Clavel

Day after Thanksgiving while in town visiting with family, my husband and I came here for a date night to try this 2022 James Beard semi-finalist restaurant. We arrived a few minutes before doors opened at 5pm and there were a few people waiting. We got seated immediately at a two person table along the wall of one of the rooms. The selection of dishes is amazing. Note that due to the low watt incandescent lights and small print of the menu, it can be challenging to read the menu so it is worth reading it online or using your phone light to read it. We started with the EMPANADAS DE PURÉ DE PAPA and loved the texture of the outer shell made from corn and the potato purée topped with salsa. This followed by the A T U N C O N P I Ñ A, which had fresh tuna over a slice of pineapple and on top of a tostada; getting a bite from all three ingredients is a delight. Drinks wise I enjoyed my TUBA POR FAVOR, which has a unique flavor and went well with our starters. My husband appreciated our waiter helping him identify a non-alcoholic cocktail, the PAJARO VERDE. For dinner, we chose two tacos. I got the CARNITAS CON SALSA VERDE and CARNE DES RES, I loved the intentionally of all the ingredients with consideration to texture and flavor. Such a joy to have these freshly made tacos and the side of hot sauce was pleasantly spicy without overwhelming my palette. Given it was a cool night, I had the CALDO DE CAMARON which was a consommé of pacific shrimp with a side of rice and saltine crackers to add as you ate. A very rich soup that warms the soul and the giant shrimp with the shrimp head was so good. I liked that it was served in a cup with a handle cause it was nice to drink it from a mug while warming my hands. My husband liked his BARBACOA DE BORREGO taco with the lamb and beef shanks more than his HONGOS CON HUITLACOCHE because he preferred the meat flavors over the mushroom and corn. We ended with the flan and loved the creamy and not overly sweetness of this dessert. I paired this with their CARAJILLO, which had espresso, ancho chile and bitter orange shrub. I would try the Mezcal flight next time to try a curated sampling of what they have to offer. Atmosphere is nice and a perfect spot for a date night with plenty of options for food and beverages.

Writing this as a somewhat delayed review but I am still dreaming about the fish tacos! As of my visit, they are only open for dinner starting at 5 PM (excluding Sundays). You can't make reservations except for the mezcal bar which I believe are hard to get. My friend and I opted to show up right at 5 for happy hour (M-Th 5-7). People line up outside to get in right at 5! If you are coming past 5 I would anticipate a wait. We were quickly seated once inside. The space is really beautiful and aesthetic. Wait staff was super nice and attentive. My friend and I ordered spicy margaritas (delicious) and the queso to start that was discounted for happy hour. Their chips are very fresh and homemade, and I really enjoyed the chorizo queso! We opted for tacos and I got a lamb taco and fried cod taco. They were both very good but I loved the fish taco! We decided to do their chocolate and mezcal pairing as a dessert. It was really interesting! Not a bad price at $18 for two people to share (considering you get the chocolate plus some mezcal). I can't wait to go back. Clavel's high ratings on Google (and elsewhere) are definitely well-deserved!!

Great place for Hispanic Food in Baltimore! I really enjoyed both the atmosphere and the food! So many unique flavors and options to try. They have really good cocktails if you drink! I really enjoyed the Barbacoa de Borrego, Al Gobernador, and Tinga de Pollo tacos. They were all so unique tasting. I don’t think any of the tacos were bad though so you can’t go wrong with any of the taco choices! I really enjoyed the flan. I’m not a fan of overly sweet desserts but they incorporated a bit of bitterness to really complete the dessert and make it tasty!

I’ll admit, I came expecting to not be impressed. A Mexican restaurant on the east coast? I severely underestimated the absolutely amazing food and beverages coming from this restaurant. Everything tasted so flavorful and fresh. The next time I’m in Baltimore, I’m absolutely coming back.

I wavered between 4 and 5 stars and rounded up because even though the food didn't drop my jaw, it was memorable in a way that most Mexican restaurants on the East Coast aren't. Even mundane every restaurant has them items like bean dip and guacamole, the ones here taste just a little different. The salmon dish was a standout, sort of a blend of tortilla and sashimi roll. Even when I didn't agree with the choice to serve the mushroom taco cold, it was unique enough for me to go with it. I also love that the place has the fine dining ambience without the stuffiness and stuff formality. The wait staff, for example, was refreshingly casual and varied in their dress.