ala
ala Photos
Business Info
ALA ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like ala
Recommended Reviews - ala
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
My friends and I get together once a month for brunch or dinner, and this month we landed at Ala in Dupont Circle--and whew...this brunch did NOT disappoint! If you're hungry, come with an appetite because their bottomless brunch is the real deal! The buffet is packed with options including braised lamb, braised short rib, crispy chicken, fish, beef sausage, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, potato latkes, hummus, salad, and so much more. There was truly something for everyone. And don't even think about skipping dessert! They have a full dessert table with brownies, baklava, fresh fruit, donuts, and other sweet little treats that make it way too easy to go back for "just one more." The bottomless drinks are an incredible value too! For just $15, you get unlimited mimosas, Bloody Marys, and coffee. Our server was absolutely fantastic. She was attentive throughout our meal, and the moment she noticed our champagne bottle was getting low, she brought us another without us even having to ask. Now that's service! The restaurant itself is on the smaller side, but they have a beautiful patio that's perfect for enjoying brunch on a nice day. And let's talk value because it's hard to beat: $36 for the all-you-can-eat brunch and $15 for bottomless drinks is an absolute steal, especially considering the quality and variety. They also offer plenty of other cocktails and beverages if mimosas aren't your thing. If you're looking for a fun brunch spot with delicious food, flowing champagne, and excellent service, Ala is definitely worth adding to your list!
I came here for brunch which is a great deal for unlimited food. If you're looking to try a bunch of food, their deal is a great option. We had a slight issue with our reservation when we came in. They seated us outside even though we asked to sit inside. Because of that, we had to wait a bit. Because it was a very hot day, we definitely had wanted to sit inside. The ambiance is great. I think they have a private room upstairs and they had plenty of room. It does get crowded for brunch so if you have a preference for inside or outside, I recommend a reservation. They did have plenty of bar seating though, which has the regular menu.
Hidden DC gem with great vibes, food, and drinks. Easy to walk past, but worth finding -- nice covered patio, modern stylish interior, and our bartender was attentive all night. Standouts: the Fehleq (fruity, citrusy, perfectly balanced with tequila), Batata Hara (some of the best potatoes I've had -- harissa-seasoned, garlic sauce, huge portion, 10/10), and the Basturma Pide (fluffy flatbread, pesto, cured beef). The Garides shrimp was smaller but still delicious -- fire-kissed flavor, cooked just right. Great spot for a meetup. Will be back!
Had dinner here tonight and hostess were nice initially but as it gets crowded they are circling trying to get tables cleared. Our waitress was not attentive and a bit rude. Food was great and tasty but they could do better with service.
Checked out ala for a weeknight dinner this past week. The restaurant was lively and had a lot of people seated at the bar. We came to dinner not overly hungry, so we opted to do a bunch of cold and hot mezze plates - ended up ordering the baba ganoush, duck prosciutto (2 plates because we were so excited about it), salmon kibbeh nayah, tawook shish chicken kebab, and golden cauliflower. Overall, our picks were solid. The duck prosciutto had a nice crunch with the chip(?) underneath and very interesting, lovely salad base and vinaigrette. Can't go wrong with the golden cauliflower with its yummy sauce and pomegranate seeds. Salmon kibbeh was my least favorite but perhaps I'm just not used to the texture/taste of bulghur wheat.. the salmon itself was great tho! I've heard lots of good things about brunch so I would come back for that, and/or try the short ribs or branzino if I'm back in the area for dinner!
Brunch review ahead!!!!! Ambiance- perfect for a cute date, time with friends, family members, or coworkers. The ambiance welcomes it all. Hospitality- The hostess was incredibly friendly and seated us upon arrival. Waiter- Eric was an AMAZING waiter. Bubbly personality, very polite and personable. His service was definitely a 10/10 Brunch- My friend and I decided to try their Easter Sunday brunch and my only regret was not visiting here sooner and not selecting an earlier time to dine, LOL! The entire experience was phenomenal! Bottomless mimosas- SO worth the extra $ Standout dishes: Adana meatballs Braised lamb Chicken Golden cauliflower Crispy Falafel Desserts: Baklava Brownie Kadayıf Sadly we did not get to experience all of the brunch menu items because brunch ends at 3pm and our reservations were at the heel of this time. Nonetheless, the standout dishes and desserts were enough for me to come back. I've enjoyed their happy hour, cafe area, and now their brunch. Can't wait to return.
