This review is for the cafe portion of the restaurant. Given its proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue SE, the interior was a soothing space with peaceful music, comfortable seating and engaging decor. The service and dining were not, however, as enjoyable with the waitstaff being slow and inattentive. Having specifically requested that the lattes be hot, I was disappointed that they were barely warm. I also ordered two sweet pineapple empanadas. Both were not only hard, but were filled with strawberry. It took an inordinate amount of time to get help and when I asked for pineapple empanadas to replace the ones I received I was told they didn’t have any. Having paid for and generously tipped for this light meal , I was annoyed by this lackluster experience. I really wanted to like eating here as much as I enjoyed the ambience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Brian Beddow
Perfect after work stop in. Great drinks, service was fantastic and the staff were attentive
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carnitas
Suzanne Phillips
Amazing!! Best guacamole we’ve ever had. Margarita was excellent. We had the short ribs, taquitos, and a variety of the tacos. Ordered a second guac. Server, Angel, was superb!! Can’t say enough about this place.Dietary restrictions: Great options for gluten free and vegan.
Delicious tacos! We got 3 different tacos and all of them were fantastic! Will come back here
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos, Pork Tacos, Fish Tacos
Lara Walker
Paraiso has been a favorite since it opened. We love the food and order often, usually through UberEats, but recently found out that they don’t have their full menu available on UE and that there are many more options on the regular menu. So we started ordering online directly through Paraiso. We won’t be trying again. Unfortunately they use a system called ChowNow which is NOT reliable and keeps canceling orders even after confirming them. This has happened multiple times. Apparently the local management has escalated the issue to senior management who won’t deal with the issue and don’t care about wasting customers’ time and inconveniencing customers - not to mention lost business on their end. Sad development, we will miss the food.
Food: 5
Service: 1
Michael Riith
An outstanding dining experience, food and service. The preparation and quality of the ingredients are 5-stars, if 5 is the maximum number. Finding Paraiso, is my dining win of 2024. We started out with the red curry mussels with black cornbread. The mussels were plump and fresh, curry sauce had the perfect spice level, and there was plenty of it to sop up with the other worldly corn bread. It had the texture of gingerbread and the flavor was delicious. Our waiter called it purple corn bread. My guest and I enjoyed the tacos. The fish taco featured perfectly fried fish with pineapple relish. The shrimp taco had a mango relish. The carnitas taco had pickled onions and the pork was crispy and moist, like traditional carnitas; however, it was not greasy. I love all carnitas, this was on another level. The sides of rice and beans were good. Of the two, the beans were the star. We shared the plantains which may have been the best I’ve eaten. In full disclosure, I am not a big fan of them and would order these again. Finally, I notice reviewers can be frugle (I don’t want to offensive and say, “cheap…). I have learned you get what you pay for. This is not your typical Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food, white queso and chips, tacos, etc. located in holes in the wall. Paraiso is on another level, it’s located in stylish surroundings, trust me, go and enjoy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos, Fish Tacos, Carnitas, Cornbread
PRINCE WILLIAMS
Amazing experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amber B.
So.Great! Everything we ordered - food &drink - was exceptional. And the service from Gabriel was even better! He gave us some wonderful recommendations that ended up being beautiful food we can't get anywhere else. Thank you so much!
Michael R.
An outstanding dining experience, food and service. The preparation and quality of the ingredients are 5-stars, if 5 is the maximum number. Finding Paraiso, is my dining win of 2024. We started out with the red curry mussels with black cornbread. The mussels were plump and fresh, curry sauce had the perfect spice level, and there was plenty of it to sop up with the other worldly corn bread. It had the texture of gingerbread and the flavor was delicious. Our waiter called it purple corn bread. My guest and I enjoyed the tacos. The fish taco featured perfectly fried fish with pineapple relish. The shrimp taco had a mango relish. The carnitas taco had pickled onions and the pork was crispy and moist, like traditional carnitas; however, it was not greasy. I love all carnitas, this was on another level. The sides of rice and beans were good. Of the two, the beans were the star. We shared the plantains which may have been the best I've eaten. In full disclosure, I am not a big fan of them and would order these again. Finally, I notice reviewers can be frugle (I don't want to offensive and say, "cheap...). I have learned you get what you pay for. This is not your typical Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food, white queso and chips, tacos, etc. located in holes in the wall. Paraiso is on another level, it's located in stylish surroundings, trust me, go and enjoy.
