Taberna del Alabardero- Washington DC

What Taberna del Alabardero- Washington DC does

Taberna del Alabardero is a traditional Spanish fine-dining restaurant operating a single location at 1776 I Street NW in Washington DC, steps from the White House. The location opened in 1989, becoming one of the first Spanish restaurants in the city, and operates as part of Grupo Lezama, a Spanish social enterprise founded in Madrid in 1974 by Father Luis de Lezama with additional establishments in Marbella, Seville, Malaga, and the Basque Country. The DC operation employs approximately 12 people and runs under the leadership of Spanish Chef Joaquín Ruiz, Sommelier Álvaro Correas, and Flamenco performers who deliver Friday and Saturday cultural programming.

The core product is full-service dining featuring classic tapas, paellas, sangria, and a seasonal menu with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Adjacent revenue streams include takeout and delivery via ToastTab, full-service and curbside catering, six private event spaces accommodating 8 to 140 guests, paella cooking classes at $125 per person, monthly wine dinners priced $165-$240 per person, gift cards via Upserve, and seasonal experiences such as Paella Fest, Feria Alabardero, Valentine's Day, and New Year's Eve celebrations. Pricing carries a 20% service charge on all bills, of which 15% is shared with service staff.

The business is privately held, with no external funding rounds disclosed. Technology infrastructure is composed entirely of third-party hospitality SaaS integrations, with no proprietary platforms. In 2025, the company extended its parent organization's social mission by launching the Alabardero Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing culinary training and food security programs in the DMV area.

Name

Taberna del Alabardero- Washington DC

Legal name

Taberna del Alabardero

Website

https://alabardero.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Taberna del Alabardero is a traditional Spanish fine-dining restaurant in Washington DC, operating since 1989 under Grupo Lezama, serving upscale diners, private event hosts, and catering clients with tapas, paellas, and cultural experiences steps from the White House.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurant

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)

Keywords

• Spanish fine dining
• Tapas restaurant
• Private event catering
• Wine dinner events
• Cooking classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Food and Beverage: Traditional restaurant service with full menu including tapas, paellas, sangria, desserts. Features seasonal menu with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Revenue from à la carte ordering, tasting menus, and special event menus.
2. Takeout and Delivery: Curbside pickup and delivery service available Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm, Sunday 11am-8pm. Online ordering through ToastTab platform. Orders for 10+ people handled by catering team.
3. Catering Services: Full service catering with event planners, custom menus, and on-site chef services. Also offers delivery/curbside pickup catering option for smaller events.
4. Private Event Hosting: Three elegant private dining spaces plus bar and main dining room for events. Special banquet and cocktail menus for parties of 10+. Happy Hour private party bookings for groups of 10+ with special pricing menus.
5. Cooking Classes: Paella cooking classes offered periodically - includes sangría, appetizers, hands-on paella making, and dessert. Priced at $125 per person.
6. Wine Dinners: Monthly exclusive wine dinner events featuring Spanish winemakers. Priced at $165-$240 per person, includes multi-course paired menu.
7. Gift Cards: Gift cards available for purchase through Upserve platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Taberna del Alabardero operates a traditional Spanish restaurant in Washington DC offering full-service fine dining featuring classic tapas, paellas, sangria, and seasonal menus with vegetarian and gluten-free options. The restaurant supplements dine-in service with takeout and delivery, full-service catering, six private dining spaces (Amalur, Aranjuez, La Granja, Main Dining, El Patio, El Bar) for events of 8 to 140 guests, cooking classes, wine dinners, Happy Hour service, and live Flamenco performances on Fridays and Saturdays.

