was so friendly and genuinely cared you had a good experience. A truly deserving Michelin rating for food and service. Expensive but was worth every bit of it!

3/7 Update: the excitement of El Taller is the ever changing menu. Although some may like the same dish over and over, being able to see what chef is thinking to cook upstairs or try things that chef loved so much he brought then downstairs. It is more exciting than seasonal menu changes as this menu reflects the art of cooking. An excellent experience with great food and service. I highly recommend attending as you get to see where the Michelin chef is heading or was providing in his workshop.

I feasted on the Restaurant Week menu: seafood salad, pork paella and carrot cake dessert, with wine accompaniments. The seafood salad included a wide variety, each piece cooked perfectly, topped with a delectable oyster sauce. The paella was a full meal made with the tastiest pork and most flavorful rice. The carrot cake topped with mousse topped with a lacy cookie topped with a bubbly orange sauce was an amazing and tasty confection. The service was outstanding and the restaurant quiet. Only frustration was with unexpected and not well explained service fee.

The duck and mushroom paella was truly the best I've had. We also greatly enjoyed the carrot cake, which was a creative twist on the classic. Staff were welcoming and knowledgeable about the menu, and the recommended wine pairings suited the dishes well. The service fee (which is not tip) was a less than desirable sight on the bill, I'd much prefer this reflected in the menu prices. In general, it is not transparent how a service fee is distributed between staff and restaurant.

We had an amazing meal at El Taller. Our group very much enjoyed being able to experience the same flavors we get out of Xiquet in a more casual environment. The polp starter was a huge hit with our group who couldn’t get enough of the sauce and the paella knocked our socks off. We are lucky it’s not rude to scrape the pan in Spain! Make sure you don’t leave without trying the chocolate dessert!

We visited El Taller del Xiquet expecting an exceptional experience from a Michelin-starred restaurant. From the start, we clearly informed the staff about a severe nut allergy, yet a dish was served that either contained or was cross-contaminated with nuts. This resulted in a serious allergic reaction that ended with a visit to the emergency room late into the night. What’s most troubling is that, despite this critical oversight and its medical consequences, the restaurant still charged us for the dish that triggered the reaction, with no acknowledgment or gesture of accountability so far. This was a deeply disappointing experience that could have ended in tragedy. A restaurant with Michelin recognition should uphold the highest standards of safety and awareness, especially when it comes to serious medical conditions like food allergies.

Came here for dinner on a Saturday evening. Small cozy spot, I’ve walked by hundreds of times without paying much attention. It’s charming, although small. Overall, it’s fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine. Mid if you will. Portions are small, taste is good, but you’ll likely leave hungry unless you order significant amounts. Be careful of the bill, there is a discrepancy between the bill and menu pricing. They also automatically add service fees. Glad I tried it, won’t be back.

If you're looking for an intimate spot with exceptional food, this is the place. The restaurant has a cozy, welcoming atmosphere that immediately makes you feel at home, perfect for a relaxed yet memorable meal. Now, let's talk about the food. Every dish was bursting with flavor, and the ingredients felt incredibly fresh. We started with the gravlax, which was perfectly cured and had just the right balance of tang and richness atop a buttery brioche bread. Next up was the octopus, which was cooked to absolute perfection—tender, smoky, and with a beautiful char, accompanied by some perfectly cooked potatoes and squid ink puree. The seafood fideua was a standout: loaded with an abundance of perfectly cooked Spanish-style seafood, the pasta had the perfect texture and the dish was full of depth and warmth. Unsurprising, considering the chef's background and awards, but it was still something special! Finally, the chocolate dessert was the cherry on top—decadent and indulgent, as a chocolate fiend, it was the ideal sweet ending to a fantastic meal. Unlike its sister restaurant upstairs, the menu is a la carte, allowing you to enjoy a Michelin-starred-quality meal for a fraction of the price (and time.) I’ll definitely be back for more—highly recommend!

Xiquet was a great experience! Booked this restaurant for my husband's birthday and came on a Tuesday evening. It felt like private dining because for half the time we were the only people in the restaurant. The whole time we were there only one other party came, another party of two. This is a restaurant that deserves its michelin star for the food and service. It's not a hyped up trendy place that gets by on liquid nitrogen and lots of cream. They have a great wine selection, we had a really good krug and all the courses were delicious. Would highly recommend this place for a special occasion. I'm pregnant and they also went ahead and adapted the menu which was thoughtful. Desserts were just right and not too heavy. The second area you go to is nice also. I didn't have room for the desserts at the next stop but we took them back and ate them the next day.

KenScale: 8.25/10 Visit: January 2023 DC has no shortage of the growing list of fine dining restaurants and one of the places that had been on my radar for a while since my wife Jun and I moved from NYC to the DC area was Xiquet. Opened in 2020 right before the pandemic outbreak, the restaurant by chef Danny Lledó has been getting accolades here and there for his innovative and modern take on traditional Valencian cuisine. While Jun and I had been to casual Spanish restaurants in the area, it was our first time exploring a fine dining format from this wonderful country of rich culinary tradition. When we walked up the stairs to reach the second-floor dining space with kitchen next to it, chef Danny kindly greeted us with a few bits before we were seated. The aroma coming from the kitchen was quite pleasant and our expectations for the dinner began to elevate. Overall, our meal at Xiquet was quite delicious with a few really outstanding dishes and without notable misses. When we got the welcoming snacks at Xiquet, my wife Jun was pleasantly surprised to see goose barnacles in the aperitivos. It's not often you see these crustaceans at a restaurant. Another surprise was the assortment of flash cards for each dish, similar to how Atomix had been dazzling diners for years. Each flash card thoughtfully described chef Danny's inspirations behind the corresponding dish, oftentimes sharing his memory in Valencia. The first dish that came after the aperitivos was fresh scallop from Hokkaido, Japan, accompanied by Ossetra caviar and blood orange that gave refreshing flavor. Even if you are not a vegetarian, you would be won over by a vegetable dish like the wonderfully fire-roasted heirloom squash with romesco. Called rèmol in Valencia, the turbot also beautifully displayed its rich flavor with the help of classic beurre blanc sauce. While Valencia is known for the famous paella, Xiquet's rice dish was more grounded in the method of Alicante nearby, accompanied by herb-braised rabbit. It was not surprisingly one of my favorite dishes of the night. According to chef Danny's flash card, partridge is a fowl widely used in Spanish cuisine, and Xiquet's version of the dish that came with foie gras and pear was certainly a winner. The savory part of the course ended with a rib-eye and Iberico pork tenderloin; both were delicious but fell slightly short of the bar set by the preceding dishes. The rib-eye inspired by vaca vieja ("old cow") raised in sustainable manner in Spain was unfortunately sourced from beef nearby in Maryland, and the slightly tough texture made us wonder what the real Spanish version would've tasted like. Iberico pork tenderloin and ham would've been fine on their own, and Jun questioned whether putting it in the puff pastry to create a Spanish version of Wellington was the smart choice. After all the rich savory dishes, an all-orange roster of desserts (from siphon cake to sorbet) provided a nice break to our palate. We wrapped up our meal with some treats at the bar area below the dining floor. Getting a reservation at Xiquet through Tock is not too challenging as long as you plan a couple of weeks in advance. The restaurant also offers wine pairings and has a fairly pricey wine list that skews toward tempranillo-based Spanish wines (although we were lucky to find one of my favorite California producers on the list and ordered a bottle of pinot noir to complement our meal). The small but cozy dining space with minimal décor gives the vibe of a fine dining restaurant without much stuffy atmosphere, making the restaurant a great choice for a date night. At the end of our meal, we were told that chef Danny is working on a new counter-style format that supposedly gives an upgrade from the dining room dishes in a more intimate setting. Jun and I will certainly check out that new format once it materializes; until then, our assessment of Xiquet is a very good restaurant but not quite top echelon yet.

