Always a delicious meal, beautiful small plates that are exciting, entrees are seasoned beautifully, service is attentive and pleasant, drinks are tasty and innovative.
Brendan Karlstrand
We've been to Zenola a few times now, and every time we come away even bigger fans. Everything we've had was great, but the spreads (all of them), fattoush (salad), shankleesh & tomato, allepo batresh, and believe it or not the cheesecake have been our favorites. The warm pita is great. Wonderful cocktails, wine, and beer selection. The staff are super friendly and have great recommendations. They're also completely fine with several rounds of orders, which is great when we're not sure how hungry we are to start. Food arrives quickly after ordering. Very vegetarian friendly, a ton of dishes are vegetarian. The portions are great, my wife and I are usually full after splitting 3-4 mezzes and a dessert. Can't recommend Zenola enough.Parking: Large strip mall parking lot, we've never had issues parking, usually plenty of spaces.
Sarah Stubbs
I have eaten at Zenola for dinner several times and had a fantastic experience every time. Their food is absolutely delicious, and I especially recommend the mezze dishes and spreads. Any dishes with eggplant and lamb are particularly good, but really you can't go wrong at this place. And don't think of leaving without trying the cheesecake, which is light and fluffy yet so flavorful. The service has been excellent every time, and the restaurant itself is very cute and well designed. Zenola is a gem and a NoVA can't-miss.
Shera Lachelle
I visited to Restaurant Week and found it to be a great choice. The food was so fresh and you could see the chef working hard through the kitchen window. After our meal the chef came out and greeted us. What a nice touch! The wait staff was friendly and fast. I enjoyed my experience.Vegetarian options: The lasagna was filling! It's not recommended for vegans, because it had cheese.Parking: Directly in front of the establishment.
Porusp Marshall
Overall good food and cocktails. Tried the sea bass entree and kabobs. Both were good. Humus topped with duck was very
Brooke Shaffer
We visited during Restaurant Week for the first time. My favorite part was the cocktail list, which had lots of really interesting/unique options, including non-alcoholic drinks for Dry January -- both of our drinks were amazing! With great staff and beautifully plated dishes, this is a really fun spot for date night.
N B
The food here is top-notch and the service is so friendly. The cheesecake with the date crust might be the best dessert in Northern VA (though Chocolate Passion is close competition!). Definitely a favorite local place in our regular rotation.
Richard Post
Following our tradition of celebrating at a new restaurant (one that the inviter had never been to), I picked this from the Washington Post review of summer of '22.First, I was extremely pleased with the "feel" of the place. The music was pleasant to hear modern take on middle-eastern and low enough (and the background noise as well) to make casual conversation easy, even for those of us with less than optimal hearing. The amount of open space around the tables is nearly unheard of in the current drive to push in more seating however it can be done. This left us hopeful even before we saw the menu.The number of appetizer/mezze choices was wide (two to three times as many options as the entrees), so it is obvious which way you were expected to go. That said, I recall only 5 or 6 entrees, so the number of choices were not overwhelming by any means.Two of our party had the cream of chestnut soup, and one of the two tasters wondered aloud at the end of the meal if some kind of drug had been put in it, as she was stuffed but still wanted to order another serving. Definitely an item worth noting. The two person mixed grill was an enjoyable mix of the same kind of items that one would see, but all of the highest quality (and the tiny drumsticks from the deboned half Cornish game hens that were part of it were charming, as well as well seasoned). The whipped garlic was a surprising condiment, if mildly overpowering, take care before diving in too deeply, unless one is ready to have the taste linger for hours.The price range puts it out of my regular dining rotations, but it was a wonderful celebration, and one of my party is already planning how to lure more people back so that she has an excuse to go again.Definitely recommended.Parking: In a shopping center, so lots of parking.Wheelchair accessibility: There should be no issues.
Pablo P.
