Absolutely blown away with my meal at Lapis. Fantastic service, atmosphere, and food. This…read morerestaurant is intimate enough for date night and cozy enough for a meal shared with friends. My husband and I split the Herat Platter and modified it to be vegan. Our friends shared the meat platter. Our server was friendly and helped make sure our platter was in fact vegan by removing yogurt from the leek dumplings. I loved how all the food came out to be shared. It made it feel like I was having a home cooked dinner and less like I was in a stuffy fancy restaurant. It was just the vibe I wanted to relax with friends. It is hard to pick out a stand-out dish. All the flavors were so savory and comforting. The mushrooms (samarok) was probably my favorite as it reminded me of a beef burgundy. The mushrooms were so meaty and the sauce was deep and fantastic. The carrots were far and away the best carrots I ever had. I have never had carrots taste so savory. The cauliflower was perfectly tender. The lentils were something I wish I could eat daily as they were just the right amount of umami made me feel so warm and comforted. The dessert (halwa) was not my favorite. I am a chocolate lover and I wish it was a little sweeter. I am sure it was authentic to the flavors it should be. It just was not the sweet note I usually hope for at the end of a meal. I am still drooling over this meal and longing for a chance to come back. The price point is so reasonable for a tasting menu in DC that left my husband and I absolutely stuffed!

I loved the patio seating at Lapis! Such a perfect way to spend a beautiful evening with friends…read more We all really enjoyed our food and drinks. Mantoo Beef Dumplings: 5/5, we ordered the six-count, which was perfect to share. The savory flavor balance was great, with just a hint of spice. Lamb Tikka: 5/5, I really loved the spicy red chutney that came with this dish (I would've liked more vegetables, but it was still so good.) Sabz Highball: 5/5, if you like a tart, herbaceous cocktail, this is a great one. We look forward to coming back to Lapis and trying their tasting menu!

I've been here several times, though not recently. Street parking only, though I've never been…read moreunable to find a spot within a couple of minutes' walk. I came with a friend for lunch at noon on a Thursday right after the restaurant opened. The female greeter and waitress (a Guatemalan) were both friendly and informative. By the time we left an hour or so later, the dining room was just half full, so not noisy. We both ordered the amazing SMOKED lamb shanks with pulau rice (only available at lunchtime), shared an appetizer dumpling sampler, and had a couple of pilsners. All the servings were generous and fresh, well seasoned, and eye-appealing. The decor remains eye-catching with lots of colorful lighting and wall decorations. NO DISTRACTING WALL TV SCREENS OR INTRUSIVELY LOUD MUSIC. This is a good place for conversation. Lamb cooked in many forms is the main attraction, but they also make a delicious hamburger for the faint of palate. Check it out! They need new customers.

Hands down, the best Afghan food I've had! (And it's safe to say, I've had more than most)…read more Since we only dropped in for a light meal, not much to review BUT the food was so good we're trying to drive the long distance back just to make our way through more of the menu! We ordered only vegan options- the kadoo (pumpkin) turnover and the Nakhoud & Mushroom Lawaan I believe (it might've been the Nakhoud & Mushroom Sabzi Lawaan, I can't remember and both are very similar). Everything was cooked to perfection and each bit was incredibly yummy. Textures were on point and mixed with the assorted of chutneys they offer, it was heaven! Easy to (happily) overeat here Décor was pleasant, the restaurant is spacious and every staff member was gracious. We felt very welcomed and, again, looking forward to going back! Can see why this place is a neighborhood favorite! You will NOT be disappointed here.

Great service and a wide variety of authentic and tasteful dishes. Some in our party didn't know…read moreif they liked Afghan food, but left telling others that they loved it. Well worth its Yelp rating.

Absolutely spectacular food. I've been blessed to have Afghan food a few times, but this was by far…read morethe best lamb and rice pilaf I've ever had wish I had more time to spend in DC to try the rest of the things on the menu. : )

If you're considering eating here I say do it! This place is amazing, the food is delicious, and…read morethe inside of the restaurant itself is cute. I had the manto and the qabili pallow and they both blew me away especially the pallow. Friendly staff and the service was really quick. I also really love the location of the restaurant its a really cute area.

