Estadio

Estadio, which means "stadium" in Spanish, is a contemporary Spanish restaurant located in the fashionable Logan Circle neighborhood.  "The menu offers a creative take on traditional Spanish cuisine, complimented by an approachable wine list and inventive beverage program." 
Serving pintxos, or "little bites", the tapas style of dining makes for a fun and laid back experience. Closest Metro is McPherson Square or Farragut North.

Keith surprised me for a date night out and chose this new restaurant to reminisce the Spanish vacation we took last year.  A variety of cheese and meat plates can be shared along with salads and sandwiches or heavier meats and seafood dishes.  Be prepared to order several plates to share, as some portions were quite smaller than others.  The wine list is over 90% Spanish, and since Estadio's sister restaurant is the trendy wine joint known as Proof, I suspect the wines to all be of higher quality. However, we opted for glasses of Sangria instead.  The red is mixed with a sugary cane syrup liquor and mint, where as the white is mixed with tequila and cinnamon.  I preferred the red over the white, as the white was a bit too "soapy" on my pallatte with the overpowering cinnamon.  Each plate arrived fairly fast and seemed to be timed so that once we finished one, the next plate was immediately brought out.  The flavors of each referenced the old world Spanish ingredients yet featured their own twist, whether it be a little more roasted, spicy, or peppery.  I really enjoyed the mushroom croquettes, but they were so tiny!  The seafood dishes were cooked perfectly - very tender and not overly chewy or fishy.  Keith found the Hangar steak to be very flavorful but not as tender as other places, however that is also due to the cut of the meat.  The food was hot and fresh, the service was attentive and friendly, and the decor was masculine and romantic with a very gothic Spanish twist.  I downgraded the accessibility rating though, since it is a little bit of a hike to the nearest metro and also reservations fill up fairly quick. Overall, I really enjoyed our meal at Estadio and think it would be a great place for a groups as well.

Total Rating: 4.1
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 4

What I ate:

Jamon and Melon Salad
slices of Spanish ham served with thin slices of honeydew melon, drizzled with olive oil

♥Wild Mushroom Croquetas♥

served with arugula and roasted red peppers


Patatas Bravas
fried pieces of potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce, creme fraiche, and chives

♥Grilled Octopus♥
served with a potato and garbanzo bean salad


♥Sauteed Shrimp♥
with garlic, parsley, and lemon

Plus Keith ate:

Hangar Steak

served with potatoes, a tomato and bread salad, fried and raw onions