Zaytinya
701 Ninth St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-638-0800
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter/Chinatown, Downtown
Cuisines: Turkish, Tapas/Small Plates, Spanish/Portuguese, Lebanese, Greek/Mediterranean
Opening Hours:
Open Monday and Sunday 11:30 AM to 10 PM, Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 AM to 11:30 PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30 AM to midnight.
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Nearby Metro Stops: Metro Center, Gallery Place-Chinatown
Price Range: Inexpensive
Noise Level: Chatty
Reservations: Recommended
Website: http://www.zaytinya.com
Best Dishes:
Htipiti; fried eggplant; taramasalata; zucchini-and-cheese fritters; poached salmon with eggplant; veal cheeks with chanterelle-mushroom purée; prawns with charred-tomato sauce; salmon shawarma sandwich (lunch only); Greek-yogurt-and-apricot parfait; choc
Special Features: Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Valet Parking Available
"So many mezze, so little time" is our lament when dining at restaurateur José Andrés's ode to Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese cuisine. Chef de cuisine Michael Costa's menu is constantly evolving. One thing worth looking for: aromatic haunches of lamb roasting on an open spit several days a week.
Soaring ceilings and hits of Aegean blue against a white backdrop give a Euro-chic feel to the space, which can get loud. A mezzanine dining area puts you above the crowds, but sometimes it's more fun to mix it up below, particularly at the long communal table.
What to get: Silky taramasalata; caramelized okra with crispy chickpeas; hunkar begendi, braised lamb shank with eggplant-kefalograviera purée; snail kibbeh; walnut ice cream with orange-caramel sauce; Greek-yogurt cream with Muscat-soaked apricots and pistachio powder.
Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.