We saved Ala for our last meal in DC and went all in on their all-you-can-eat brunch--and let's just say, I left a few pounds heavier and completely, absolutely unbothered. No regrets. You know it's serious when I'm saying that. The menu hits that perfect sweet spot: extensive without being overwhelming. There's so much variety, but it never feels chaotic--just thoughtfully curated and incredibly well-balanced. That's the beauty of Levantine cuisine, and this place truly does it justice. Every dish felt intentional, flavorful, and harmonious. The hospitality deserves a special mention. They even offered me a complimentary tea in exchange for a Google review--which, honestly, felt refreshingly generous. Most places just ask; they don't give. Their tea selection, by the way, is excellent. Now the food--because wow. The lamb, chicken, fish, sausage, meatballs, and all the egg dishes were spot on. The lamb was so tender it practically fell off the bone, and the chicken was juicy and perfectly seasoned. And then there were the bureks--cheese and lamb--just unfairly good. And just when you think you physically cannot eat another bite... the dessert spread appears. I'm not exaggerating when I say it felt like I ascended (Fitting, considering we went on Easter.) There was a chocolate fountain, for starters. Beyond that, an incredible spread of pastries, sweets, fruits, jams, breads, and even some gluten-free options. It was one of those moments where you're full but still emotionally committed to dessert. The value for money here is fantastic, especially considering the quality and variety. Service throughout was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. The space itself is cozy with a unique charm, and the music added a fun, lively touch--honestly, it gave me flashes of Slavic party vibes in Belgrade, which I didn't expect but fully enjoyed. Overall, an unforgettable meal and the perfect way to end our DC trip. This one stays with you.
Went here for brunch, when I first walked in it was packed with people. The smell of meat will welcome you in the door and the ambiance of the restaurant is so cute! The buffet was vast they had all different kinds of meat such as lamb, chicken, beef and fresh veggies. My favorite things on my plate were the deviled eggs and lamb. I was so full after but they also had a dessert bar so o had to grab the baklava and try the dates they also have a chocolate fountain, which was really cool. The brunch was about $36 and if you wanna do mimosas with it, it's an additional $14 the pricing was good for the range of food that you got to try.
Such an unexpected pristine experience! The staff was amazing, and the food was out of this world. Definitely add this to your list of glorious restaurants with divine flavor!!
Went here with a few friends for dinner last night and it was such a pleasant surprise! We did the $58 tasting experience with 3 entrees per person plus dessert and it was plenty of food for the whole table. My favorite dish was the falafel, it tasted so fresh and I loved how crunchy it was. I'm allergic to pomegranate and when one of the dishes had them the server was kind enough to take it back to the kitchen and have it remade. The ambiance was very classy and upscale. I'd definitely return!
This place is AMAZING and specializes in Levantine (historical geographical term referring to the eastern Mediterranean coastal region, encompassing modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Jordan from Google AI) and Mediterranean cuisine. They also have a $58 tasting menu option where you can order any three dishes from the cold and hot mezze menu. Very cool interior decor and service is very attentive (I believe our server was named Joseph or Jacob). Highly recommended if you are in DC!
