I really enjoyed the food, ambiance and cleanliness of Alara! My family had ordered humus spread, Kofte with Iskender sauce, Roasted Califlower, Ground beef pide, Sheperd salad w/ salmon & chicken wrap. I loved everything on the menu but the humus spread and Sheperd salad were my favorites. The humus spread came with free, fresh warm bread and the salad added a refreshing bite to the yogurt dressings. The service was ok, our server didn't introduce himself or explain the menu which was odd as first time diners. It was confusing for my family and I to order as we didn't know if the dishes were designed to be shareable. In the end the service was a small blip on a great dining experience. They even gave my sister free baklava for her birthday. read more

Alara - Humus spread - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Alara provided an amazing experience! I tried grape leaves for the first time and i fear these ones will be hard to live up to! The roasted cauliflower was out of this world. It was roasted to perfection and was mixed with the best spices. The yogurt dressing paired so well and provided an explosion of flavors. The mushroom hummus is one to live up to. The pitas were served warm and possibly the best bread i have ever had in my life. The Sunset in Instanbul was possibly one of the best champagne cocktails i have had. It was light and crisp. I highly recommend this restaurant! Service was subpar. They place wasn't very busy but it took the servers forever to take our drink orders, food orders, and bring the food out. Ambiance was so cool! Their decor was so beautiful. They played calming music. They have seats in front of their windows so you can people watch outside. Everything was clean! read more

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Met up with two good friends for brunch one Sunday to celebrate a birthday and we were not disappointed. The interior is stylish yet comfortable. Some smoked eggplant spread and basket of round pita-like bread was put on the table to help us settle in on a rainy day. I got a latte (the coffee is Julius Meinl if you're familiar with the brand) and then had to make some tough choices...eventually settled on the halloumi avocado toast with honey. I'm basic and usually just get scrambled eggs, but these poached eggs were stellar and the perfect foil to grilled halloumi cheese with a thin layer of avocado drizzled with a little bit of honey. So good. The hash browns were some of my favorite ever--crispy on the outside, well-seasoned and soft of the inside. My friends also enjoyed their dishes (forgot what they ordered because mine was so good and I was very focused, lol) and at the end of the meal, unprompted, they brought out a cute little baklava sampler with candles in it for the birthday girl--it was so sweet (pun sorta intended) and it was plenty Rick and there was enough to share with the table. Would definitely go back! read more

Alara - Avocado halloumi toast - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I loved this place! Went here a while back for a birthday dinner. The food was soo good and felt freshly made and the service was great! We had a large group and stayed till close, all the staff were very patient and gave us a lovely experience. The space is gorgeous and definitely transports you to the Mediterranean, highly recommend! read more

Alara - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Lovely decor, amazing food, **confusing receipt**. Went on a Wednesday at 7:30pm. It was not too busy- service was fast and hospitable. We ordered two different dips, the Roasted Mushroom Humus and Muhammara. The dips were both absolutely DELISH!! They were extremely generous with the bread, always a major plus. I got butter shrimp for my entree, it was okay, I would probably try something different next time. The food itself was worth the price. HOWEVER, the bill had an additional 20% added. The receipt said "additional tip" so we assumed the 20% they added covered the tip? The wording was very confusing. read more

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Do not eat all day if you do the taste of alara the food was delicious for a four course meal. The portion sizes are almost too good to be true for the price of $59.95! I also enjoyed a Summer in Santorini. My large party and I enjoyed ourselves. Will certainly return! read more

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Hubby and I went to this establishment for lunch. Staff were attentive and the food was great. If you're in the area stop by you won't be disappointed- we weren't and will be returning read more

