Zaytinya - Culver City

What a bizarre experience. After being seated, we patiently waited and enjoyed the ambiance. There were quite a few waiters and waitresses passing us, but no one made eye contact or acknowledged us. Finally, my thirst got the better of me, it had been a long drive getting there, and I walked up to the waiter and asked for some water. Without a smile, he simply said “ok,” filled the water, then we were back to waiting. 30 more minutes later, the waitress showed up and apologized for the wait. No problem, stuff happens. She took our order. We ordered food and a bottle of wine. Some food comes out, brought by a busboy . 30 more minutes pass. Finally, she comes out with a glass of something pink, and apologizes for the delay with the wine. No problem, but we point to the menu- remember, we ordered this bottle of white, not a glass of rose. She tells us to keep it and she’ll be back. We taste it- it tastes like spiced water. It is awful. More minutes pass, and another waiter comes out with a glass of rose. He tells us she accidentally gave us his cleaning water from the kitchen (??!!) We all sipped it and now we are obviously upset. We ask if this is a health hazard, he doesn’t really answer. He tries to give us rose. Again, we point to the bottle we ordered. Meal almost done, he finally brings the bottle. No one, once has asked how the food was or if we need anything. We had to flag someone down to ask for more bread. Finally, we ask for the bill. They charged us for a $218 bottle of wine instead of the $70 bottle we asked for three times. Are you kidding? More waiting while they fixed that mistake. I nearly missed my flight. They did give us a dessert to share, but that didn’t make up for the night. We went here to celebrate my dad finishing chemo, but instead of a special night we got this.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

Loved the food! Really nice atmosphere and service was great as well. Thank you to the Zaytinya Culver City Team for such a lovely and warm inviting experience. Can’t wait to come back again

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I was excited to try this place, the food was underwhelming, the service was not great. I am a very easy customer and I always try to make life easy for waiters, waitresses. We felt rushed, they wanted to get plates of the table before we were done eating, they constantly came to ask how is the food, how many times are you going to ask me about the same dish? Anyway they can do better with the menu because it's not giving the Mediterranean they claim outside of the baba ganoush. The fish was okay but I do not know what was one of the sides that came with it , it tasted terrible... The restaurant is pretty and it's a great space, hopefully they will rethink that menu. Dinner for 2, paid approximately $240. Will update this review if we go again.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

Fantastic food and a lovely chilled vibe. Very generous with the bread! The halloumi, scallops and celebration rice were particular highlights - and I really enjoyed the 3pm in Istanbul cocktail.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very tasty food and great service!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been to Zaytinya after their reopening for a date night with my Fiancée. As a Turkish implant to LA for over 10 years, I found a lot in Zaytinya that brought me back home. Apart from the delicious food, the friendly service and welcoming attitude of the restaurant manager Brett to every individual guest was nice to see. Some of my favorites were the Garides, Taouk and Hallumi mezzes. The cocktails were surely worth a try, “3pm at Istanbul” cocktail was delicious and unique taste.

We’re surely becoming regulars at Zaytinya. Thank you staff for the amazing night!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of my favorite restaurants from when I lived back in Washington, D.C. so I was thrilled when I heard that Jose Andres was bringing this one to Los Angeles. We ordered so many of the dishes on the menu and they were all phenomenal. We went opening week and they managed the crowd so well, since it's in a hotel there's a lot of comfy space to hang out while you wait for your table. I'm always such a fan of the fresh pita they bring out and how you can dip it in anything on the menu. Can't wait to go back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Incredible Mediterranean restaurant of Greek, Turkish and Lebanese cuisine. Server very knowledgeable and gave great suggestions. Can’t wait to go back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best dinners I had

This restaurant just became my favorite. We did the tasting menu and everything was absolutely delicious. They did a fantastic job of accommodating an allergy. It was a perfect evening.

Great restaurant with outstanding food. We tried the 4-course option, and every item was fantastic. The beet-strawberry salad was especially delicious, and the hummus dishes were full of flavor. The skewered chicken was also excellent. I really enjoyed the yogurt-based elements across several dishes—they added a soft, rich texture. The restaurant is spacious with plenty of tables, but a reservation is still recommended. The staff were attentive, warmly introduced each dish, and maintained a friendly attitude throughout. Highly recommended.

For the price, the food was mediocre. Small portions and was just unenthused by the food.

Food was too salty and charred for my taste

Gosh. What a disappointment. I was stunned to see my favorite restaurant in Washington DC on the west coast... but this place is a far cry from its original. How is there no quality control? Food just didnt taste as good and they serve the food room temperature. We let them know that the food had been sitting out before it came to us so they took it back and the second time it came out just slightly warmer. The shrimp was the best thing there...cooked well, but the dill sauce was off-not nearly as flavorful. I dont know. It just sucked cause I wanted it to be so good and it wasn't. We didnt even eat most of the main course..just boxed it up. Hot bread was still good.

We loved the food and the prices were reasonable. The food portions are small, so be ready to order 3-4 plates per person. We had a great experience with our server and the hostess.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5