Luigi B.

(Ryan Reynolds voiceover) The vibe is hidden gem Turkish restaurant at Stanford mall. Wanna warmly greeted us at the table! He is super helpful! We ran with the Baba Ganoush! Fine and fabulous! The puffy bread (Turkish Pyde). Sooo good! Kebab Platter is a must! Love the gorgeous presentation and the perfectly spiced peppers! The selection the full flavor spectrum! Wowza! The Steak on a bed of kale was scrumptuous! Gil's recommendations were top notch! Would order everything again! Thanks Wanna & Gil! Woohoo!

Kit W.

Zaytinya was amazing when we went to the DC location so was pretty excited for Palo Alto to open up. I've now been 3 times (twice for dinner and once for lunch) and... I have been fairly disappointed. The food is still pretty good but the service has been whackadoodle. The most recent visit, I made a reservation and we were seated promptly but didn't actually get water in our glasses for over 20 mins. Server finally came over at about 25 minutes, and took our order and then we waited another 20+ minutes for the first food to come out. Hummus and babaganoush shouldn't take that long - I'm sure it was gated by their (admittedly fantastic) pita bread but I thought it was just growing pains when we first went. Nope, 8 months in and this may still be what was holding stuff up. Finally got our entrees an hour after we sat down. The mixed kabob plate was excellent and likely enough for 3 people - 4 if you get a good amount of sides. The chicken was the best and most surprising- they manage to create such juicy and tender chicken, it made me wish we'd gotten more. The beet salad was tiny and the cheese was in very large chunks. The cheese was ridiculously tiny for $10 - two teensy slices of flavorless cheese. Dips and pita were great. Also the restaurant was so dark, most tables had their phone flashlights out, completely ruining the ambiance.

Katyayini K.

Pros - The fresh pitas with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and the BANTIJIAN BIL LABEN were exceptional! The kebab, falafel, hummus and salad were good but nothing out of the ordinary. Lovely ambiance and the restaurant is so well decorated. Cons- The Salmon Crudo. I have no idea how this dish made the menu. The salmon itself doesn't taste fresh - it's been cured for super long. Tastes closer to lox than what you expect for a Crudo. It had a base of tough mashed potato, and a sprinkling of almonds. There was no tangy nor spicy component to balance it out. The dish was also topped with potato chips (the menu mentioned fried potato but this was something you'd get out of a supermarket chips packet). That definitely surprised everyone at the table. Closer to the 1 hour mark, the servers were trying to empty the table while it was clear that we were making our way through the dishes. This place has great potential, I highly recommend the restaurant to redefine the salmon Crudo because that really marred my experience at this place.

Victor L.

I'm a couple weeks late on this review. We were in the Palo Alto area and decided to use some of our InKind credit to try Zaytinya. This place is definitely on the pricier side, so the InKind savings made the bill a little easier to digest! We barely scratched the surface of the menu, but there were a few standouts that would make me consider coming back. Here are my ratings: Food (4 stars) * Brussels Afelia was easily one of the best Brussels sprouts I've had. Crispy with balsamic, sun-dried tomatoes and lots of flavor. For a small plate, the portion was surprisingly generous. Three of us ate plenty and we barely finished it. (5 stars) * Kofta kebab was probably my favorite meat dish. They looked like little meatballs/kebabs and were very beefy and flavorful. The tomato ezme reminded me of a Turkish version of pico de gallo. My wife didn't care for it but I loved it. I just wish I had some basmati rice to balance out all that flavor! (4.5 stars) * Steak Harra was cooked perfectly around rare/medium rare and was tender despite being fairly lean. The mustard labneh underneath contrasted nicely with the beef. My daughters really liked this one too. I wish they offered an entree-sized version because the small plate wasn't enough for four of us! (4 stars) ~ Octopus Santorini was tender and served over yellow split pea puree with capers and marinated onions. I was hoping for more smokiness or seasoning from the octopus itself. It wasn't bad and I'm glad we tried it, but nothing really stood out. (3.5 stars) ~ Salmon crudo with potato skordalia and crispy potato looked better than it tasted. The first few bites were surprisingly bland and I would've rather had sashimi with some wasabi and soy sauce. Oddly enough, it grew on me as I kept eating it, but still fairly average. (3.5 stars) ~ The cheese appetizer was interesting because I liked the contrast between the savory cheese, sweet dried fruit/nuts and their fluffy bread. We specifically asked if it was goat cheese and were told no, but both my wife and I picked up a gamier flavor. Maybe that's simply the style of cheese, but my wife definitely noticed it since she doesn't care for that flavor. (3 stars) Service/Ambiance (3-4.5 stars) * We walked in without a reservation and were told the wait would be about 30 minutes. She went onto OpenTable, saw an immediate reservation for four, booked it, and suddenly we were seated right away. Huh? Not sure how that works, but definitely a little strange. ~ Our waiter started off professional and helped us order, but seemed to disappear once the food started arriving. At one point we were actually trying to find him and couldn't even remember what he looked like! The food runners brought everything out fine, but there wasn't much follow-up from our actual waiter. He eventually resurfaced enough for us to add the kofta kebab because we were still hungry. (3-3.5 stars) * Ambiance is superb. Beautiful decor, impressive bar backdrop, comfortable seating and everything feels upscale. Even the bathrooms were impeccable with those little individual hand towels. They definitely put some money and thought into the space. (4.5 stars) Overall, I think Zaytinya deserves another shot. Now that we know what we like, I'd probably order differently next time and stick with more of the standout dishes.