This was our first visit. When we arrived for our reservation, we were seated immediately. We chose to sit in the cafe area of the restaurant because the back area was full. Interestingly, we chose this restaurant because we observed the rear portion of the restaurant while shopping a few months ago, and we liked the aesthetic of the back wall so much that we decided to return for the ambiance. When we actually visited, the ambiance was just okay. In my opinion, the rear wall and bar appeared to be the restaurant's highlight and focal points. The service was fair. Our waiter took our orders for mocktails, water, hummus, bread, and the shrimp appetizer. Thereafter, we wanted to order some entrees, but we did not see him for a while. When he returned, we ordered the salmon and chicken kabobs for our entrees. The salmon was good, but a little undercooked for my preference. The hummus was not flavorful. It was definitely missing an element that makes hummus outstanding. The bread was not bad, but I prefer naan or conventional pita with my hummus. The shrimp appetizer was flavorful, and the mock Moscow mule was tasty. Overall, it was not a bad dining experience. It was good, but not great. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious and the ambience was beautiful! The bar! Absolutely stunning. The menu has a good variety of appetizers, entrées, kebabs, flatbreads, and more. Service was OK. They did do a good job at keeping the bread basket full and water, refilled. The layout of the restaurant, though... The tables are way too close to each other! It's really hard to get in and out if you're seated next to another table and because the tables are so close, it's hard to have a conversation without having to yell. If they fix this, I would've given this restaurant a five star review. read more

Alara - Mezze trio - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We came here for a tasty dinner while in DC. Such a cute area with lots of shopping and restaurants nearby. We enjoyed pita, humus, zero proof cocktails, kabob and hot mezze entrees too. Server was kind and attentive but not hovering noise level was lively - definitely not a quiet place for dinner. read more

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Such a gorgeous spot! We had a large table and the servers/hosts were very patient and attentive to our needs. All of the food was delicious and best eaten family style. This is in Georgetown so there's very few street parking spots, I recommend paying for a spot to park in if you're in a bind! read more

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The food was great. Service was ok, we didn't get greeted until majority of party was there even though two of us were sitting at the table for 15 min+. No water or anything. There is a 20% service charge that is not tip. They do not tell this until you get the check. I ended up tipping 20% on top of that as I didn't want to stiff the waiter due to the service charge that didn't go to him. A $330 meal for a group quickly turned into $500!! 40% on top of our food! This was not advertised anywhere obvious. I will not be back. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed my time at Alara! We were a group of 3 and decided to go family style with our order. We shared the mezze platter which was an assortment of their dips and the chefs mix grill for a variety of their meats. The spreads were all really good, the spicy labne and muhammara were my favorite. All the meats were delicious as well. The chicken shish kabob and wrapped Adana kebab were my favorites from that. We shared a couple sides of rice as well and together it was a good portion to share with 3 people. We also had the simmer in Santorini cocktail which was refreshing and sweet. For dessert we finished with the Turkish coffee tiramisu which was delicious! The cream was thick and sweet and it had a great coffee flavor. Overall this was a great meal! We were lucky to grab a same day reservation too. Would definitely come back. read more

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One of our favorite new restaurants in DC! Alara is light, open, and perfect for a happy hour, special event, or a date night! Their service was incredible and their dishes are great for sharing. We got about 2-3 dishes per person and that was a good amount. The mezze trio included three of their dips - the labneh was my favorite of the three! Everything was incredibly balanced with the sauces. Don't skip the cauliflower or halloumi! read more

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Exciting new restaurant in the heart of Georgetown! Honestly beautiful in every way - light airy, spacious. They do crowd too many tables into the space, and I think it'd be nice if they cut back just a few - they don't have to do too many, but just a few. It feels like it is run by Turkish people, which I love. Everyone seems to be very real and know the food well, there wasn't a college kid trying to explain to me the difference between Adana Kebab and Iskender Kebab - I've never seen a college kid do that justice, but maybe I've been around the wrong college kids. The spicy labne was really good and not all that spicy - had great tastes though. The Moussaka is incredible and has the nice addition of red peppers which really gets flavors in there. The Adana Kebab was so good and I just couldn't stop eating it, but the real standout dish of the savory section was the Halloumi. Just wow - love me some cheese, and this was done perfectly. The Bodrum Memory or something like that was great with Raki and pomegranate molasses in there, and so was the Raki I had after that. The meal culminated with a FANTASTIC Kunufe, which is one of my favorite desserts in the world. This was perfect, easily serves two people, and so cheese and wonderful. I think we'll be coming back! Unclear what's going on with the 20% service charge, but I assumed that was the tip - if it's not they need to make that more clear! read more

