Del Mar is a light-filled and impeccably designed space in the new Wharf area, a neighborhood that screams high-end luxury. DC is just starting to embrace its waterfront, and this is a chance to try food from one of the city’s most celebrated chefs—Fabio Trabocchi, of DC seafood hotspots Fiola Mare and Sfoglina Pasta House—with the Potomac as a backdrop. Del Mar is a Spanish seafood restaurant, and with chef Fabio at the helm, you can’t go wrong with any fish on offer. I recently went for a celebratory lunch and had a delightful time. I’ve enjoyed the crudo, which came plated with lots of edible flowers, and the paellas are known to be some of the best in the city.
Del Mar has a more-is-more feel to it, which is not the style of restaurant that I’m typically drawn to, but it works, it’s very luxe. It really leaves no detail overlooked, which is obvious in its intricate plating and presentation, and stellar service; everything combines to create a very special restaurant that is done well, from the time you enter to the time you leave.
