The dinela lunch offering is SO worth it. You get so much food. Must orders with DineLA: Salmon - perfectly tender Smoked beet salad (this surprised us) Brussel sprouts (super crispy) Baba ghanouge Skip 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. read more

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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 menu Standouts 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. read more

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Went there for dinner and to our surprise, it was DineLa!! A solid 4/5 overall for me. Here's what we got: - Brussels sprout 5/5 - Sausage 5/5 - Hummus 5/5 - Pita bread 5/5 free/unlimited - Octopus 4/5 didn't like the fava beans puree - Seared halloumi 3/5 loved the toppings but not the halloumi itself, too hard and dense - Scallops 2/5 didn't find this one particularly outstanding - Greek yogurt 5/5 - Galetopita 10/5 sooo delicious!!! Service was 5/5, and great ambiance for a date or catching up with friends if you're feeling something slightly upscale and not casual. read more

Very underwhelming experience here last night. Food was not prepared well, portions were incredibly small for how pricey they were. I get that they do small shareable plates but when 1 small skewer comes in an order it's kind of insulting. I expect more from Jose Andres. 2 stars for nice ambiance but not much else. There is much better Mediterranean fare for a fraction of the price in West LA. read more

I loved the DC location so I was so excited to see that the same restaurant had opened up down the street. We came in a Friday evening at got a reservation for 5pm. Walking in, we were immediately greeted and sat at our table. The service is impeccable. The staff made sure our waters were filled all the time and constantly checked in. The decor is the same as the old establishment (etta), which is chic, hip and modern. There's a bar, indoor and patio seating area. The food was amazing. They started off with their signature fluffy and airy pita bread, dipped in a wonderful olive oil. We also got the baba ganoush, as well as a regular hummus. We shared the beet salad which was very light and fresh, and the Brussels as well. Finally, we had a lamb shoulder amongst the four of us, and had plenty left over. The meat was tender, juicy and full of flavor! I tried their 3pm cocktail which was sweet and juicy. Overall, will come back! The food is high quality, service is excellent. Fyi: parking is valet only ($18) or in the structure which is like $6/ hour or something like that. (We got lucky and found street parking on Venice!) read more

Zaytinya - Lamb shoulder - Greek Near Me - Culver City, California

This is a solid restaurant for a group so you can share and try more dishes. While they suggest you get 3-4 plates per person we went with 2 plates and had more then enough food for a group of 4. The service was on point and our waiter was extremely helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. We started with the HOMMUS MA LAHM (ground lamb hummus $13), TZATZIKI ($12), and FATTOUSH ($12). All were solid. The pickled vegetables and lamb really added depth to the already creamy hummus and the tzatziki was bright and the cucumber added texture and contrast to the hummus. The fattoush was also nice and if you like red onions this is a dish for you. You also get all the yummy light fresh pita bread you want - dangerous. From there we moved on to the SPANAKOPITA ($16) and FALAFEL ($14) the latter being a suggestion of our waiter. Not being the biggest falafel fan I found these to be decent. Good flavor, not too dry, the pickles and tahini helped with dryness. The spanakopita was a little tough to share since it comes out 1 long piece but the house made phyllo was a nice touch. Finally we had the SEA SCALLOPS ($21) BONE MARROW KIBBEH ($13), SHISH TAOUK (chicken skewer $16). The sea scallops (you get 3) were fine, familiar flavors, well cooked, while the bone marrow/bulgur wheat fritters were really interesting. There was a light sweetness to them that kind of confused me but the pine nuts were nice touch. The chicken skewer was great. Really well cooked, strong flavors, and well balanced I also tried the Ancient Olive Martini ($21), yum! They give you a side of juiced olives which you pour into the glass of gin/vodka which already has castelvetranos oil in it. Super smooth and light! Located in near the heart of downtown culver city, parking can be tricky. You can park/valet at The Shay hotel but it can get pricey. The Platform near by may have street parking or less expensive garage parking. The best way to go is if you can take the metro and the Culver City stop drops you right by the restaurant. All in all I will probably be back to try more dishes read more