Three stars isn't the actual rating; I'd say more 3.5. Stopped by after visiting the Dupont Circle's weekly farmer's market to try their Sunday brunch buffet. Was warmly greeted, seated, and given an overview of the menu and brunch package options; decided to opt-out of the bottomless drinks, which had an alcoholic (mimosas and Bloody Marys) and NA (juices, sodas, drip coffee and black tea), as I wanted to try their more speciality coffee and tea. The drinks I ordered were the Turkish coffee, Levantine-style tea and digestive tea. All were quite solid. The Turkish coffee was as robust as espresso, yet not overwhelmingly bitter and slightly sweetened. The Levantine tea was a smooth black tea with natural sweetness and layered with a mint steep and floral notes of hibiscus, and rose petal. The digestive was more herbaceous with fennel and pomegranate zest, in addition to a steep of spearmint. The food was more hit-or-miss. On one hand, the meat and seafood was all very delicious and well-made. The braised lamb shank is their speciality, and well-deserved, as it's moist, savory and tender. The short rib similarly so, and the chicken casserole, lamb biajeen, Adana kebab and steamed lavraki (sea bass) were all similarly flavorful. On the other hand, the sides and mezze options were more mixed; the dolmas and fresh bites cheese with za'atar/nuts were delightful, however, the borek, cheeses, and some of the dips tasted reheated and/or not super fresh, the Brussels sprouts were quite scorched, and the savory salmon waffles were bone dry and flavorless. The French onion soup had the right flavor profile, but not the intensity; it tasted watered-down and even looked it, due to the noticeable oil blebs on the surface. Dessert was similar; the melon and fruits were fresh enough, the yogurt bar was quality, the kadayif nutty with the sweetness balanced, and the layali lubnan was intoxicatingly tasty, but many of the baked goods looked rather packaged and the fondue station was mediocre. The staff, however, were extremely friendly (my special regards to Mia, she's a great conversationalist and a sweetheart!). They answered all my questions, and one of the bartenders even gave me half a lemon to zuzh up my tea with. As I said at the start, more 3.5 stars than 3 stars. The core of their offerings are all quality, so I can't quite dock them a full two stars for the food quality because they had buffets aren't usually renown for said quality. You really can't expect perfection from AYCE, even though I naturally encourage the management to avoid sourcing pre-made items from Sysco if possible. The friendly staff and eloquent Eastern Mediterranean ambiance allows me to still say I enjoyed this experience, and may be back for dinner in the future.
Great food with a nice atmosphere. Ala has a great location. Metroing in is super easy as the station is just across the street, and parking is available (although sparingly) on the streets nearby. They have an excellent patio area as well, as well as very beautiful interior design. My friend and I did the choose 3 option with dessert. The price we calculated I believe ended up showing that if we wanted dessert, then the option was worth it. The food was very good. The flatbread was our favorite and I'd come back just for that honestly.
For a breakfast buffet this was pretty good, no real complaints. $35 for unlimited and the food was legit, full sides of lamb, pulled short rib, really good fried chicken, all the dips, breads, really good cheese selection with jams and nuts (need crackers for the cheese though) and then good fruit and dessert selection (though to be picky, I'd like the baklava to be crispier but what can you expect at a full buffet).!didn't catch the name of our server but he was Turkish and incredibly kind and friendly and prompt. Great experience all around read more
2 years ago
It's been a while since we ate at Ala. We've enjoyed lunch here on several occasions, and we met a friend for dinner a few nights ago. Ala is an interesting restaurant-the food is always really good though I'm pretty sure that the chef turnover here is pretty high. The menu also looked different than the one we we used the last time that we were here. It was a pretty cold night and our table was right near the front door. After the group behind us left, the staff helped us move to another table a bit further away. If there's one thing about Ala that could be improved it is the quality of the tables and layout of the restaurant. The food as always was amazing. We shared 3 appetizers and they were all good to excellent. The mushroom shish kebab was very tasty. The mushrooms had a nice flavor and texture and the skewer sat above a bed of black eye pea stew and tahini. A nice flavor/texture combo. The crab Fattoush was good, probably my least favorite of the mezzes that we chose. The flavor and texture were OK, but nothing really stood out for me. The Halloumi wraps were very good, crispy on the outside soft and warm with a great flavor on the