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I went to Alara for my birthday dinner. First thing I noticed is the beautiful decor and bar. Love the ambience . The host and server were super nice and helpful with explaining the menu to us and helping us choose what to do , We ordered the mezze platter for appetizer which was a great choice to try all the spreads. And we got chefs mix grill which had about 6/7 dif meats , it was 3 of us and it filled us up and a great deal for $80 . We loved all the meats . My only complaint is the drinks . I got espresso martini which was bitter and not sweet and my dad got a drink which he didn't like either . I would give this place 4 star because of that but they offered to remake it for us and brought out another round which was nice . I would def come back to try the pre fix menu . read more

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I have been thinking about this salad non-stop since eating at this restaurant - so I had to try to copy it. I did! It was so good and I had never heard of it before and so happy to be introduced to it! read more

Alara - Homemade Fatoosh salad dressing - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Was my 1st time visiting . The food & drinks were amazing. The service was great It's very cute and relaxing atmosphere. Will definitely be re visiting. read more

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What an incredible experience we had dining at Alara! It's now one of my favorite spots in DC. The food was so delicious. We ordered the Taste of Alara and it was 100% worth the money. We walked out with SO much leftovers. The service was amazing, they truly enjoy serving you. And the experience as a whole was such a vibe. Highly recommend! read more

Very nice dining experience. First, the restaurant atmosphere is really nice, open and airy. It got pretty loud though after the tables started filling up. The cocktails were really really good, tried the seasonal ones, a kiwi something and one with Turkish raki which was like ouzo-if you like ouzo you will love it (I did). Kofte-awesome, butter shrimp-awesome, the tzatziki was really great because it didn't have a ton of raw garlic (I prefer it that way), and the roasted cauliflower was also excellent. Fresh warm bread and olive oil for the table to start, absolutely delicious. read more

Alara - Roasted cauliflower and a cocktail - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is a brand new authentically Turkish restaurant in Georgetown. While they still have some kinks to work out, it's worth visiting. I'm excited to go back in a few months and see how they're doing. Our server was very nice and helpful. It was only his second day but he was enthusiastic and happy to help! My mom and I both ordered signature cocktails - I got the one with Raki and she got the lemon whiskey. Both were good but strong. For good, we just shared the kofta plate. They recommend ordering multiple plates per person since it is tapas style, but we weren't overly hungry, so that one plate was enough for us. The kofta was delicious, as was the basket of Arabian bread that they brought to the table. My biggest complaint is the layout of the restaurant. The tables are WAY too close together. They need to get rid of some of them so that people are so crammed in. But that's an easy fix that hopefully they'll make. read more

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The entire restaurant itself is so beautiful and the ambiance is on another level, the food was delicious and the service was great! Would definitely come back read more

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It's a new place at goergetown everyone living near by was looking to have it.. Finally, it's here.. The menu will include Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese Mediterranean classics, as well as meze and hot and cold dips. A big selections of food serving in a romantic low light place.. opening late night kitchen for dine in is something we need specially for Ramadan so we can have a healthy tasty sahour here.. Highly recommend.. come to see me here! read more

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I was lured in by the beautiful ambience, the vibes and decor in this place are 110! And so was the service, they had very attentive and great staff. I love the olive oil with pomegranate molasses as a starter and the great fresh bread. unfortunately, after that, the actual food of it all was where it all fell apart for me. nothing was great or special and some things were downright disappointments, (like the hummus with spiced ground beef on top had a bolognese sauce on top, and not the ground beef cooked with 7 spices we had anticipated). everything was ok, but nothing was delicious or worth going back for. also, at 7pm on a tuesday they had insanely loud house music playing like it was friday night at the club. worth returning to for the bar and beauty, but thats about it. read more

