Penn Quarter is where Washington DC comes to eat, drink, celebrate, and gather — and Boqueria is the tapas bar that rises to meet every one of those occasions. This is one of the most culturally and culinarily dynamic neighborhoods in the entire city, home to the National Portrait Gallery, Capital One Arena, the Smithsonian museums, and a dining scene that draws power-lunchers, theatergoers, sports fans, and night owls from across Washington DC and beyond. It is a neighborhood that demands restaurants with range — ones that can serve a pre-game crowd with the same quality as a private corporate dinner, that feel equally at home on a Tuesday afternoon and a Saturday evening, and that never mistake the density of foot traffic for permission to coast. At Boqueria Penn Quarter, we have never coasted. We have been earning our place in this neighborhood one pan of tapas at a time, and this post tells you everything you need to know about why we are the tapas bar Penn Quarter has come to rely on.
Our tapas bar Penn Quarter experience is built on the same uncompromising foundations that have defined Boqueria since 2006: authentic Spanish ingredients sourced without compromise, a tapas program that covers the full range of Spanish culinary tradition, three paellas made with Bomba rice and real saffron, an all-Spanish wine list, three in-house sangría versions, and a cocktail program anchored by the iconic Shishito Margarita. At 777 9th Street NW — steps from the National Portrait Gallery and Capital One Arena — we blend bold Catalan flavors with the cosmopolitan energy of one of DC’s most vibrant neighborhoods. By day, it is paella with purpose. By night, the room hums with the clink of sangría glasses and the lively energy of a genuine Spanish tapas bar. That is the experience we deliver, every single service.
Boqueria was born in 2006 in NYC’s Flatiron district, driven by a single belief that has carried us to eleven locations across the country: every neighborhood deserves a great tapas bar. Penn Quarter is exactly that kind of neighborhood — one that has grown into one of Washington DC’s most important and most exciting dining destinations, and one that deserves a tapas bar that matches its energy and its expectations. We operate two Washington DC locations — Penn Quarter and Dupont Circle — and both hold the same standard. But Penn Quarter carries a particular energy of its own: faster, more occasion-driven, buzzing with the specific mix of cultural, political, and sports energy that makes this corner of DC unlike anywhere else in the city. The tapas bar Penn Quarter guests find at Boqueria is the one this neighborhood has been waiting for, and this blog is your complete guide to it.
Key Takeaways
- Boqueria Penn Quarter is open seven days a week at 777 9th Street NW — Monday through Thursday 11am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 11am to 11pm, Sunday 11am to 9pm — with Happy Hour daily from 3–7pm and weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, making this the most versatile tapas bar Penn Quarter has to offer
- Three authentic paellas at the tapas bar Penn Quarter — Mariscos, Verduras, and Costilla — each made with Bomba rice and real saffron, all gluten-free, alongside a dedicated Pre-Theatre Menu for guests heading to events at Capital One Arena or nearby venues
- The tapas menu at Boqueria Penn Quarter spans three rich sections — Verduras, Pescados y Mariscos, and Carne — plus a charcuterie and artisanal cheese board featuring genuine Spanish cheeses and 48-month aged Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, making this the most complete tapas bar Penn Quarter dining experience available in DC
- Private and semi-private event spaces welcome everything from Smithsonian soirées to Capitol Hill huddles and birthday fiestas — making Boqueria the most centrally located and most versatile private dining tapas bar Penn Quarter has in its cultural heart
Penn Quarter Is One of DC’s Most Dynamic Neighborhoods — Here Is Why We Belong
Penn Quarter sits at the cultural crossroads of Washington DC. This is a neighborhood that draws the full spectrum of the city’s population — government professionals finishing long days, arts and culture enthusiasts coming from the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian, sports fans heading to Wizards and Capitals games at Capital One Arena, tourists visiting the National Mall, and local DC residents who simply know that this stretch of 9th Street NW offers some of the finest dining the city has to offer. The tapas bar Penn Quarter needs at this address is one that can serve all of them — a restaurant with enough range, enough warmth, and enough genuine quality to feel right for every kind of occasion. That is exactly what Boqueria delivers, every service.