This is a fine dining Michelin Star restaurant. I will attempt to segment my review accordingly, as the nuance of such an experience and expounding thereupon is highly divergent in appreciation and applicability. Needless to say, this restaurant is not for every and all tastes. -- 1. Truncated scores for oversimplification, respectively: (1) Compared to other Michelin Star venues: 2.75 to 3 out of 5 stars; (2) Compared to other Michelin (Star or otherwise) venues: 4 stars; (3) Compared to other fine dining restaurants in surrounding area: 4 stars; (4) Compared to all restaurants, regardless of type or class: 4.25 stars; (5) Compared to options in DMV area for a special occasion: 5 stars; (6) Subjective enjoyment as a food enthusiast: 3 stars; (7) Subjective enjoyment as a fine dining enthusiast: 3.5 to 4 stars; (8) Value of experience from a dining enthusiast's perspective: 4.25 stars; (9) Objective value: 1.5 to 2 stars; (10) Aggregate true rating: 2.75 to 3.25 stars, depending on the day. -- 2. Exposition: Xiquet offers an expensive, premium, and highly specific experience that may seem foreign, especially to those who aren't accustomed to fine diving; and even, at some points, to those who have dabbled here and there. Upon entering the unassuming multi-level restaurant, you are greeted by a host who takes a variable amount of time to prepare a table for you. You sit on a couch in the lobby which also has a bar. Upon my visit, the bar was unattended, making for a peculiar dynamic. After being checked in, you walk up two floors to the top floor. You are greeted by the head chef, and partake in a drink and small bite as he and one of his chefs welcome you. You are then seated at your table, one of only a few in the dining room. The big windows on the end of the room make for a good view, especially if you are seated toward them. After being seated, you will be acquainted with 2 to 3 main servers; a sommelier; and a manager. Prior to being served each course in the tasting menu, a card will be presented to you which describes the dish as well as its origins, concept, and personal relevance to the head chef, Danny Lledo. As the dish is being served, the main server attending you will further expound upon the nuances of each dish. Toward the end of your meal, Danny comes to speak with you once more. Upon finishing all the courses (and there are many if you go for the tasting menu), you will be escorted down one level to a bar and lounge area. This floor happens to also be where the restrooms are located. As you conclude your meal, you sit on a couch which is surrounded by another bar area. You are served tea, chocolates, and desserts. Upon preparing to check out, the manager comes by to ask you about your experience. The menu changes several times per year with a certain few items remaining. If this place is your cup of tea, consider revisiting to try different items; as well as different occasions in which the setup may be quite distinguished. -- 3. Critique: Each of the staff are highly trained and very knowledgeable. The experience is very unique and different, and highly worthwhile for a food enthusiast who wishes to experience something new and premium; especially for a special occasion. Many of the items, like with art, are made better by the explanations; as is the whole experience bespoke accordingly. However, some items are better than others; and some are highly memorable while others are perhaps bland. All items, however, do push the envelope; and craft a cohesive story as well as are likely unique. In that sense, I cannot offer any misgivings about the experience. To say I would recommend it, however, is a threshold I cannot truly pass; as much as because of the competition and the price point, as well as the relative expectations and preferences of all people, which are not necessarily in tune with a clientele who would visit this place. Of those who would contemplate visiting such a place, I cannot say with guarantee nor sterling conviction that the experience will be enjoyed, either. Some items did little for me, palette-wise, as well as in invoking any thought, inspiration, or satisfaction. Others, yet, induced a comprehensive resolution of resplendence which reaffirmed why I continue to exist; of why I endure; and of why I strive. My lukewarm score is a function of these two states at conflict; as well as that the exact distribution is not favorable, given the price. But I am at a limbo, in that, in grading a Michelin Star, I ask myself whether I am grading the food or the restaurant; and to what degree I am offering too much or little to either front. In the case of Xiquet, I opine the experience superior to food. Definitely a good restaurant and experience. But is it fitting of its weight? That is the query. -- 4. Recommendations: Try at least once, if you have a lot of disposable funds. Definitely keep an open mind.

I went as a group of four for restaurant week, which I would 100% recommend. However, I can see why people who paid full price would be disappointed because it's good, but not $300+ good. Food: We really liked almost all the food. I quite liked all the starters, and loved the tarte for dessert. My main qualm was the main dish (I paid for the wellington), which was soggy, not crispy, and rather bland. We also got the basic wine pairing, and really enjoyed all the wines. The service: Xiquet had the most awkward Michelin star service I've ever encountered. When we walked in, my group just stood in the lobby for maybe 5 or minutes before anyone said anything to us. When we got upstairs, the servers kept having to reach around me, but always reached around me in the weirdest way possible, basically pushing me into a wall. Sometimes they'd randomly switch it around, so I'd go right and they'd actually come in that way. One server dropped tongs on me when giving me a napkin. They would discuss what we were eating while we were all clearly in conversation. And, ultimately, the food came out super fast. We were in and out in under an hour an half (maybe that's just for restaurant week)?

Decided to come here for restaurant week. I read somewhere that their regular tasting menu at $265 was discounted by $100, but was dismayed to find out that it was different in that two items aren't included (Iberic Wellington and something else). The Wellington was an optional add on at $40, which I did not opt for. Reservation was a breeze online, and there was a $50 per person non refundable deposit, which gets deducted from the final bill. There was ample street parking. The dining experience was very intimate, with just 7 tables. Service was awesome, and even Chef Danny brought out a few plates and described the dishes! My favorite dishes were probably the red prawn, turbot, and the partridge. The orange dessert also really stood out. The final two dessert servings is served at the mezzanine level, where there is also a bar. There you settle the bill and get a parting gift bag with some sweets. A mandatory 22% service fee is added, which also gets taxed, and this is not a tip. Overall, a very nice dining experience. I was hesitant at first, having read the reviews, which were either hit or miss. I personally enjoyed the food, but wasn't completely blown away at the price point. Luckily, I tried it during RW at a discount. Still, a very nice experience overall.

I have been meaning to go to Xiquet for some time now, but living in California now makes that difficult. Finally made it in DURING A HURRICANE , yes not even a hurricane will stop me from consuming delicious food. Was welcomed with a nice glass of wine and saw the beautiful awards on the wall. Was taken upstairs where the main dining area is and was able to have a few words with the staff. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly. I'm not going to go into detail about the food, all I will say is BOOK YOUR RESERVATION NOW!!! This meal will be remembered for a very long time! I don't have a favorite dish but the Paella really stood out. I loved everything, especially the cards that come before every dish explaining exactly what you're about to consume and the history of it. Thank you for having me Xiquet, I'll be back and I'll be telling all of my friends about my incredible meal!

Xiquet boasts a Michelin Star. I don't understand why. We dined on a Saturday night; the tasting menu cost $250 per person. Starting with the decor: Bland. Uninteresting. Cold. The dining room is up two flights of stairs. On arriving in the dining room you're greeted by a server at a counter in front of the open flame kitchen where you are given a small cone filled with something that tasted quite good and a small drink. This may have been the best tasting course. Then you're seated at your white-tablecloth-covered table, and the tasting menu begins. Twelve or so unmemorable courses. Some highlights: Spanish seabass was good - nicely prepared with crispy skin - but underseasoned. Partridge - dry and underseasoned. Iberico shoulder: not worth the hype. Tough and dry. Desserts were served in another room, down one flight of stairs on the same level as the rest rooms, thankfully. A wooden box was presented with little tidbits, some very good, some not remarkable. The chocolate and marsipan selections were my favorites. Service was efficient and the server did describe each course well, but with little energy or excitement.

I'm headed to Valencia next month so I wanted to give Xiquet a try. It's not the best Michelin star restaurant I've been to, but it's not the worst either. I went on a night when they were still tinkering with their seasonal menu. My dishes were very meat heavy - there was lamb, partridge, and pork. That's on top of the hake and two paella dishes. I was definitely full and had to bring some of the food home. Other diners complained about their meals being too salty - I actually thought some of the dishes weren't salty enough. They could've also added a little more heat to them. I found some of them to be a little bland. The main course (Wellington Iberic pork) and dessert (rhubarb/avocado cake) were by far the best parts of the meal. I was charged $12 at the end of the night for "water service" which was a bit of a surprise. I opted for sparkling water. I don't know if it would've been the same price for still water, but a heads up would've been nice. Honestly, I would've been fine with tap water had I known I was going to be charged for it. They also don't have any soft drinks and no cocktail menu. They have what appeared to be a full service bar on the middle floor, but I was only given a wine menu. It's cheaper to get the wine pairing, unless you want to pay hundreds of dollars (or thousands) for a single bottle. Even a single glass was upwards of $50 so I opted to just stick with my $12 water. They charge you a 20% service fee which they say goes to all of the staff, but on top of that, when you receive your bill, there's also a line that prompts you to tip. It's very confusing. Furthermore, they charge you $50 when you make a reservation (which is eventually deducted from the bill), but I was actually charged $51.75. Apparently there's a $1.75 fee as well which wasn't made abundantly clear. I ended up spending close to $300 with no alcohol. I went on a Wednesday night around 7 PM and I was a little surprised by how vacant the restaurant was. There was just me and one other couple. Their dining room appeared to sit about 20-30 people, though I do have to give them credit for allowing single diners. Many Michelin star restaurants won't even give you that option. Service was great and staff were very friendly. What I found unique was they give you little cards with descriptions of each of the dishes. I'm not sure I'd come back, but worth a visit I suppose, especially if you like paella.

