Ajja

Delicious! Exquisite! I think the chef (former owner and chef of Garland --- a downtown fusion eatery that closed in 2022) is the Yottam Ottolenghi of Raleigh. She never rests on her laurels by bringing familiar dishes to the masses. She in facts fuses food, culture, and experience to provide us a true concept of a melting pot... and elevates it. All the dishes we ordered ( appetizers and mains) were delicious and exquisitely integrated to create new taste experiences. They had three desserts of which the sorbet is not a sorbet but a rich VEGAN eco unit ice cream with sugared boondi and pineapple. Delicious! What can I tell you? Taste to calorie ratio is huge!!! So... don't bother counting... just go enjoy this fusion or middle eastern, Indian, and Mediterranean... tapas style or shared menu items. Enjoy! Enjoy! If I can promise myself to not over eat... it's on my list of places to go weekly. It's that good.

I confess I somehow never made it to Garland, so I didn't want to make that mistake again and not get to experience this Chef's award-winning food. Nothing about this Mediterranean restaurant is usual. The location, ambiance, food, drinks...everything about it is very unique.Make reservations! Even early on a Wednesday night they were hopping. We had reservations for the bar on the covered patio. Excellent service. Each of us found a wine we liked from the uncommon selection. Mine being a Blazicfrom Slovenia. For the two of us, we shared Fisherman's Dolma, Charred Broccoli Crowns and the Whole Fried Trout. Both of us were unimpressed with the Dolma. The shishito peppers needed to be blistered more. A few were very raw. Neither of us could detect any seafood flavoring in the stuffing. Nor eggplant.They could also have really used some extra seasoning, especially salt.Now the Broccoli on the other hand was both of our favorites... A wonderful balance of flavors and textures. Yum! As for the Trout, it was quite a visual marvel. Gotta love the work that went into it. Deboning a whole fish has got to take some serious talent. Sis thought it should have been served hotter. I think the sauce that was put on it made it cool off faster. She also thought it could have used a touch of salt. I thought it was very good, but a bit of a spicy spice (cayenne perhaps?) might have really helped balance out the other sweet elements. There was just enough leftover for me to have a light lunch and I have to say it was all very tasty mixed up together warmed over LOL.I will say we had read from previous reviews that wine pours are inconsistent. We would agree with that. Had also read about flies on the patio, and we did experience some pesky ones at the bar. Bartender was kind enough to bring out a special fan that helped keep them away. But otherwise it's a really nice ambiance. Dining rooms looked really nice as well.

Greater experience! Food: ordered the fried trout to share and a few side dishes. Everything was amazing! Great flavors including the cocktails. Nothing was greatly overpowering just a great balance. Dishes are shareable. Note that if you have dietary restrictions they do use the same oil to fry fish and meat. Service: our server was very attentive, gave great recommendations and was constantly present for questions and to check on how things were going.Ambiance: loved the decor! There's a nice surprise outside! It was raining and could not enjoy but there is plenty of seating outside and a fire pit. Apparently they do markets outside once a month. It's a nice rest with a chill vibe. Very warm and welcoming.

Called day of and got a patio reservation. Most of the seating is outside, and it's a great vibe! I tried:+ Frozen hibiscus rum punch - perfect+ Peas-y does it cocktail - also loved this; really impressed at the snap pea flavor + Warm Moroccan hummus - awesome, like a chickpea curry + Whipped feta - excellent + Heirloom tomatoes - can skip + Chard eggplant dolma - good+ Whole fried trout - excellent + Chicken kebab - can skip + Pearl couscous - good+ Spanish anchovies - incredible, would get these again + Seasonal sorbet coupe - coconut+ Blueberry ekmek tart - my fave of the two desserts, but both were great Easily a contender for one of the best restaurants in Raleigh.