Product overview

Taberna del Alabardero is a traditional Spanish restaurant (founded in Madrid in 1974, opened in Washington DC in 1989) offering a unified hospitality experience centered on authentic Spanish cuisine. The core offering is full-service dining featuring classic tapas, paellas, sangria, and seasonal menus. Supporting products include Order to Go/takeout delivery, Catering Services (delivery and full-service), and Private Dining across six elegant spaces. Additional offerings include Happy Hour, Paella Cooking Classes, Flamenco Performances, and Special Event Experiences (holiday menus, wine dinners, seasonal festivals). The Alabardero Foundation operates as a nonprofit sub-brand focused on culinary training and food security. The restaurant integrates with OpenTable for reservations, Toast Tab for online ordering, inKind for rewards, UpServe for gift cards, Eventbrite for events, PerfectVenue for private event booking, Donorbox for foundation donations, and Google Calendar for event exports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Service Spanish Dining Traditional Spanish fine dining featuring a seasonal menu with classic tapas, paellas, sangria, desserts, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Service covers lunch, brunch (weekends), and dinner with indoor and covered heated patio seating near the White House. A 20% service charge is added to all bills.
• Order to Go / Takeout and Delivery

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OpenTablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary reservation platform for dine-in, private events, and ticketed experiences. Integration on website for real-time availability and bookings.
• InKindminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDining discount program offering $50 off meals of $150 or more. Marketing partnership for customer acquisition.
• Grupo LezamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company operating since 1974 in Madrid. Manages fine dining establishments in Marbella, Seville, Malaga, and Basque Country, as well as prestigious culinary school in Seville. Provides operational model and brand heritage.
• EventbritecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketing platform for cooking classes and wine dinner events. Alternative booking channel alongside OpenTable.
• PerfectVenuecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate dining room booking platform for events and Happy Hour parties. Enables online reservation of private spaces.
• ToastTabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ordering platform for takeout and delivery services. Replaced Upserve for order-to-go functionality.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ThinkFoodGroup: José Andrés's restaurant group operating multiple DC Spanish and Mediterranean concepts (Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, minibar). Larger incumbent competitor dominating the DC Spanish/Mediterranean dining category with broader scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Jaleo: Chef José Andrés's flagship Spanish tapas restaurant in DC, offering authentic Spanish small plates in a casual upscale setting. Most direct competitor in DC's Spanish dining category, with multiple locations and broader cultural visibility than Taberna.
• Boqueria: Spanish tapas and paella restaurant group with locations across major US cities. Direct peer on Spanish cuisine, tapas-style menu, and full-service dining experience, with comparable bar programs and event offerings.
• Marcel's by Robert Wiedmaier: French-Belgian fine dining restaurant in downtown DC with private event spaces, tasting menus, and a comparable upscale price point. Direct peer on DC fine dining, private events, and institutional clientele.
• Fiola: Upscale Italian fine dining restaurant in DC by chef Fabio Trabocchi offering tasting menus, private events, and a comparable price-point tier to Taberna's wine dinners. Direct peer on experiential fine dining and event hosting in the DC market.
• Estadio: Spanish-focused restaurant in DC's Logan Circle serving tapas, charcutería, and sherry in a contemporary tavern setting. Direct Spanish cuisine peer with similar tapas-focused menu and DC event clientele overlap.
• Zaytinya: José Andrés's Mediterranean restaurant in DC offering Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese small plates with similar full-service dining, private events, and cultural positioning. Comparable experiential fine-casual dining peer in the same DC market.
• Blue Duck Tavern: American fine dining restaurant at the Park Hyatt in DC offering seasonal American cuisine and extensive private dining capabilities. Comparable fine dining peer with similar government, diplomatic, and corporate clientele near the White House corridor.
• The Dabney: Mid-Atlantic fine dining restaurant in DC by chef Jeremiah Langhorne focusing on regional heritage cuisine. Comparable fine dining peer with similar price tier, tasting menu offerings, and private event capabilities in the DC market.
• Iron Gate: Mediterranean fine dining restaurant in DC's Dupont Circle featuring wood-burning hearth cuisine and an extensive wine program. Comparable full-service upscale dining peer with similar private event space and event-driven revenue model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlabarderoDC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKVk23XRiCtuIh9NyQBeYFw
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlabarderoDC
• Instagraminstagram.com/alabarderodc
• TikToktiktok.com/@alabarderodc?lang=es
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taberna-del-alabardero--washington-dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Taberna del Alabardero- Washington DC