I had a decent dining experience and I'm unsure what so many are griping about concerning price, service, or quality. 1) Look at the menu: you're paying for rare and treasured ingredients literally cooked in front of you. Yes, you can get supermarket chicken at other Michelins gussied up fantastically. But idk maybe read ahead before you reserve at someplace that's not doing that 2) They're human and mistakes happen. A course can be flawed and things can spill. In the live arts, even the best trip. The food wasn't underseasoned. They quite deftly paced the intensity of seasoning to peak on the meat dishes and be minimal on the earlier dishes. The service was nice but in general overwrought considering they were mostly just repeating what you could read on the card. The cards were a really nice touch in that regard: you got all the info and are able to reference whenever. They should let servers offer personal anecdotes vs recitation of the card. The Chef was in-house and I enjoyed the introduction and ensuing interaction with him. Again, I'm not sure what people are expecting here. Is he supposed to turn around while you eat? Eat with you? Take your wife home??? All of that is said, there were some honest and unnecessary disappointments. -The paella (both times!) tasted scorched and I couldn't finish. This could be a quirk I'm not privy to, but I would have at least appreciated a warning. TBH, I think it was just scorched. Too many restaurants are clamoring for open-fire "live" cooking as an ambiance gimmick. I don't get it - The cake paired with the hauntingly delicious strawberry semi-frio was a miss. I would have LOVED that semi-frio with a crouton of the stale, bland, cake instead. -The final dessert summed up my quibbles: too many courses felt like they put checking requisite boxes (pun intended) ahead of other things. -The Wine selection seemed designed for Rober Parker/publication point hunters and was quite unimpressive given you're kinda limited/forced into wine. Overwrought and heavy wines from recent vintages with inflated market prices due to high scores. That's one definition of rare, but not necessarily the one I prefer. The half-glass options were a nice touch, though -Overall dining experience left only a few memorable impressions. Perhaps too few given the hard work and mentoring on display from the Chef/team throughout the meal.

Such an upsetting dining experience. The vibe of the restaurant is bizarre, you walk in and feel like you're in a doctor's office. The host greets you and walks you upstairs to the main dining - very bright small room with so many staff members watching you like a hawk. Food - tastes so off. First course was a piece of watermelon with pistachios on it (tasted exactly as it sounds) and a pita with shaved tuna? It just tasted like a pita cracker with canned tuna fish on it. Second course was another fish - I could not even eat it, tasted so fishy. Main dish was a paella - it was good but such a small portion for the whopping price and tasted same as paella from Barcelona on 14th street (much cheaper). Dessert was a lemon tarte that tasted like grocery store boxed lemon bar mix. Maybe my palette is not refined enough for this place but I just didn't get it guys.... Oh, and they charge you $12/person for water. That was the "still" option, and tap water was not offered. I wouldn't be leaving this review if the price wasn't so high. It's truly mind boggling

I really wanted to love this place, but it just wasn't my flavor profile. Everything was a bit too salty for my taste. However, the experience was wonderful. I loved the introduction to the kitchen, which included welcome drinks and snacks. Following the meal, we were also moved to the lounge on the lower floor for dessert. It felt like I was having a nightcap at a speakeasy. Had a great time, but I won't be returning here.

Our latest experience at Xiquet was less then amazing. We have been to Xiquet before and it was perfect, so I am not sure what happened this time. The service is absolutely perfect, the team at Xiquet is top notch; Honestly it would be hard to find a better service team in DC. The cocktail program is always on point. They serve up some seriously amazing cocktails that's really represent the Spanish influence that the restaurant has. So the food......... Well.... Chef Danny Lledo was not their that night. I am not sure if that was the problem, but I kinda assume it was. Everything seemed a little off,It was good but slightly off. Even the famous Paella was just a few degrees off..... Trust me I hate writing this review but honesty is the best policy. This is a great restaurant, and I still encourage you to visit. Worthy of a Michelin star; no doubt This is my experience, and hopefully not yours.

About a 1-1.5: Xiquet offers a Valencia-inspired menu, created by Chef Lledó - the tasting menu was stated to change often, but I'm thinking it's only seasonal? Just be sure to check their site for updates. When we went, the menu consisted of: +Coca - Valencian flatbread with white anchovies and veggies +Mojama - house-aged tuna loin with tomatoes, micro lettuce, guindilla peppers, and a quail egg +House Marinated Olives - prepared with orange peels, thyme, and garlic; I thought the citrus note from the orange peels were a little off for a marinated olives dish +Percebes - pickled spring veggies and escabeche +Oystra de Temporada - burnt lemon and honey air and guava rosemary granita +Generositat de Denia - red prawn of Denia, uni, uni cream, and Petrossian ossetra caviar +Tonyina - dill-cured blue fin tuna, ajo blanco, plankton, and marcona almonds; not sure if I was a fan of the dill taste on the tuna +Remol - turbot with garlic puree, salsify chips, salmon roe, and herbs; our party was not a fan of the turbot +Arros a Banda - Red prawn of denia, cuttlefish, and Alicanta paella +Canvi de Sentit - buffalo frog leg, bleu cheese, and ranch gels; the leg didn't seem to be properly prepared, as it seemed undercooked? +Colomi - squab, squab jus, and stuffed raspberries; we were not fans of the squab, as it was dry and flavorless +Presa Iberic - Iberian pork shoulder, pepper jus, potato souffle chips, and paleta +Paella de Cacador - smoked duck breast, black trumpets, chanterelles, foie torchon, and figs; the duck breast didn't seem to be properly rendered and undercooked +Abans de les Postres - quince semifreddo, manchego espuma, and an almond cookie +Pastis de Pistatxo - pistachio cake, lime sorbet, white chocolate, coconut, and lime The presentation of each of the courses were fine, but we just weren't impressed with the flavors; in addition, the fact that some of the protein were improperly cooked really left us super disappointed. Service was friendly, and the space is inviting. Plenty of street parking available. +improperly cooked proteins +friendly service +street parking available

Many people say that parking here is tough, but we had a 7:45pm reservation on a Friday and there were tons of street parking spots (plus a garage a block away). But onto the restaurant! 4 of us came for my husband's birthday and we started on the first floor with drinks and canapés. I love an egg white cocktail so I ordered their orange cocktail but didn't love it (it tasted like straight liquor). I also wasn't that impressed with the canapés - tuna loin, olives, barnacles were kind of odd. Although the Chesapeake oyster was delicious. Next we moved upstairs for dinner which included 12 courses (including 2 dessert). Xiquet is all about Spanish cuisine and uses a woodfire kitchen to make the courses come to life. We had several fish and seafood courses and we paid extra for the seafood paella which was definitely worth it. It was really delicious and we could see why it was the chef's signature. We also had a squab and wagyu strip loin before moving onto dessert. All of the courses were solid, but my favorites were the paella and oddly enough the pallet cleanser (the best one I've had! I could've eaten a whole bowl). We then had 2 dessert courses before moving onto a third space for dessert bites and after dinner drinks. Overall I was very impressed with the service! They were very attentive and explained all of the dishes perfectly. The dinner was also very good, though not a ton of wow-I-need-to-eat-this-again moments. One thing to note is the seats during the dinner portion were not comfortable. I think these fine dining restaurants forget their patrons sit for 3 hours! I can still see why they've earned their Michelin star though! It's worth a visit for sure.

This was honestly a disappointment from start to finish and I'm still processing it. We went last night for our anniversary. Probably the best thing I can say about this place is that the street parking is ample. The restaurant itself is lackluster as soon as you walk in. It reminded me of a travel agency in terms of decor. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a member of the staff and asked about "welcome drinks"- these drinks were champagne and were at least $20 a glass. We've been to pretty much every Michelin star place in the city and we have never had to pay for welcome drinks for a $250+ person meal. The entire experience seems as if it is designed to squeeze more money out of you at every opportunity. Went upstairs to the main dining room and the waitress immediately goes into a 10 minute long walkthrough of the wine pairings. These range from $200 to up to $400. The wine menu is printed in a way that it is not clear that they offer individual glasses. I saw through these reviews that they offered cocktails, but upon asking the waitress, she said that they were "for downstairs" and that the upstairs was more for wine. I'm not a huge wine drinker, so I wish they had accommodated me. I ended up ordering half a glass of red for $18. Midway through the meal, I had about half a glass left still and a gnat landed in my glass. This by itself is not a problem, even though the waiter apologized profusely when I told him. If waiters could control the bugs, that would truly be a 5 star experience, but all I expected was for my glass to be replaced. Unfortunately, the amount of wine given as a replacement was less than what I originally had. Great service would have at least made sure to give me a similar amount, fill up the glass even more, or even comp the glass. Onto the food itself. I understand that the chef wanted to present cuisine from Valencia, but you could've told me it was a tribute to The Dead Sea because everything was super salty. We were not the only ones to complain about this, as the couple dining behind us also mentioned this. I'm not clear whether Valencian cuisine is just like this, or if the chef did not taste the meals sent out. We had to drink lots of water after every course. As mentioned here by others, the red prawn that we were supposed to drink from was not an ideal experience. I didn't get much "juice" and what I ended up getting tasted super fishy and weird. One of my other prawns had a bit of shell still left on. The attention to detail here is severely lacking at a place that has had Michelin stars two years in a row. Other dishes: the buffalo frog leg was fine, but really out of place. It was a weird addition and felt last minute. The squab was tough and not very appetizing. They gave too much of the paella in my opinion, especially since there are TWO paella dishes. The desserts were good. The pasty chef knows what they're doing. After our main meal, they shepherded us downstairs where there was a small "after dinner" seating area. Here, they offered cocktails and plenty of whiskey selections. These would have been great two hours ago. Again, they bring you here so they can squeeze more money out of you. It felt predatory in a way. We both passed on the drinks and were given a few small treats like chocolate and jellies. These were pretty good. Here's the final gripe and why I believe this restaurant might just be a well designed scheme: there was a 22% "service fee" but this is not considered a "tip". This is specifically pointed out when you make the reservation, and the bill brought to us had an area for a tip. The website describes this fee as a way to provide the staff fair wages, which, hey, I'm totally behind. However, the whole reason people tip is because normally servers are not provided fair wages and they rely on tips. Since this is not the case, why ask for a tip? As you can tell from the review, I did not believe the service or the food warranted any extra money from me, so I did not tip on top of the service charge. What a colossal disappointment. Likely the worst Michelin star place we've been to. Over this, I would recommend literally any one-star place: we've had fantastic experiences at Albi, Rose's Luxury, Fiola, The Dabney, Kinship, Gravitas, and Bresca. If you're into spending a LOT of money but feeling like it was well-spent, go to Jont instead.

