I gave Evo Bistro four out of five stars when I first reviewed French/Algerian Tapas and Wine place in November 2010, and if anything it has grown on me.
Evo Bistro
1313 Old Chain Bridge Rd
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 288-4422
We absolutely love Evo Bistro for tapas and wine. Our wallets are reluctant to visit as often as our taste buds and tummies would like.
Evo has an Enomatic® wine dispenser, which allows you to try several different wines from the large and spectacular collection Jacques has put together. The prices on the Enomatic® are a bit high (there is a lower priced Enomatic® at Whole Foods in Fairfax), but you are only getting the best wines in style…
The food is all tapas style, but with a French and Moroccan take on the style that is delightfully unusual around here (Spanish Tapas are fantastic, but much more common). If you are a little adventurous you can eat spectacularly. You may also find a tapa or two that is not your favorite – but I assure you it will not be due to poor preparation – it’s just that people’s tastes vary.
Amazing wines, amazing prices, very good service from inspired staff who enjoys working here.
The downsides: it’s noisy… very difficult to have a conversation here, and it is often so crowded as to be a bit slow… and it is priced so that it is only a special occasion place for us…
It is well worth the visit though, and try something new each time you go – there are many surprise fantastic flavors on the menu.
It is good for small groups or if you have warned them; but it is a small place that is often quite busy so a large group will quickly overwhelm the space if not the staff and kitchen.
Evo can be very hard to find, as a lot of the online and GPS map databases are confused (as are many people) by different roads in McLean having the same name. Evo is crammed into a strip mall between a Thai restaurant and a dry cleaners facing Dolly Madison Blvd (aka: VA-123 a major route through town), but the parking lot does not have direct access to 123, you’ll have to turn off on either Churchill Road / Old Chain Bridge Road (yes, Churchill becomes Old Chain Bridge about 90 feet from the entrance to Evo’s parking) or Chain Bridge Road to enter the parking lot. Part of the confusion is that a little South along VA-123, when you cross into Vienna/Tysons, the same road (VA-123) is called Chain Bridge Road but that has nothing to do with the Chain Bridge Road that is right next to Evo in McLean.
The simple directions are: drive along VA-123 until you see signs for either Churchill or Old Chain Bridge, Evo is behind the Remax building on the corner.
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