Imelda M.

We went here on a whim, been wanting to try it didn't realize it was by Jose Andres which was a nice surprise. I love anything JA, didn't think he ventured outside his norms. So my expectations were high, ambiance is spacious, nice & modern. The Bar is cute and drinks was good as well. The service was quick in the beginning but took a long time to finally take our order, even longer to get our food. We understand it's Mezez style and nice touch with fresh free pita bread but no sauce so you're forced to order a dip so it's not so plain. We ordered the Hummus w/ ground lamb which was good then Scallops came. We usually expect the plain Basmati rice first along with the main dishes. The Basmati Rice was on a wet side and tasted uncooked and had to send it back. Then the Kofte Beef & Scampi Shrimp came without the Rice unfortunately. It took a long time for the Rice and the other 2 dishes are now cold, butter on the overcooked shrimp is hardening now too. We asked to let the manager know and she offered to get a new one so we sent both back for all of them to come together this time. Finally we got all the food, Beef Kofte was so small w/ a pasty texture not sure if it's supposed to be like that or just tasted weird to me like it tasted almost liver like taste. The Shrimp was cooked better the 2nd time around per my Fiance. The Basmati Rice was still on the aldente & wet side, so not sure if it's meant to be like that. I'm used to dryer Basmati and the Kofte is usually more texture. I've eaten at a lot of good Mediterranean restaurants, enough to tell the difference but that's just mho. We really wanted to like this place but we're just underwhelmed with the food, service, value for the portion. They did offer a complimentary dessert but nothing stood out so we opted out for a discount instead. They took off 3 items which was nice & the right thing to do. I know they're still fairly new & hopefully it gets better if there's a next time.

Tanya M.

We came for a birthday lunch and it was a lovely experience! Our server, Joe, was so hospitable, attentive, and friendly! He was always checking in and making sure we were enjoying and had everything we needed. The inside of the restaurant is so beautifully decorated! We felt like we were on vacation! The food was delicious. The complimentary pita bread with pomegranate molasses and olive oil was so lovely and addicting. The pita bread is soft and pillowy. We also ordered the hummus and babaghanoush. Both tasted delicious with the pita bread. My uncle really enjoyed his lamb chops and my aunt enjoyed her Adana (ground lamb) kabob. I took off one star because of the Kebab Platter. The kabobs were absolutely cold. They weren't even warm or room temperature. It was leaning towards the cold side, which makes me think they were reheated or they spent too much time sitting on a cold plate next to the cold salads, which made them cold as well. That was very disappointing, especially for a $70 dish. The lamb kabob was also extremely charred to the point where it had such a bitter taste. I really thought the meat would be better quality here. We also wish the garlic yogurt and the toum had more of a garlic flavor. We didn't taste too much garlic in them. We would all definitely go back though as I do want to try other items. The Adana kabob was good and my aunt and uncle loved their dishes, so next time I'll order something other than the kabob platter!

Neeta M.

I would give this place 5/5 for vibe and ambiance! Food is 4/5 - I only got to try vegetarian food / will be back for the non veg food :) Service is 2/5 - lots of people but not very co ordinated. New place - they are figuring it out. Loved the cocktails and sharing plates.

Yarn Y.