I'm just so so disappointed. I save up for and look forward to fine dining. This experience was just disappointment after disappointment. Everything seems designed to get more money out of you. Waited for 30+ min beyond my reservation time to be seated upstairs. Don't worry though, we were asked if we wanted to pay for champagne to get the night started. Hard pass. Oh, and when you get upstairs you have to eat a piece of anchovie flatbread in front of the chef? It was awkward. Upon seating, we noticed 2 open tables of the 7 total. So again, why the wait? Let's start out with the fact that there is no opportunity to order anything other than wine. They also do not make clear that wines by the glass are available. So, we felt forced into the wine pairing at $220 each. Great. An underlying theme of the night: the wine pour is an absolute joke. You get next to nothing - 2.5 glasses total - over the course of 3 hours. For $220 each. This feels like absolute robbery. Also, any Michelin place I've been to that was even slightly late on seating the party would have comped something to your party as an apology. Not this crew. The first course was barnacles. They were terrible and there wasn't enough sauce to mask the flavor. Second course was prawn. That seemed ok. The worst course of the night was the squab - literally rare pigeon. I sent most of it back because there was no way to mask the flavor. I would never send anything back at a Michelin starred place but it had to be done. No one even asked me why - it's almost like they know it will turn diners off and do not care. There were also two paellas. The fish one I had to wash down - it tasted so strongly of fish it was almost inedible. Really had to use some willpower to wash it down. The night took quite a while and eventually we ended the tasting menu only to be dragged downstairs where they tried to up-charge us for after dinner drinks. Given I had 2 glasses of wine total for the wine pairing over the course of 3 hours, I felt deprived of any proper pour but certainly did not want to shell out more $$. It took a long time to get the check and I really just wanted to go home The little treats that came out included a prickly pear jelly and a marshmallow. There was also some chocolate. That was good but I was already disappointed at that point and tired. Overall, a disappointing time.

Coming back from my long Yelp hiatus because I really think people should think twice before spending money here. Especially if you're like me - $400/person after tax is not a trivial amount of money (this is without alcohol). For me, this is the kind of place you save up for a little. And when I start spending more than $70/person, I expect a certain level or quality and service. Even more so at $300+ a person. I know that's not a super high financial bar in the fine dining world, but I'm just speaking for myself. But maybe I'm not the target demographic for Xiquet and I accept that. I have been to many Michelin starred restaurants though and loved very many of those experiences. So take this review with a grain of salt. First of all, there were mosquitoes in the restaurant and I know they love me, though now I have two new bites on my legs, and DC mosquitoes are relentless this year but really?!? I literally had to squash one as it was flying right towards my face. I had to ask for a napkin to wipe off the mosquito carcass off my hand. (Humble brag that I'm quite pleased with my hand eye coordination on the kill though.) Then a server dropped a fork in my lap as the silverware was being switched out. Then a different server splash olive juice/oil on me as they were taking a plate away. (Happy that it came out with some hand sanitizer because the one time I put a real bra on, shave my legs, do my hair and makeup and put a nice silk dress on of course something gets spilled on me.) Oh and when I got there I mentioned I was allergic to alcohol and they said they would make an adjustment to the introductory bite but when we were escorted upstairs 5 minutes later the chef greeted us with two glasses of vermouth and when I said I was allergic he seemed very put off and awkward about it. Of course they said the customary "I'm sorry" a couple times but I didn't really get a sense that they tried to step up the service in spite of everything that happened. Take away all that and the experience was still pretty underwhelming. Had maybe 4 courses in all that really felt remarkable and everything else was good but not great. Atmosphere was courteous but a bit sterile. Sitting here scratching my new mosquito bites and writing this review to say - I think you can spend less of your money elsewhere for a tastier meal and better experience.

The service is 5*, but the food missed the mark a little. Waitstaff were wonderful, the chef came out to greet customers. The atmosphere was also very nice as the kitchen is surrounded by glass so many of the customers can see the kitchen. All staff were friendly and went out of their way to remember each guest's name. They certainly have the Michelin flare. Regarding the food, most of the ingredients were not first class and were not able to carry the dish into leaving a memorable experience. The Australian Wangyu strip was one of the lone dishes that stood out as excellent and well cooked. A few of the other dishes were also enjoyable but a few too many were a bit underwhelming and lacked a unique flavor. Difficult to recommend to anyone considering the price point.

We came across this place looking to do our Anniversary Dinner. We had an issue come up the night before our reservation and they were so accommodating in moving our reservation to the next week. Gotta say parking was a little tough and it made us late but found some street parking and they were still super friendly and accommodating to us. You start by going into their lounge for drinks and ordering before even going to the table. We got a couple of cocktails (don't really remember the names but they were made really well) and opted for the 10 course tasting menu. Our favorites were the Grilled Octopus, Tartare Iberic, lobster and prawn paella, the duck and foie gras dumpling, and the orange nine ways. Everything was cooked perfectly over a wood fire grill and you could taste that in everything they placed in front of us. The octopus was the best I've ever had. It was cooked perfectly and had a smokiness to it. The Tartare was salty and meaty and loved the chicharron on top. Paella had huge chunks of lobster and even full claw meat as well. The crispy bits of rice were a perfect accompaniment. The dumpling skin had a great bite and had such a savoriness from the foie gras and duck combined. The orange nine ways was a refreshing way to end our meal and I couldn't tell you how they did the orange but they definitely killed it. Service was so on point here as well. People were on top of us as far as refills, clearing out, and just checking in on us they even gave us some small anniversary bites which was a lovely gesture as well. I would love to come back if I could get a reservation. The dining room is beautiful with the large window and skylight giving a good amount of sun to the room.

Perfection. I don't use that word often but in this instance? It's so well deserved. Our evening started with drinks on their 1st flood bar area, while we waited for the entire party to show up. I loved this concept; and enjoyed our drinks (which they brought to our tables to be finished, so we could ascend to the 3rd floor dining room with ease, when all full party arrived). Xiquet has impeccable service. Both attentive and professional. When you reach the 3rd floor you're met with a modest sized modern kitchen and Danny Lledó himself; greeting you and offering a small bite to start the experience. It was such a nice touch and I always appreciate meeting the minds who crafted the menu you're about to have. And off we went; since the menu is seasonal to Valencia, Spain it's never quite the same. The menu highlights dishes the chef loved or had a personal connection to in some way. And each round was explained by wait staff and a "card" (which collectively made an almost deck of cards; which can be used to play a game). And the dishes were phenomenal, with rich unique flavors. Highlights for me were the elevated classics; Spanish Paella w. Rabbit and Iberico Wellington cut table side. But their more inventive dishes really wowed; I just can't recall their complex names right now (I need to find my "deck" of cards!). So Im going to stop here. Because I don't need to go on. Everything was just perfect. Thank you so much Xiquet for treating our party so well ~

Wow! A group of us have been choosing a top DC restaurant to check out each month for the past 5 years (with an interruption for Covid- this ends up around 30 or so restaurants) and Xiquet by Danny Lledo was the best dining experience I've had in the DMV, and maybe ever! There is so much to rave about Xiquet as it truly is a delicious and overall amazing dining experience. First and foremost - a huge thank you to the staff! From the personal touch of remembering our names, to the explanations of each dish, the history, and how to best eat them, to the extremely attentive service - little things like having our jackets waiting for us as we finished our meal - the staff just went above and beyond to make this a seamless, welcome, and memorable experience. The service start to finish helped make a wonderful experience even better. The restaurant truly did a remarkable job of making this more than just a dinner, but an experience. You start on the first floor at the bar for a few small bites (and cocktails if you wish, the Gold Rush was a table favorite). After that you are guided to the third floor which has an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work their magic! If you are into that, there is a prime table to the left of the kitchen that you can request and get a great glimpse of the action. The wood fired grill provides a great scent throughout the restaurant. After several amazing courses, you are brought to the second floor, which has more of a lounge feel. It definitely changed the vibe and was a bit more intimate as we were able to enjoy dessert and a nightcap. Now, for the food - the main event! The 14 course tasting menu is a masterpiece! There was not a single dish that we would not want to order again and there were several dishes that we wish we could have had as a full meal! It was an overall eclectic mix of flavors, creative dishes, and each dish, in its own right, was a mini masterpiece. Each dish seemed to build on the previous dishes and between scallops, iberico ham, and several vegetable and seafood dishes (I'm not doing it justice) we had a wide range of tastes and flavors. With roots in DC (and a UMD grad), Valencia, Spain, and Portugal - Chef Danny Lledo is a local who brings a wide background of experiences and flavors! This experience blew us away and it's only a matter of time before more Michelin stars are added! What a truly amazing experience and one we will always remember (and crave again)!