Zaytinya - Ancient Olive Martini -$21 - Greek Near Me - Culver City, California

We were so excited to check out Zaytinya on their second day of service. We've been huge fans of Jose Andres for years now, and this new restaurant did not disappoint. It is huge, and they have an enormous army of servers waiting to help you. Both the indoor and outdoor spaces are large and beautiful - would be a great venue for a large party. The star of the show, though, is the food. It's different than any Middle Eastern food I've had before. Our server recommended ordering 3-5 dishes (meant for sharing) per person. We ended up taking home a lot of leftovers but we're not complaining. Here's what we had: - Lemonatha: a spin on lemonade - Mediterranean milk punch: very unique and a little floral - Hommus: delicious - Taramosalata: also delicious with a bit of a smoky flavor - Egg and pastirma pide: this may have been my favorite dish of the night - Za'atar pide: another must get - Crispy Brussels afelia: all the servers recommended this; great flavor - Bantijian bil laban: loved the flavor and texture - Black cod: fish flaked perfectly; loved the combo of flavors and the generous serving of greens - Shish taouk: my least favorite dish of the night, chosen by my husband. The chicken was grilled to perfection, but I'm not a fan of either onions or tomatoes, so.... - Turkish coffee chocolate cake: a spin on lava cake. Can't go wrong with this one. The servers were constantly replenishing our supply of pita bread, which came out warm and poufy. I've been off carbs for a while, but this was worth it. Can't wait to come back and try more things! read more

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My friends and I came here for Christmas Eve dinner. Ambiance: The restaurant is located inside The Shay hotel, with a cozy atmosphere and Mediterranean-inspired interior design. Drinks: We each ordered a cocktail, and I quite enjoyed mine. The prices were comparable to other restaurants in the area. Food: The complimentary pita bread was a highlight--absolutely delicious and a great pairing with all the dishes we ordered. Unfortunately, despite our 7:30 reservation, the lamb shoulder was already sold out, which felt like poor planning for a holiday evening. Between the five of us, we shared around eight dishes, including the eggplant, cauliflower, octopus, scallops, bone marrow, two pides, and the kebab platter. My favorite was the cauliflower, which was perfectly seasoned and flavorful. Service: The service was chaotic. Dishes arrived out of order, and multiple servers came by to check if we had already received items they were carrying. At one point, a server accidentally bumped my friend's head with a tray, which was surprising and left us a bit unsettled. Overall, while the meal was enjoyable and the pita bread was fantastic, I'm not sure the experience was memorable enough to bring me back for a second visit anytime soon. read more

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This is hands down the best restaurant in LA and I don't say that lightly. From lamb hummus to falafel to octopus to kabab platter to eternal bliss. Every single dish came out better than the next. Prior to tonight I thought Penguin fish and chips was my number 1 place, but this is by far the best food anywhere in LA. I'm elite in this app and you better believe it when I try to convey how good this food. Words don't even do it. Thanks Chef Andres! read more

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The food was really impressive. Get the Halloumi, the Hummus, Fattoush, Shish Taouk, and Mujadara. Service was excellent, endless bread (which is really good). Good space and chill vibes. read more

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A star is born in Culver City. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes (RIP ETTA!) Zaytina recently opened here in Los Angeles and it's Mediterranean food is a welcome addition to the scene, and in a great location right next to Ivy Station and attached to the Shay. I'll start with the only negative - even during the holiday season, with this being brand new this is PACKED. So expect a bit of a wait being sat down as well as spotty service as the staff run around the very large location and are still getting used to the menu (a few issues with answering questions and the wine menu but all were solved!) The space is beautiful and retains overall the same layout as Etta and the very short lived Prima Donna. Now on to the food - here are the highlights of our meal: CAULIFLOWER TIGANITES - The Tahini on this dish with the crisp cauliflower is amazing flavor. OCTOPUS SANTORINI - I love Octopus but this was an entirely new way of seeing it served - sliced and with amazing flavors, even the kids loved these! GRILLED LAMB Chops - Just do it. ADANA KEBAB - Amazing with the chiles For Dessert - the Olive Oil cake was amazing but the real star was the home made sorbets. This is a rotation but we had both honeycrisp apple and pear olive oil and we could not decide which was better - it's a cant miss scenario. Pair this with a Turkish Coffee for a great end to your meal. The cocktails were just OK to me, but thats not why you come here. Specifically I found the Za'atar Margarita underwhelming and the Ankara Rye Club to be WAY too bitter. Next time I will try the more themed cocktails with things like Ouzo. However on a non-alcoholic shout out - the Cucumber-Mint Cooler was fantastic and refreshing. read more

