Never would I ever have assumed that I’d get to revisit this legendary spot that is Top Spanish Cafe and Catering, located inconspicuously in the Southern area of Petworth, right off of Georgia Ave and Newton Pl NW. Being called a cafe is way, way too humble for the level of atmosphere and quality of genuine, Spanish dishes made by the amazing Chef Gabriel Flores himself for well over half a decade that I’ve known about it.
Top Spanish Cafe, and I will hate calling it a cafe for the rest of this article, captures you as soon as you step through it doors into a rare and lovely mix of upscale and cozy vibes all at the same time. It heavily reminds you of the similar, but sadly shut down Napoli Pasta Bar. Pictures say a thousand words though, so without further adieu –
As you can see – the decor speaks for itself. I personally loathe too-uppity, froufrou feel of the so called “fine dining” and typical upscale places because it feels like you’re going to your boss’ office to relax over a meal. Top Spanish manages to infuse that homey atmosphere into their look and feel and I just don’t really see too many of these kinds of restaurants (and especially ones that survive in the end). Just phenomenal job that impresses every time you experience it.
Enough about decor though, since the main topic here is the magic that Chef Gabriel lovingly plates, and the dishes here are above and beyond the stellar decor!
Main name of the game here are unsurprisingly tapas, but don’t let that fool you for even a second because they are all top-notch.
Remember that Iberico ham leg that greets you when you walk in? That’s always on the menu and a must try here, be it with a cheese plate, by itself, or on the full charcuterie board –
Things pick up from here with some dishes you likely haven’t heard of, or tried the type of like the ham croquettes (made using that glorious Iberico to boot), or the Tortillas Espanoles aka the Spanish style potatoes and onion omelet served with garlic aioli. Sauteed mushrooms are a great sight to see, as are the tomato spread toasts since the sauce and the bread are made fresh!
And the entire experience comes into full bloom with the mains! Both times I saw the same two, and both times they were simply amazing –
You cannot have Spanish food without a paella, that would be like an Italian place without pasta. And,
My friend’s favorite to date – the churrasco. Chimichurri spread on top as well as the sides will always sell me on this over some filet mignon for typically twice or three times the price. I appreciate combination of flavor on top of my great base ingredient.
It is always nice to see my work being showcased front, dead, and center like they have on their front page-
Overall, Top Spanish Cafe & Catering is one of the best spots this town has to offer today, and I very highly recommend checking them out!
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