Can you give more than 5-stars?? Wow - my wife and I finally had a night out and we chose the right place. Every detail (and they pay attention to ALL of them) was so eloquent and tailored. The service is impeccable. The food divine. The wine pairing perfection. The atmosphere is like nowhere I've ever been. Danny feels more like a gracious host than a world renowned chef. We simply loved this experience and can't wait to return.

I went with my parents to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday. This was one of the most disappointing and concerning Michelin meal experiences I had. The biggest issues were 1) I found a big piece of fish bone in my turbot that was about 1 inch in length and thicker than a sewing needle, and 2) my mom had servings of grilled persimmon that were so unripe that it was completely inedible. We raised both of these issues with the staff but got no response from the team. From a quality assurance and safety point of view alone, the fish bone and persimmon were unacceptable for a Michelin star restaurant. The lack of any follow-up after made this even worse. Food: Overall, the seafood was done well, both technique and flavor. The bone in my turbot though is concerning. The Buffalo frog leg was spicy and in itself is not bad but extremely out of place. The land meat dishes were all tough to eat, either over or undercooked. The iberico pork in particular was cooked rare for my dad, medium rare for my mom and well done for me, and was extremely tough to chew through. Service: service staff was attentive but forgot about our white wine flight addition and didn't explain some of the wine pairings we had (I had to ask the waitress what wine we were getting). That said, the lack of responses on turbot and the inedible persimmon were a huge negative. For this price, this is not worth it.

The experience was exceptional. We visited Xiquet for an early Valentine's Day celebration and were lucky to get a seat next to the open kitchen. The menu and ingredient selections were outstanding. Staffs were attentive and provided a beautiful experience for the both of us. For a special occasion, or not, I would recommend trying this place out. Definitely deserved the Michelin star they were awarded with. We selected the 14 course meal and wine pairing for one ($850 including gratuity). A few improvements: music and attention to detail. Overall, Xiquet is one of the best in the area. If you are looking for a fine dining experience for your loved one or for yourself, this is the spot.

Great location in DC but....don't let the stars guide the choice. The food was very poorly prepared. Undercooked goose liver, low to no seasoning, and lack of flavor. The presentation looks good but the food cooking, seasoning, ingredient quality, portions and variety are absolutely horrible. The service was fantastic but the food is horrendous. Outrageous prices for extremely substandard cuisine. 100% do not recommend. Left the restaurant after a few courses as did others that evening. Avoid this disastrous restaurant.

A few friends and I went to Xiquet for dinner to try out a Michelin one star, and overall, I thought the restaurant had the bones to be a very nice place to eat, but the food and the wine prices were only satisfactory. From the outset, there seemed to be a lot of pomp and circumstance to this restaurant. The beginning bites on the ground level were fine for amuse-bouches. We went upstairs for the main meal, the restaurant itself in terms of silverware and ambience was quite nice. Clearly a lot of investment in that side of the house. I will say that we were placed right on the glass near where the paella is cooked and being there is quite hot. You wouldn't really notice it unless you're sitting in that seat, but for that particular one guest, I could see how it could be too hot even though the overall temperature is cool in the room. The night started with scallop in blood orange, which was very delightful and had no fishy taste whatsoever. A good start. Next was a beef tartare with egg yolk, which again was a very nice bite of food that had a nice balance of acid and savory flavors. The next course was a baby octopus with green peas and green pea velouté (or something like that) -- not altogether a successful dish because all you could taste was green pea. The octopus was rubbery and did not have much flavor or seasoning. This dish needed salt. It was clearly overthought with a lot of different random additions while the octopus did not shine through. Finishing the appetizers was the best dish of the night, grilled eggplant and grilled peaches with candied almonds -- there was earthiness and sweetness and textural difference, a highlight of the meal! Unfortunately, the highlight came at the beginning of the meal. The fish course of turbot was curious and uneven. Two people had very crispy, almost burnt skin and two people had completely raw skin even though they all were 2 ounce fillets, presumably from the same fish. There were parts that were raw, especially towards the end. Nothing else of note to this dish. Next came the very delicious paella with duck and figs. A very simply executed dish, that by no means was simple. (While I do not mean this as a slight, the paella from start to finish was created by a 21-year-old sous chef preparing it the entire time because it was right next to us.) Next came the palate cleanser of cucumber mint sorbet and green apple espuma. However, on the menu, this mini course was before the paella. I asked when the paella was served if we had missed a course, but she said that the palate cleanser would come later in the meal because the paella was ready now. What is the point in having a palate cleanser between a fish and a meat course to then have it be switched to between two meat courses. Almost every dish was a huge physical plate with something small in the middle. They could've had a different presentation with this one, almost like tiny little ice cream sorbet glasses so you can better appreciate the texture difference between the sorbet and the espuma. The next dish of dry age squab was an absolute fail across-the-board. First off, there were differentiations between the dishes served at the table, some being rare and some being almost bloody. The meat was very gamey, and the duck liver mousse only enhanced the gaminess of the meat, which was not altogether pleasant. The night finished with the Australian Wagyu filet, which was fine. Nothing to note about this dish, which isn't altogether great that I don't remember anything about it. The tree dessert of almond semifreddo and chocolate cake was nice. Well executed. The lemon tart, on the other hand, was overly sweet and there was no saltiness or texture difference, except for a very thick crust on the tart that was almost hard to break through with a spoon. Service overall was fine. They have a lot of people working at this restaurant and it was not even half full when we went on a Thursday night. Sometimes they are officious, such as filling your water glass 1 mm even though it is completely full already. It seems like they are just trained at the Michelin standard as opposed to being welcoming and observing what is going on at the table. They're very proud of their wine list, and they do have some very nice wines. Unfortunately, most of the wine list is unapproachable. The average price for wines at this restaurant, conservatively, for a red is around $400. The wine pairing is $200 before tax and tip for three glasses of wine. Yes, they have high level wines from Alvaro Palacios, who is the king of Priorat, but not for $2200 or however much they were charging. They don't publish their wine list on the website for good reason, because you would bring your own bottle! I want good restaurants to succeed, but Xiquet is a very expensive restaurant, and it needs to hit it out of the park every time when charging that much, and that is just not what happened during out experience.

Wow... what an amazing experience. From the second you walk in the door, they cater to you and call you by name until you leave. A personal touch I didn't even receive at my own wedding! Never have I ever experienced wine pairings so immaculately designed. If you can swing the cash for this once in a lifetime experience, do.it.now.

3.5 for me. A nice experience, but for me the food wasn't quite there. Start by going up into the lounge for a bit before heading to the dining room on the top floor. You can order cocktails/drinks and sit for a bit. Upstairs is nice, open kitchen to watch Chef Danny do his thing, and the room is small but lots of light and a really nice space. Overall the meal was decent. Some good techniques, ingredients and plating used, but many of the courses had flaws or just didn't feel refined enough. Service was great, and loved that Danny visited tables or brought dishes out throughout the evening, he's a great host. But a few big mishaps on the night - the paella...was undercooked. the rice was still raw, my partner couldn't finish his plate. And while the lobster was good, it didn't have enough flavor to compliment the paella overall. The other big one was the wagyu steak was undersalted - I've never asked for flake salt at a michelin star before, but this cut of beef desperately needed it. Following the meal, we returned again to the lounge for digestifs, final bites and to settle the bill. Overall a nice meal but just didn't do it for me, will return to try new menus in the future though.

