Incredible food, and top tier service. We were seated very quickly and well taken care of from start to finish. Highly recommend the halloumi, dolma, and kebab platters. Will be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nisha C.
Zaytinya…wow what can I say about this INCREDIBLE place? I want to start off by saying that I am allergic to all nuts (except peanuts), tahini, and I’m also vegetarian. This itself makes me stray from ALL Mediterranean places because most of their dishes have these things in them, and let me tell you before you tell me, I am missing out on some good stuff!My group of 14 & I dined here recently on Saturday, April 13th on the top floor. My friend called ahead for a large group & had the menu picked out in advance. My birthday was just a few days before so he also mentioned that to the restaurant & they added it to our personal menus! What a sweet & personable touch! To make it easier on our waiter, we split the table up by vegans/vegetarians on 1 side & meat-eaters on 1 side. By the way, BIG SHOUT OUT to our server, Elvis!! He somehow remembered everyone’s allergies & dietary restrictions and remembered whose drinks go where if someone switched their seats briefly. Elvis, I don’t know what to tell you, other than that you made my dining experience at a restaurant where I normally am not able to eat anything, so memorable that I will literally never forget it. He brought out dishes that accommodated everyone, and then if a vegetarian dish had tahini or pine nuts in it, he would bring me the same dish without it. This was for ALL courses, from the appetizers to dinner and even to dessert! I seriously cried happy tears on the inside!Anyways, everything here was absolutely fantastic. I’m still dreaming of so many dishes - the labneh, toum, the bread, fattoush, crispy Brussels, mujadara, and more. While it was mine & my husband’s first time dining here, a few others have dined here before and have raved about it. I can definitely say, that I am another happy & raving guest and will be recommending this restaurant for years to come. Can’t WAIT to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Brussels Afelia
Mary-Ann L.
It’s been years since I have been to Zaytinya, back then not sure if reviews were even the in thing! What I remembered were regular entrees not tapas style. We tried to call to make a reservation but nobody answered, so we opted to still go. As soon as we were about the walk in, we were told there’s a private event. So much so for not being diligent in updating their hours information to avoid the inconvenience of trekking to the restaurant, Spending on Uber, etc. We still wanted to eat there so we made reservations for the next evening.We came back and we didn’t have 4 ppl that we reserved for due to last minute illness. We had to wait even when we arrived on time per our reservation. By the time we were seated we informed the hostess that we only had 2 ppl. She then just told us sorry we can’t seat ourselves, that is policy. Nowhere in that conversation did she say they will try to find us a table. I was left with the impression they’d just ask us to leave. Thank you though for Christopher the manager who was so accommodating with finding us another table without much wait, with bubbly for the inconvenience. I ordered the eggplant bites and chocolate cake. The cake was on dry side, definitely a 3. Best part of the evening was the bottomless warm pits bread that was served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Jane Anderson
Wonderful meal, everything delicious and excellent service by Andrea!
For the prices, food was not that great , but customer service was great .
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Eileen Ramos
We arrived 15 minutes early to our reservation and waited approximately 25 minutes after our reservation time to be seated.We reserved for outside.The plates are sent out in no specific order which isn’t q problem however they were so far apart.I ordered a drink that never came out.It got chilly and we asked if we could turn propane outdoor heaters and they stated they were out of propane.For the amount of people that come to this restaurant service wasn’t great just average.I would not consider this a gastronomic experience but a nice place to share small plates and that is pretty much it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Carleen Dickerson
Let me first say the food was absolutely outstanding. We had the Chef's Experience, and there was not one thing brought to our table that I did not like.But that could be because I was so hungry. The wait was interminable. 20 minutes into our reservation, we had no drinks or even bread. There were long breaks in between courses. And the wines were typically sent out after the course was over.Still, I enjoyed myself but for one thing: The fine dining experience was marred by a guest in an inappropriate, obscene t-shirt in front of me. It's bad enough to wear a t-shirt and jeans to Sunday night dinner out, but you have to curse too? He should not have been let into the dining room.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Kate Cardoza
By far the best food we’ve had in DC, and some of the best food we’ve had anywhere. Very reasonably priced for the caliber, especially in this area. Drinks are great too, and service is above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake
Ahmid Dredar
Our waiter Todd was amazing. Great attention to detail, explained and answered all questions regarding the menu. Him alone will bring the family back. Don’t lose this guy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maitri Bhandari
Entering the expansive venue, the grandeur of Zaytinya's interiors immediately captivates you. Amidst the bustling Sunday crowd, even with a reservation, you have to wait to be seated.Starting with the classic Hommus, we were greeted with a satisfying dip that set a promising tone. However, the Cauliflower Tiganites left us yearning for more flavor.Bantijian Bil Laban, featuring crispy eggplant paired with a refreshing yogurt dip was a good dish to try. It's worth noting that the portion sizes overall lean towards the smaller side.While the ambiance was buzzing with energy, a more attentive service would have elevated the overall dining experience.
