Zaytinya

Zaytinya us a trendy, fun, Mediterranean mezzes (small dishes – like tapas) restaurant. Great service and the price is fairly decent ranging from $7-11 a plate. Plan to order 5 - 6 plates per couple. Mostly serve Greek and other Mediterranean wines along with trendy overpriced cocktails that use Turkish fruits like apricot, pear, and pomegranate. They also have a patio for summer dining. I have sat inside, in various sections of the large restaurant; each decorated with modern contemporary décor as well as outside on the patio. Even the bathrooms are modern with “floating” faucets and extra private toilet stalls. Closest Metro is Gallery Place.

May 2008: I have been here a couple times for regular dinner service as well as for Restaurant Week. I really enjoy the food portions – they are perfect to share and taste a little bit of everything. The quality of ingredients is fresh and the staff is very knowledgeable for their seasonal items.

October 2010: Today was a gorgeous Fall day and Keith and I came back to Zaytinya after our original plans fell through. We sat on the outside patio and it was just lovely. The food was just as good as I remember.

August 2015: I have dined at Zaytinya many times over the years, and it remains one of my favorites.  For Restaurant Week this summer, I went with work colleagues for lunch one day.  Four courses were offered for $22.

I started with the Karpuzi Me Feta - a salad of yellow and red watermelon with feta, Kalamata olives, and mint.  It was a cool and refreshing salad for a hot summer's day.  Next I ate the Kotopoulo Youvetsi and warm chicken orzo dish with tomato sauce and kefalograveria cheese.  It had a little spice to it, which added dimension and awakened my pallate.  Third, I ate the falafel - traditional chickpea fritters with tahini sauce.  They were quite dense and I could not eat them all.

Lastly, for dessert I ordered my favorite - Turkish Delight.  The beautiful plate of walnut ice cream with Skotidakis Farm goat’s milk yogurt mousse, honey geleé, orange-caramel sauce and caramelized pine nuts were indeed delightful.

All in all the lunch RW options were a great deal, with larger enough portions great for sharing.  My colleagues (who were all first-timers) all enjoyed their meal as well, and were intrigued enough to want to return again.

UPDATE: This restaurant was awarded Bib Gourmand in October 2016.

Total Rating: 4.7
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 5







What I ate:

Baba Ghannouge

fire-roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic

Hommus

puree of chickpeas and tahini


♥Htipiti♥
marinated roasted red peppers mixed with feta and thyme


Kolokithokeftedes
zucchini-cheese patties over caper-yogurt sauce


Bantijan Bil Laban
fried eggplant with roasted garlic-yogurt sauce

Chicken Kibbeh

fried fitters stuffed with chunks of chicken, pine nuts, and bulgar wheat

Garides Me Anitho
sautéed shrimp, dill, shallots, mustard and lemon juice

Swordfish Kebab
seared swordfish, roasted peppers, red onion and parsley sauce

Shish Taouk
marinated chicken, sumac onions and grilled tomatoes
with garlic toum

Turkish Delight

Walnut ice cream with Skotidakis Farm goat’s milk yogurt mousse, honey geleé, orange-caramel sauce and caramelized pine nuts

Plus Keith ate:

Mahanek
housemade lamb and beef sausages served with
garlic, pine nuts and topped with micro cilantro

Kibbeh Nayeh
ground to order: Lebanese style beef tartar,
bulgar wheat, radish and mint

Lamb Chops with Hommus Bil Toum
grilled lamb chops with roasted garlic and chickpea puree

Santorini Octopus

grilled octopus served over pureed yellow peas