ZaytinyaHot spot for LunchZaytinya's seems to be an "in" lunch spot tor young professionals in DC judging from a recent visit. The waiters encourage sharing dishes and this is conducive to conversation and conviviality. (This unfortunately causes the noise level to rise so conversation was difficult until the restaurant thinned out.) The food is excellent and comes without too much of a wait. There were several choices of Lebanese & Greek wine by the glass. I chose a Lebanese medium red which paired nicely with our mezzes. The brussels sprouts and baba ghanouch were outstanding and we would choose them again. Our waiter was friendly, informative and always available without being obtrusive. Parking is an obvious problem - take metro.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat experienceNice atmosphere, good service, good food. Lunch prices more then reasonable. Would come again to try more of their excellent dishes!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMy favoriteZaytinya remains at the top of my favorite list. They chicken schwarma sandwich is one of the best I have had and it is the perfect place for a quick brunch or a nice romantic dinner ! The baklava ice cream is a must have!!!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a treatA return visit to Zaytinia was another great treat- it worked perfectly as a before theater spot since it is walking distance to both the venues for the Shakespeare theater.
Fabulous choices for vegetarians- they don't feel at all like a second class citizens there. The mezze format allows for lots of sampling and the larger the group the better. Most amazingly, the price is really reasonable!5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMA Repeat Happy CustomerI've been to Zaytinya several times for special occasions. Just had brunch with my wife and our toddler. I will continue to dine here mainly because of the great food and very good service.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMNeat pre-concert spot by VerizonNeat pre-concert spot by Verizon Center that can also go high end fancy. Mediterranean tapas - excellent! Definitely a terrific place and will go back!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMnew fooods for foodies!We have traveled and dined extensively, yet found new to us some fabulous foods! Our waiter was wonderful and was able to encourage us to try the best of the menu without being overbearing or rude. We had a great bottle of Turkish Syrah that balanced with our food perfectly. The pace of serving the small plates was just right, as well as timely plate changes and bread delivery. A must do in Washington DC!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was some of the bestThis was some of the best food I have had since moving to the DC area5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAtef was an amazing waiterAtef was an amazing waiter who guided us through the menu and crafted a special, memorable birthday dinner for my fiance. THANK YOU!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is our third time andThis is our third time and there will be more visits.
Food is exceptional and paired with great service, it's the place to go.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMreally great choice!My parents came down to DC for the weekend for a visit. Took them to Zaytinya for brunch before hitting the museums. We loved it! Mezze lunch was a really reasonably priced deal for the amount of food you get. Plus you can sample a bunch of different things from the menu. Everything we ordered was delicious. And our waiter was lovely!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat!We had fun, great food and in general a fantastic experience. Without a doubt, one of DC's best!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful dining experienceWe arrived a bit late for our reservation but they were gracious. We were celebrating my daughter's college graduation as a group. My daughter's friend who has spent time in the Middle East complimented the selections. The server brought us delicious bread as often as we wanted and the menu appealed to the wide variety of tastes in our group.The atmosphere was a little noisy but luckily we were in a corner in a comfortable booth/table. My daughter is a "foody"and this is her favorite restaurant in D.C. We will return and recommend this restaurant to friends.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMwell done!It was our fifth wedding anniversary and Zaytinya is one of my wife's favorite restaurants. We also had our 1 year old in tow. the location of our table was perfect (by the windows) and Christopher was very attentive and helpful. The food was, as usual, amazing. We have many favorite dishes. Every time we eat there, I have the passing thought of wanting to introduce an out of town friend or relative to Zaytinya. Sort of a "Oh I can't wait to bring so-and-so here." So good is the experience.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and service, veryGreat food and service, very loud inside, but lovely outside seating area.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreatWe went for our friends 30th birthday celebration and had an amazing time! We all highly enjoyed the food and were thoroughly impressed!! I would and have already highly recommended friends and family to come check out Zaytinya's! I look forward to coming back again!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Small PlatesGreat Atmosphere despite it being a Friday happy hour time, with a home Capitals Game nearby and nearly universal requirements of a reservation. My only complaint was that the table we were seated at felt like an afterthought, just plopped down by the door. Our server was attentive and eager to offer his opinions, where were a good insight.
