My wife and I visited Jaleo on Valentine's Day. We were waiting for a plane at DCA, and popped in early enough to beat the V-Day crowd. We decided to experience the "Restaurant Week" four course menu.

Each tapas course was extremely good, with my bread, tomatoes, and serrano ham as a starter being one of the best things I have eaten in a while! My wife's endive tapas was the perfect starter for her. Their "famous" shrimp were excellent, and the additional dessert course was to die for.

We started the dinner with their specialty margarita, which was very unique, and quite delicious. However, nothing compares to their red sangria. My wife and I are affecionados of good sangria, and Jaleo's was some of the best we ever had. Not cloyingly sweet like some we have experienced, but just the right amount of balance between wine, fruit, and brandy.

The decor in the restaurant is hip, and the lay-out lends itself to helping you enjoy your meal to the fullest. Service was impeccable, with attentive and friendly servers.

We will be back...again and again.

We went to Jaleo in Crystal city for our Valentine's dinner. What a great place! "Share your love -and your tapas". The ambiance was really nice and friendly. The food was excellence. Highly recommend for special occasions like birthday or date night.
There is no flowers in the restaurant, so if you would need to buy flowers for your date before coming to the restaurant.

Although it was $55/person, the Chef’s Experience was the best deal. After seeing the portion of the tapas, I could have easily order about $55 worth anyways. That being said, from what I could remember, my fiancé and I shared about 16 tapas and 2 desserts. We had to ask them to stop bringing tapas and finally bring dessert we were so stuffed. Also, when we ordered the Chef’s Experience, the chef, Ramon, came out to greet us and talk a little about the restaurant and see if we had any requests. He was extremely friendly and made the experience even better.

My favorite tapas were the Sliced Apple and Fennel salad, Endives w/ goat cheese and oranges, Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, and Grilled Hanger Steak with Mustard.

Overall, it is a great place for a celebration or special occasion and I can’t wait to go back.

We visited with 7 PM Open Table reservations on a Sunday night; shared a table with friends who were visiting from out of town, and settled in for a relaxing evening. Our waiter arrived promptly with water requests, explained how small plate ordering worked, and invited us to take our time with the menu. High ceilings and ceiling to floor flame colored drapes and wall hangings injected a festive spark to the dining room.
Only one of us had experienced Jaleo before; the three of us who were newbies wondered how we would share salads and soups. After some discussion of our individual preferences, we ordered individually and shared a spoon of our choices here and there. I tried a sauteed spinach dish, a lump crabmeat salad, and an apple, cucumber, and cheese salad- all very fresh and delicious. My tastes of scallop and sausage were very satisfying. It was clear that every dish had been prepared with thoughtfulness and care. I ended my meal with mint tea and hazlenut chocolate cake (decadent)-so rich I ended up sharing more than I ate.
A major highlight was the unhurried and relaxed environment the staff provided; we were the last folks out of the restaurant three hours later; we stayed at our table for almost an hour after we finished our coffees and tea and not once did a staff member try to usher us away- Kudos to authentic Spanish dining in a city that doesn't like to linger.
I agree with other diners who say you need to be prepared to spend some money. The seemingly inexpensive $8.50 and $10 small plates add up. Our per person cost was $50 (before tip) but that did include a bottle of wine, dessert for three of us, and tea/coffee.
I hope our experience was the norm- if so- Jaleo Arlington is highly recommended for delicious food and a relaxing evening out. We'll be back!