ZAYTINYA: JOSE ANDRÉS’S OG RESTAURANT IN DC
The Cost -$35 per person
The Atmosphere – This restaurant has two very different scenes depending on the day of the week and the time of the day. Weekday lunches are filled with lawyers, businesspeople, political folks and lobbyists who venture to the restaurant from nearby office buildings. Dinner and weekends are a different story with the restaurant attracting a lot of folks from out of town given its location. It’s a very nicely decorated restaurant and great for dinner before a night out or a nice long walk around the monuments.
Washington DC’s food scene would not be the same without renowned chef and humanitarian, José Andrés, an icon in the culinary world. Andrés’s Zaytinya, which opened in 2002 and is the recipient of Michelin’s Bib Gourmand each of the past four years, serves up a menu with Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese influences in the heart of downtown DC.
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The Order - Sidecar to Tangier to drink. Labneh, Htipiti, Smoked Beet Salata, Charred Eggplant Pide, Adana Kebab, and Kofte Kebab to eat.
The Fantastic - The classic sidecar is nowhere close to the top of my list when it comes to cocktails but the Sidecar to Tangier, a mix of Greek brandy, honey, lemon and a spice blend that includes cardamom, rose petals and cumin was amazing. Not to sweet, this cocktail definitely elevated the dining experience.
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The Great - Both starter dips, the Labneh, a Lebanese yogurt based dip with za’atar, and the Htipiti, a dish made from marinated roasted red peppers and feta, were very good. The bread for the dips is fresh baked and delicious. The Adana Kebab, a ground lamb kebab served with grilled tomatoes, sumac, harissa pita and pickled chiles, was also excellent. The spice gave the dish a nice kick and the lamb itself was delicious; a nice take on the middle eastern staple.
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The Good - The Smoked Beet Salata had an arugula base and some orange and was a simple salad. The Charred Eggplant Pide was also good. The traditional flatbread came topped in this instance with kasar cheese, onions, peppers and a pomegranate molasses, which was tasty. The Kofte Kebab, a ground beef kebab served over a smoked yogurt sauce was solid but I thought the lamb was the better of the two.
The Verdict - I definitely agree with Michelin on Zaytinya being a great value and think that it is a fantastic place for lunch or dinner. Food 👍 Ambiance 👍 Well worth a visit!