Is it unfair if I rate a place when I used uber eats? So take as that a caveat for this review…read more.. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal from here. At first I was disappointed when I learned from the app that the chicken kobeda option was no longer available, so I instead ordered the kabob option. The food was prepared pretty fast for a Saturday night and I got my food within 30 minutes of ordering. Shoutout to my uber eats driver; the food came hot still and I enjoyed all aspects of my meal. I especially liked the sauces that came on the side! I would be interested to check out this place in real life. But until then... 5 stars to Kabul Castle Kabob!

Went here with my husband for our anniversary, and had a gift card. We chose outdoor seating…read morewithout seeing it, I had previously seen pictures of the inside and assumed the outdoor vibes would be just as fun and vibey. I was very wrong. It was literally in the alley, and was giving Covid setup. Definitely would not recommend the outdoor area to anyone. There was no music, the decor was fine but again, looked very subpar and you could tell everyone else that arrived and sat outside after us had the same thoughts. Now to the food. I will say all of it was good, but for the price? I could find another Middle Eastern adjacent restaurant in DC for less money. It was a little outrageous in my opinion. We did choose the tawle experience. The dips with good, and came with endless flatbread. But it was interesting how some of the portions were huge and then others felt like they were skimping. We got huge portions of pickled vegetables and a giant salad, but then when it came to the shrimp kabobs we ordered, we got 5 pieces of shrimp. I will say the steak portion we chose we large, but then again for dessert, it was just a half mason jar size of a chocolate mousse to split...It was just interesting. Several of the staff knew it was our anniversary and they could've given maybe an additional dessert or a glass of champagne but nothing. Again for a restaurant of this caliber, you would just expect more. I say all of this to say, we did have a gift card that covered most of our $300+ meal. But if I were going without that, I would've been even more disappointed. I know people have raved about this place for years, but the original chefs have changed, and I'm understanding more why they've lost their Michelin star. It was good/fine but was far from exceptional.

The BEST , the food felt incredibly fresh and authentically Mediterranean…read more We went in the spring and the outdoor seating was adorable not sure if it is year around but definitely recommend grabbing outdoor seating .

I love this place. What a treasure amazing service every time.. the food is extraordinary the sea…read morebass is so crazy good. Hummus is extraordinary. Innovative cocktails.. many great rice options. The SOLTANI kebab I think that's what it's called is really great too I've been here three times and it never disappoints.

We had a wonderful time at Rumi's Kitchen last night. From the ambience to the food and the overall…read moreexperience, everything was nearly perfect. However, one aspect of the service was disappointing. About 10 minutes after our starters arrived, while we were still enjoying the Salad Shirazi, Yogurt Duo, and Kashk Bademjoon, our waiter cleared our small plates and utensils, saying that dinner was coming. We then waited approximately another 20 minutes before our main courses arrived. I understand that restaurants can get busy and may occasionally be short-staffed, but clearing our plates while we were still enjoying our starters gave us the impression that we were being rushed through the meal. Dining should be about enjoying the food, the company, and the overall experience, rather than feeling hurried. I was especially disappointed because I had three guests with me who were not Persian and were genuinely excited to discover and experience the richness of Persian cuisine. I wanted them to savor each dish and appreciate the culinary traditions that make Persian food so special. On a much more positive note, I must mention the Orange Umbrella cocktails, which were absolutely outstanding! Rumi's Kitchen has so much to offer, and with a little more attention to the pacing of service, the experience would have been truly exceptional from beginning to end.

The wait time was wayyyy too long. And the staff look like they take their time doing anything,…read morethey look miserable and exhausted when they talk and prepare the food. The space is dirty with dried food stuck to the table. The food itself was good, the only reason why I wouldn't rate it 1 star. But if you want food here I recommend you order online.

Huge portions. Delicious food. And its so busy you know the food is always fresh. I was staying at…read moreone of the hotels near by and it was absolutely worth the 10 min walk. Expect to spend 20 bucks plus but you'll get atleast a meal and a half lol. Its no frills, there seating for 30 or so but most people takeaway.

