Since José Andrés opened Zaytinya in Penn Quarter in 2002, it has defined the eastern Mediterranean dining experience in Washington with a consistency that most restaurants would be unable to sustain for a decade, let alone two. The room — soaring, airy, designed for the communal rhythms of mezze dining — remains one of DC's most beautiful, and the kitchen under the direction of Concept Chef Michael Costa continues to evolve the menu while maintaining the dishes that have made Zaytinya an institution.
The premise is a dialogue between three Mediterranean traditions — Turkish, Greek and Lebanese — without declaring allegiance to any single one. The menu moves fluently between hummus served with extraordinary care (the quality of olive oil here is not incidental), spanakopita that redefines what phyllo-encased spinach can achieve when treated with respect, and Lebanese-inflected lamb preparations that carry the warmth of the Levant into a dining room in downtown Washington. The kitchen's tasting menus, curated by the chefs rather than assembled by the diner, are the way to experience Zaytinya's full range without the pleasant anxiety of too many good options.
The shared nature of the format makes this one of DC's best restaurants for groups: the table fills with colour and texture as the mezze arrives in waves, and the social mechanics of sharing food — the passing of plates, the negotiation of quantities, the collective discovery of a new dish — generate exactly the kind of ease that a team dinner or birthday celebration requires. The wine list focuses on Mediterranean producers, with a particular strength in Greek natural wines that the broader DC restaurant scene has been slower to discover.
Budget $50–80 per person with wine — exceptional value for the level of cooking, the beauty of the room, and the address. Zaytinya does not hide behind its longevity; it earns its reputation with every service.