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We were excited to try zaytinya. Our service was not bad, can clearly tell the restaurant is new and still ironing out the kinks. The food was very flavorful! The Brussel sprouts were recommended as a popular dish but did not hit for me, I felt the yogurt sauce/base was incredible but the Brussel sprouts weren't cooked well and lacked flavor themselves. The remaining dishes were excellent. The baba ghanoush was one of the best I've ever had. Their cocktails were also phenomenal. Highly recommend their sour cocktail, the Istanbul at 3pm, and the margarita! I will definitely be back to try the other items on the menu read more

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I couldn't contain my excitement when I found out Zaytinya opened on the West Coast! As a longtime fan of José Andrés from my time living in DC, this visit was a nostalgic treat. Zaytinya was one of my go-to spots there, and I'm happy to say this location at Culver City did not disappoint. The food was phenomenal--every dish a burst of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavors. The mezze plates are perfect for sharing, and everything I tried was fresh, vibrant, and perfectly seasoned. From the creamy, dreamy hummus to the tender lamb, every bite was comfort food elevated. The service was equally impressive--friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. Our server ensured we had a seamless dining experience. The ambience is just as I remembered: modern yet inviting, with a lively, warm atmosphere. It's the perfect spot for catching up with friends, family, or even a casual date night. The server recommended we try 6 plates between the 2 of us and we did just that: We started with drinks- Sidecar to tangier: yum. Fresh flavors. Za'atar margarita: a fresh take on a classic margarita. The za'atar air (read foam) was delish. Food: Warm pita with an olive oil and molasses dip is great! They refresh the pita bread so you're never eating cold bread.. it's the little things! 1. Hommus: creamy, delish, yum. 2. Smoked beet salata: tangy, fresh and wholesome salad. A must try. 3. Crispy Brussels Afelia: crispy Brussels sprouts were elevated with the garlic dip. I couldn't stop eating it! 4. Mujadara: rice and lentil pilaf. Honestly this was the definition of comfort food. A simple dish, I enjoyed it. 5. Adana Kebab: juicy lamb kebabs with sumac onions make for a melt in your mouth combo. The best part? It tastes exactly the same (read delicious) since first having it over a decade ago! 6. Shish Taouk: grilled chicken with a garlic dip and sumac onions. Really really good! Zaytinya has truly brought a little piece of my "happy place" to the West Coast, and I'll definitely be back for more. Highly recommend to anyone craving a stellar dining experience! read more

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Parking- they have valet it was 18$ for 3 hours Otherwise hard to find unless you park at the metro parking. Can't guarantee you won't get towed though! Incredible food and ambiance. The dark blue furniture immediately makes you reminisce about the Mediterranean sea whether it's the archipelago of Greece or the beautiful sea view of Beirut. The setting is warm modern and inviting. The smells of great food are wafting all over the place and you're excited to order by the time you sit down! The service was quite attentive and reviewed the menu thoroughly. We were so ecstatic to try our food we forgot to take pics of our main entrees! We had the following items Complimentary pita with Greek olive oil and pomegranate molasses 1. Fattoush salad - fresh and so good; pita is typically fried but this pita seemed baked still great 2. Soujok pide- great appetizer if you've ever had a Georgian cheese boat it was very similar 3. Brussel sprouts- Didn't try this one but company for the evening reported it was quite good! 4. Lamb baharat- great flavors however fairly small portion 5. Chicken youvetsi- pretty authentic flavors and taste! Pleasantly surprised considering most Greek food in LA misses the mark! Do note though that this is also a small personal portion 5. Turkish chocolate cake- essentially a lava chocolate cake pretty standard BUT with a Greek twist you've got the incredible mastic ice cream which I've NEVER seen on the west coast so this is most likely imported or made in house with a delectable Greek coffee syrup with pistachios the flavor profiles were incredibly complimentary so much so it makes you think why you never thought of it before! Overall rating 10/10 For all these dishes we paid 106$ without tip. Great quality and a MUST try read more

