Zaytinya

I have yet to visit a José Andrés restaurant that I didn't absolutely love. I first went to Zaytinya in Washington, D.C. several years ago and was so excited when I heard a location was opening in Los Angeles. I went for Valentine's Day with my fiancee and it did not disappoint. Shoutout to our server, Matthew, who was super knowledgeable and very sweet!For starters, the pita is unlike any I've ever had, and I'm not typically a fan of thin pita. But it's incredible -- and they replenish it often so it's always warm and fresh. We got the lamb hummus to pair with it, which was so so good. I got the za'atar margarita, which is one of my favorite cocktails ever. I was happy to see it on the menu years after first trying it. It's a really cool take on a common drink. For our main meal we split the tabbouleh, bantijian bil laban, bone marrow kibbeh, cauliflower, black cod, and lamb baharat. It was, admittedly, too much food for 2 -- we were stuffed! But the leftovers heated up well the next day. The tabbouleh was a nice veggie appetizer, but it also comes with the lamb so we probably didn't need a separate order. The bantijian (crispy eggplant) was really really good, and I don't even usually like eggplant. The bone marrow kibbeh was unique but was probably the weakest link of the meal. The cauliflower was incredible, no notes. The black cod was fantastic -- so soft on the inside with a nice crispy top, almost like scallops. The lamb was delicious but took so long to come out that we could barely eat it. I'm sure if we had started with it we would have enjoyed it more. Everything else came out pretty quickly, so I don't know if that was an anomaly, but we did wait quite awhile for the lamb.When Matthew asked if we wanted dessert, we sadly said we were too full, but wanted to hear the options anyway. When he read us the description of the Turkish coffee chocolate cake, our jaws literally dropped. So he brought us one on the house, and it was delicious. I can't say the coffee flavor was super apparent, but it was very good cake and balanced well with the ice cream.My only complaint about the experience is we sat outside (the place was packed!) and it was pretty cold. The staff were very accommodating with the outdoor heaters they have in the patio, but even with two heaters next to our table the wind is pretty strong along the perimeter of the patio.All in all, the service, food, and drinks were all fantastic. Highly recommend!

We went for a date night and were very excited to have a west coast location after being several times in DC. The restaurant was packed but we were seated right away for our reservation. While our server was very nice we had hoped for a bit more in terms of recommendations for drinks and food. Perhaps being a newer location the menu knowledge is still getting there. Having said that, the food was as advertised.From the bread service that comes right away, to our hummus and lamb, grilled halloumi, and beet salad appetizers, all of the dishes were solid. Very very solid experience and would recommend coming in a bit bigger of a group to be able to try more things. We will be back.

Our experience at this establishment was extremely disappointing, starting with our server. From the beginning, he seemed to have no knowledge of the menu, unable to answer basic questions about the dishes we inquired about and had an attitude.After taking our drink order, we proceeded to order appetizers and entrées. However, things quickly went downhill. Our drinks were completely wrong, and even though we all had ordered the same drink, each came out in a different shade, taste, and glass size. When he finally took them back, our appetizers arrived in the meantime. The tzatziki portion was shockingly small--barely two spoonfuls in a bowl--while the two salads were decent.At this point, nearly 20 minutes had passed, and we still had no drinks, had finished what little there was of the appetizers, and our server never returned to check on us. When our drinks and entrées finally arrived--Kebab Platter, Za'atar Pide, and Zaytinya Fries--everything was completely cold, not even lukewarm. When we pointed this out, our server was dismissive, rude, and completely ignored our concerns. He didn't offer to replace the food or call a manager.After requesting the manager ourselves, the server disappeared for a few minutes and then returned, casually saying the manager was on the way. We waited an additional 45 minutes, refusing to touch the food, yet no manager appeared. The server eventually returned, placed the check on our table, and sarcastically remarked, "I guess no to-go box for you." When we asked about the manager again, he repeated that he was coming.Finally, after another 15 minutes, I had to personally ask the hostess to call the manager, who arrived within two minutes. It was clear he had no idea about the situation with our server, food, or drinks. By then, we were so frustrated that any attempt to remedy the experience felt pointless. That said, the manager was incredibly professional and helpful--I only wish he had been made aware of the issue sooner.My guests and I strongly believe that the server's behavior was intentional, making the entire experience feel like a deliberate act of neglect.

A refreshing meal realized with inspiration from your World Market vision board. Went for dine LA lunch on a double date, which was the perfect move to have 4 people try every option for each course. My favs pictured include:* the roasted al dente beet salad with tangy mandarins and sodium laded feta for the perfect bite * brussel sprouts with yogurt is a game changer* double one hitters for dessert tho I have a penchant for the orange cake * not pictured but also boom boom were the standard dips (labneh, baba ganoush, and hummus). the pita bread served here is almost like a deep fried lavash texture unlike the fluffy pillows you might be used to from the levain bonus points for having both delicious cocktails and NA options (the cucumber spritz was divine)

