Raise the roof: When you stop by Tabaq, be sure to admire the view through the retractable roof, arguably the restaurant's most iconic feature. Also, be a dear and bring a spare toothbrush for this guy. (DavidAll06 via Flickr)
Talk about trendy, hip and urbane. You couldn’t find a restaurant wearing more of those appellations if you tried.
I’m talking about Tabaq Bistro in the U Street Corridor in Northwest. Of course, you could find a similarly swank establishment if you really put your mind to it, but this post is about Tabaq Bistro, not your oh-so-fertile mind, so can it!
When you first click on the site, you’re immediately assaulted by visions of the Tabaq, literally, as the viewer is transported into the restaurant in question and its tasteful interior. Your ears are also assaulted by some jazzy world music, which you can gratefully turn off, but if you’re the type of cosmopolitan hipster who frequents Tabaq Bistro, your silly self may want to leave it on and act all suave.
“Embracing the flavors of the Mediterranean from Morocco to Spain, Tabaq’s tapas style cuisine offers an exquisite blend of the fine taste and elegant presentation,” says their site.
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So you should know right away if you’re interested in Tabaq’s delicacies or not.
The site goes on to state that they serve food in small portions/plates to encourage diners to mix and match. I’m assuming that extends to your dining mates, like at a Chinese restaurant, minus the gargantuan proportions. And the variety is good: meat, vegetarian, seafood.
Further, the chef “prepares traditional Mediterranean specialties such as Manti, Dolma and Lamb Kofte alongside seafood delights such as stuffed mussels and fried calamari.”
For those who want full-size entrees or otherwise hoard their food like a lion on the Serengeti (“No, you don’t!”), they serve them up bigger, too.
Dinner is served at 5 p.m. during the week. From Sunday through Thursday, the kitchen closes at 11 p.m., and it stays open until 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The bar stays open until 2 a.m. (3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday). Brunch, that thing that pampered (and wannabe pampered) girls seem to love, is served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
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Maybe the coolest thing about Tabaq has nothing to do with the food they serve but something a little more futuristic and starry. I’m referring to the halfway retractable, fully enclosed glass rooftop. It offers diners quite the view.
The 2010 Zagat-rated Tabaq is well within walking distance of the U Street Metro stop on the system’s Green/Yellow Line, so getting there is no problem.
So, whether you fancy yourself particularly cool, international or otherwise saddled with the kind of je ne sais quoi others can only dream about, come on out to Tabaq Bistro.
It’s just another culinary reason why renting an apartment in Northwest is a good idea.