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I don't care how famous the chef/ owner is, his food absolutely sucks. There, I said it. This is the worst Mediterranean food I've ever had. Who is rating this highly??? All of our dishes came out almost cold. They remade it, and it came out only a couple degrees warmer. And if you like your food either covered in a goupy mush or on a plate of goupy mush, this is the place for you. Not my taste. The portions were small, so I guess the bright side is I didn't have to force down so much. As small as the portions were, we still left each plate unfinished. We also left with our stomachs unsettled. I ended up going to McDonald's after and got a McDouble. At least it was hot and tasted way better than the overpriced mess we were served. The only reason they got 1 star was that the service was pretty good and they tried very hard. It's just that they have such a large mountain to climb to overcome the horrible food. We had the Lamb Baharat. $22 for less meat than on a small chicken leg. It came with tabbouleh (unedible) a slice of charred tomato (cold), and tahini sauce - what are you going to do with that??? We also had the scallops. $23 for 3 small scallops that didn't taste good. The brussel sprouts and cauliflower are a mess and were nothing to speak of, except for being mushy. With tax and tip it was $94 and we didn't even have any drinks. We tried a few wines, which were not good and their beer selection is pitiful. One of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

Inside the Shay hotel, Zaytinya is a modern and vibey spot ideal for a night out with friends or date. The ENTIRE meal was phenomenal. We got the lamb hummus, za'atar pide, seared halloumi, and crispy eggplant. EVERY item was a hit, the halloumi was packed with flavor and various textures. We also had the Za'atar margarita- SO unique and refreshing, and mastiha coconut cocktails. I love how they incorporated regional ingredients and flavors. Ended the meal with Turkish coffee cake. Our server was very attentive and gave great recommendations. I'd love to come back and try their brunch! read more

I highly recommend this place! Great food, good service and a nice ambiance! The fish was superb!

Stopped by for date night, per my partner's recommendation (she frequented the DC location when she was a local) and I must say I was BEYOND pleased with everything. Ambiance, service, food, drinks; You name it! Had the "Dine LA" 5 course meal and everything was exceptional, particularly the Smokey baba ghannouge and the super tasty falafel! On the drinks side of things, look no further than the "Ancient Olive Martini." That pressed olive juice was a revelation! One of the better martinis I've had in a while! So good! All in all, you owe to yourself to give this place a shot, if you're in the area. You will not regret it! read more

Zaytinya - Ancient Olive Martini - Greek Near Me - Culver City, California

After going here in DC years ago, I was overjoyed when it opened in Culver City! I went during restaurant week which is such a great way to try a variety of options. My favorites were the dips, especially the hummus and labneh, and the crispy Brussels sprouts. The salmon and falafel were solid mains, but the kale salad was oddly wilted and skippable. A solid new Mediterranean spot (with a beautiful vibe!) read more

Zaytinya - salmon - Greek Near Me - Culver City, California

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Amazing!!!!!! The food is exceptional and the wine was vibrant! We will be back soon!

Service started off great...and then as it got busier, service dipped and we hardly saw our server. Cocktail/drink refreshes came sparingly or just not at all. But the strangest thing was that they expect the Chef's tasting menu which is comprised of 12 dishes and 2 desserts to be consumed in 90 minutes...because that's how it's done in DC. The dishes came faster and more furious than a Vin Diesel movie, and they seemed to not realize there was only a finite amount of space on the table. We even asked twice for them to slow the pace. Food itself was okay. The dishes didn't wow me, and living in Tehrangeles, we have some stellar Mediterranean places here. There was some good, most just serviceable, the bad was the uncontrolled pacing. Even a few days later, I remember liking the yogurt dessert and the scallops...with everything else being meh. We had a group of 6 and wanted to enjoy a leisurely dinner. They didn't slow it until dessert and coffee arrived after dessert was over. I will say cocktail game here is on point. I only got to try 2 and I loved them. We'd have stayed, but there was no room...and I understand why. I'd hang out at the bar here, too. I'd come back for the cocktails and maybe some snacks, but I'm in no hurry to return for dinner. read more