Great spot for small plates and an adventuring tummy.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and extraordinaryGreat food and extraordinary service! We sat outside on a beautiful spring day and the service was really great. The waiter went through the menu with us thoroughly, giving his personal recommendations when asked. And he was very, very attentive throughout our meal even though we were siting far away from the main doors. Everything was great and I would highly recommend this reaturant.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMMediterranean ambiance in DCI'd been to Zaytinya a couple years ago and wanted to take some DC friends who had lived in the Middle East. They loved the ambiance and the food. Although I must say that we were initiAlly seated inside way in the back and to get an outdoor table we had to ask and the manager came over and made a big deal of it. Later our server was not very knowledgeable and even copped an attitude when I asked about the raki brands available. But the good was great and the outdoors seating area was protected from the light shower that evening by these big artful umbrellas5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent mezze!Ate here for lunch, and it was fantastic! Our waitress was new to her job but obviously well-trained. She ensured we had everything we needed. It is all too easy to over-order, but that is the diner's fault...not the restaurant's! It was a memorable experience!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMYassou Zaytinya!Wonderful food! The Turkish chocolate cake and galactapita desserts are delish. Request David's section for excellent and fun service.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful TimeI was very excited to eat at Zaytinya. I had reservations once before and had to cancel, so I was very excited this time. The food was excellent and the energy in the place was awesome. The service was just okay. I know that it is small plates so the service is a little different, but there just didn't seem to be much energy from the service staff. But all-in-all I was thrilled and I can't wait to go back.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMMediterranean tapas can't go wrongOne of the best places for Mediterranean tapas in town, always very hard to decide what to eat because all their dishes are wonderful.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and serviceLoved this restaurant. Asparagus salad was made of thick and creamy yogurt with white and green asparagus. It was fantastic. Kale salad was also great. Goat cheese trio was good wouldn't get that again. The seared cheese was delicious.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFor foodiesWonderful dinner made even better by waiter, Paul. His recommendations were superb and fairly priced5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy!!Zaytinya was everything we expected. All small plates that come to the table with great thought in the presentation. The hummus and pita is delicious. We had a terrific sampling of all the different main courses. Sweat breads were exceptional . The white asparagus to die for. Just order and if your not sure ask your server, Our server was terrific and helped us put together a very enjoyable meal.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMExceptional food, and good serviceZaytinya is a really good restaurant. We have been regulars at Jaleo, but always seemed to miss going to Zaytinya. Finally went here with some old friends and was very glad we made it here. The entire party loved the restaurant. The food was exceptional, especially the lamb dishes. The drinks were great as well - as I've come to expect from Jose Andres' restaurants.
Our waiter was very efficient, and had good suggestions about the food and drink. I love the tapas concept, because everyone can taste a bunch of things. This place has a great selection of vegetarian dishes as well.
Went on a Tue and it was rocking. So, I would imagine the weekends could be a little nuts. But, the food makes it all worth it.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMone of the best in D.C.My wife's favorite restaurant in D.C. We went for lunch and got lunch specials. All excellent. Perfect portions. We wish we can come back and try everything on the menu. A must.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMTurkish mezzes a hitWe dined as a group of four and sampled many of the small plates. Our party included two people visiting Washington DC from Turkey. The Americans thought the food was amazing; the Turkish people agreed that the food was great, but of course, not completely "authentic". Not sure completely authentic is the point of this restaurant, as the great variety, cool drink list and atmosphere added to a fantastic dining experience. The only negative was that our server was a bit haughty, maybe a graduate student working to pay bills. Our table of physicans didn't appreciate the scorn; perhaps since we were all women we were a bit underestimated.5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding service, delicious foodI had made a reservation, as 6 of us were celebrating a friend's upcoming wedding. All of the staff had been briefed about the occasion and were super! The server was there when we needed him and not there when we didn't. The GM paid us a visit to see how everything was going and to congratulate the bride-to-be. The food was excellent, which is what I expected it to be. There was seriously not a single problem.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGreast Food amid Much NoiseAs always, the food and service were fantastic. On my other visits we came midweek, and so did not notice the noise. On a Saturday night, however, even sitting upstairs, the noise level was so high it was nearly impossible to carry on a conversation. Go with good friends with whom you do not need to talk a lot. Not recommended for anything romantic, like a proposal, since she probably would not be able to hear you.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMCome for the foodI was recommended to try this place from a friend. His recommendation was spot on. The food (shrimp, crabcakes, hummus) all rated high. I enjoyed several greek and turkish beers and the waitress was informative and cheerful. The noise level (Sat night at 5:15 pm) was a little on the high side for me but it did not detract from the ambience. Lots of energy, airy bright etc...
