Mama Ayesha's

Mama Ayesha's is a nice restaurant with an outdoor terrace feel indoors. The ambiance is nice and very Mediteranean with water fountains and beautiful tile art. It's a nice place with great food. A good place for large dinner parties, and nice quaint dinner dates. The food is really good. I went with a friend and we ordered TONS of food. We had the Grape Leaves and the Mezze (a sampler platter) for appetizers. For dinner we ordered the Combination entree with shish kabobs, kifta kabob, couscous, grape leaves and kibbeh over rice. The portion was large enough to share between two people. But my friend ordered a plate himself, and we had TONS of leftovers. But the meal was so good we both tried to stuff ourselves with as much as we could. The menu is pretty extensive and it took me forever to try to figure out what I wanted because it all looked so good. Middle Eastern food is my favorite cuisine, and this restaurant definitely satisfied my appetite. It's a little pricey, but you can always order a combination plate (for an appetizer since it has everything on it) and split an entree, and that would be sufficient and cost efficient.

Location: Adams Morgan
Price Range: $20-40

http://www.mamaayeshas.com/

Mie-N-Yu

I have always walked past this place and was intrigued by the waterfall theme in the window with a golden Buddha in the window and beautiful drapery. Finally some kind soul took me here for dinner. The decor is so ecclectic and pretty that its art for the eyes decorated with pieces from different ethnic cultures and countries from around the world. What stood out to me is the intimate seating arrangments, it makes it a nice place to go on a first date or with your beau. It would even be a good place to gather for an event such as a birthday. I strongly suggest making reservations before just stopping in.

They have a very extensive wine and cheese menu and they also have a menu and cheese sample specials that allow you to order a few cheeses and wines for your own pairing and tastings of your choosing. The menu is really diverse and would appeal to a variety of palates. We ate the smoked salmon bruschetta (AMAZING), Grilled Calamari Salad, and the Chili Infused Crab Cakes. It was so good! I was very impressed and left extremely full! The portions are filling but not large. However they will hook your wine glass up if you order a glass. After wanting to try everything on the menu it can begin to get a bit pricey, but it's well worth it. Another great place to impress a date.

Location: Georgetown
Price range $12-25

https://www.mienyu.com/

Tabaq

Location: U Street Corridor
Cuisine: Mediteranean

I spent my birthday dinner at Tabaq. Located on U street between 13 & 14th St. off the Green/Yellow Line Cordoza Metro stop

Swanky & sexy with a Steven Starr restaurant type of feel it was definitely my steez. Tabaq has a Mediterranean theme with great drinks. The top floor (where the roof comes off in the summer) is where it is at! Leelah the bartender will hook you up with some of her delicious concoctions, you can trust her to shake up something to your tasting (Make sure you look for her). The food is really good. I think I have tried just about everything on the menu (except for any redmeat or pork dishes) and didn't have anything bad to say about any of them. Definitely a great spot for a first date, birthday dinner, or just to grab some drinks and hang out at the bar.

http://www.tabaqdc.com/