Went to Zaytinya in Culver City recently and had a really nice time. The space is lovely, good for date night! food was tasty - those scallops and shrimp were cooked just right, and the Chicken Youvetski and Kofte were full of flavor. The people working there were friendly and took good care of us. It was a good meal in a nice spot with excellent service. I'd definitely go back. read more

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I went to Zaytinya with my girlfriends Sunday night, and we had a fun catch-up dinner for under $50 a head. Granted, our crew is currently awash in pregnancies and drinking more water than wine, but not bad for a satisfying meal at an upscale new restaurant. I actually had lunch at the original Zaytinya in 2011--another girls' outing, during a visit to DC. I was happy to hear about this new Culver City location, in the old Etta space in the Shay Hotel. One of my friends made the reservation, but I don't think it was difficult. The restaurant is quite large, and it seems like a good, hassle-free go-to for a group dinner. Parking is expensive, something like $18 through the hotel, but you can park cheaply at the Co-op across the street--free, in fact, on Sundays. We all went with this option before gathering in what I think was the hotel lobby. Once we were all there, we got seated at a comfortable table in the giant dining room. The space was attractively decorated with a pleasant, easy atmosphere. Service was a little inattentive but perfectly friendly. I got the sense that our waiter was covering a lot of tables. We went pretty long stretches without anyone checking on us (we sat for a while with a lot of half-eaten spreads and no pita) and realized after we left that we never got the falafel we ordered and paid for. On the other hand, our waiter took ample care helping us navigate a Mediterranean menu with a deathly pine nut allergy in our party. I was the only one boozing at this dinner, and I kept it light and classy with a single Za'atar Margarita, a lovely drink made with Milagro blanco tequila, lime, orange liqueur, and a fragrant foam of "za'atar air." I also liked my pregnant friend's Mediterranean Milk Punch, a clarified mocktail of fenugreek, cardamom, Greek yogurt, and fresh citrus. The food was great. We went heavy on the spreads, which all went beautifully with the airy puffed house pita. The hommus was classic and tasty, a purée of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, and harissa chili crisp. The labneh was a thick dip of Lebanese strained yogurt with za'atar, the baba ghannouge an earthy mix of fire-roasted eggplant with tahini, lemon, and garlic. My favorite of the spreads was probably the h'tipiti, made with marinated roasted red peppers, feta, and thyme. I also loved the fattoush, a fresh, vibrant salad of tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, radish, and pita chips with a pomegranate vinegar dressing. The Zaytinya fries were good, too, crispy potato fries with house mushroom salt and roasted garlic yogurt. The octopus Santorini was solid, if not a standout. Grilled Mediterranean octopus with marinated onions, capers, and yellow split pea purée. We shared the kebab platter to round out our dinner, and this was delicious. It came with lamb, kofte, chicken, and adana kebabs, enough for the five of us to get about one bite of each. They were all excellent, though I especially liked the kofte. They came on one big plate with a bunch of condiments, tomato and onion, pickled peppers and parsley salad. There was also a side bowl of garlic toum, white and rich with fat and garlic. I really enjoyed Zaytinya and would be happy to go back. I'll keep it in mind whenever I need a nice place to eat in Culver City. read more

