About us

In 1974, Luis de Lezama began an adventure, charting a new course for himself in Madrid. He quietly, open a town house near the Royal Palace in Spain’s capital city and, with no prior training in the restaurant business, began serving meals. An inauspicious start, perhaps, but thus was born La Taberna Del Alabardero—or Tavern of the Palace Guards—the critically acclaimed establishment Lezama opened outside the Palace gates of the capital city in 1974. Nestled on the Plaza de Oriente, La Taberna quickly became a fashionable locale and Lezama followed his Madrid success with 6 Taberna del Alabardero restaurants in Madrid, of which the one located in Marbella that opened in 1977, now has 2 additional locations, and 2 more scheduled to open by the end of 2009 in Madrid. There is also El Capricho del Alabardero, located in Cordoba, a catering company, Iruaritz a luxurious 5 bedroom hotel hidden in the Country Basque, and with the anticipated vision of the restaurant industry, a culinary school located in Seville, and Zaragoza, a school that primarily offers online courses. In his first, and only, venture abroad, Lezama crossed the Atlantic to open Taberna Del Alabardero in this nation’s capital city on March 27, 1989. Washingtonian Magazine restaurant critic Robert Shoffner calls it “The best Spanish restaurant in the Country”, and 20 years later the opening of Taberna del Alabardero in Seattle. The New York Times enthusiastically greeted the restaurant’s arrival , just four blocks from The White House, saying Lezama was “… finally bringing a sophisticated Spanish Kitchen to the Nation’s Capital… Taberna del Alabardero features typical tapas, fried squid and salted codfish as well as surprises like Lubina a la Sal or Cohinillo Asado. Since 1989, with executive Chef Josu Zubikarai, Taberna quickly garnered high praise and a legion of acolytes, fast forward 20 years later executive our Chef continues to carry the torch that was established. While the restaurant regularly plays host to diplomats and dignitaries, all of our guests are special, and we welcome you as we would into our own homes. Lezama’s hope and goal for his Washington restaurant is to educate people in this country about the rich diversity of Spanish cooking, a European cuisine with an abundance of regional specialties. He says, “I try to combine the classic ingredients in modern ways. I don’t want to be shocking to my customers. But I want to make the taste good.” Taberna serves authentic cuisine from the Basque country to Andalucía and Valencia to Galicia— and Taberna’s menu encompasses them all. A great beaty, Spain is uniquely and strategically located between Africa, toward which it faces, and Europe, to which it belongs. Historically this has made the country a vital link between East and West, melding diverse heritages and recognizing cultural differences, and creating a cuisine we know you will enjoy.