There are some things you expect from a nice restaurant: comfortable seating, obsequious waiters and ornate place settings. Taberna del Alabardero, a Spanish restaurant known for its authentic cuisine and sumptuous decorations, has all of this and more. With deep red walls, sumptuous carpeting and gold accents, it is the picture of Iberian elegance.

On top of all that is a three-foot tall leg of ham displayed prominently near the entrance.

On my recent trip to Taberna del Alabardero, I was ensconced in a couch-like booth with a pillow nestled behind my back, right next to the ham. “Is my dining companion merely a decoration, or is he edible?” I began to wonder. “How would someone manage to eat from this large ham hock?” I would soon find out.

Upon opening his menu, my dad solved the mystery. The first appetizer on the menu is jamón ibérico, a type of cured ham produced only in Spain and Portugal. Jamón ibérico is very expensive and not widely available in the United States, but for $32 a plate, it ought to have been made of pure gold.

My dad ordered a plate of it, and we waited with bated breath as our waiter shaved thin strips of meat off the large ham hock. However, upon tasting the delicacy, I was dismayed. Though jamón ibérico has a higher fat content most ham, that extra fat didn’t add much flavor. The meat was slimy and tasted overwhelmingly of smoke.

But Taberna offers more than just second-rate ham. Visitors can browse a large dinner menu including several appetizers and salads, a selection of three paellas, and a variety of entrees. The entrée prices range from $30 to $40, and most of the salads are between $10 and $20.

Despite the appealing entrees, I would suggest asking your waiter for a tapas menu. Though he didn’t bring it when he seated us, our waiter was happy to provide the list of the restaurant’s small plates, which did not disappoint.

I would suggest starting with an order of the calamares fritos, lightly fried calamari (without a trace of grease) that is served with paprika ali-oli, a delicious dipping sauce. The calamari is tender and the spices in the batter add an extra layer of flavor. If you’re looking for heavier tapas, order the pimientos del piquillo relleno de butifarra (sausage-stuffed peppers) or the flamenquin de pollo con espinacas y queso (breaded chicken stuffed with spinach and cheese).

The peppers, though milder than I expected, were still packed with flavor from the ground sausage and were covered in a delicious red pepper sauce. The chicken was my favorite dish of the evening; the two chicken medallions packed a combination of delicious flavors. The breading was seasoned perfectly and the goat cheese in the stuffing was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

If tapas aren’t your style or you’re looking for a more substantial dinner, turn to the paella (about $30/person), a classic Spanish rice dish. I was lucky enough to visit Taberna during Paella Festival, which lasts until Sept. 30. During Paella Festival, the restaurant offers 14 additional paellas, which supplement the three that are mainstays on the menu.

Each of the paellas, which a minimum of two people must share, has a meat component, ranging from lobster to sausage to rabbit. We sampled the caldoso de mariscos y cigala, which included lobster, shrimp and scallops. The dish had a mild but rich flavor, and there was more than enough delicious seafood in each of the golden vats of rice. I could have done without the lobster head that adorned my dish, however.

After such a large array of food, especially the heavy paella, dessert was the last thing on my mind when our waiter, attired in his crisp white suit, brought the menu. With six choices, the menu was centered around traditional Spanish flavors, like almond, honey and raisin, and featured many sponge cake dishes. I’d suggest trying the canutillos rellenos de manzana asada, helado de cabrales y miel, which consists of puff pastry stuffed with roasted apples, cabrales cheese ice cream, and honey. Our waiter touted it highly, and it would be a fresh finish to a traditional Spanish spread.
The restaurant truly gives diners an authentic taste of Spanish cuisine. However, all good meals must come to an end, and leaving Taberna is like returning from a quick vacation in Spain, but without the hassles of airports and customs. This is one Spanish vacation where you won’t need your passport.

Taberna del Alabardero is located at 1776 I Street NW. For reservations, call (202) 429-2200.