What makes Penn Quarter specifically suited to the Boqueria tapas bar philosophy is the pace and energy of the neighborhood itself. Penn Quarter moves. It is not a neighborhood for long, contemplative tasting menus or restaurants that require two hours of undivided attention. It is a neighborhood where people want great food that arrives quickly and tastes extraordinary, where the drink list needs to be as good as the food, and where the atmosphere of a full, lively dining room feels like part of the experience rather than a distraction from it. Those are exactly the qualities that define a great Spanish tapas bar — instant gratification, communal energy, food built for sharing and for conversation — and they are the qualities that the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter delivers with more consistency and more confidence than anyone else in this neighborhood.
Our belonging in Penn Quarter goes beyond what we put on the table. Boqueria has been serving this community at 777 9th Street NW with the same unwavering commitment to authentic Spanish food that has defined our restaurants since day one. Power-lunchers rub shoulders with tourists. Theatergoers order the Pre-Theatre Menu before a show. Post-game celebrations fill the dining room after Capitals and Wizards games. Weekend brunch brings the neighborhood’s most loyal regulars through the door for sangría and the Brunch Paella. The tapas bar Penn Quarter has built around Boqueria is one of the most diverse and most engaged communities of any of our eleven locations, and every service we deliver is an effort to be worthy of the trust that community places in us every time they choose to eat here.
The Tapas Bar Penn Quarter Philosophy — What Makes Boqueria Different
The tapas bar Penn Quarter experience at Boqueria starts with a philosophy that most DC restaurants never fully embrace: tapas are not a dining format, they are a complete way of eating that puts the communal table at the center of everything. At Boqueria, every dish is designed to be shared — to arrive continuously, to keep the energy of the table alive, to build an evening rather than just deliver a meal. Two to three tapas per person is our recommendation, and the rhythm that creates at the tapas bar Penn Quarter is the authentic Spanish tapas bar experience: dishes arriving fast after ordering, the table constantly engaged, new flavors landing just as the last ones settle. This is how Spain eats, and it is how we deliver it at 777 9th Street NW every single day.
The second pillar of the tapas bar Penn Quarter philosophy is the authenticity of our ingredients. The 48-month aged Jamón Ibérico de Bellota on our charcuterie board — hand-carved from acorn-fed Iberian pigs that roam the oak groves of Andalusia — is the real thing, and it tastes like nothing else in Washington DC. Our cheeses are genuinely Spanish: Aged Mahón from the Island of Menorca (tangy, intense, citrus, aged 12 months), Caña de Cabra from Murcia (soft, citrusy, slightly grassy), Aged Manchego from Castilla La Mancha (hard, caramelized, nutty), and Valdeón from Castilla y León (creamy, sharp blue). These are the foundational ingredients of a genuine tapas bar — the real thing, at the tapas bar Penn Quarter, every service without exception or substitution.
The third pillar is the range and completeness of what the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter offers across every daypart and every occasion. The Pre-Theatre Menu is specifically designed for Penn Quarter’s pre-game and pre-show crowds — our most quickly prepared tapas, served to share, with a starter for the table and a dessert per person, perfectly paced for guests with a Capital One Arena curtain to catch. Happy Hour runs daily from 3–7pm — one of the most generous Happy Hour windows of any tapas bar Penn Quarter can offer — with a focused menu of bites that bring the best of the Boqueria tapas program at their most accessible. The Brunch Paella on weekends, the private and semi-private event spaces, the all-Spanish wine list — the tapas bar Penn Quarter experience at Boqueria is a complete dining institution, and it is one this neighborhood has earned.
The Tapas Menu — Your Complete Guide to Ordering at Boqueria Penn Quarter
The tapas menu at the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter is one of the most comprehensive and most carefully constructed Spanish menus in Washington DC. It is organized into three sections — Verduras, Pescados y Mariscos, and Carne — each one built to deliver genuine Spanish flavors and genuine quality in every dish. The table below gives you our essential guide to ordering at the tapas bar Penn Quarter on your first visit and every visit after that.
