Del Mar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Love Letter to Spain on the Potomac

Del Mar is chef Fabio Trabocchi's celebration of Spanish seafood cuisine and lifestyle, set along the vibrant waterfront of The Wharf in Washington, DC. The two-story space was entirely designed in Spain by world-renowned Barcelona designer Lazaro Rosa Violan and assembled by a team of Spanish artisans — every detail a deliberate act of craft. Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema named it his No. 1 restaurant, writing: "Not even in Spain have I encountered a dining room as opulent yet breezy as this one." Esquire called it a "love letter to Spain." Condé Nast Traveler described it simply as the most beautiful restaurant in DC's shiniest new neighborhood.

The recognition extends to the cellar: Wine Spectator honored Del Mar with its Best of Award of Excellence, a fitting acknowledgment of a wine program built around the breadth and depth of Spanish viticulture.

The Space

The building works across several distinct moods. At street level, the casual Café del Mar and the Cabana open onto the Wharf scene. Upstairs, the second-floor Terraza offers sweeping views of the marina and the Yacht Club — one of the more dramatic outdoor dining perches in the city. Private dining rooms are available for events, and the indoor and outdoor bars anchor a cocktail program described as inventive and exciting.

What's on the Table

The menu draws from the Mediterranean coast and islands of Spain, moving from raw bar to charcoal grill to the paella station. Spanish seafood is the throughline: the raw bar features locally raised oysters, wild hamachi crudo with yuzu ajo blanco and icy grapes, yellowfin tuna carpaccio with Cadiz vinaigrette, and an Ibiza Seafood Tower stacked with half-Maine lobster, langoustine, marinated clams, and mussels escabeche.

Tapas span Blue Crab "Txangurro" in piquillo peppers with sea urchin sauce, Andalucian garlic shrimp, grilled octopus with mojo picon and sautéed chickpeas, and hand-carved Beher Auténtico Jamón Ibérico cured 36 months — sliced tableside from the leg. From the Catalan charcoal grill come whole branzino prepared "Donostiarra style" with potatoes panadera, sherry vinegar, and smoked paprika, alongside grilled wild calamari from Rhode Island with black garlic sauce and romesco.

The signature Valencian paellas — made with Bomba rice and served with garlic alioli — are a pillar of the experience. The Signature Seafood Paella arrives with tiger prawns, monkfish, mussels, and Maine lobster tail. A Chorizo & Calamari version uses squid ink; an Iberico & Scallops paella pairs pork belly with black trumpet mushrooms.

The Bigger Picture

Del Mar sits within the Fabio Trabocchi Restaurants group, which includes Fiola, Fiola Mare, and Sfoglina in Washington DC. The restaurant's Michelin recognition and its consistent presence on best-of lists across major publications reflect a kitchen and front-of-house that have maintained their standard well beyond an opening splash.