Overall really solid. Not amazing but really quite good. Service was stellar, pretty neat ambiance (especially the outdoor area, though we ate inside). Would definitely return, though nothing we had was so good I would order it again. As to the food: 1. Pickles -- pretty good but measly portion. Did especially enjoy the daikon. Overall a pass;2. Lamb croquette -- pretty measly for 11 bucks and I didn't try it but my wife loved it;3. Citrus salad -- fantastic. Hard to go wrong with fresh greens and citrus. Love the combination of castelvetrano olives and pecorino with citrus!; 4. Beet borani -- kind of one note -- just shredded beets and yogurt. I love beets and still thought it was boring. Least good dish of the night;5. Whole trout -- fantastic. Definitely on the pricey side but really really crunchy and tasty. Absolutely our favorite dish And 6. Posset -- I don't like possets and I didn't like this one. The texture was as runny and unappetizing as I remembered. Why not just firm it up and make a panna cotta? My wife likes possets and really liked this one but again I hate possets. Yuck. Maybe a bit of nitpicking but yeah overall I liked it a whole lot!!

Tucked away on a side street in Five Points East, Ajja offers a remarkable culinary experience featuring a fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. We've dined there four or five times since the restaurant opened last June, and have never been disappointed. Favorites include the soft shell crab, whole fish, warm Moroccan hummus, chicken kabab, lamb seekh, eggplant dolma and the broccoli raab. The fusion of flavors and textures is extraordinary and delightful. Cocktails are inspired and average $15. As long as it's not too hot, I recommend you ask for seating in the covered patio area. Don't worry about parking: plenty of spots are available in front of neighboring businesses and on the street. I'd give Ajja ten stars if I could!

I came on a Saturday evening with my wife, arriving at 5pm without a reservation and promptly getting seated.We started with the Warm Moroccan Hummus, which came with some of their housemade bread. The hummus had a lot of texture to it - not only were there whole chickpeas inside the hummus, it was also topped with sweet peppers, sumac onions, sultanas / raisins, and savory corn flakes, which all added an extra layer of crunch, sweetness, and acidity that went so well together. The bread was also delicious - it was probably my favorite thing about the meal. I loved the bread so much that I ordered another plate of just bread. It had a nice crunchy crust but was soft inside - definitely a must-try.I ordered the Spare Ribs, which had a peach-tamarind glaze and came with pickled cabbage. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of tamarind, the tamarind was not overpowering and actually went well with the sweetness of the glaze and tartness of the cabbage. There was smokiness in the seasoning that wasn't too spicy but added depth of flavor. The texture of the meat was perfectly bite-off-the-bone - a nice crust with a soft, juicy interior.My wife got the whole fried trout, and it was also enjoyable. The trout came out whole, but was fully deboned, so it was easy to eat. It came over a sweet potato puree, farro, tabbouleh, and parsnip and apples. The fish itself had such a crispy exterior, which I loved, and perfectly cooked interior - very moist, and not dry. The tamarind was a little heavier on this dish, but I thought the flavors overall were still good.The service was very friendly and prompt, and with it being a nice day, the outdoor seating overlooking Raleigh was perfect. Parking was no problem at all, and the space is clean and well-kept. Overall, we had a great experience!

Coming here I had no idea what the expect. The restaurant is located in a residential area but has a great atmosphere. They have both outside and inside seating and is very well decorated with some pretty good views. The atmosphere itself was definitely a 5/5. We ordered a couple different items and I have to say I was rather disappointed in the food. The menu itself was limited which was okay since it's focused. We got a plethora of apps but most of them were very mildly or not well spiced at all. The best was probably the creamed feta but the others were just not up to par. The bread itself looked good but the texture was not exactly what I was expecting (almost too crunchy to actually use with the dips). The dessert was pretty good and pretty creative as well. I did really like the drinks they had and would probably come back for that. The service was pretty good. We made a reservation beforehand which helped and food came out quickly. Parking was not bad since they have a lot a couple buildings away or street parking. Staff was also helpful and friendly. Overall, I would come back for the vibes and drinks but probably not the food (unless there are new items to give a try). I would probably give this place a 3.5 mostly bc of the food but if you want a place to just hangout and vibe this is def a good place.

Such a great spot! One of the best spots in Raleigh! All the food was really outstanding, the cocktails were also delish, and the vermouth flight is fun! Quick service. And the decor is so fun and cute! Fun colors everywhere and really great ambiance.

Cozy and comfortable seating on the outdoor patio! Our server was super attentive and provided great recommendations. Food was 10/10!!!