dLeña - the perfect date night in DC

DESSERT-

Carajillo Crème Brulée 10/10 - We’re starting with dessert because if there is one thing you have to get on this visit, it’s the crème brulée. I am OBSESSED with anything coffee flavored so sure, I could be biased. Anyway, I remember when I first came here and sat by the bar, I asked the bartender what she recommended between the crème brulée and some other dessert, but before I could finish my question she excitedly cut me off and stared into my soul and said "get the crème brulée" and that said enough. I trusted her and now I can’t come here without getting it. If you like espresso and you like crème brulée, you’ll love this. It’s also served table-side with a lil flame, so fun!

APPETIZER-

Empanadas de Wagyu 10/10 - sooo meaty! You ever got an empanada or any stuffed type of dish and they went skimpy on the filling? Yeah, this was NOT that. Every bite was like a flavor bomb. This photo was taken after we devoured one of the 3 empanadas. Bonus points for being served with 2 vibrant sauces!

ENTREE-

14oz 30 Day Aged Boneless Ribeye 9/10 - we had our mind set on a nice, juicy steak and this did everything it needed to. Loved the chimichurri sauce and the shishito peppers on top.

Enchiladas 10/10 - prob the best shrimp enchilada I've ever had, likely because it was combined with maryland blue crab. The sauce was amazing and the whole dish worked together super well.

SIDES-

Broccolini 10/10 - I would eat a bowl of this by itself. It was perfectly salted and I LOOOVED the charred flavor. It made me super eager for the warm weather ahead so I can pull the grill out and try to recreate this broccolini dish at home.

DRINKS-

I wasn’t in the mood for alcohol the last time I visited and just had water. But anytime I’ve had drinks prior, they’ve been absolutely amazing!

SERVICE

There’s literally a guy whose job is to spot people as soon as they take a seat and bring them over their water. It’s all self-seating in the downstairs lounge/speakeasy area which makes it even more likely that you'd run into that long awkward wait questioning if someone is ever going to make it to your table...but no need to worry about that here. They’re SO attentive!!