I recently dined at Alara in Georgetown, and it completely lived up to the hype. Mediterranean food is my favorite cuisine, so when I heard a new Mediterranean restaurant had opened in DC, I knew I had to try it--especially after just getting back from Istanbul and already missing those rich, vibrant flavors. I'm happy to say Alara delivered. The spreads were absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling. Each one was packed with flavor and tasted fresh and authentic. You can really tell there's intention behind the ingredients and preparation. The lamb was cooked perfectly--tender, flavorful, and seasoned just right. It honestly brought me right back to some of the meals I had abroad. The ambiance was warm and inviting, making it a great spot for a date night or dinner with friends. If you're in or near Georgetown and craving quality Mediterranean food, I would definitely recommend checking Alara out. It's a welcome addition to DC's dining scene, and I'll absolutely be back. read more

Alara - Muhammara, Moutabal and Cig Kofte. - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I really wanted to like and rate this restaurant higher because our waiter was exceptionally kind and patient. The aesthetic is super cute too. But the food just did not deliver. Nothing we ordered had any flavor. There was 4 of us and all our orders were lackluster. The cauliflower was a good presentation but lacked flavor. My falafel was dry. My friends branzino was disappointing. No lemon, no salt nothing. My spiced ground beef hummus was good, but that's about it. read more

Welcome to Georgetown, Alara! This modern Mediterranean eatery had just opened up, and they offer, brunch, lunch, dinner, and even a late night menu. We decided to check them out for an early dinner; we started off with: +Roasted Mushroom Hummus +Muhammara - prepared with marinated roasted red peppers and walnuts +Karniyarik - roasted eggplant with spicy ground beef +Sigara Boregi - feta cheese and parsley, wrapped in a homemade dough +Dolmades - stuffed grape leaves with rice, pine nuts, and raisins; served with a yogurt sauce +Falafel - served with a yogurt sauce +Butter Shrimp - prepared with sun-dried chilis and Mediterranean spices +Moussaka - with eggplant, potatoes, ground beef, bechamel sauce, and cheese +Kibbeh- stuffed with ground lamb and beef, onions, walnuts, and parsley +and, a Cheese Pide - a Mediterranean flatbread topped with mozzarella cheese and Greek oregano For our mains, we shared: +the Lamb Shank - served over Ottoman rice +a Branzino - pan-seared, served with Anatolian-style potato salad and asparagus +and, a Chef's Mix Grill - with lamb chops, Adana kebabs, chicken shish kebabs, kofte kebabs, and lavash-wrapped Adana kebab Staff were friendly; note that a 20% service is automatically included on all checks... They're open late, so perfect for night owls. +20% service charge automatically applied to all checks read more

Lovely Mediterranean food and tasty cocktails, only knocking off one star because this place is jam packed with tables and can get pretty noisy. The butter shrimp and the chicken shish kebab are absolutely delicious, as is the tiramisu! Come here for a great meal, a lively atmosphere, and a great location right in the heart of Georgetown. read more

Alara - Tiramisu - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Excellent food. Enjoyed the roasted mushroom hummus and shepherd salad. Service was excellent and attentive. Ambiance is very good and pleasant. Able to have a good conversation as volumes were low. read more

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Be warned -- they put a 20% service charge to your check and then claim this is not a tip. It goes to the restaurant for "operational costs". So if you leave a regular tip, you're paying perhaps 40% over the check. This was not disclosed ahead of time. And party size does not matter. Their food and service is excellent but the service charge part is unethical. read more

Take a tour to Turkey right here in DC! Great food, friendly staff, beautiful venue and you the vibes of Georgetown. Alara is exactly what we were missing in the area. Enjoy the patio, bar, or the dinning room for any occasion. Solo,date, girls night, guys night, business meal. Enjoy! Chef Ahmet and the team never dissapoint! Not pictured: -Many of your favorite Mediterranean dips -Greek Salad -Falafel -Sütlac (Rice Pudding) read more

Alara - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Alara was delicious!! I would not recommend the tasting menu with a big group-- way too much food!! Servings are big for shared plates. Loved it!! read more

