About Zaytinya
A retooled Minibar and Jaleo—two other stars in restaurateur
José Andrés’s ever-expanding culinary constellation—may be getting all the
buzz, but this stark white, sprawling ode to Levantine and Greek fare
holds its own with a prodigious array of olive-oil-perfumed mezze. You
could dine daily for a couple of weeks without repeating a single dish.
And unlike other addresses where small plates rule, there’s little filler.
Nearly every bite is a success—you might be tempted to order a second
round just to have another taste. (You might also feel like having another
round of the licoricey ouzo or raki that marries so well with the
salty feta-based plates.) If Middle Eastern desserts have left you cold in
the past, try the clever, modernized takes here. You won’t be
disappointed.
Plates are generous, so ignore the five-dishes-per-person
mantra intoned by waitstaff. You can always order more later.
Don’t miss: Sigara borek (cigar-shaped cheese
pies); caramelized okra with crisped chickpeas; cabbage dolmas with
chestnuts, rice, and parsley; hunkar beyendi (whipped,
béchamel-enriched eggplant with lamb stew); soujouk pide (a
flatbread with sausage, kasseri cheese, and a 63-degree egg);
sautéed shrimp with lemon and dill; vanilla yogurt with Muscat-soaked
apricots, apricot sorbet, and pistachio powder; Turkish-delight sundae
with walnut ice cream, yogurt mousse, and orange-caramel sauce.
Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner,
Saturday and Sunday for brunch and dinner.
Moderate.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