We recently dined at Zaytinya in Culver City, and unfortunately the experience fell short of expectations. I rarely ever write poor reviews on Yelp, which makes this experience especially disappointing. We were seated quickly upon arrival, which was appreciated, particularly since the restaurant was not very busy. However, once seated, the experience began to decline. Our server spent a significant amount of time highlighting his favorite menu items, with a strong emphasis on the most expensive dishes and alcoholic beverages. Our party does not drink, and several of the items mentioned were not compatible with dietary restrictions. When it came time to order, we clearly communicated our selections. Despite declining multiple times, alcoholic beverages continued to be pushed. The server's demeanor became noticeably passive, and after taking our order, he told us that we "didn't order enough food." While suggestions can sometimes be helpful, the delivery felt condescending and inappropriate. When the food arrived, the portion sizes were extremely small for the prices being charged. Our entrées felt closer to appetizer or tapas-sized portions. We ordered several signature dishes, including the meatballs, which consisted of only four very small meatballs total. The salmon, priced at $24, was an extremely small piece (roughly two inches) and did not include any side dishes. Overall, the portion sizes were not commensurate with the cost. While the food itself was acceptable, it was not memorable or worth the premium pricing. Combined with the service issues, the overall experience left us disappointed. read more

Wow - this place surpassed our expectations! The warm pita they bring out at the start never stops coming. We started with the lamb hummus and eggplant - both delicious. The kebabs and fish were also so good. read more

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Great food is to be had in Culver City. They have other locations, see their website, but I have not been to them yet. I like this one. The place is just ever so pretty with comfortable tables and the nicest service. The servers are great at their job and know the menu well. They will take good care of you. Their Greek food is authentic and super. Now, the prices are a tad high, but it is quite worth it. We love all their food, but their chicken dishes are our favorite. We love their CHICKEN YOUVETSI which is chicken braised with tomato and cinnamon, kefalograviera cheese, and yummy kritharaki pasta. Their CHICKEN SOUP AVGOLEMONO with a Greek egg and lemon soup, served with served with shredded roasted chicken, carrot, onion, celery, greens, and that yummy kritharaki pasta is a must. There is not one thing that you will not love there. read more

We visited Zaytinya for a Friday date night and enjoyed the variety of dishes and ambiance! The food was mostly derived from Greece and Turkey. We loved that the menu used many of the original Greek or Turkish names for the dishes. We started with the Minoan sour and rye Ankara; the Minoan sour was a stand out in presentation and taste. We tasted the babaghanoush and a couple vegetable dishes; cauliflower and brussel sprouts. While the babaghanoush was tasty, we like a fluffier pita compared to Zaytinya's pita, so we'd likely explore other options next time. On the other hand, the two veggies were my favorite dishes! Both had great flavors, weren't overly salty, and were served with creamy sauces. Next, we tried the octopus, beef (kofte) kabob and celebration rice with mushrooms. The kabob was my husband's favorite-very tender and tasty! We also ordered the zaatar pide; it reminded us of Greek cheese pies (tiropita) in taste. We ended with the honeycrisp apple sorbet; it was fantastic! Next time, we want to leave more room for dessert :) We're excited to return; we'll definitely order the cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and kabob again! We'd also like to try the lamb chops, which looked really tasty coming out of the kitchen. ! read more

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Great restaurant! Been there multiple times and every time every dish was delicious. Elegant interior design and warm attentive service. Another Jose Andres home run! read more

Had a chance to have lunch with a friend at zaytinya, a new restaurant by chef Jose Andres. They had big shoes to fill as they took over Etta, which is one of my fave restaurants. The service was exceptional and the food was incredible. If the weather is nice sit outside, but the inside of the restaurant is gorgeous! Now on to the good part, they started us out with bread and the most delicious olive oil I've had outside of Greece. We ordered the lamb pita which was perfect to share. We each had one pita and the lamb was perfectly prepared, not gamey or chewy. We also really enjoyed the octopus and the cauliflower. Definitely looking forward to returning. read more

I'm a big fan of Zaytinya in DC, and was thrilled to hear they'd opened up a location in LA. The space is nice, with good ambiance and friendly service. My friend and I came on the earlier side and decided to just sit at the bar. Cocktails were delicious - I got the Pomona. We split a few dishes - the cauliflower tiganites, Haloumi pide & bantijian bil laban. Everything was delicious and there were so many more dishes I'd return to try (always the BEST sign). They have happy hour with many flatbread choices, but we ended up ordering a lot from the regular menu. We had a blast, and never felt rushed. This is a great addition to the city! read more