Cyndy's Bottom Line: A 2021 Michelin Star restaurant featuring Chef Lledo's signature paella and traditional Valencia's cuisine. *The restaurant features seven and ten-course tasting menus. *Reservations on TOCK *Street parking, no valet service at this time. This is what we ate/drank: 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet, Marie Bernard +Amuse-bouche of baby eel pasta. Tasty, delicate eel pasta sautéed perfectly with a nice saltiness. +Grilled octopus, grapes, orange pearls, golden oyster caviar Beautifully plated to start. Tenderness of the octopus, together with the light sweetness of the grapes and a touch of saltiness from the caviar makes for a well composed dish. +Sea cucumber, sobrasada Perfectly cooked sea cucumber. A light crunch but also tender to eat. Sobrasada brings out a tasty flavor. +Tartare Iberic, tenderloin, paleta Iberica, chicharron, egg yolk, mustard, sherry. Well seasoned tartare. The paleta Iberica is so flavorful. The egg yolk adds to the richness. Loved the chicharron. I could eat a plateful of them! +White asparagus soup, smoked English peas, olive oil. The white asparagus soup is robust in flavor and the peas enhance the flavor profile. +Palate cleanser - I really enjoyed the granita palate cleanser. So herbaceously refreshing! +Lobster, cuttlefish, prawn, Senia rice, paella method Yumminest paella. All the seafood is shelled which makes for a luxurious delectable dish. +Hake, green sauce. Perfectly cooked hake. Moist and delicious. +Foie gras, roasted suckling pig, calvados reduction A purse of goodness. So inventive and yummy! +Australian wagyu strip loin, potato puree, Swiss chard, espanyol jus. Well composed. All the flavors come through in each bite. +Sweet potato donut, chocolate, almond cloud, chocolate mousse. +Orange nine ways A beautiful montage of orange. Creative with each bite different in texture and delectable sweetness. +Complimentary cookies served in the lounge- scrumptious! +Turrones - chocolate & almonds - yummy! *Excellent service. Synchronized and well timed delivery of courses. Excellent wine recommendations from Remi and well paced pours. *Relaxing ambiance both in the lounge and dining room. The dining room is a white minimalist dining room with large skylight and windows bringing in the natural light. *From the dining room you can see the open kitchen and see Chef Lledo in action. *A well deserved Michelin star.

Great tasting menu! I did the 10 course... July 2021 -Amuse-bouche: Baby Eel Pasta -Coctel De Polp Sec: Grilled Octopus · Grapes · Orange Pearls · Golden Osetra Caviar -Llengado De Dover: Dover Sole · Seasonal Mushrooms · Confit Tomatoes · Lemon Beurre Blanc -Tartare Ibèric: Pork Tenderloin · Paleta Ibérica · Chicharrón · Egg Yolk · Mustard · Sherry -Pésols Al Fum | Caldet D'Asparagus Blanc: White Asparagus Soup · Smoked English Peas · Olive Oil -Arrós Del Senyoret: Lobster · Cuttlefish · Sénia Rice · Paella Method -Lluç: Hake · Green Sauce -Bossa De Captaire: Foie Gras · Rabbit · Porcini · Rabbit Sauce -Llom De Wagyu Austràlia: Australian Wagyu Strip Loin · Potato Purée · Swiss Chard · Espanyol Jus -Buñelo De Moniato | XOColate: Sweet Potato Donut · Chocolate -Taronja Del Segle XXI: Orange Nine Ways

Had a wonderful experience at Xiquet last night. Chef Danny does an amazing job of making guests feel welcome as though he's invited you into his home. The restaurant is on Wisconsin Ave and we were able to find street parking easily enough. Entering the restaurant there is a small lounge and bar area. Smiling faces and gentle voices welcomed us in, they quickly wished me a happy birthday and confirmed my wife's crustacean allergy, then took my wife's coat and handed us a drink menu. I was sad to not see any Spanish cava or Spanish gin on the menu, as this is a Spanish restaurant. My wife ordered a glass of champagne and I had the house cocktail which was a lovely balance of gin (even though it wasn't Spanish), tonic, grapefruit juice, and fruit. We went upstairs to the third floor where we were greeted by Chef Danny who welcomed us with a half shot of Spanish Vermouth and an amuse bouche - it was a flatbread with sort of a ratatouille topped with black truffle. Frankly we were both underwhelmed - it lacked texture and flavor. We walked to the dining room which is very intimate, perhaps 8 tables lining the edges of the room. We were never in need of water, a fresh napkin, or clean utensils - the service was friendly, warm, and attentive. Rather than providing a menu, the servers brought playing cards of a Spanish card game with descriptions of each course on the back which I thought was a playful and humble touch. I asked for recommendations for one Spanish white and one Spanish red wine to accompany the meal - both recommendations were superb. First we had "aperitiu" - each dish was a nice punch of salinity. The uni was creamy and delicious but the brioche it was served on was too thick and super dry (almost seemed stale). The olives were the best we'd ever had and the broth the barnacles were served with was out of this world. A wonderful mix of flavors - exactly what you'd expect from a Michelin star restaurant with ingredients that are not easy to come by in the US. The first course was one of my favorite of the night - a Hokkaido scallop with blood orange, and caviar. This dish was so fresh, bright, and simple yet flavorful. I paid the $50 supplement for the gamba roja de denia - what's the point of dining at a high end restaurant if you don't experience what makes it unique? Xiquet is the only restaurant in the country with access to this type of prawn. Sucking the brains out of the head was fun - sweet, briny, and of the sea. The second official course was a deconstructed eel stew - grilled eel atop a crispy potato soufflé served beside a glass of eel broth - this was again unique and delicious. Fourth was fresh heirloom squashes roasted over an open flame served atop a romesco sauce. The smokiness, the crunchy candies almonds, and the sweet, tender squash all worked. Fifth was one of my favorites of the night - beautiful thin slice of turbot with garlic purée and beurre blanc. This dish was perfect. The rabbit paella dish was wonderful - full of savoriness and saffron. I paid the $100 supplement for white truffles with the last savory dishes. While I adore the pungent aroma and subtle flavor of white truffle, I don't know that it was worth the $100. Sixth was partridge breast with foie gras and pear. While my partridge breast was over cooked and a bit chewy, the flavors of this dish were out of this world. The pear was very sweet and added a nice grainy texture to meld the firmness of the partridge and the softness of the foie. The foie really tied it all together from a flavor perspective though. Such an incredible course. Seventh was a small piece of dairy cow ribeye. While cooked perfectly, I felt this dish was a bit of a miss because the meat actually lacked flavor and was quite tough. I didn't really understand the pairing with baby turnips and the honey nut squash purée. The best dish of the night for me was the pork Wellington. Smoky and tender iberico pork tenderloin wrapped in iberico ham, an incredible duxelles, and an impossibly crispy and light puff pastry. This kitchen has a true gift for sauces and I loved sipping up the sauce with the puff pastry. Next was a pre dessert of sorbet with almond crumble - beautiful and unique flavors and textures. Dessert was oranges 12 ways - wow what a creative and super dish. I don't know how he differentiated and extracted all those flavors and textures but he did it so well. After dinner we moved to the second floor salon for 5 little bite sized desserts - a perfect ending to the evening. The total bill came out to around $880 which was very expensive, but about what you can expect from a Michelin star restaurant these days with such unique and high quality ingredients. If we were to return, I probably wouldn't do the supplemental dishes, and would most likely opt for less expensive wines, but I do look forward to dining here again.

The food was beyond delicious and artfully presented with each dish. The flavors were well-considered and reflected a homage to the Valencian Coast and interior, a region my wife and I have been privileged to visit. The utilization of high quality primary ingredients is a must for all Spanish gastronomy and Chef Danny incorporated this into every course with additional flourishes reflecting his understanding of a multitude of international cuisines. Service is top notch, friendly, and relaxed without compromising on the experience. The incorporation of different dining rooms on multiple levels is both fun and enhances the experience. The foie with raspberry dust was a revelation:) Hats off to Chef Danny and his team!

The food is beautiful and the service is friendly and professional. But don't go here if you are not open to very "unique" ingredients. Like weird. Like trying too hard to be weird. There is a lot of upsell and at well over $1k for the two of us I doubt we will go again. Sorry, I wanted to love it.

Don't waste your time and money. For the value the food is terrible, the dishes served cold and the portions are tiny. The seasoning of the food leaves a lot to be desired, nothing really tastes fresh. The salad is bland, tasteless, without seasoning and the portion is shamefully small, for 30 dollars it does not live up to its value. Dessert is a little better, but nothing impressive and the worst part is that when we ordered dessert (FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE) there was a huge hair on the plate and we had to ask for a cheesecake... A dinner for 5 without wine costs around 590 dollars, for that price you can find restaurants with better food and portions with real sizes.

Fabulous New Year dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant three blocks from home. So nice to be able to walk to and from dinner on New Year's Eve! The food was amazing, masterfully prepared, beautifully presented, and served by a totally professional and knowledgeable staff. Chef Danny oversaw the entire operation and was a visible presence the entire evening. Negative: expensive, very expensive!