| Category | Must-Order Dish | Key Ingredients | Why Order It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verduras | Patatas Bravas | Crispy potatoes, salsa brava, pimentón, garlic allioli | The essential tapas bar Penn Quarter opener — bold, crispy, non-negotiable |
| Verduras | Bruselas con Vinagreta Ibérico | Brussels sprouts, Jamón Ibérico vinaigrette, raisins, Aleppo pepper | Sweet, smoky, deeply flavored — consistently the tapa that surprises most |
| Pescados | Gambas al Ajillo | Shrimp, garlic, brandy, lobster reduction, Guindilla pepper | The most iconic tapa in the house — a Boqueria staple across all 11 locations |
| Pescados | Pulpo a la Plancha | Seared octopus, Manzanilla olivada, olive oil crushed potato | The showstopper of the seafood section at the tapas bar Penn Quarter |
| Carne | Dátiles con Beicon | Dates, almonds, Valdeón blue cheese, bacon | Sweet, salty, perfectly balanced — always the first to disappear from the table |
| Carne | Secreto de Ibérico | Seared Ibérico pork, white romesco, sherry-honey reduction | The finest cut on the menu — Spanish pork at its most extraordinary |
The Verduras section at the tapas bar Penn Quarter is the most reliable and most foundational part of the menu, and it is where every great Boqueria evening begins. Pan con Tomate — toasted bread rubbed with tomato, garlic, and olive oil — is the most elemental Spanish tapa and the one we always recommend ordering first at the Penn Quarter tapas bar. It is the dish that signals most immediately what kind of kitchen you are eating in: one that respects the simplest preparations as much as the most complex ones. Patatas Bravas are a Penn Quarter institution — crispy, boldly seasoned, and endlessly shareable. The Bruselas con Vinagreta Ibérico and the Escalivada (fire-roasted eggplant and red pepper with labne yogurt and fresh herbs, served with focaccia) round out a vegetable tapas section that consistently earns its place at the table alongside the seafood and meat offerings.
The seafood tapas at the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter draw on one of the strongest and most internationally resonant sections of the Spanish culinary tradition — and for Penn Quarter’s cosmopolitan, globally-traveled audience, these are the dishes that generate the most excitement and the most repeat orders. The Gambas al Ajillo — shrimp in garlic, brandy, and lobster reduction with a Guindilla pepper — is our most ordered tapa across all eleven Boqueria locations, and it has earned that distinction by being extraordinary every single time. The Pulpo a la Plancha, seared octopus with Manzanilla olivada and olive oil crushed potato, is the tapa that stops the Penn Quarter dining room when it arrives at the table — it is that visually and gastronomically arresting. The Boquerones con Naranja and the Atún Canario complete a seafood section that is among the finest at any tapas bar Penn Quarter can claim. The meat tapas — the Dátiles con Beicon, the Pintxos Morunos, the Albóndigas, and the Secreto de Ibérico — deliver equal depth, and the charcuterie and artisanal cheese board is the ideal way to open any Penn Quarter tapas bar evening.
Drinks at the Penn Quarter Tapas Bar — Wine, Sangría and Cocktails
The drinks program at the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter is one of the finest Spanish-focused bar programs in all of Washington DC, built with the same philosophy that governs everything else at 777 9th Street NW: authentic, curated, and designed to work in perfect concert with the food. Our wine list is almost entirely Spanish, covering Rioja, Rías Baixas, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Priorat, and Penedès with depth and genuine curation. The Rezabal Txakoli 2024 — slightly spritzy, light, dry, and minerally — is the ideal aperitivo wine and one of the best companions to the Gambas al Ajillo and the Pulpo at the tapas bar Penn Quarter. The Reto Reserva Rioja 2019 brings earthy, structured Tempranillo depth that pairs naturally with the Secreto de Ibérico and the Costilla paella. Our team knows this list with genuine intimacy and takes real pleasure in finding the right bottle for every Penn Quarter table.
| Tapas Category | Recommended Wine | Recommended Sangría | Recommended Cocktail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verduras & Cheese Board | Verdejo (Vidal Vidal 2024) — tropical, fresh, expressive | Sangría Blanca — white wine, rum, white peach | Aperol Spritz or Forget-Me-Not (zero proof) |
| Seafood Tapas | Txakoli (Rezabal 2024) or Albariño — crisp, mineral | Sangría Rosada — rosé, tequila, grapefruit | Shishito Margarita |
| Meat Tapas & Paella | Rioja Reserva (Reto 2019) — structured Tempranillo | Sangría Tinta — red wine, gin, orange, lemon | Ibérico Washed Old Fashioned |
Our sangría at the tapas bar Penn Quarter is made in-house in three versions: the Tinta (red wine, gin, orange, lemon), the Blanca (white wine, rum, white peach), and the Rosada (rosé wine, tequila, grapefruit) — each built on real Spanish wine, each available by the glass or the pitcher. The Shishito Margarita — shishito pepper-infused tequila and fresh lime — is Boqueria’s most iconic cocktail across all eleven locations and a Penn Quarter must-order that pairs beautifully with the seafood tapas. The Ibérico Washed Old Fashioned (Jamón Ibérico fat-washed bourbon, Demerara, Angostura) is one of the most distinctive cocktails in Washington DC — a genuinely Spanish interpretation of an American classic that the Penn Quarter tapas bar audience has embraced completely. The Midnight in Madrid (Banhez Mezcal, coffee liqueur, Licor 43, mole bitters) and the full zero-proof program including the Forget-Me-Not (butterfly pea flower, thyme, honey, lime, ginger beer) ensure every guest at the tapas bar Penn Quarter has a drink that feels designed for them. Spanish vermouth on the rocks and our sherry selection complete a bar program as authentically Spanish as anything in the city.