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We had a fine dinner at Zaytinya. The best dish we had was the Kebab platter; highly recommend that as a main. Overall, we probably won't be back as there are other Mediterranean spots in LA that are spectacular. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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They took over the old Etta spot, inside the Shay Hotel. You can access the restaurant directly from outside without going into the hotel but it is connected. I came here with my husband and daughter for an early dinner. We made reservations via OpenTable pretty easily. We were excited to try this place as it is Jose Andres' new restaurant in LA and we like his other restaurants. The space is beautiful and spacious, with Mediterranean decor and a warm and inviting vibe. The restaurant was pretty empty as it was a Wednesday early evening. However, I did expect it to be a bit busier as it just opened 2 weeks ago with a lot of buzz around it being from Jose Andres. We had pretty high expectations for the food but we left feeling a little bit disappointed. Everything was just decent, and there wasn't a wow factor to any of the dishes. Although we might be spoiled in LA with all the flavorful Mediterranean food options we have around us which is easily accessible and much cheaper. For the price we paid here, and the fact that it's a Jose Andres restaurant, we just expected a lot more. We ordered: - 3 PM in Istanbul: lavender tea infused vodka cocktail with grapefruit, strawberry Thai basil aperol, vanilla lime. Good but not amazing. - Hommus Ma Lahm: hummus with spiced ground lamb and pickled veggies. This was unique but the hummus itself was a little too bland for my liking. I also wished the lamb was warmer as it came out room temp. - Baba Ghannouge: fire-roasted eggplant dip. Best dish of the night. We loved that you could really taste the smokiness from the fire-roasted eggplant. Pomegranate seeds were a nice touch both visually and to the palate. - Cheese Pide: it's basically a cheese pizza. A good kid friendly option. - Fattoush: salad made up of diced tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, radish, pita chips and a pomegranate vinegar dressing. This was very refreshing and delicious. The acidity and freshness of this dish was a good balance to the heavier foods. - Zaytinya Fries: came with garlic yogurt dip. Basically just fries. Another kid friendly option but nothing special. They also gave us ketchup to go with it. - Grilled lamb chops: smoked labneh with tzatziki and harissa chili crisp. Two small lamb chops which were grilled pretty well. They were moist and tender, but a little too fatty for my liking. Service was excellent throughout the night from the hostess to our server who was very attentive. No complaints there. Parking: We parked in the structure which was $2.25 per every 15 min. They unfortunately don't validate for parking. There's also an option to do valet for $18. read more

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The food was a step above with tasty tapas. Standouts for me was the tabbouleh and falafel. The non-alcohol cucumber-mint refresher was a treat. We are from out of town and due to an 83 degree day we were able to enjoy the fun patio. read more

As much as I'd like to give Zaytinya, five stars a few items fell short. First and foremost all the staff were super friendly and had a good attitude. The hummus was to die for and I enjoyed the items they add to it, but the portion is definitely on the small side for the price. The kebab platter was pricey for the portion size as well. The chicken was way undercooked on the platter and had to be returned but they took care of it and made a new chicken portion. Another important thing was the fact that they brought the dishes that should be served together staggered so we had the rice and veggies waiting and getting cold while we waited for the kabob dish. In addition, they were not on top of replacing the appetizer plates so the bus people were a little bit unorganized and possibly need some additional training since this is a fairly new restaurant. The bottom line is the quality of the ingredients are good, the kitchen and the busing people need to get their act a little bit more together. But this is a new restaurant so I'm going to give them another try. I wish them the best in their new location in C C. read more

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I haven't done a yelp review in soo long but we need to talk about this place. I went last night with 4 other friends and we had sooo much fun!! This is located at The Shay Hotel. They also have a restaurant called Butterfly on the rooftop which is nice and had great ceviche. The service @Zaytina is great. I am middle eastern and so are my friends and we loved the food, service was great especially will allergies. Food is very reasonable priced in my opinion especially for L.A. we split the bill on inkind which is sooo great for group dinners. As for parking: last time I found a garage for a decent price this time is valet $18 for 3 hours. Its more if you stay longer than 3 hours read more