This Place Should Be Shut Down -- Read Before You Waste Your Time and Money This was easily one of the worst and most disrespectful restaurant experiences I've ever had in Georgetown -- and I don't say that lightly. I clearly explained I had strict dietary needs: no carbs, no substitutions, no games. They assured me multiple times it would be handled -- and still dumped a third of the plate full of starchy potatoes, completely ignoring what I asked for. When I refused the meal -- as anyone would -- the staff became passive aggressive. Instead of apologizing or correcting the mistake, they illegally slapped a service charge onto my bill for a drink I barely finished while waiting for food I never ate. The manager? Even worse -- condescending, dismissive, and completely unprofessional. This place survives by preying on polite customers who won't speak up -- but they picked the wrong one today. The service is hostile. The billing is shady. The management is arrogant. And the kitchen clearly doesn't care about basic health or accuracy. They will lie to your face, steal from your wallet, and shrug when you catch them. Save your money. Save your dignity. Georgetown has far better restaurants that don't treat customers like fools. You've been warned. If you still choose to eat here after reading this, don't say nobody warned you when your wallet is lighter and your dignity is gone. read more

Wow. We were supposed to go to some trendy place nearby but we stumbled upon this little gem. The food was AMAZING! The ambiance was cool, hip and comfortable. Good service. Their pitas were outstanding! We went twice in one week and will definitely go next time we are in DC. read more

Our server Mia was the sweetest and gave us an incredible experience Manager checked on us many times Food so delicious and healthy The place is so nice i will definitely come back read more

Alara - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nice Turkish in Georgetown. Decor is very classy. The service here is impeccable. It was slow when I first arrived but I never had to wait for a thing. The apps and main were incredible. We had beef and chicken both were tasty. The bread is fresh and so good! read more

Definitely overrated. Food is inconsistent. Spiced ground beef hummus has flavor, but Moutabel is bland and the yogurt overpowers the dish. Branzino is also bland. The food comes to the table at room temperature, not even warm. Service, there is a reason the gratuity is added to the bill. We were there on a Sunday and they had plenty of servers and very few customers. The service seemed to be based on commercial breaks. All of the servers were behind the bar watching the football game on their phones. If you run out of drinks don't count on getting more. Our server would come around the bar and from 20 feet away would glance at our table and then walk back to the game. The hype for this restaurant and the reality don't seem to match. Probably best not to go in on a Thursday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday until football season is over. If you do you will be paying 20% to be treated poorly. read more

Such a cute little brunch place! The food was so delicious too! Service was good too, highly recommend! read more

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THE GOOD AND BAD THE GOOD: Food 4.5 / 5.0: The food was not just good, it was great! We truly enjoyed eating there. Several dishes were solid 4.5 / 5 stars. We ordered more than we can eat. Ambiance 4.5 / 5.0: They did a great job but we did feel it was a bit dark. When we went in around 5:10pm it was well lit up. Around 5:15pm they really dimmed the lights down. It's a beautiful location, but really no need to dim the lights so much. Service 4.5 / 5.0: Was great! Polite and prompt staff, helpful to decide what to order. They had solid recommendations. Music: 4.0 / 5.0: mostly nice chill house vibes, but a few songs in there with chilling guitars / screeching that were enough to give you indigestion. Chill house is good. Keep it that way, low volume for 6pm dinner. No need to go club-style before 10pm. THE BAD: THE BILL (DC WAGE SURCHARGE:) 0 / 5: Absolutely ridiculous. This is what will stop us from going again. The bill came out and we noticed a 20% DC Wage Surcharge, to "help cover wages" of employees. I thought this was the tip. When we asked about it, we were told that was not the tip. The employee informed us the "DC Wage Surcharge" was only to help pay the cooks, but not the servers. If we left no tip, the server (he was great) wouldn't receive anything. On top of subsidizing the cooks pay, you also need to pay a tip for the server. So... we're expected to pay 40% GRATUITY for our meal? Seriously? Suggestion: Increase your prices on food, but don't slap your patrons with 20% for "DC WAGES," then 20% for your servers. Most other restaurants charge 2% or 3%, not 20%. As much as we enjoyed it we will not return for this reason. We all felt cheated. read more

Had amazing food here, I love the flavor and authenticity. The atmosphere is wonderful very relaxing and clean. The people are nice and attentive read more