The Tapas Bar Penn Quarter for Every Occasion — Pre-Game, Groups & Private Events
Penn Quarter is one of the most occasion-driven neighborhoods in Washington DC, and the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter is built to serve every one of those occasions with the same quality and genuine warmth. Pre and post-game dining at Capital One Arena is one of the most important use cases for our location, and we have structured our menu and our pacing specifically around it. The Pre-Theatre Menu — one starter for the table, two tapas per person from a focused selection including Gambas al Ajillo, Albóndigas, Patatas Bravas, and Bruselas con Vinagreta Ibérico, and one dessert per person — is perfectly calibrated for guests who have an Arena event to catch. The tapas arrive quickly, the drinks pour freely, and the kitchen understands that timing is as much a part of hospitality as the food itself at the tapas bar Penn Quarter.
For group dining and private events, the Boqueria tapas bar Penn Quarter is one of the most centrally located and most versatile options in all of downtown DC. From Smithsonian soirées to Capitol Hill huddles, our semi-private and private spaces welcome everything from buttoned-up team dinners to birthday celebrations that the whole table remembers. Tapas are inherently communal — a group of ten sharing rounds of Gambas al Ajillo, Patatas Bravas, Pulpo, and Dátiles con Beicon alongside a Paella Mariscos is one of the great group dining experiences available anywhere in Washington DC. Our events team works with you to build the evening around your group size, your occasion, and your preferences, so that every element — from the first tapa to the last glass of Rioja — feels tailored and effortless at the tapas bar Penn Quarter.
Beyond the Arena crowd and the private events, the tapas bar Penn Quarter at Boqueria serves the full daily rhythm of this neighborhood with equal care. The after-work crowd — government professionals, legal and lobbying Washington, nonprofit DC — finds in our Happy Hour (daily 3–7pm) the most generous and most authentically Spanish after-work tapas experience in the neighborhood. Tourists visiting the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian find in Boqueria the most rewarding and most memorable dinner the neighborhood offers — something genuinely different from the generic dining options surrounding the Mall. And DC residents who live in and around Penn Quarter find in us the neighborhood tapas bar Penn Quarter has always deserved: consistent, welcoming, warm, and always worth choosing over everything else on the block.
Visit Us at Penn Quarter — Plan Your DC Tapas Bar Evening
Penn Quarter is one of Washington DC’s most extraordinary neighborhoods, and Boqueria is proud to be the tapas bar that anchors 777 9th Street NW. Whether you are coming in before a game at Capital One Arena, planning a group dinner with colleagues, heading in for a Saturday brunch, or simply following your appetite on a weeknight when Penn Quarter is at its liveliest, the tapas bar Penn Quarter at Boqueria is ready for you. Reservations are recommended for weekend evenings, pre-game time slots, and groups of four or more — but walk-ins are always welcome and we always do our best to seat you. For DC guests who want to explore both of our Washington addresses, our Dupont Circle location at 1837 M Street NW holds the same standard and delivers the same experience in one of DC’s most beloved neighborhoods.
