Rude Service
Waiters in the bar area who "served" us (and I use that term loosely) were rude and didn't want to spend time explaining the menu to us or even serving us. He would literally "throw" the food/drinks on the table and before we could even ask for anything else, he was gone. Threw the food down as he was walking by. Quite a skill but not up to par with Zaytinya's reputation. We inquired about a few dishes and were barely given an explanation of size but we were told that "4-5 dishes per person would be his recommendation"!!! Oh, I'm sure at $6-8 a pop!!! Come on!!! Servings are VERY small. Tapas are good but, again, for the price, too small.    [21 Aug 2003 11:13:07]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­Anonymous   

Delicious and the best restaurant in DC!
I've probably gone to have dinner at Zatinya well over 20 times over the last year. It's convenient to the MCI Center before and after games. The wait staff has been awesome at explaining the dishes and the wine. They know their food very well. They are friendly, and make great suggestions if you're not sure what to eat.

The food is delicious, It's not heavy or greasy at all, it's very tastey, all of the deserts are to die for. I have had to sample them all. They all have different tastes so it would depend on your mood. If you're a vegitarian this is a great place to eat. I haven't tried too many of the meats but the chicken is very good, and there are some lamb dishes that are very good. There is an eggplant puree dish that is one of the best things you could possibly eat on a cold winter night. The tatziki is good and the waiters are quick to point out what is not in season or as good as it normally is.

The ambiance can be a little pretentious but the wait staff is all down to earth. I'm not sure about the bar, I've only been in there a few times and the food was great as usual and the drinks were good, your usual bar service.

Try the turkish chocolate coffee cake and ask them to heat up the cake! It has a warm gananche inside that just melts! The pistachio yogurt icecream is also very good!

The restrooms are nice too.    [24 Aug 2003 15:31:01]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Turkish Coffee Chocolate Cake, Havuce Kafsta, Eggplant Puree dish, tatziki, Hptupti

     ­Anonymous   

Good Restaurant
Nice atmosphere, friendly people. Excellent sized portions.    [23 Mar 2004 22:52:47]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 
Recommended Dishes: Lamb chops

     ­Anonymous   

Terrific Experience
Just had our second visit to this restaurant. Both experiences were excellent. In both cases, the service was outstanding. Food is delightful, though admittedly there are dishes that don't meet expectations, but some far exceed it. With "Mediterranean Dim Sum," in effect, you can try a little bit of a lot and experience all sorts of new things. My wife and I just went there for our wedding anniversary. We shared 8 dishes and enjoyed the experience. Despite the crowds, the waitress was very attentive and friendly.    [16 Oct 2004 20:06:53]

Food:    Service:    Ambiance:    Overall: 

     ­John Kost