D Walden
A wonderful surprise, quite delectable!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Ceviche Acapulco, Chips and Salsa, Carnitas
Did the eat in the dark experience and it was lots of fun. Food and service was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lisa R.
As tourists we were winging it looking for a place to eat dinner. The exterior of the restaurant looks sophisticated and inviting. The food is beautiful and stunning. Presented without pretension but with precision. Richly flavored but not overly complicated or "cute." the food speaks for itself. Our host for the evening was Adrian who took marvelous care of us. His presence perfected what was already a wonderful meal.
Markiea K.
The food here is deliciously crafted, and the drinks are spot-on. I visited for brunch and savored the huevos rancheros and breakfast potatoes, both surpassing my flavor expectations. Despite its popularity, evidenced by the almost-full crowd on a Saturday morning, I was disappointed with the service. The bartender, while efficient, seemed to have a poor attitude, which detracted from the overall experience. Although they moved quickly, their demeanor left something to be desired, resulting in a deduction of one star from my rating. Despite that, the quality of food and beautiful ambiance does make me want to return. Hopefully I'll have a better experience with service next time.
Artie B.
Damn Good!! Came for a friends birthday dinner. The sushi they have - the tuna was okay but I didn't taste the serrano. But the Carnitas Roll was BOMB!! Margs and stuff was good.
Brian Williams
Very good food, if a bit on the pricey side. Nice hints of source and pepper throughout, which didn't kill my side-averse dining partner. Cocktails are creative and tasty.We had the tuna tartar, the carnitas roll, and a selection of tacos.
This review is for the cafe portion of the restaurant. Given its proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue SE, the interior was a soothing space with peaceful music, comfortable seating and engaging decor. The service and dining were not, however, as enjoyable with the waitstaff being slow and inattentive. Having specifically requested that the lattes be hot, I was disappointed that they were barely warm. I also ordered two sweet pineapple empanadas. Both were not only hard, but were filled with strawberry. It took an inordinate amount of time to get help and when I asked for pineapple empanadas to replace the ones I received I was told they didn’t have any. Having paid for and generously tipped for this light meal , I was annoyed by this lackluster experience. I really wanted to like eating here as much as I enjoyed the ambience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Perfect after work stop in. Great drinks, service was fantastic and the staff were attentive
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carnitas
Amazing!! Best guacamole we’ve ever had. Margarita was excellent. We had the short ribs, taquitos, and a variety of the tacos. Ordered a second guac. Server, Angel, was superb!! Can’t say enough about this place.Dietary restrictions: Great options for gluten free and vegan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos, Brussels Sprouts, Pork Tacos, Fish Tacos, Queso Fundido, Carnitas, Mole Verde
Delicious tacos! We got 3 different tacos and all of them were fantastic! Will come back here
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos, Pork Tacos, Fish Tacos
Paraiso has been a favorite since it opened. We love the food and order often, usually through UberEats, but recently found out that they don’t have their full menu available on UE and that there are many more options on the regular menu. So we started ordering online directly through Paraiso. We won’t be trying again. Unfortunately they use a system called ChowNow which is NOT reliable and keeps canceling orders even after confirming them. This has happened multiple times. Apparently the local management has escalated the issue to senior management who won’t deal with the issue and don’t care about wasting customers’ time and inconveniencing customers - not to mention lost business on their end. Sad development, we will miss the food.