We hadn't been to Zaytinya for years and I was sorry to be so disappointed. We had a reservation for 5:00, thinking it wouldn't be that crowded. We weren't seated for 20 minutes or more. We could not have a conversation at our table, in part because a loud group was in the bar area. We asked to be seated outside, which was better, at first. I had my heart set on two things. The first, egg lemon soup, was tepid, light on lemon taste, and nothing at all like the avgolemono to which I am accustomed...and which I used to make at home. The second, Octopus, instead of being presented in a beautiful coil on a plate, was surrounded by a yellowish sauce. I really like the taste of grilled octopus, but it was lost in the sauce and there seemed to be a scant amount of it. The one thing that was very good was the Turkish coffee chocolate cake. It is served on a plate with ice cream and pistachios and some tiny crispy bits. If I were to go back, I would go about 2:30 in the afternoon. Outdoors, but three very loud women took up the adjacent table. Some people laugh so loudly that I wonder how such young people could be so deaf or how anything could be so funny that they practically scream. They certainly don't have any consideration for anyone around them. Not the restaurant's fault, though. Across the street from Chinatown Metro, so a very convenient location.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake
Samantha Putošová
Amazing food, great value, and our server was so friendly!
Marina Yakubovich
Great service, tasty food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meenu Gill
We went there for a family dinning.. the reservation was made two weeks ago and was canceled on the day of .. we finally got reservations made for 10 pm the same day .. the place is very loud and you are unable to have a conversation without speaking loudly.. our server Tony started out ok up until he took our order and then he disappeared for a rest of the stay. He did not come to check on us during the time we were there . We wanted to order more food since we were still hungry and waited and waited to order. Finally had to ask another server to find ours but still no server .. we gave up on the evening and wanted our check. Still waited and had to get up to go to the front to have our check sent to us.. he finally came.. The food is hardly anything in quantity to share for the price .. I will not be going back..
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Svetlana Pryjmak
Highly recommend! The food is fantastic and the service excellent. Two thumbs up.
Incredible food, and top tier service. We were seated very quickly and well taken care of from start to finish. Highly recommend the halloumi, dolma, and kebab platters. Will be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zaytinya…wow what can I say about this INCREDIBLE place? I want to start off by saying that I am allergic to all nuts (except peanuts), tahini, and I’m also vegetarian. This itself makes me stray from ALL Mediterranean places because most of their dishes have these things in them, and let me tell you before you tell me, I am missing out on some good stuff!My group of 14 & I dined here recently on Saturday, April 13th on the top floor. My friend called ahead for a large group & had the menu picked out in advance. My birthday was just a few days before so he also mentioned that to the restaurant & they added it to our personal menus! What a sweet & personable touch! To make it easier on our waiter, we split the table up by vegans/vegetarians on 1 side & meat-eaters on 1 side. By the way, BIG SHOUT OUT to our server, Elvis!! He somehow remembered everyone’s allergies & dietary restrictions and remembered whose drinks go where if someone switched their seats briefly. Elvis, I don’t know what to tell you, other than that you made my dining experience at a restaurant where I normally am not able to eat anything, so memorable that I will literally never forget it. He brought out dishes that accommodated everyone, and then if a vegetarian dish had tahini or pine nuts in it, he would bring me the same dish without it. This was for ALL courses, from the appetizers to dinner and even to dessert! I seriously cried happy tears on the inside!Anyways, everything here was absolutely fantastic. I’m still dreaming of so many dishes - the labneh, toum, the bread, fattoush, crispy Brussels, mujadara, and more. While it was mine & my husband’s first time dining here, a few others have dined here before and have raved about it. I can definitely say, that I am another happy & raving guest and will be recommending this restaurant for years to come. Can’t WAIT to be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Brussels Afelia
It’s been years since I have been to Zaytinya, back then not sure if reviews were even the in thing! What I remembered were regular entrees not tapas style. We tried to call to make a reservation but nobody answered, so we opted to still go. As soon as we were about the walk in, we were told there’s a private event. So much so for not being diligent in updating their hours information to avoid the inconvenience of trekking to the restaurant, Spending on Uber, etc. We still wanted to eat there so we made reservations for the next evening.We came back and we didn’t have 4 ppl that we reserved for due to last minute illness. We had to wait even when we arrived on time per our reservation. By the time we were seated we informed the hostess that we only had 2 ppl. She then just told us sorry we can’t seat ourselves, that is policy. Nowhere in that conversation did she say they will try to find us a table. I was left with the impression they’d just ask us to leave. Thank you though for Christopher the manager who was so accommodating with finding us another table without much wait, with bubbly for the inconvenience. I ordered the eggplant bites and chocolate cake. The cake was on dry side, definitely a 3. Best part of the evening was the bottomless warm pits bread that was served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Wonderful meal, everything delicious and excellent service by Andrea!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Branzino, Halloumi Pide Cheese Dates Orange, Tzatziki, Smoked Beet Salata
For the prices, food was not that great , but customer service was great .
