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2701 E Madison, 320-9771 Tuesday-Saturday 4-10 p.m. $15-$20

Two dozen varieties of hot and cold tapas are the heart and soul of this stylish Basque taverna in the Madison Valley . . . and good luck finding a seat. The place is so tiny—500 square feet, by a generous guess—a meal here winds up feeling like a really good dinner party. Your hosts are Joseph Jimenez de Jimenez, onetime chef to the royalty of Spain, and Carolin Messier de Jimenez, pastry chef. Arrive early, sidle up to the copper tapas bar, and place yourself in their hands for some extraordinary noshing. Peerless chorizo empanadas, fat wedges of tortilla Espanola topped with marinated red onions, Yukon Golds topped with creamy aﯬi, roasted pimentos stuffed with potatoes and salt cod, sliced lamb over shallot paste, gratin of cauliflower with tomato sauce and manchego cheese—it's all sumptuous, liberally oiled, beautifully cooked, and exotically redolent of climes friendlier than ours. Paella turns out to be ordinary, so make a meal of the tapas and go right to Carolin's finishers, which if you're lucky will include the espresso flan. K.R.

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Cafe Lago

2305 24th Ave. E.
Seattle, WA 98112

Category: Restaurant > Italian

Region: Capitol Hill

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More About

• Cafe Lago
• Christine Keff
• Cassis
• Eating Out
• Seafood

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