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✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in
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El Taller del Xiquet – or “Xiquet’s workshop” – celebrates the vibrant flavors of Spanish gastronomy, with an unwavering commitment to quality. As ever, Chef Danny offers imaginative dishes crafted from the finest ingredients. Our menu invites exploration through a selection of seasonal à la carte options and shareable plates, taking the culinary journey to Xiquet’s roots, showcasing rich offerings from both land and sea, matching your desires with every taste.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2404 Wisconsin Ave NW 1st Floor, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 913-4671
Website: https://www.eltallerdelxiquet.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
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Reviews
DJ Godinez
Went for DC Restaurant Week, so maybe that is why things were just “okay.”
$65 small menu, $35 wine pairing
•choice of starters (we had fennel & romesco, and hamachi crudo)
•choice of starter (we upgraded +$25 per person to Wagyu Paella)
•choice of dessert (they were out of carrot cake, but we were served a chocolate dessert from “upstairs”)
•house made gel candy + a dark chocolate
When we walked in, we were greeted, checked our coats and were given a homemade apple drink to warm up. Unfortunately, the drink was lukewarm and was mostly apple and cinnamon chunks.
The fennel starter was better – the romesco sauce had a delicious char flavor. The fennel was hard to cut. The Crú was hardly flavored. The yellow pepper sauce wiped out all of the flavor of the fish, and the grapefruit was flavorless.
The Wagyu Paella looked beautiful and had bone marrow scraped on top of the meat in front of us. This dish was disappointingly missing any notable flavors. The best part was the socarrat. If the menu did not say it contained oxtail, I never would have known.
Dessert was very nice. Our reservation was later at night, so that is probably why we missed out on carrot cake, but the chocolate dessert was good. Light and tasty.
Unfortunately, the wine pairing did not feel nuanced like other higher end restaurants. Usually the pairings bring out new notes and subtleties, but this one felt clashed for some dishes.
The servers were very friendly and attentive. We saw Chef Danny a few times. The lowest point of the night was our table location right near the curtain “door.” It kept blowing out every time the front door opened and it was very cold and cooled the food down terribly fast.
I still would like to come back for the full Xiquet experience, but my El Taller experience was not stellar in comparison to other Spanish establishments.
… more$65 small menu, $35 wine pairing
•choice of starters (we had fennel & romesco, and hamachi crudo)
•choice of starter (we upgraded +$25 per person to Wagyu Paella)
•choice of dessert (they were out of carrot cake, but we were served a chocolate dessert from “upstairs”)
•house made gel candy + a dark chocolate
When we walked in, we were greeted, checked our coats and were given a homemade apple drink to warm up. Unfortunately, the drink was lukewarm and was mostly apple and cinnamon chunks.
The fennel starter was better – the romesco sauce had a delicious char flavor. The fennel was hard to cut. The Crú was hardly flavored. The yellow pepper sauce wiped out all of the flavor of the fish, and the grapefruit was flavorless.
The Wagyu Paella looked beautiful and had bone marrow scraped on top of the meat in front of us. This dish was disappointingly missing any notable flavors. The best part was the socarrat. If the menu did not say it contained oxtail, I never would have known.
Dessert was very nice. Our reservation was later at night, so that is probably why we missed out on carrot cake, but the chocolate dessert was good. Light and tasty.
Unfortunately, the wine pairing did not feel nuanced like other higher end restaurants. Usually the pairings bring out new notes and subtleties, but this one felt clashed for some dishes.
The servers were very friendly and attentive. We saw Chef Danny a few times. The lowest point of the night was our table location right near the curtain “door.” It kept blowing out every time the front door opened and it was very cold and cooled the food down terribly fast.
I still would like to come back for the full Xiquet experience, but my El Taller experience was not stellar in comparison to other Spanish establishments.
Tommy Tang
Every dish was very unique and delicious. We also got the wine pairing and extra cocktails and dish alongside with the tasting menu. They only have 2 servers for 10 tables which were all super rush, but one of them took very good care of us. We have great time and found out there’re actual 2 different restaurants in one place but same owner. Upstairs is the Michelin Star restaurant called Xiquet, ground level is the El Taller del Xiquet which is not Michelin starred but it’s still very good
… moreHennessy Bas
The experience was overall good. The appetizer was alright, nothing to die for, and the dessert was amazing!! My only true complaint is for the star of the show, the paella. We got the Wagyu paella and it was very flavorful and had a good amount of meat, but it was cold. We didn’t bring it up simply because we didn’t want to wait more, but it was a little disappointing to get a cold paella in a place that paella is their main thing. Other than that, everything else was good and the service was excellent.
… moreAlice Lam
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!
… moreCarolyn Frank
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.