I want to preface this by saying outright that this will be a somewhat scathing review of what is supposed to be a top of the line restaurant. I also want to point out that my husband and I paid full price for our meal and did not during the course of the meal raise complaint as an attempt to get money taken off of our bill. This is an honest review of the full service and is directly compared to other Michelin starred restaurants that we have been to in the DC area. The restaurant itself has an overall unassuming appearance and is unremarkable amidst the other shops and restaurants on the street. There is no actual lobby, foyer, or maitre de area; instead the entrance brings you directly into the bar where you are greeted and it leaves you feeling somewhat like you've stumbled into a tableau where no one quite knows what's up. At the chefs table located off of the bar I had a cocktail from the signature cocktail menu and my husband ordered an old fashioned. Both cocktails were good quality and tasted very good. The restaurant offers a meal experience that transitions you through multiple locations in the restaurant, the chefs table being the first for tapas style appetizers. The initial tastings were pleasant though fairly uninspired and unimaginative. I will say that the saving grace is the ingredient quality was superb. We were escorted upstairs to begin our meal. The dining area is beautiful, if simple. I enjoyed the view into the kitchen and the ability to "snoop" on what was happening behind the scenes. Our meal started with a whole prawn. While the prawn was tender and flavorful I would say our primary gripe was that for $300+ per person plus wine pairing we were surprised to have to peel and devein our own prawn at the table as it is a messy and unappetizing experience. For the sake of brevity I will summarize the rest of the meal: the uni on brioche was generally tasty if you didn't think too hard on it. The brioche itself was somewhat stale and tough but the uni delicate and delivered on flavor on par with other high end seafood establishments though not as exceptional as other Michelin restaurants such as sushi nakazawa. The Dover sole and turbot were ok. Generally the fish itself was tough and required a knife to cut through but the true disappointment lay in the fish skin which for both courses was limp and flaccid. My turbot also had bones left in which to me seemed a poor reflection of the sort of quality I expected for the price. The octopus was extremely tough. I had to saw quite a bit with the knife provided to slice my octopus into bite size portions and we all know there's nothing worse than a tough, rubbery octopus. The peas and pea shoots it was served with were good if poorly seasoned. The paella with iberico ham was the star of the night but I will temper that with an acknowledgment that I've had paella of a similar quality and standard at many other Spanish restaurants for a price point that is a fraction of what I paid tonight. The squab was nice but again, serving anything with the skin still on and leaving the skin a limp, soggy mess is an issue. It can and should be done better. The Meyer lemon tart was served in a crust that was so tough and overworked that it was a cruel joke that seemed to mock the patron and poke fun at the multiple courses prior that were full of promise but lacking in flavor, execution, and ingenuity. The wine pairings were ok. We've had more exceptional wines from less exceptional restaurants so for $225 we definitely did expect more. The service was impeccable. The attendants were reactive and interactive throughout and deserve a shoutout in what was an otherwise unexceptional food experience. Overall impression? Save your money and go to one of DC's many other Michelin started restaurants instead. Nothing but disappointment lays here.

I had very, very high hopes for this restaurant. Got a rez months in advance, and when the appointed day came, we were psyched to try it. WaPo et al had consecrated it one of the best in DC. Maybe I'm just getting old, but the whole spiel felt overperformed and underdelivered. What many people claim is "fabulous" service felt to me like underpaid actors reading well-worn lines that they'd repeated verbatim many times before. The cocktail service consisted of attempting to sell us the various up charges, of which there are many. We went for the wine accompaniment. Once you're escorted up to the bleak, spartan, some might say industrial looking dining room, the race is on. Race? Yes. Don't try to enjoy the many wines being poured, because they will stack up like chord wood, like my date's did - at one point she had 4 glasses of varying levels of half full, in front of her. The food itself was unmemorable. Indeed, the only dishes I can recall of the 14 we had were the octopus, vivid only in my recollection that it was cut so thin I could not distinguish a flavor from it, and the beef Wellington which was superb. Between those were many dishes of mediocrity, painstakingly prepared with the latest culinary techniques over in some cases days seemingly without the slightest thought to what a customer might actually want to eat. Which by the end of the meal, for both of us, was a large slice of pizza. The worst part of the evening was my date's clear-eyed assessment of the overbearing, underwhelming nature of this place laid on top of my hopes and dreams for a night to remember led to a huge fight between us. We got past it, but ah, what a wasted opportunity at a night out. At the end, only the bill lived up to the spectacular press this place has gotten: $1000+ for 2 of us. Could've gone to Sushi Capitol almost 20 times for that. Should've.

One of the reviewers below wrote this place "over performed and underdelivered." That sentiment perfectly encapsulates my experience as well. They really do try very hard to create an "experience" of dining at a Galician home, but it just comes off as forced and inauthentic. The evening starts off on the first floor with a welcome drink and small bites. The chef coming to greet diners was kind of a nice personal touch, and would have been even nicer were it not for the seemingly relentless efforts by our waitress to upsell what is already an exorbitantly priced meal. Bites were nice, but I honestly didn't find any of them to be nearly as good as similar dishes I had in Spain at 1/20th the price. You are then taken to the top floor for the actual dinner. It's one dish after another, all very beautifully presented, but, like with the welcome bites, nothing that really stood out taste-wise. In fairness, I appreciated the creativity and skill that went into some of the dishes, and some of the flavor profiles were truly great. Still, the dishes overall just weren't all that good, even without taking the price into account. I'd say the Paella was probably the best, followed by the palette cleanser sorbet, which I think says it all about the overall experience. I also found the sheer number of dishes a bit too overwhelming. The dishes just kept coming, and I felt uncomfortably full by the time the dessert arrived. The constant flow of dishes and silverware interrupted the conversation and felt overbearing at times. Following the dessert, we were taken down to the mezzanine level for treats and a dessert drink. I was unfortunately too stuffed for either, but I thought it was a nice way to end the meal (further efforts to upsell aside). Overall, for around $800, both my wife and I thought this was just not worth it. D.C. has many other restaurants with better food at a fraction of the price. If you're into dining "experiences," I can think of a few places that offer a far better value (minibar comes to mind) at comparable prices. If you're wondering whether the good reviews are because people feel compelled to like it to justify the expense, I hope this review helped confirm this is indeed the case.

This was an exquisite meal. The best comparison I can give is the very first time I dined at Zaytinya and my mind was blown. I loved Xiquet soooo much that it will become a part of my standard rotation!! Upon greeting, I was taken to the "living room" for pre-dinner drinks and to peruse the menu. My dinner order was taken and then I was led upstairs to the dining room, which was small and intimate. Service was on point, and the pacing was well thought out to get me through the meal (that much food takes time!) I ordered the chefs tasting menu and I am so glad I did!! Seared artichoke "gift from the kitchen" - this was like a flavor alarm clock announcing its time to eat! - 9.0 Red prawn with citrus foam - the presentation was beautiful!! The prawn comes head on. The server recommended squeezing the head for the best culinary experience. WARNING: what no one tells you is a significant amount of thick grayish liquid will come out of the head. My brain wasn't okay with the visual, so I only ate the other end of the dish. It was divine!! The citrusy notes lifted the entire flavor of the prawn. It was delicious!! - 9.0 (the head goo threw it off) Charred oyster with grapes, caviar and orange pearls - Chef Danny is a master of flavors!! The slight sweetness of the grapes paired with the brightness from the pearls and the oceanic umami from the caviar perfectly complimented one another and the deliciously charred octopus. However, the octopus was overcooked for me. It was extremely chewy, which didn't serve the dish well. - 7.5 Goles with garlic buds - This dish reminded my mouth of a slightly al dente and perfectly seasoned pasta with a clean olive oil and garlic finish. It was light and delicious and I ate every bite! Oddly when o asked more questions, I discovered those tiny noodles were a popular faux baby eel delicacy. I'm glad I heard the full the description after I ate. Because it was YUMMY!!! - 9.5 Charred artichoke, asparagus and green onion with romesco - this dish was direct and flavorful. No slight of hand or fancy tricks. Just pure, perfect flavor! - 9.2 *At this point a beautiful palette cleanser prepared me for the main event!!* Lobster and cuttlefish paella - I spent the night watching Chef Danny perfect skillets of paella on a open, wood-burning fire. The proteins were perfectly cooked and the rice had that gorgeous caramelization that defines a perfect paella. Unfortunately, the paella was oddly salty. This detracted significantly from the overall eating experience of this dish. - 8.0 *I am now seriously feeling full and am not sure how I'm going to survive the rest of the meal. * The Golden Egg - y'all. This was such a fun idea. I sweet cured egg yolk with edible gold in a consume with little pieces of mushroom. You need to mix it all together for the best dining experience. So..... it doesn't look nearly as appetizing when combined. The flavors were nice , but the semi solid outside of the yolk was off putting and the dish was too rich and thick on my palette. I think it was more fun in execution than consumption. - 7.5 Foie gras and duck beggars purse - In all transparency, at this point I am STUFFED!! AND, I don't really care for foie gras or duck. So my expectations weren't high. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor profile! The only drawback was the unexpected thickness of the pasta itself, making the dish heavier than absolutely necessary. - 8.5 Iberian pork shoulder - sooooo.... I like breakfast meats but otherwise I can live without pork. On top of that I was beyond full. I knew this would probably be a "throw away" course that just wasn't worth making myself physically ill. So the plate comes out and I take the obligatory bite, when OH SWEET BABY JESUS IN A MANGER!!! This is one of the best bites of food I've had in AGES!!! The salty, Smokey perfection of the pork with the slight bite of the apples and the creamy sweetness of the sweet potatoes was like a culinary threesome or something. I ate waaayyyyy more than one bite and took some home!! - 10 Cheese course - this was just odd. It basically tasted like blue cheese and pistachios mixed together and rolled into a rope. With a fruit compote. It was very heavy on the tongue, expecial