We started our evening at the bar, trying a delicious cocktail called Magic Carpet. It was perfectly balanced and refreshing gin based concoction flavored with yogurt and lemon.. It reminded me of Japanese Calpis (called Calpico in the US) .I've been searching for a restaurant with a great variety of Greek wines ever since my wine-tasting trip to Greece last year, and I have to say, I haven't seen this many options on the West Side of Los Angeles before.The sommelier was knowledgeable and helped me find exactly what I was looking for. I asked for a well-balanced red wine that wouldn't be acidic forward - a common characteristic of Greek wines--and something that would pair well with both fish and red meat. He suggested Wild Ferment Biodynamic Mavroudi wine. The recommendation was spot-on, and I absolutely loved it. The wine pared with their delicious Baba Ghannouge was magical and memorable.For our meal, we had a fish dish and a kebab, both of which were a ok choices. The fish could have been a bit fresher, as it had a slight fishy smell--nothing too off-putting, just typical restaurant quality. But I believe they can improve.The main disappointment of the night was the handling of our reservation. We had an 8 PM reservation and we told the hostess that we were waiting at the bar as expected, assuming someone would come to let us know when our table was ready. However, no one did, and we had to check in with the hostess multiple times for updates. In my opinion, if guests are waiting at the bar, the staff should take the initiative to provide updates rather than making them follow up repeatedly. When we were finally seated 20 minutes past our reservation, they gave us an outdoor table despite us specifying--both at the time of reservation and check-in--that we preferred to sit indoors. After more waiting, we ultimately decided to go back to the bar and have our dinner there.I understand this is a new restaurant, so they may need to fine-tune their reservation and seating process. I will go back for their excellent wine list, outstanding Baba Ghannouge, and cocktails. Hopefully, with time, their service will become as polished as their drinks.

I have gone to zaytinya in dc and had high hopes when I heard it was opening in Culver City. I made 4 visits here (3 sit down and 1 takeout) since I really wanted to give this place a try and I have to say it's alright. In December on the second week of opening, service was immaculate and food was just what I expected: the hummus, tzatziki, scallops, octopus, branzini sea bass, and lamb shoulder. It was so good I came back taking my parents here and noticed a slight degrade in the quality of the food but still carry the luster of enjoyment. Dinela came about and we went and had the following based on the photos attached and that's where I noticed some quality loss in the scallops, the BEEF SOUTZOUKAKIA, and SEARED HALLOUMI. Meatball was a mush and the halloumi was overpowering that anything along with it was not possible to coat the taste. I did ask the waiter about this dish and he mentioned that it was an acquired dish which I didn't seem convincing. Now the takeout is what I find disappointing when I ordered the lamb shoulder , I was expecting a large portion when it was served a month ago and noticed the price did go up from 85$ to 105$ so I expected more decadent taste, but instead I get a small cardboard box of a diced sliver of lamb shoulder with the sauce dripping out of the container when I got home. Honestly not great and disappointed I called to order which they don't accept and have to order there at the bar since I knew the dish takes awhile to make. Parking can be done at the metro station but I did manage to find free parking at defunct coop market Just say I am a believer of the Jose Andre's restaurants, but when things get shortcut and price adjustment were made not even a month in service, it's a bit disappointing and hard to share that this is zaytinya that I rave how great in DC. Decor is clean and has the open Mediterranean vibe of the well lit bar and cozy seats. Though I do see the crowd is starting get less and less as the menu changes.PLEASE zaytinya Culver City don't become the next ETTA.

Zaytinya stands in the place that etta once occupied Cute lil space in the Shay that was actually pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon My friend and I came here following a tour at the eco star station because it was close and they offered a dine LA menu for a decent price We ordered the hummus, babbaganoush, Brussels, beet salad, salmon, falafel, and they only had the olive oil cake as the apricot and yogurt dessert was sold out Everything was delicious. They brought out warm pita, olive oil, and pom molasses to dip the pita in The babaganoush was super flavorful and garlicky The hummus was a nice flavor Brussels were flavored well The beet citrus salad was also a nice mix of flavors and had a little of beet pieces I didnt have the falafels but the salmon was delectable and crisp to perfection - a bit smaller than most place portions even during dine la The olive oil cake was also moist and the perfect end to the meal A pretty solid meal but not sure id be back

The dinela lunch offering is SO worth it. You get so much food. Must orders with DineLA:Salmon - perfectly tenderSmoked beet salad (this surprised us)Brussel sprouts (super crispy) Baba ghanougeSkip the Mediterranean milk punch. It came in a glass with a huge cube of ice and was only filled halfway. Our server Jesse was very attentive and amazing. Our pita bread and waters were refilled regularly without us having to ask. This was a big improvement from our previous visits.

What a great new gem to Culver City...Zaytinya is awesome!The third incarnation of the downstairs restaurant of the Shay Hotel. Jose Andres Mediterranean restaurant is such a fresh new take on this space with brand new decor which is so light and airy.We came by to try Zaytinya for the first time during DineLA which was such a generous menu with several choices and big portions. We were a party of 8 and had the chance to try pretty much everything on the DineLa menuStandouts were the babaganoush dip, lamb meatballs, grilled salmon, sausage pide and beet salad. The cocktails were delish too and all have a Greek fusion to them.The complimentary pita bread was also a nice touch and the olive oil and pomegranate dip that comes with it is addictive.Looking forward to going back to try more items off the regular menu.

As a regular of Zaytinya DC, I don't think they should even call this place Zaytinya because it's a huge disservice to the original location. The flavors were BAD and fail capture the essence of Greek, Turkish, and Mediterranean cooking. Service was slow and chaotic despite the large waitstaff. To start we ordered:- HOMMUS MA LAHM: I'm not exaggerating, the ground lamb in this tasted EXACTLY like Taco Bell meat. - BABA GHANNOUGE: good if you like very smoky - TZATZIKI: extremely watery! - ZA'ATAR PIDE: our favorite of all the startersMezzes:- FATTOUSH: really plain, could not taste the pomegranate dressing, pita chips were too hard and inedible- CAULIFLOWER TIGANITES: standard roasted cauliflower with yogurt dip, nothing to write home about- BANTIJIAN BIL LABAN: crispy eggplant was the favorite out of this setProtein:- BLACK COD: tasted fishy and I had major doubts this was actually black cod given the texture (overcooked) and leanness - KEBAB PLATTER: we liked the chicken and adana kebabs with the accompanying sidesI'm a fan of Jose Andres and have dined in nearly all of his restaurants. Zaytinya LA has been the biggest disappointment. I'm not convinced he's actually tried the food here.