I've been here a number of times, and while some dishes impress me more than others, I am always very happy with my meal. I've also always had to wait for my table but always had a seat at the bar while I wait (where they serve both food and drinks). The pita is served hot and steamy with waiters constantly walking around replenishing your basket, which is perfect because every dish has a great sauce that the pita can sop up. It's not a very doughy pita, but its freshness makes up for it. The dishes are small so order a lot and share!

I really enjoyed my experience here - the food was incredible and the service was very good, in a relaxed setting. I had the following dishes: -House Pita -Seared Halloumi -Crispy Brussel Sprouts -Beef Soutzoukakia -Greek Yogurt with Apricot The pita was so unique: thin with a slight crispness, with a nice delicate flavor. The halloumi was savory and rich and accented with some slight sweetness and additional richness from sour cherries and pistachios. The brussel sprouts were cooked well and had the interesting addition of yogurt, which unexpectedly worked. The mini beef meatballs were tasty and perfectly cooked, since they were so tender. Ending the meal with yogurt and apricot was great - rich and creamy - I actually preferred the dessert without the sorbet. The ambiance is fun and lively without being pretentious. Considering the quality of the food and experience, this is a great spot. I can't wait for my next visit!

This is a go to spot for Mediterranean tapas. Went for work recently and loved the tzatziki and hummus dips! The zucchini fritters were delicious as well. Also tried the Kebab platter and lamb skewers which were well seasoned. The ambiance is gorgeous, service was decent and overall a great spot for a gathering.

4.5 -- excellent experience overall at Zaytinya, would recommend to anyone who wants to scratch their Mediterranean food itch == Standouts - will dream of this == * Cocktail: Sidecar to Tangier | like a gently spiced (and spiked) fresh squeezed orange juice. Perfectly balanced, not too sweet nor alcoholic in flavor (but certainly packed a punch for a lightweight like myself!) * Spread: Htipiti | if you're like me and love a good roasted red pepper, you have to get this spread! Bright, fresh, not overly salty, just exquisite. I'm not a huge feta gal, so I was happy that the feta was perfectly avoidable (although generously sprinkled on top). == Excellent - would recommend == * Appetizer: Crispy Brussels Afelia | perfectly crispy without being overdone or too oily; the garlic yogurt and barberries were a nice touch * Entree: Lamb Chops | So tender and perfectly charred. I'm a sucker for most lamb chops and this did not disappoint == Solid - Fine, but would opt to get other dishes == * Spread: Hommus | Solid hommus offering, and would recommend if you come from a land bereft of decent hummus options (eg this will be amazing if Sabra is your only reference point). This hit my craving - nice and nutty - but nothing particularly outstanding or flavorful if you're from a land of plenty * Flatbread: Charred Eggplant Pide | This was... fine. My first "pide" which was nice and soft and the cheese was great, but as someone who LOVES eggplant, this could have easily employed 2-3x more eggplant (and onions!). Solid but lacked a special something * Dessert: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake | I'm a sucker for molten lava cakes and knew going in that this would be a more bitter version, but I wasn't prepared for how much less chocolatey / more spiced / more dense this version would be. Not my personal preference but I can see someone enjoying this. The accompanying mastic cream was also...fine == Other notes == * Booking | Got lucky on 7pm on a Saturday night as we immediately found seating at the bar for two -- will food service and its first come first serve. The restaurant was packed thought, so I would suggest making a reservation for dinner on the weekend (same day booking could work if you don't mind eating outside, or a few days in advanced if you want to secure a table inside at a reasonable time) * Service / Food wait | Service at the bar was excellent, drinks came quickly but complementary pita took about 10 minutes and apps took about another 15-20 min to arrive after placing. The place is huge and packed * Bonus | Unlimited Pita refills! * Jose Andres is an establishment! There were at least 6 dining establishments affiliated with his name within a 2-3 block radius here - Zaytina, minibar, Jaleo, Oyamel, China Chilcano, barmini. Would definitely recommend checking out at least one if you're visiting!

I dined here for a private event and had an amazing experience! Full disclosure: I am not a huge fan of Greek food, at least not enough so that I'd choose a Greek restaurant on my own, but I thoroughly enjoyed almost everything here. --- Ambiance: A Cleanliness: A Customer Service: A- Food: A Price: N/A Ambiance/Cleanliness It is hard to say much about the ambiance because my party ate outside - though the outside area was lovely. I did go inside to use the restrooms, which were spotless and everything else in the restaurant seems really quaint and cozy. Customer Service We dined here for an event, so we had a team of waiters dedicated to us, and they were all great! They were incredible friendly, quick to refill drinks, and answered any questions we had. I have a shellfish allergy, and they were amazing in making sure I knew what was in all the dishes. Every time they set something down in front of me, they made a point of letting me know that they checked to make sure there was no cross-contamination. Food Like I said, I'm not a fan of Greek food typically, but I LOVED just about everything. Shockingly, one of my favorite dishes was their humus, which I usually hate. They also have the most tender and well-seasoned chicken you will ever eat - I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! Maybe I do like Greek food, and this was the first time I've ever had it properly made :)

I came here twice, and both times I had a great experience! The vibe is very classy and on point (but the noise level can sometimes get unbearable, especially when it's busy). In terms of the food, everything was fantastic. I especially loved the brussel sprouts-- possibly my favorite place for brussel sprouts in DC! I'll definitely be coming back to try out their tasting menu next time!

Super healthy and super delicious! We got the RoZay Brunch minus the rosé. The dishes were a little small but there were so many that we couldn't finish everything. All of the dishes were very flavorful and different. I think my favorite was the grilled Brussels sprouts. The brunch also came with dessert and unlimited bread. Bread was freshly baked and went well with the hummus and other dishes. Service was excellent. The waiter brought a new basket of bread to our table every time our basket was almost empty. He also came by to refill our waters and occasionally clean our table. The place looked nice as well. Lots of spacing between tables. They had indoor and outdoor seating. We chose indoors because it was hot outside. The wall waterfall near the entrance was pretty nice. The colors of everything matches well. Menu is kind of pricey when it comes to individual items but their deals make it affordable. Either way all the food is delicious and if you can't finish you can just get a container. Great place to hold a party or go out to.

I accidentally made a dinner reservation at Zaytinya for the wrong date, but luckily we were able to make it work and were seated immediately on a Friday night around 6pm. I was originally a little nervous about outdoor dining, given the humidity, but it was surprisingly cool and windy and the servers made sure to keep us hydrated. The menu at Zaytinya is composed of a variety of mezze with a strong Mediterranean influence. For a party of 5, we were comfortably full with about ten dishes. Dinner service also comes unlimited pita and olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We started out with the tzatziki ($10), crispy Brussels afelia ($12), cauliflower tiganites ($11), and Imam bayildi ($11). Our server, Joel, was very knowledgeable with the menu, and even taught us that the name Imam bayildi means "the imam fainted" (ostensibly due to the incredible taste of the eggplants stuffed with tomatoes and onions. He also recommended his favorite three mezze, the octopus Santorini ($20), sea scallops ($17), and lamb kleftiko ($18) which we ordered two of each as each dish only comes with 2-3 pieces. It's hard to pick a favorite of the night, but the table particularly enjoyed the tzatziki ("it was incredibly fresh") and the octopus ("I love the split yellow pea purée") and the lamb kleftiko ("so intense and the perfect amount of gaminess"). Overall, I was impressed with the quality and presentation of each mezze. It's a great spot to go with a group so you can try as many different dishes as possible.

Extremely flavorful food and really kind service. They have good/affordable deals for restaurant week as well.