Zaytinya by José Andrés

The food at Zaytinya was a highlight. Each dish was a testament to the culinary expertise and creativity that José Andrés is celebrated for. The flavors were vibrant, fresh, and well-balanced, showcasing a modern interpretation of Mediterranean flavors. The portion sizes were perfect for a happy hour setting, allowing for a variety of dishes to be sampled and shared. Equally impressive were the drinks. The cocktail menu was thoughtfully curated, featuring a range of options from classic favorites to innovative creations. Each drink was expertly mixed, with the right balance of flavors and spirits. The presentation of the drinks added to the overall experience, making each sip feel like a part of a special occasion.

Great atmosphere. Close to the National Portrait Gallery. The sautéed shrimp dish was delicious! The octopus was delightful. The restaurant was alive with people on a Saturday afternoon!

Fantastic!

Disappointing Experience. Made a reservation for a special occasion and the disappointment started immediately when we weren’t sat for about 30 min on a Tuesday evening despite having a reservation. Once we did sit down, we had quite possibly the worst table in the house, which shouldn’t even be a table, placed adjacent to the stairs between two large tables with people walking up and down next to your head. I asked for a new table and they were thankfully able to accommodate us in about 10 more minutes. Once seated at the second table, service was very slow. We waited quite a while to place orders. We sat for about 30 minutes after finishing our meal before the waiter offered us dessert menus and it was another 10-15 minutes before he even showed back up with menus. We ordered lamb chops that came with a spoon for the tzatziki but no appropriate knife, so we were cutting the lamb with butter knives. We also received not a single acknowledgement of the birthday we were celebrating from restaurant staff, which just speaks to lack of attention to detail and service at this restaurant. It’s tough to blame the servers since this restaurant is so large and packed in. They’re clearly more focused on volume and flipping tables than providing good service. If they reduced the table count and their reservation cadence a bit, they could probably provide a much better dining experience overall. The food itself is pretty average Mediterranean fare; certainly nothing spectacular to make up for the poor service. In the end I apologized to my wife for taking her to such an underwhelming establishment for her birthday and I will not be back; there’s too many better options in the city with better food and much better service.

Falafel was my fav

My favorite place so far in the DMV! Great food, beautiful setting and perfect atmosphere - refined without being pompous. I always make it a point to visit Jose Andres' restaurants because I am Puerto Rican and, after hurricane Maria, he worked really hard to help feed the island for weeks... something I will never forget and will forever be grateful for. All that aside, the food here is so good. Eclectic Mediterranean with lots of flavor. Absolutely top-notch.

Great food. BUT if you have food allergies and love great food go to Oyamel instead! They are both José Andrés restaurants but at Zaytinya they can’t really accommodate allergies very well. The difference in service is like night and day.

We went to this place after hearing a lot of good food. It was a good dining experience. The cauliflower tiganites were a little bit oily. Though I found the food really good, the seating could have been better. It was congested and tables were put close together.