Zaytinya

When José Andrés isn’t busy trying to save the world, he’s opening restaurants like Zaytinya (a D.C. import) in the Ritz-Carlton in Nomad. Unlike the dark and moody dining rooms that seem to be the norm in NYC, the spacious setting here, with its blue and white accents and indoor trees, makes you feel like you’re at a seaside resort. You almost want to roll up in sandals and a linen outfit even if it’s the middle of January.

Zaytinya’s small plates-only menu has plenty of classic Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese fare like baba ghannouge, falafel, and fattoush. But those tend to be their weaker dishes. Instead, go for the more creative plates that you won’t see at a hundred other places—especially the seafood mezze.

If you’re a fan of eating things that used to swim underwater for a living, you’ll be happy here. Start with the garides me anitho, a dish with sweet pieces of cold shrimp in a creamy mustard sauce. Follow that up with the delicate, slightly bouncy seared sea scallops, and make your meal a full seafood feast with the smoky grilled octopus. Plenty of octopus dishes are forgettable. You'll remember this one like that birthday present you really wanted when you were eight.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

A lot of the seafood mezze cost more than $20, but most of the other dishes hover around $15, and none of the plates have miniscule portions that will make you roll your eyes. If you get two to three items per person, you’ll walk out of this place thinking that you got a good variety and amount of food for the price. 

You won’t feel exactly like you’re in Mykonos here—especially when you look out the window and catch someone on an e-bike almost taking out a group of pedestrians like bowling pins. But eating out in a bright and relaxing space will at least lighten your mood. Bring a group of friends so you can try as much of the seafood as possible. If it's snowing outside, get everyone to show up in seersucker anyway.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Hommus Ma Lahm

You’re going to need something to eat with the basket of warm puffy pita that you'll get for the table. This large plate of creamy hommus comes with spiced ground lamb and torn mint leaves, and we especially like the pickled vegetables on top. If you’re not in the mood for this, get the lemony and smoky baba ghannouge.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Soujouk Pide

This oblong flatbread is topped with melted kaşar cheese and chunks of spicy, chewy sausage. The best part is the runny yolk and egg whites spread across the top from a 65-degree egg. You’ll want this again for breakfast the next day.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Octopus Santorini

Even though grilled octopus has become about as ubiquitous as french fries, you still need to order it at Zaytinya. The chunks of octopus are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and they’re placed on a bed of yellow split pea purée with onions and capers.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Sea Scallops

These seared scallops come with lots of corn kernels in a cold, bright yellow turmeric tzatziki. Harissa chili crisp with tons of sesame seeds adds some crunch. You’ll want more than the four scallops on the plate. (No one’s stopping you from getting another order.)

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Garides Me Anitho

This dish reminds us of shrimp scampi, except it’s cold. You get large sautéed shrimp that are dunked in a lemony, subtly rich sauce made with mustard and shallots with dill sprinkled on top. Get this over any of their salads.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Bone Marrow Kibbeh

We prefer these fritters—stuffed with beef, currants, almonds, and a tiny bit of bone marrow—over some of the other meat items on the menu (the relatively bland adana kebab, for example). Little dollops of labneh provide some welcome sourness.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

Kaymak

This dessert looks like a tart, but the base is more like the texture of banana bread than a flaky or crumbly crust. A layer of ricotta-like Turkish cheese (similar to a cream cheese frosting) is spread on top with some green grapes, diced apples, and sautéed apricots. It’s a balanced dessert that isn’t too sweet—especially since a savory spice blend is sprinkled on top.