Food: 5
Service: 1
An outstanding dining experience, food and service. The preparation and quality of the ingredients are 5-stars, if 5 is the maximum number. Finding Paraiso, is my dining win of 2024. We started out with the red curry mussels with black cornbread. The mussels were plump and fresh, curry sauce had the perfect spice level, and there was plenty of it to sop up with the other worldly corn bread. It had the texture of gingerbread and the flavor was delicious. Our waiter called it purple corn bread. My guest and I enjoyed the tacos. The fish taco featured perfectly fried fish with pineapple relish. The shrimp taco had a mango relish. The carnitas taco had pickled onions and the pork was crispy and moist, like traditional carnitas; however, it was not greasy. I love all carnitas, this was on another level. The sides of rice and beans were good. Of the two, the beans were the star. We shared the plantains which may have been the best I’ve eaten. In full disclosure, I am not a big fan of them and would order these again. Finally, I notice reviewers can be frugle (I don’t want to offensive and say, “cheap…). I have learned you get what you pay for. This is not your typical Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food, white queso and chips, tacos, etc. located in holes in the wall. Paraiso is on another level, it’s located in stylish surroundings, trust me, go and enjoy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tacos, Fish Tacos, Carnitas, Cornbread
Amazing experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
So.Great! Everything we ordered - food &drink - was exceptional. And the service from Gabriel was even better! He gave us some wonderful recommendations that ended up being beautiful food we can't get anywhere else. Thank you so much!
An outstanding dining experience, food and service. The preparation and quality of the ingredients are 5-stars, if 5 is the maximum number. Finding Paraiso, is my dining win of 2024. We started out with the red curry mussels with black cornbread. The mussels were plump and fresh, curry sauce had the perfect spice level, and there was plenty of it to sop up with the other worldly corn bread. It had the texture of gingerbread and the flavor was delicious. Our waiter called it purple corn bread. My guest and I enjoyed the tacos. The fish taco featured perfectly fried fish with pineapple relish. The shrimp taco had a mango relish. The carnitas taco had pickled onions and the pork was crispy and moist, like traditional carnitas; however, it was not greasy. I love all carnitas, this was on another level. The sides of rice and beans were good. Of the two, the beans were the star. We shared the plantains which may have been the best I've eaten. In full disclosure, I am not a big fan of them and would order these again. Finally, I notice reviewers can be frugle (I don't want to offensive and say, "cheap...). I have learned you get what you pay for. This is not your typical Mexican food. I LOVE Mexican food, white queso and chips, tacos, etc. located in holes in the wall. Paraiso is on another level, it's located in stylish surroundings, trust me, go and enjoy.
A wonderful surprise, quite delectable!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brussels Sprouts, Ceviche Acapulco, Chips and Salsa, Carnitas
Restaurantji Recommends
Did the eat in the dark experience and it was lots of fun. Food and service was great!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As tourists we were winging it looking for a place to eat dinner. The exterior of the restaurant looks sophisticated and inviting. The food is beautiful and stunning. Presented without pretension but with precision. Richly flavored but not overly complicated or "cute." the food speaks for itself. Our host for the evening was Adrian who took marvelous care of us. His presence perfected what was already a wonderful meal.
The food here is deliciously crafted, and the drinks are spot-on. I visited for brunch and savored the huevos rancheros and breakfast potatoes, both surpassing my flavor expectations. Despite its popularity, evidenced by the almost-full crowd on a Saturday morning, I was disappointed with the service. The bartender, while efficient, seemed to have a poor attitude, which detracted from the overall experience. Although they moved quickly, their demeanor left something to be desired, resulting in a deduction of one star from my rating. Despite that, the quality of food and beautiful ambiance does make me want to return. Hopefully I'll have a better experience with service next time.
Damn Good!! Came for a friends birthday dinner. The sushi they have - the tuna was okay but I didn't taste the serrano. But the Carnitas Roll was BOMB!! Margs and stuff was good.
Very good food, if a bit on the pricey side. Nice hints of source and pepper throughout, which didn't kill my side-averse dining partner. Cocktails are creative and tasty.We had the tuna tartar, the carnitas roll, and a selection of tacos.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos