Around Town

Spanish Tapas Bar ‘Pamplona’ to Open in Clarendon Next Week

A new tapas restaurant hopes to attract a stampede of customers when it opens next week.

The new eatery, Pamplona, is slated to start slinging small bites and drinks at 3100 Clarendon Blvd on Tuesday, Jan. 10, according to co-owner Mike Bramson. Pamplona replaced SoBe Bar & Bistro, which closed about a year ago.

When it opens, the tapas joint will bring with it some of the food and fun you might find at the annual Running of the Bulls event in Pamplona, Spain.

“We went to Pamplona and fell in love with the city,” Bramson said. “Every bar was just so vibrant and exciting that we had to bring this back to Clarendon.”

The eatery’s menu includes black squid ink seafood paella, tapas dishes and bite-sized servings of food called pinxtos. Those tiny dishes — which Bramson described as “literally just one bite” — range from $1-5.

At the bar, patrons can order eight types of sangria alongside beer, wine and cocktails.

“We’re really excited to bring our cocktail program,” said Bramson, who co-founded Social Restaurant Group, the company behind Provision No. 14 and The Prospect in the District. “We’re known for our cocktails and our food. We want to bring that vibrant atmosphere to the neighborhood.”

The restaurant, designed by David Anthony Chenault, also features Spanish tiled floors, photo murals of Pamplona’s famous event and a plethora of wall-mounted bull head busts.

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