Would return again for sure.
It was our five year anniversary so the place was quite memorable.
Thanks5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service,Great food, great service, but quieter would be better. A bit of sound absorbing material would help.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food; very interestingExcellent food; very interesting and unusual. Very loud.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food and service wereThe food and service were fantastic! We had a reservation for 9:00 PM and were not seated until about 9:45. The manager apologized to us and gave us a free bottle of Cava to make up for the wait!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderfulOur server knew the food and wine and made great recommendations , she came around every now and then to check on us, and I was purely amazed how she was doing her best to entertain us although I could see she had multiple tables and was a bit tired Ina busy Saturday night.
Hummus, babaganough, Ottoman eggplants, grape leaves rolls, crispy Brussel sprouts, fried calamari, scallops，the meat pie thing, and a kebab plate. We had the greek yogurt and turkish delight for dessert. And everything was delicious!!! And and the food came out very fast.
Everybody enjoyed the meal, and amazingly the total was about 60$ each which I felt was very good for the quality and amount (we were all full).Definitely will come back .5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat tastings restaurant.Love the Tapas style. Everything I tried was amazing.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMJoelJoel was our server and he made the experience very pleasurable. His knowledge and professionalism were top notch and we would return many times based on our experience.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food and dessertWe had ordered vegetarian food and it was out of the world. Hommus and Htipiti is always in the must order list whenever we go there. We tried Brussels Afelia and Mercimek Koftesi and both dishes were really good. The best part was dessert where we ordered Turkish Delight and it got over within no time. I would highly recommend Turkish Delight if you are ordering dessert.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding food qualityZaytinya is a light airy space. The wait staff are talented at explaining the dishes and patient as you make your decisions. It is the food where Zaytinya has the upper hand on its competition. It is fresh, original but true to its historical roots, and the flavor combinations for each dish I ordered were subtle and so supporting to the main item on the plate.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWell done!Fantastic, creative food with attentive service. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and would highly recommend.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMunique and tastyBright and fresh decor. The tappas style food was a great way to try some very unique dishes. Highly recommend the red pepper and feta spread! Was more casual then expected and a number of kids in the dining room but this was probably related to the fact that we could only get 5:30 reservations.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good food. Waiter wasVery good food. Waiter was helpful in explaining the menu and with our selections. Would definitely eat here again.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMDavid was a great waiter.David was a great waiter. He was energetic, described the dishes wonderfully and was very energetic with all of his tables. I tried 3 dishes this time: the potatoes with mustard (a special), the grilled haloumi and the kale salad. All were very good. I loved the halloumi cheese. It had great additions -- a few orange slices, pomagranite seeds, a herbs - which one could combine with te cheese or the pita bread. The tiny but very cute seed potatoes were roasted & then tossed in the mustard sauce. Very nice. I felt like the wine list is better than it used to be. It now has very interesting and unusual Greek/Mediterranian grapes.5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMHad always heard good thingsHad always heard good things about this restaurant from colleagues. Finally got a chance to eat here before a concert at the Verizon Center. Exceptional food and great service-- certainly lives up to its reputation.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat surpriseFirst time to Washington. Didn't know the place, non specific recomendations. We searched in tripadvisor and decided to go. Very good food. Very nice place.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMSensational, as usualAnother killer meal at Zatinya. Some new dishes on the menu were outstanding and the old favorites were too. You really can't go wrong at this restaurant.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWill come back for sureThere were some dishes that were really great e.g. htipiti, taramosalata, soujouk pide, horta salata, and the mushroom couscous. Pace yourself with the pita bread because they will keep replenishing when you run out and you will be tempted to keep eating them with the delicious dips! There were other dishes we wanted to order but we got full from the pita bread. Great service.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and service...But it was very loud. It was hard to hear the other people at the table. Maybe lunchtime is better?4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of my favorite restaurantsOne of my favorite restaurants in Washington DC. It is very different than anything from home(OKC).
My favorite dish is the brussel sprouts.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AM