I've been wanting to try Zenola for some time and finally got the opportunity. Overall the experience was positive. The food was good, waitress was attentive during the meal but a little scarce during the end when we were trying to collect the check. My wife and I ended up ordering a variety of mezze rather than selecting an entree. We had the following: Hummus - smooth and well seasoned and the pitas were great Shankleesh & Tomato - four small bites, tasty but emphasis on the small Butcher Kefta Kabob - Juicy and very good; wish there was more of the whipped feta Wood Grilled Spanish Octopus - delicious, super tender. A must-order. Roasted Cauliflower - Good, though I wish they were cut smaller, seasoned more and a bit more crispy/charred Batata Harra - nice and creamy potatoes though some were a bit over and burnt Sujuk - didn't present as pretty as the other dishes but the sausage/chorizo itself was good but was a bit heavy on the sauce. Was supposed to come with a quail egg, which they didn't have so I took a regular chicken egg on the side. It was a bit undercooked w/ the egg white on top still clear Date and Pistachio Crusted Pistachio Cheesecake - it was good but didn't hit the level of how people raved about it The wine and cocktail list weren't too long but it was nice that they also offered dry/non-alcoholic options. I wish there were a few more options in general and some more creativity w/ the cocktail options. All things considered, I'd go back but I did find it to be a bit pricier than I expected for the the quantity of what was received. For the servings received I wish they were priced more along a tapas restaurant for the mezze. The space itself is nice, open, and was immaculate. The restaurant had filled up mostly but my wife and I were still able to speak and hear one another w/ no problems.
BritinVA
Pleasant almost European atmosphere. Pleasant welcome from attentive wait staff. Food excellent. Variety of Meze both hot and cold first class. Will return
Situated in an unexceptional shopping mall the fine Middle Eastern food and excellent service combined for a marvelous experience,
Annette A.
Service was really really slow but the food was fantastic (albeit a bit on the small side).
Nancy R.
Zenola is a new higher end Mediterranean restaurant in Vienna. The dining room is very spacious but full of hard surfaces so it can get really noisy when it is filled even though the tables are well spaced. The four of us who met for dinner found that we were all a little hoarse after trying to make ourselves heard across the big round table at which we had sat. The food, especially the lamb shank, was very tasty but a lot of the portions were smaller than expected which made sharing a little awkward when we had four people. . We tried the mhamarah roasted red pepper spread, the roasted cauliflower, stuffed zucchini, grilled octopus, and an eggplant appetizer. We also had the kibbeh which were tasty but tiny. Zenola was great to try, but, my favorite for this type of cuisine is still Lebanese Taverna.
Kam M
We had a reservation at 5pm in October and I the sun coming through the front window left half the people in the dining room staring into it. I am surprised that the staff listens to customers complain about the light in their eyes every day since they open at 5 and haven't satisfactorily addressed the issue. Their current blinds are just not doing the job. So that was not a great start. We had a great waitress who was very attentive though we waited about 45 minutes between our small plates and main entree. Some small plates were very good like the beef shawarma and hummus. Some items were just okay like the falafel (I've had as good or better at Mezza). And then one small plate was not good-- the tomato dish with goat cheese really wasn't doing it for anyone. There's a small amount of main entrees to choose from. Probably most do the mixed grill. Of course the star again was the beef, and everything else was good but not special. If you come, make your reservation at 6pm or later, and focus on the beef dishes.
Karen W.
My husband and I had wanted to try Zenola for quite some time, and after reading Tom Sietsama's glowing review, made a reservation to have a celebratory anniversary dinner there tonight. Sadly we were terribly disappointed and wondered if the notoriety has affected them. Although I had noted we were coming to celebrate our anniversary it wasn't acknowledged either when we arrived or at any time during our dinner. Once seated, we waited at least 10 minutes before someone finally came to our table to ask if we wanted water and another wait before it actually came. That wait was followed by another long wait until our waitress took our order. Yet another long wait until our appetizers finally arrived. You get the idea. Per Tom's suggestion, we ordered both the roasted eggplant and the kibbeh and both were delicious. While he did say he had mixed feelings about the mixed grill, we decided to give it a try hoping they had read his review and had improved on the beef kabobs. If not, we figured the chicken and lamb kefta plus the rice and vegetables would fill us up. Sadly, only the kefta hit the mark. The chicken was dry and hardly seasoned and that rousing red pepper dip he mentioned was nowhere to be seen. The rice was brought to the table without a serving spoon and we had to hail someone down to bring us one. They must have been rationing the accompanying vegetables. Since it was just the two of us we only were given two carrots, two slices of squash, two half slices of sweet potato and three very tiny slices of artichoke. The vegetables were cold and the only flavor came with some garlic butter they gave us to spread on them. When it came time for dessert we had to wait while our waitress finished chatting for at least 5 minutes with a couple at another table. We ordered the cheesecake which was brought to us without forks, and we had to get our waitress's attention for her to bring some forks. So what we had hoped would have been a delicious 38th anniversary dinner with great service turned out to be neither. And to add insult to injury, while our anniversary was ignored, a table near us celebrating a birthday was acknowledged by the restaurant. This is the first time we have had such a disappointing experience at one of Tom's recommended restaurants. They are usually spot on. Perhaps our experience was due to the fact it was a Saturday night, and they aren't equipped to handle a larger crowd. The decibel level was around 80 so not conducive to easy conversation either. I would be hard pressed to try Zenola again
Always a delicious meal, beautiful small plates that are exciting, entrees are seasoned beautifully, service is attentive and pleasant, drinks are tasty and innovative.