… moreTimothy Brubaker
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.
… moreStaff 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.
TheOriginalBCB
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.
… moreAn 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.
Anne Golla
First the good: the paella (which was the only main offered when I went – either with fideo or rice, unfortunately the duck breast was not on the menu, so we went with rice with pork) was really, truly exceptional. It was the best paella I’ve ever had (the only I’ve had that wasn’t seafood), and maybe one of the top 100 dishes I’ve ever had. Memorable. And the little home-made candies they give you as a freebie at the end of the meal – really super, a very soft jelly and a dark chocolate with jelly…a nice way to end the meal. My friend said, “I don’t want to eat anything else and ruin this taste in my mouth” after eating the after-dinner chocolate.
The bad: the appetizers were not really exciting and except for one not even good, one used fish that was clearly off. Gravalux on brioche was nice, but not exceptional. The pulpo was OK, a bit chewy, the eggplant puree was tasteless and didn’t add much. The crudo – this was our first appetizer, when they set it on the table my first impulse was to burst out laughing … you’re seated at these big, brightly lit tables, and this very tall waiter comes out delicately bearing a small plate with literally the equivalent of 4 rose-petals worth of fish in a teaspoon of sauce taking up the center inch and a half of the plate. It’s so thin it tears when you pick it up with your fork, like tissue paper. I didn’t really taste the fish beyond the citrus sauce – except that, a few seconds after I put it in my mouth, it became clear that the fish was off. Afterwards my friend confirmed. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that at a restaurant of this level we were served spoiled fish, in such an over-the-top presentation. Is the chef having a joke at our expense? Like, I’m so special I can serve bad fish and no one is going to say anything. (We didn’t say anything).
We did say something when we got our bill and an additional $40 portion of paella beyond what we ordered was charged. (Actually I asked my friend to bring it up, I’m like, I can’t take the confrontation). Waiter said oh, I took the liberty of adding an extra portion to your order (we had discussed it clearly when we ordered). I don’t know. This just doesn’t sit right with me.
Portions are very small, it’s food to taste, not food to fill you up.
The interior, the ambience of the place is all set up for you to focus on the food, not to create a social vibe. So bright lights, big white table, chairs that don’t turn easily and kind of hold you looking at the table. It’s pretty drafty when it’s cold outside – I was chilly in corduroys and a light wool sweater. Service was fine if a little too intrusive.
If I were to go back I would go by myself, skip the appetizers, and just order 4 portions of the paella just for me. And then eat the chocolate. Wow).
… moreThe bad: the appetizers were not really exciting and except for one not even good, one used fish that was clearly off. Gravalux on brioche was nice, but not exceptional. The pulpo was OK, a bit chewy, the eggplant puree was tasteless and didn’t add much. The crudo – this was our first appetizer, when they set it on the table my first impulse was to burst out laughing … you’re seated at these big, brightly lit tables, and this very tall waiter comes out delicately bearing a small plate with literally the equivalent of 4 rose-petals worth of fish in a teaspoon of sauce taking up the center inch and a half of the plate. It’s so thin it tears when you pick it up with your fork, like tissue paper. I didn’t really taste the fish beyond the citrus sauce – except that, a few seconds after I put it in my mouth, it became clear that the fish was off. Afterwards my friend confirmed. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that at a restaurant of this level we were served spoiled fish, in such an over-the-top presentation. Is the chef having a joke at our expense? Like, I’m so special I can serve bad fish and no one is going to say anything. (We didn’t say anything).
We did say something when we got our bill and an additional $40 portion of paella beyond what we ordered was charged. (Actually I asked my friend to bring it up, I’m like, I can’t take the confrontation). Waiter said oh, I took the liberty of adding an extra portion to your order (we had discussed it clearly when we ordered). I don’t know. This just doesn’t sit right with me.
Portions are very small, it’s food to taste, not food to fill you up.
The interior, the ambience of the place is all set up for you to focus on the food, not to create a social vibe. So bright lights, big white table, chairs that don’t turn easily and kind of hold you looking at the table. It’s pretty drafty when it’s cold outside – I was chilly in corduroys and a light wool sweater. Service was fine if a little too intrusive.
If I were to go back I would go by myself, skip the appetizers, and just order 4 portions of the paella just for me. And then eat the chocolate. Wow).
Sharon Pinto
We visited with high expectations of enjoying paella at a Michelin-recognized restaurant, but unfortunately the experience fell short. The portion sizes did not feel commensurate with the price. We tried both the oxtail paella and the Iberian pork paella; in particular, the oxtail paella felt more like it was lightly garnished with oxtail rather than being a true oxtail-forward dish. Overall, it wasn’t the dining experience we were hoping for.
… moreAndy
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.
… more