Loved my lamb dish! Surprisingly reasonable pricing when you at opening/lunch too!…read more Nice cozy but elegant vibes. Great to take out your family or significant other. Interesting art on the wall and nice bathroom. Park on the parking garage below or on the side street/lot nearby. Make sure if you don't finish your lamb and ask to put it in a takeaway box go specify that you want your lamb scraps. Learn from me because my waiter tossed all my lamb and just boxed up the rice likely thinking I was done with them. Big bummer since I was looking forward to my leftovers but oh well.

Overall it was a good experience! We absolutely loved the bread and the difference sauces that…read morewent with it. The pumpkin dumplings and pan fried veggie filled dumplings were great as well. I thought my salmon wrap and the chickpea side was ok. Interesting flavors for sure. As for the service, there was always someone filling up our waters and our waiter was very nice checking in every now and then. The only downside of the experience is at the end when the waiter was boxing up all the food for us. Very sweet that they do this but when boxing up my partners food, they only boxed up the rice and they got rid of the lamb that he was looking forward to eating more of later. So that was kind of a disappointment for us. I think if we go again, we would request to box our food ourselves since I'm not sure why they decided to get rid of all of his lamb.

I was in Washington D.C. for the weekend and tried this amazing Mediterranean place for lunch. My…read morefriend who recommended this place has been obsessed with the food here and I can totally see why. We ordered mushroom kapnista, Halloumi pide, zaatar pide, htipiti and everything was so delicious. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the combination of dates and mushrooms together but really loved the smoky mushroom by itself. I was also very impressed with the Zaatar pide, it was cheesy and delicious. For desert we ordered greek yogurt with apricot and it was probably the best thing we tried here. The ambience is classy and they have ample of seating space. The overall meal didn't cost us as much as I thought it was, the prices were fairly reasonable!

Not Michelin Star but Zaytinya has The Bib Gourmand distinction which means the restaurant is…read morerecognized by inspectors for offering fantastic food at a reasonable price point. I'm getting better at this! LOL Service was great from the moment we walked in. The ambiance at Zaytinya is exactly what you want from a José Andrés restaurant: light‑filled, contemporary, and buzzing with life. High ceilings, blue‑and‑white tones, and a chic Mediterranean aesthetic make it feel like a getaway in the middle of D.C. It's vibrant, social, and perfect for lingering over mezze crafted under Chef José Andrés' vision. I met another Yelp foodie here so that was a real treat! I love my Yelpies! Let's get into it with one sentence.... Come try this place out! It's taken me months to post this because this girl eats out way too much. For my fellow Yelpers if you haven't already tried, you're missing out! Thank me later! Cheers!

I was passing through and decided to stop in and grab a bite. The food was great and I really…read moreenjoyed it. The service was a bit slow, which was a little disappointing, but overall the food was definitely worth it.

Came for the Sheeryakh, but had such delicious, authentic Afghan food! I'd give 4.5 stars for some…read moreconstructive modifications to make in the future related to service, but overall amazing food! I left with a full belly and a happy heart. Got a combo of chicken kabob and shami kabob along with a side of their borani banjan/eggplant dish. The eggplant was honestly one of my favorite things- it's a must get in my opinion. Homey dish with incredible flavors! Their naan is fresh and pairs well with it. The chicken was good, but I've had better honestly. The shami was a little disappointing as I expected more flavor and it was slightly dry, but good. Their rice was so tasty and I loved the sweetness coming from the carrots an raisins. Of course, the sheeryakh was great- quite a big portion for one person, but I loved the texture. It tastes very similar to the Indian/South Asian/Pakistani ice cream, "Kulfi." CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK: Service needs improvement. The whole time I was there I had to keep looking for waiters to make eye contact with to ask for menu, water, paying, etc. It took about 10 min or more for me to have to call a busy waiter over just to look at the menu- no one came over on their own. Things just took time for a Saturday night- plus they were hosting an event on top of this. Needless to say, I've never had service like this, but the vibe and food made me be not as harsh. Despite the service, this place is a must try for authentic Afghan cuisine. Can't wait to try more of their menu (and the borani banjan again) in the future!