We've been to Zenola a few times now, and every time we come away even bigger fans. Everything we've had was great, but the spreads (all of them), fattoush (salad), shankleesh & tomato, allepo batresh, and believe it or not the cheesecake have been our favorites. The warm pita is great. Wonderful cocktails, wine, and beer selection. The staff are super friendly and have great recommendations. They're also completely fine with several rounds of orders, which is great when we're not sure how hungry we are to start. Food arrives quickly after ordering. Very vegetarian friendly, a ton of dishes are vegetarian. The portions are great, my wife and I are usually full after splitting 3-4 mezzes and a dessert. Can't recommend Zenola enough.Parking: Large strip mall parking lot, we've never had issues parking, usually plenty of spaces.
I have eaten at Zenola for dinner several times and had a fantastic experience every time. Their food is absolutely delicious, and I especially recommend the mezze dishes and spreads. Any dishes with eggplant and lamb are particularly good, but really you can't go wrong at this place. And don't think of leaving without trying the cheesecake, which is light and fluffy yet so flavorful. The service has been excellent every time, and the restaurant itself is very cute and well designed. Zenola is a gem and a NoVA can't-miss.
I visited to Restaurant Week and found it to be a great choice. The food was so fresh and you could see the chef working hard through the kitchen window. After our meal the chef came out and greeted us. What a nice touch! The wait staff was friendly and fast. I enjoyed my experience.Vegetarian options: The lasagna was filling! It's not recommended for vegans, because it had cheese.Parking: Directly in front of the establishment.
Overall good food and cocktails. Tried the sea bass entree and kabobs. Both were good. Humus topped with duck was very
We visited during Restaurant Week for the first time. My favorite part was the cocktail list, which had lots of really interesting/unique options, including non-alcoholic drinks for Dry January -- both of our drinks were amazing! With great staff and beautifully plated dishes, this is a really fun spot for date night.
The food here is top-notch and the service is so friendly. The cheesecake with the date crust might be the best dessert in Northern VA (though Chocolate Passion is close competition!). Definitely a favorite local place in our regular rotation.
Following our tradition of celebrating at a new restaurant (one that the inviter had never been to), I picked this from the Washington Post review of summer of '22.First, I was extremely pleased with the "feel" of the place. The music was pleasant to hear modern take on middle-eastern and low enough (and the background noise as well) to make casual conversation easy, even for those of us with less than optimal hearing. The amount of open space around the tables is nearly unheard of in the current drive to push in more seating however it can be done. This left us hopeful even before we saw the menu.The number of appetizer/mezze choices was wide (two to three times as many options as the entrees), so it is obvious which way you were expected to go. That said, I recall only 5 or 6 entrees, so the number of choices were not overwhelming by any means.Two of our party had the cream of chestnut soup, and one of the two tasters wondered aloud at the end of the meal if some kind of drug had been put in it, as she was stuffed but still wanted to order another serving. Definitely an item worth noting. The two person mixed grill was an enjoyable mix of the same kind of items that one would see, but all of the highest quality (and the tiny drumsticks from the deboned half Cornish game hens that were part of it were charming, as well as well seasoned). The whipped garlic was a surprising condiment, if mildly overpowering, take care before diving in too deeply, unless one is ready to have the taste linger for hours.The price range puts it out of my regular dining rotations, but it was a wonderful celebration, and one of my party is already planning how to lure more people back so that she has an excuse to go again.Definitely recommended.Parking: In a shopping center, so lots of parking.Wheelchair accessibility: There should be no issues.
I've been wanting to try Zenola for some time and finally got the opportunity. Overall the experience was positive. The food was good, waitress was attentive during the meal but a little scarce during the end when we were trying to collect the check. My wife and I ended up ordering a variety of mezze rather than selecting an entree. We had the following: Hummus - smooth and well seasoned and the pitas were great Shankleesh & Tomato - four small bites, tasty but emphasis on the small Butcher Kefta Kabob - Juicy and very good; wish there was more of the whipped feta Wood Grilled Spanish Octopus - delicious, super tender. A must-order. Roasted Cauliflower - Good, though I wish they were cut smaller, seasoned more and a bit more crispy/charred Batata Harra - nice and creamy potatoes though some were a bit over and burnt Sujuk - didn't present as pretty as the other dishes but the sausage/chorizo itself was good but was a bit heavy on the sauce. Was supposed to come with a quail egg, which they didn't have so I took a regular chicken egg on the side. It was a bit undercooked w/ the egg white on top still clear Date and Pistachio Crusted Pistachio Cheesecake - it was good but didn't hit the level of how people raved about it The wine and cocktail list weren't too long but it was nice that they also offered dry/non-alcoholic options. I wish there were a few more options in general and some more creativity w/ the cocktail options. All things considered, I'd go back but I did find it to be a bit pricier than I expected for the the quantity of what was received. For the servings received I wish they were priced more along a tapas restaurant for the mezze. The space itself is nice, open, and was immaculate. The restaurant had filled up mostly but my wife and I were still able to speak and hear one another w/ no problems.