If you like fresh seafood and experimental high-class dining, then Xiquet is for you. We had a Wednesday night reservation. The restaurant was quiet around 8pm. The host greeted us promptly and showed us to the bar. The bartender made hand-crafted cocktails that were very refreshing. The gin cocktail comes in a wide glass with a large ice ball. Once our dining experience was ready for us to begin, we were escorted over to the second bar /appetizer station. This is meant to give you the Spanish tapas style. The offers were goose barnacles (has a flavor similar to crab), the best marinated olives ever, and dried fish (very strong flavor). We also tried some incredibly light and refreshing oysters. Then we were ready to be brought upstairs to the third floor where dinner would take place. Some of the dishes hit and some missed (in my opinion). Favorites: the petite octopus, the paella, and the wagyu. I did not like the Uni (sea urchin). It was overwhelmingly fishy and the taste lingered. The asparagus was fine but not mind blowing. Everything else was pretty great. I loved the lemon tart! Wow that was incredible. We enjoyed the wine pairings. However, Some of the wines were so light that they barely had much flavor or punch to them. Beware, you will be drunk if you drink the whole wine serving with each course (even though it is just a 2oz pour). After the dinner and dessert, the server brings you down to the mezzanine for chocolates/candies in a decorative box. They offer tea (which we later found out was like $20 extra). Everything about this dining experience was very nice. We had a lot of fun. The only not fun thing is when the bill comes because you know it is expensive as hell. But still worth it for the interesting combinations of flavors and top notch service. The server and sommelier really took good care of us. We felt like royalty for a night.

We visited last night for my birthday dinner looking for an amazing meal and left in disappointment. For a $1300 meal for two people we expected to be blown away by the meal and found many of the courses not very good yet extremely pretentious. We didn't attempt to finish most of the dishes. The rabbit mushroom and rice dish was really salty, the partridge tasted like regular chicken breast, and the dish with goose barnacles was completely flavorless (to name a few of the mistakes). We did truly enjoy the wine we drank with a big kudos to the sommelier and the suggestions made. The service was very good as well, but the atmosphere was like a white table cloth version of a dentists waiting room. I would not recommend unless you want to throw your money away.

Perfection! I would give 10 stars if there were 10 to give. This is the penultimate fine dining experience, executed brilliantly expertly and with love. Chef Danny and his team are unparalleled in the U.S. What an exquisite evening. Everything was perfection. The service is careful, thoughtful, and exacting. Quite remarkable how each member of the team manages to walk the most delicate line of being extremely knowledgeable about their cuisine and cellar, and presenting first class professional level service, while at the same being warm and inviting and approachable. This goes for the space itself too which is elegant and warm at the same time. The stars of the show though of course are Chef Danny's innovative and delicious dishes. Each clearly inspired by his home (Valencia) cuisine, yet also elevating each dish to Michelin heaven with creativity, beauty and perfect execution. The wine pairing with the eleven course tasting menu, created by the restaurant Sommelier, Nicole, was brilliant and full of surprise masterpieces. This was the best meal we have had in the United States since we were at Joel Robuchon's "Robuchon." Truly a masterpiece.

When you go to a restaurant with this kind of status, I don't expect to be held downstairs until buying a pre drink. After waiting downstairs our 8pm reservation turned into 830 and two of our guests needed to call an Uber at 1130 because we were just starting dessert. The table service is nothing close to what I've experienced in multiple cities either. Don't waste your money.

Special occasion restaurant you won't regret! Quite pricey, but worth it for the excellent & unusual food and the impeccable, friendly service. You start your dining adventure on the bottom floor with an aperitif & appetizers. You're then escorted up to the top floor for a multi course chef's tasting menu. Hard to choose a favorite dish... all were beautifully served & quite delicious. Then finally you're escorted to the middle level for apres dessert. 4 of us were there for about 3 hours....a totally wonderful evening. Each dish and wine paired glass was expertly described. We left pleasantly full but not stuffed from the many SMALL courses ( maybe 14?). Highly recommended!

I'm only halfway through the mail and I had to rent this reveal. This place is amazing. We originally just going to the seven course meal but everything tasted so good we upped it to the 10 course and each course has been fantastic. While they are served tapas style in small portions it makes it even more delightful and we anticipate each course as they are coming out. The chef Danny Lledó came out and greeted us and we're sitting at the table next to the kitchen watching him do his magic. Go here. You will love it.

To say the service was fantastic would be an understatement. I made a reservation here for my wife's birthday, and they exceed in every way possible. We started the evening downstairs with a cocktail and some appetizer courses. We then made our way upstairs to our table and enjoyed most of the evening. The Chef stopped by our table for a quick chat which was enjoyable. After the waiter brought out every course, the staff explained them. They also brought a complimentary dessert for my wife with Happy Birthday spelled in Chocolate. We ended the night in the lounge after enjoying some more desserts. I could not have asked for a perfect night to spend with my wife for her birthday.

Overall, great food that deserves a star, but a price point that feels too steep. First, the positives: a chef who clearly cares and engages with the guests, initial bites that are original and inspiring, and outstanding paella that doesn't let a mess of ingredients get in the way of delicious rice and lobster. Having gathered about 70 Michelin stars over the past five years, this place is clearly deserving and the chef is a rare talent. There's one very large negative: pricing. The wine prices are exorbitant - 3x markups on even very basic bottles (eg Alto Moncayo). As for the tasting menu, if you do 7 courses, you *will* leave hungry. If you do 10, it's just enough food, but you are looking at $325 per person if you have anything at all to drink ($275 even if you don't!). That's just not reasonable given the competition in this market. There are fantastic 1-star meals to be had at places like Dabney, Tail Up Goat, Komi, etc that are at least 30% less expensive. The pricing at Xiquet puts it in the stratosphere with places like Jont and Pineapple and Pearls, but the food isn't at that level. To mention a few misses: the pork tartar tasted like every other tartar I've had, and the "orange 9 ways" dessert went unfinished by 4 of the 6 diners in our group. I understand that labor costs have gone up. In some ways, the place felt *over* staffed. We had multiple, unnecessary visits from table attendants, and the standard of service was decent but not outstanding - at one point, one of the servers accidentally knocked over a full glass of red wine. No big deal! But they should have offered recompense of some sort, particularly when the $35 retail bottle cost $110 on the menu... All in all, we won't go back. The paella was fantastic, but the price tag (and dessert...) left a funky taste in our mouths.

Not on par with other one-star restaurants. While I appreciated that my seafood allergy was accomodated, my request for no alcohol was not. When we walked in, I was informed that I would not receive a welcome drink unless I wanted to pay $15 for a non-alcoholic one. When we went to the kitchen to receive our first course I was handed an alcoholic shot, luckily the line cook caught the mistake when the chef was handing me the alcoholic drink. When asking about the non-alcoholic options, no menu was available. I was told they had de-alcoholized wines and these were alcohol-free. This line was repeated by three different staff. When researching de-alcoholized wines I found that they are not 0.0 ABV but can be up to 0.5ABV in Europe and the CDC recommends against drinking as research studies have found some bottles contain higher alcohol than what is on the label. While some people may be okay with this, the staff should not say that these wines are 0.00 alcohol. Further, at least three dishes had alcohol in the sauce or foams. Finally, in the lounge at the end of the evening, my husband said he did not want more to drink and the staff member started whispering in his ear pushing him to order something else. This is highly inappropriate behavior when I customer knows where their limit is and the staff do not respect it. The food was also not worthy of the price and multiple dishes were returned to the kitchen unfinished. The vegetarian paella was worse than versions served on airlines as the choice of legumes created an overall mushy texture to the dish. The meat courses were beyond rare leaving a taste of iron in my mouth for multiple hours after the meal ended. Finally, the knife we were provided for the Wellington was so dull that the meat and puff pastry could not be cut through. After the first "saw" the entire Wellington disintegrated so we were left with raw puff pastry, the truffle mixture, and the pork loin separately. While this is minor, I would have expected to receive a printed menu for both parties at the table, especially as my seafood allergy was accommodated by serving dishes from the vegetarian menu. I was surprised that no playing card was ever provided for the vegetarian course. At the end of the night, we received only one souvenir menu of the courses my husband ate, but not one for me.

We had such an incredible experience at Xiquet! We were so excited to try this Michelin Star restaurant and they definitely did not disappoint! The experience was everything and more you would expect of a Michelin Star restaurant. Tremendous service, delicious and uniquely prepared courses... all ten of them with uniquely paired wines, and desserts. They truly orchestrated the evening from floor to floor and course to course perfectly. It was a pleasure to meet the chef whom in addition to being so respectably skilled was gracious and humble.