Cuba Libre, web site, 801 9th Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-408-1600 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Google | WaPo | Washingtonian | The Hill | Examiner Photos | Yelp | TBD]
Not cheap, but this new “cool” place is surprisingly good. Get as many small dishes as you can and avoid the main courses (which are fine but more standard). I liked best the arepas and the raw crab [congrejo] with nuts. Some of the menu is classic Cuban, but more of it is Cuban food reimagined through the lens of modern Spanish tapas. Maybe this place will decline with time, but for now it’s further evidence that Washington is becoming a genuinely interesting dining city. There are other branches by the way in Orlando, Philly, and Atlantic City.