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
We arrived 15 minutes early to our reservation and waited approximately 25 minutes after our reservation time to be seated.We reserved for outside.The plates are sent out in no specific order which isn’t q problem however they were so far apart.I ordered a drink that never came out.It got chilly and we asked if we could turn propane outdoor heaters and they stated they were out of propane.For the amount of people that come to this restaurant service wasn’t great just average.I would not consider this a gastronomic experience but a nice place to share small plates and that is pretty much it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Let me first say the food was absolutely outstanding. We had the Chef's Experience, and there was not one thing brought to our table that I did not like.But that could be because I was so hungry. The wait was interminable. 20 minutes into our reservation, we had no drinks or even bread. There were long breaks in between courses. And the wines were typically sent out after the course was over.Still, I enjoyed myself but for one thing: The fine dining experience was marred by a guest in an inappropriate, obscene t-shirt in front of me. It's bad enough to wear a t-shirt and jeans to Sunday night dinner out, but you have to curse too? He should not have been let into the dining room.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
By far the best food we’ve had in DC, and some of the best food we’ve had anywhere. Very reasonably priced for the caliber, especially in this area. Drinks are great too, and service is above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake
Our waiter Todd was amazing. Great attention to detail, explained and answered all questions regarding the menu. Him alone will bring the family back. Don’t lose this guy!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Entering the expansive venue, the grandeur of Zaytinya's interiors immediately captivates you. Amidst the bustling Sunday crowd, even with a reservation, you have to wait to be seated.Starting with the classic Hommus, we were greeted with a satisfying dip that set a promising tone. However, the Cauliflower Tiganites left us yearning for more flavor.Bantijian Bil Laban, featuring crispy eggplant paired with a refreshing yogurt dip was a good dish to try. It's worth noting that the portion sizes overall lean towards the smaller side.While the ambiance was buzzing with energy, a more attentive service would have elevated the overall dining experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Restaurantji Recommends
We hadn't been to Zaytinya for years and I was sorry to be so disappointed. We had a reservation for 5:00, thinking it wouldn't be that crowded. We weren't seated for 20 minutes or more. We could not have a conversation at our table, in part because a loud group was in the bar area. We asked to be seated outside, which was better, at first. I had my heart set on two things. The first, egg lemon soup, was tepid, light on lemon taste, and nothing at all like the avgolemono to which I am accustomed...and which I used to make at home. The second, Octopus, instead of being presented in a beautiful coil on a plate, was surrounded by a yellowish sauce. I really like the taste of grilled octopus, but it was lost in the sauce and there seemed to be a scant amount of it. The one thing that was very good was the Turkish coffee chocolate cake. It is served on a plate with ice cream and pistachios and some tiny crispy bits. If I were to go back, I would go about 2:30 in the afternoon. Outdoors, but three very loud women took up the adjacent table. Some people laugh so loudly that I wonder how such young people could be so deaf or how anything could be so funny that they practically scream. They certainly don't have any consideration for anyone around them. Not the restaurant's fault, though. Across the street from Chinatown Metro, so a very convenient location.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake
Amazing food, great value, and our server was so friendly!
Great service, tasty food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went there for a family dinning.. the reservation was made two weeks ago and was canceled on the day of .. we finally got reservations made for 10 pm the same day .. the place is very loud and you are unable to have a conversation without speaking loudly.. our server Tony started out ok up until he took our order and then he disappeared for a rest of the stay. He did not come to check on us during the time we were there . We wanted to order more food since we were still hungry and waited and waited to order. Finally had to ask another server to find ours but still no server .. we gave up on the evening and wanted our check. Still waited and had to get up to go to the front to have our check sent to us.. he finally came.. The food is hardly anything in quantity to share for the price .. I will not be going back..
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Highly recommend! The food is fantastic and the service excellent. Two thumbs up.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake, Crispy Brussels Afelia