The restaurant is beautiful , the service was very good but the food ? So-so. They call themselves a chef restaurant but the food doesn't always match . If you serve bread to the table w/o any deep or spread , people can't eat it . The hallumi pide was bad - not cooked enough , small and ingredients were not great . The valerona choc cake was too dry , the needed to take it out of the over a few seconds earlier The tzatziki was pretty good , the kebab and meatballs were ok+, yogurt and peaches dessert was very good . This is quite an expensive restaurant , I don't think it was worth it

YJ L.

Was looking for late night food with a friend, and stumbled upon Zaytinya's reservation on Open Table for the same day at 9:00 PM. The confusing thing was that Zaytinya closes at 9:00 PM, so how was it that we could set a reservation for the same day? Turns out, if you get there right at closing, not a minute later, they'll still seat you. They won't rush your dining, and they'll serve you the same regardless, which is something most restaurants don't do anymore (we were actually turned away by a different restaurant that closes at 9:00 PM, but we tried to find seating at 8:35 PM). Ambiance is very, very date-night or milestone celebratory night-like! The decor, lighting, and atmosphere is elegant yet comfortable. Price point is definitely more date-like/upscale. Took a little bit to look through the menu, but thankfully, Zaytinya has good descriptors for their dishes. Another positive thing to note: they take allergies seriously. They ask for allergies, double check, and when they serve you, they explain what alterations were made to fit the allergy. The watermelon salad (karpuzi me feta) was light, refreshing, and unique. The kebab platter was the best bang for buck if you want variety! The celebration rice was our least favorite; the description seems great, but if you don't know what tahdig is, it changes everything. It's a crispy "bottom of the pot" type rice, so it's so standalone with its variety and complexity of flavor. The light, fluffy pita with the oil and vinegar was so addictive! Service was definitely on the slower end; my friend had to ask a few times for her water to be refilled. However, when our server was flagged, he was attentive to our requests.

Sharon H.

Located in the Stanford mall, in the corner with Blue bottle coffee. I loved the menu and the welcoming modern decor . Always enjoy the ambience of a spot with indoor olive trees and the laterns hanging from the ceiling were so pretty. My main gripe would be that I wish they offered a sampler plate with multiple dips, because it's always hard for us to choose amongst them. We ended up getting the eggplant dip and the labne which were both really good. Comes with the pita that is baked into a huge puff, and is nice and thin for dipping. You can add on vegetables to dip with which is a nice option - but it's hard to dip with the leaves that make up the majority of the bowl! The carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers were nice to dip with though The crispy Brussels sprouts are a must. I usually find the brussels sprouts at restaurants to be too greasy, but these were well crisped without feeling oily in the mouth. I was intrigued by the Spanish crudo on the menu. It comes with on top of a potato purée and a sprinkled with some chips, most of my family thought the dish was a little weird, but I was into it ! The octopus was also beautifully pleaded, and also came on top of a puree, it comes as a chopped up arm, but you can see all the tentacles as well, which we prefer. We also enjoyed the cheese pide that came with halloumi cheese. Overall excellent food, beautiful decor, sufficient service We'll be back !

tere p.

Check #95 (Verify the receipt prior paying as that moment the app is automatic button to I believed 20-22,% tip suggestion that if you don't care - you can click right away - but I cared so I drop it down) Some items on the menu are good to try. Ambiance was well casual- to high end fine dining. Bussers are a stand out in filling up water, refilling bread if needed, and bussing tables quickly. We had Halloumi cheese salad ( this one might need to improve as only one side was grilled, both sides should be as I believed grilled, as the selling point); lamb chops Broccolini @ $35 (didn't see much veggies and the size of the chops are small compared to Mediterranean Kebab or others we went ) , Chicken kebab (which was comp as the size was not for sharing compared to steak we ordered , similar or close price of around $24-23) One bartender offered instead the Chicken Muhamarra @$ 35 ( cut into 4 pcs, sort of better option) . The server assigned seems to be not into our story when we say we are testing different kebab places and we had a chance to visit Istanbul. Anyway, over-all, steak was great. The rest might need to be reviewed in the menu as to price scale.

Carolyn C.

Enjoyed a really nice lunch at Zaytinya. Our server, Elmas was excellent. She gave us really good recommendations! Make sure to book a table ahead of time as it gets busy. Cocktails are not to be missed.

Samantha S.

Came to zaytinya on a Sunday night in a group of 4. Inside the restaurant is very modern and clean. Lots of natural light, love the ambiance. Service was good. Food was amazing!! We shared a bunch of dishes. Our favorites were the seared halloumi, hummus and kofte kebab. The Turkish coffee chocolate cake was soooo good too. They have pitas for the table, ask for as many as you want ;) Would definitely come back