El Mercat Bar de Tapas

El Mercat Bar de Tapas is a great spot for authentic Spanish tapas in Arlington. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, and the food is flavorful and perfect for sharing. Their happy hour from 3–7 PM has great deals on tapas, vermouth, sangria, and drinks, which makes it an excellent place to stop by after work. Friendly staff and relaxed vibes—definitely a place I’d come back to.

I was excited to try this place because it was new to the neighborhood and the reviews were positive so far. Sadly it did not meet expectations due to poor service. We went for brunch and the food was great, but it took 20+ minutes to be served despite there being just one other table occupied in the restaurant. The plates themselves were quite cold - food benefits from heated plates, a small detail but one that goes a long way. Our server forgot to bring us our condiments which he suggested and had to be reminded of before he brought them to us. All the while we were being pestered to order drinks and coffee, which we did not want and had informed them of the first time they asked us. In light of the low quality of service, I thought it was laughable their tip brackets start at 20%. Long

Checked out this *new* restaurant as part of Amex Plat Resy credit and did NOT disappoint. Happy hour was great! 4-7 pm, Mon-Friday. Sat at the bar and Kathy, our bartender, was so sweet and made recommendations and very attentive although they were busy. We had two cocktails and two Sangrias. Lots of tapas. Everything was great!

went to this restaurant with high expectationns after visiting earlier this year the sister restaurant in Rockville and was not disappointed. Food and service were great! Tried several Tapas, fried shishito peppers, mushroom croquettes, spicy corn, all were great. and the grand finale was a dish of paellas, the montana plate with fantastic chicken and chorizo. will be back to try the rest of the menu.

Great experience! The food was amazing. The happy hour is amazing. Second time here, and the service is great as well. Perfect for a date night. Daily happy hour. Who doesn’t love that? Please check them out:) Alicia served us the first time and Kathy served us the second time!