Wanted to try this place after I read it was part of the Jose Andrea group and we loved his restaurant at the Conrad Hotel in DTLA. It's a beautiful looking place in the former "Etta" space. We opted for the covered outdoor dog friendly patio with lots of heat lamps although the huge inside dining area looked elegant and was packed with hungry diners. Restaurant is in the upscale Shay hotel which also boasts a fancy bar area and lounge. As for the food, our server recommended 3-4 dishes per person to share (as most were "mezze" or smaller portions, appetizers). We had: 1. Smoked Baba Ganoush - that came with warm pita bread that keeps coming as long as you like. Excellent. 2. Crispy Brussel Sprouts - 10/10 - The garlic yogurt made the dish special. 3. Shish Taouk - One chicken kebab at $16.00 (looked like dark meat). Just "ok" as it was rather small and we've had better kebabs elsewhere. 4. Black Cod - ($24) Rather small piece of fish which was good with the mushroom tahini but really not enough to share. 5. Smoked Beet Salad - Excellent and generous portion -- enough for two. 6. Turkish Chocolate Cake w/ Ice Cream. Liked the cake but what looked like vanilla ice cream was instead something else with a strange taste. The service was excellent with many people taking turns filling water glasses, clearing plates, etc. One thing we didn't like is that all the dishes came at the same time so we would have preferred some spacing. Like having the salad and veggies first perhaps so the meat dishes wouldn't get cold by the time you got to them. All in all, we would recommend Zaytina and since they just opened, we'll give them some time to grow and come back to try some different dishes as there were many that sounded interesting. read more

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Parking is difficult in this area but we went on a Sunday for dineLA and found street parking on the street over. We didn't have a reservation but they put us on a wait-list and we waited for about 20 mins. It's connected to the hotel so there was a nice waiting area you can chill at which worked great since it was the first rainy day we had in LA. When our table was ready, we got walked in and I didn't realize how big the restaurant was. There is a full bar there and the decor was very thought out with the Mediterranean sea style with clean white and blue. They also laid out the fish. We got seated closer to the back and open kitchen area which was nice and felt like a hells kitchen kind of vibe where you can see them prepping the dishes. Seats were a bit close to eat other, lots of pillows on the sofa side that kind of takes up a lot so I would go without them. It felt a bit cramped. We got the regular menu and dineLA and opted for the dineLA 3 courses for $45. We also ordered two cocktails and mine was tasty but forgot the name. It was a great selection and I think enough with the 3 courses. We really enjoyed the naan and wanted more since there was so much hummus and babaghanous to eat! It took a while to get the refill of naan but probably bc they bake it fresh. Our second course was the veggies of beet salad and Brussels sprouts and it was delicious and a night palate cleanser. I got the meatballs and my hubby got the chicken for the main. Wasn't too sure about these since I felt it was missing a carb to pair with the dish. The meatballs was saucy and super flavorful but I couldn't just eat it alone and needed something to balance it, so I used the naan. The chicken as well didn't have rice or something to balance out the flavors. It was just a bit weird for me. Dessert was quite amazing with the apricot and Greek yogurt while the olive oil cake was dry to me but loved by my hubby. Great vibes and food overall but definitely had some areas of improvement. I'm also surprised they allowed pets inside bc there wasn't an outdoor area and the ambiance felt it was on the verge of fancy but allowing the dogs made it feel very casual. My hubby also felt we were not given that much attention compared to our neighbors who were 3 older people and we really had to grab our waiters' attention when we needed something. I would recommend it based on the dineLA menu though! read more

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Wow this space has been a few things over the years. Last I checked it was Etta's? But sone of the staff are still here. That's crazy how sone survive the regime changes. Met a friend for sone drinks so we could avoid the rush hour. The space is now very beige and white, with the Greek/Mediterranean touches of blue. The dining rooms are huge and the last place probably did 400-500 folks a night during the hey day. Definitely will come back for food at sone point but the cocktails are very solid if you have a rapport with the bar staff. 4.3 stars read more