Pleasant almost European atmosphere. Pleasant welcome from attentive wait staff. Food excellent. Variety of Meze both hot and cold first class. Will return
Restaurantji Recommends
Situated in an unexceptional shopping mall the fine Middle Eastern food and excellent service combined for a marvelous experience,
Service was really really slow but the food was fantastic (albeit a bit on the small side).
Zenola is a new higher end Mediterranean restaurant in Vienna. The dining room is very spacious but full of hard surfaces so it can get really noisy when it is filled even though the tables are well spaced. The four of us who met for dinner found that we were all a little hoarse after trying to make ourselves heard across the big round table at which we had sat. The food, especially the lamb shank, was very tasty but a lot of the portions were smaller than expected which made sharing a little awkward when we had four people. . We tried the mhamarah roasted red pepper spread, the roasted cauliflower, stuffed zucchini, grilled octopus, and an eggplant appetizer. We also had the kibbeh which were tasty but tiny. Zenola was great to try, but, my favorite for this type of cuisine is still Lebanese Taverna.
We had a reservation at 5pm in October and I the sun coming through the front window left half the people in the dining room staring into it. I am surprised that the staff listens to customers complain about the light in their eyes every day since they open at 5 and haven't satisfactorily addressed the issue. Their current blinds are just not doing the job. So that was not a great start. We had a great waitress who was very attentive though we waited about 45 minutes between our small plates and main entree. Some small plates were very good like the beef shawarma and hummus. Some items were just okay like the falafel (I've had as good or better at Mezza). And then one small plate was not good-- the tomato dish with goat cheese really wasn't doing it for anyone. There's a small amount of main entrees to choose from. Probably most do the mixed grill. Of course the star again was the beef, and everything else was good but not special. If you come, make your reservation at 6pm or later, and focus on the beef dishes.
My husband and I had wanted to try Zenola for quite some time, and after reading Tom Sietsama's glowing review, made a reservation to have a celebratory anniversary dinner there tonight. Sadly we were terribly disappointed and wondered if the notoriety has affected them. Although I had noted we were coming to celebrate our anniversary it wasn't acknowledged either when we arrived or at any time during our dinner. Once seated, we waited at least 10 minutes before someone finally came to our table to ask if we wanted water and another wait before it actually came. That wait was followed by another long wait until our waitress took our order. Yet another long wait until our appetizers finally arrived. You get the idea. Per Tom's suggestion, we ordered both the roasted eggplant and the kibbeh and both were delicious. While he did say he had mixed feelings about the mixed grill, we decided to give it a try hoping they had read his review and had improved on the beef kabobs. If not, we figured the chicken and lamb kefta plus the rice and vegetables would fill us up. Sadly, only the kefta hit the mark. The chicken was dry and hardly seasoned and that rousing red pepper dip he mentioned was nowhere to be seen. The rice was brought to the table without a serving spoon and we had to hail someone down to bring us one. They must have been rationing the accompanying vegetables. Since it was just the two of us we only were given two carrots, two slices of squash, two half slices of sweet potato and three very tiny slices of artichoke. The vegetables were cold and the only flavor came with some garlic butter they gave us to spread on them. When it came time for dessert we had to wait while our waitress finished chatting for at least 5 minutes with a couple at another table. We ordered the cheesecake which was brought to us without forks, and we had to get our waitress's attention for her to bring some forks. So what we had hoped would have been a delicious 38th anniversary dinner with great service turned out to be neither. And to add insult to injury, while our anniversary was ignored, a table near us celebrating a birthday was acknowledged by the restaurant. This is the first time we have had such a disappointing experience at one of Tom's recommended restaurants. They are usually spot on. Perhaps our experience was due to the fact it was a Saturday night, and they aren't equipped to handle a larger crowd. The decibel level was around 80 so not conducive to easy conversation either. I would be hard pressed to try Zenola again