Our weekend brunch at the tapas bar Penn Quarter runs Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm, featuring classic Spanish brunch dishes, the Brunch Paella (Bomba rice, roasted chicken, piquillo peppers, chorizo, topped with farm eggs), and unlimited sangría and mimosa options in Classic and Deluxe packages. The visit guide below has everything you need. Call us at 202.552.3268 to reserve your table at the tapas bar Penn Quarter today.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 777 9th Street NW, Washington DC |
| Phone | 202.552.3268 |
| Hours | Mon–Thu: 11am–10pm · Fri–Sat: 11am–11pm · Sun: 11am–9pm |
| Brunch | Saturday & Sunday: 11am–4pm |
| Happy Hour | Daily: 3–7pm |
| Pre-Theatre Menu | Available — tapas to share + dessert, perfect before Capital One Arena |
| Paella Options | Mariscos · Verduras · Costilla — all GF, all Bomba rice & real saffron |
| Brunch Paella | Bomba rice, roasted chicken, piquillo peppers, chorizo, farm eggs |
| Also in DC | Boqueria Dupont Circle — 1837 M Street NW |
| Nearby | Capital One Arena, National Portrait Gallery, National Mall, Smithsonian |
| Reservations | Recommended — book at boqueriarestaurant.com |
| Private Events | Available — boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/events |
Conclusion
Penn Quarter is where Washington DC comes alive — and Boqueria is the tapas bar that rises to meet that energy every single service at 777 9th Street NW. Authentic Spanish tapas made with real ingredients sourced from Spain. Three paellas made with Bomba rice and real saffron. An all-Spanish wine list curated with genuine knowledge. Three versions of in-house sangría. A cocktail program that includes some of the most distinctive drinks in Washington DC. A Pre-Theatre Menu built for the Arena crowd. Happy Hour daily from 3–7pm. Weekend brunch with unlimited sangría. Private event spaces for every occasion this neighborhood generates. That is the complete tapas bar Penn Quarter experience at Boqueria, and it is one we have been delivering with pride since we opened our doors on 9th Street.
When you choose Boqueria Penn Quarter for your next DC evening — whether it is a pre-game dinner, a post-show nightcap, a private celebration, or a spontaneous Tuesday dinner in one of the city’s finest neighborhoods — you are choosing the tapas bar Penn Quarter trusts. Come hungry. Come with people worth sharing a table with. Call us at 202.552.3268, and we will take care of everything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of tapas bar is Boqueria Penn Quarter?
Boqueria Penn Quarter is a Barcelona-inspired Spanish tapas bar and restaurant at 777 9th Street NW, serving authentic Spanish tapas, three paellas, an all-Spanish wine list, in-house sangría, and signature cocktails daily. It is one of two Boqueria locations in Washington DC — alongside Dupont Circle — and has been operating as the tapas bar Penn Quarter relies on since opening on 9th Street.
What are the must-order tapas at Boqueria Penn Quarter?
The essential first orders at the tapas bar Penn Quarter are the Gambas al Ajillo, Patatas Bravas, Pulpo a la Plancha, and Dátiles con Beicon. For a complete tapas bar Penn Quarter experience, we recommend starting with the Pan con Tomate and the charcuterie and cheese board before working through the seafood and meat sections in full.
Does Boqueria Penn Quarter serve paella?
Yes — the tapas bar Penn Quarter serves three paellas: Paella Mariscos, Paella Verduras, and Paella Costilla, all made with authentic Bomba rice and real saffron and all gluten-free. A Brunch Paella is also available on weekends, made with Bomba rice, roasted chicken, piquillo peppers, chorizo, and farm eggs.
Is Boqueria Penn Quarter good for pre or post-game dining near Capital One Arena?
Absolutely — the tapas bar Penn Quarter at 777 9th Street NW is steps from Capital One Arena, making it one of the most convenient and most rewarding pre-game and post-game dining options in DC. Our Pre-Theatre Menu is specifically designed for Arena-bound guests, with quickly prepared tapas and dessert paced perfectly for any curtain time.
Can Boqueria Penn Quarter host a private dinner or group event?
Yes — our semi-private and private spaces at the tapas bar Penn Quarter welcome everything from Capitol Hill huddles and team dinners to birthday celebrations and Smithsonian soirées. Visit boqueriarestaurant.com/location/dc/events to get started, and our events team will build the evening around your group, your occasion, and your preferences.
Does Boqueria Penn Quarter serve brunch?
Yes — brunch is available every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm at the tapas bar Penn Quarter, featuring classic Spanish brunch dishes, the Brunch Paella, and unlimited sangría and mimosa packages in Classic and Deluxe options. Reservations for weekend brunch are recommended as the Penn Quarter location fills quickly on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
