Del Mar

Del Mar

Damn Good
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Del Mar sits on the Wharf with every trapping of a tourist magnet — big room, big crowds, big energy — and it still cooks like it means it. The menu runs the Spanish coast through fresh seafood: sizzling Andalusian shrimp, a branzino fried whole and shattering-crisp, sashimi crudo built to split between two people. Snapper comes bare on the plate, which only works because the bravas potatoes and pan con tomate alongside are strong enough to carry the meal on their own.

That's the real case here. Scale usually kills consistency at a restaurant this size, and this kitchen doesn't let it happen. The seafood tastes like someone is actually watching it, service holds up under volume, and the room's flash doesn't come at the plate's expense.

Four Michelin selections across four different years is not luck, and a James Beard Best New Restaurant nod backs up the early buzz. The tourists found Del Mar first. The kitchen gave them a reason to be right.

Get the branzino. Split it. Bring your appetite.

The Spot
Del Mar is Fabio Trabocchi's restaurant dedicated to Spanish seafood and coastal cuisine, set on the Wharf in Southwest Waterfront with views over the Potomac. The two-story building was designed in Spain by Barcelona-based designer Lazaro Rosa Violan and assembled by a team of Spanish artisans, giving the space — indoor dining room, Café del Mar, the Cabana, private dining rooms, and a second-floor Terraza overlooking the marina and the Wharf's Yacht Club — a distinctly Spanish craftsmanship throughout.

The menu runs through traditional and seasonal tapas, Catalan-style charcoal-grilled entrées, and a signature paella, backed by a wine list built around Spanish producers. Hand-carved Jamón Ibérico is treated as its own presentation. Reviewers consistently call out the croquetas, octopus, stuffed peppers, crab, and churros alongside the paella itself.

Del Mar has been a Michelin Selected restaurant in the Washington DC guide in 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2025, and was a James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant semifinalist in 2018.
THE FACTS
Damn Good
AWARDMichelin Guide Selected2019–2025
AWARDJames Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant, semifinalist2018
RATINGS4.3 stars across 2,534 reviews4 sources
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City

Washington DC

Neighborhood

Southwest Waterfront

Price

$$$$

Cuisine

Spanish

Chef

Owner

Michelin Selected 2025
Recognition
James Beard Semifinalist 2018
Recognition