Zaytinya

I've driven past Zaytinya and have worked with people that use to bartend at Zaytinya, and EVERYONE raves about this place. I never like getting caught up in the hype, but even the exterior decor captured my interest. I love Mediterranean food and I decided I wanted to go there for my birthday with a few of my girlfriends. When you walk in it is really modern and elegantly decorated. Even the bathrooms are really nice, but it still has a friendly comfortable feel to it. We had a short wait so we decided to grab a drink at the bar. I ordered the Pom-Fili cocktail and it was perfect. The bartender was a good bartender and knew what he was doing. Once our buzzers went off we were seated by the hostess and met by our waitress. She was quite patient because it took us forever to order since there were so many items on the menu that we wanted to try. We ended up ordering the Falafel, Grape-Leave Dolmades, Cretan Snail Skordalia, Octopus Santorini, Seared Salmon, Lamb Chops with Hommus Bil Toum, and the Rabbit Stifado. Mind you it was only 3 of us eating. =) We were skeptical about the Snails, but they were amazing. I would definitely suggests these to anyone as an appetizer. I realllllly enjoyed the rabbit and the lamb chops. I can't complain about any of the mezze plates we ordered. I mean I loved every single plate. Everything was seasoned perfectly not overly salty, all of the meats were savory and perfectly chosen. The only thing I would be mindful of the next time I go is that I ate so much that I didn't have enough room for dessert =( . It is definitely a place to go on a date or just with a few friends. It was amazing, and lived up to all of my expectations. Definitely a must!

www.zaytinya.com

Location: Penn Quarters
701 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
(Corner of G & 9th)
Nearest Metro Station: Chinatown Metro
Price Range: $15-up