inside. Our large plates included the Golden Cauliflower. I've had this before at Ala but the other night it was particularly delicious. The cauliflower is topped with a delicious flavoring-the vegetable is crisp and wonderfully baked. The Lavraki was filleted for us with a wonderful flavor and texture. The asparagus that accompanied the filet were delicious. Finally, my wife and friend enjoyed the Lamb Shank. I don't eat meat but I could see that the lamb was literally falling off of the bone. They said it was incredible-tender and delicious. The broccoli, carrots and potatoes that accompanied the lamb were really tasty. There was no room for dessert, but we completed our meal with tea-both healing and Levantine. This is a high quality restaurant that I highly recommend. read more
Pretty awesome brunch! While the food was delicious, our server made the brunch all that more enjoyable. I wish that I remembered her name, but our server had excellent people skills because she was quite funny and very engaging...and she was on point with making sure we were taken care of. Ala has a very generous bottomless brunch for $48 that includes three courses. The first course has starters that include about 5 dips for the table. For the second/main course, one can select from a list of nine or so entrees. The final course has a selection of three desserts. Of course, the bottomless cocktails gives you a chose of mimosas and bloody marys. One thing I really appreciated about the bottomless brunch: for the mimosas, the restaurant will leave a bottle of champagne and small bottle of a mixer on the table. I think that's quite efficient because you do not have to track down a server to get a refill. Plus, you can prepare your mimosa to your liking depending on how much juice you want to put in your mimosa...I'm team one to three drops of juice per glass of champagne for my mimosas. ;) Unfortunately (for me), the restaurant does not have too many egg dishes for brunch. I'm a bit of a egg fan for brunch. However, this gave me an opportunity to go outside of my brunching box. For my dining pleasure, I went with the Tawook Strips, which were three fried chicken breasts with hot honey sauce. I though the chicken strips were perfectly fried and had a perfect blend of hot and sweet. The portion sizes (especially with the various dips) are quite generous. The restaurant has nice size so it's great for large (5-8 [maybe more] people) brunch parties. Ala-DC definitely has been added to my go-to brunch spots list. read more
1 year ago
This place was good !! Couldn't have been more content with what I ate. It is pricey, but we did have coupons through InKind app which was nice The ambiance is beautiful and very cool. Coffee was good and the little sweet was interesting. The flat bread incredible, duck prosciutto was something new and good, the salmon and shrimp dish was great! Chicken and veggies were so tasty and tender Our waiter was great and attentive as welll Would love to return read more
1 year ago
Joined Ala for their new revamped brunch and was not disappointed! Ismael took care of us on the patio, which was covered and provided a nice ambiance on a cool summer day. The brunch buffet itself was replenished often and had plenty of options to choose from! Everything was delicious! Only downside was slightly slow service on bottomless drinks but otherwise great brunch deal in the city! read more
stopped in the restaurant on a Friday afternoon. Thanks to the DC Discovery Book, I was able to receive a complimentary spreads sampler. This included hummus, baba ghanouch (charred eggplant), jagegh (artichoke & mint) and za'atar labneh (labneh with dill oil). All the spreads were so fresh and vibrant with the addition of the soft pita bread to scoop everything up with. My server was taking care of 4 tables and still checked on me very often. The restaurant was beautifully decorated, and the music was welcoming. I'll definitely be back again to try more menu items in the future. read more
Fantastic food and service on a Friday night at Ala -DC! On food - Because the dishes are small and shareable, we chose to do the tasting menu where each person at the table gets 4 mezze plates and one dessert. We also tried cocktails and tea. Each of the dishes was packed with flavor and texture combinations and beautifully plated. My favorites were the beet salad, kechi, labneh pide, and halloumi wraps. The cocktails looked beautiful but did not bring the same exciting flavors as the food. For dessert, the table agreed the hazelnut halva semifreddo was the best! For service - the manager and servers were so attentive and kind. We felt like special guests or something! Unlike at other restaurants, we were never rushed. It was my first time at Ala but I'll be back! read more
Great Mediterranean spot with seats not basic but very cushioned and felt great all night. Upscale feel and modern well lit. Started with mixed spread which was quick and warm pitas which was good to start. You get two and we didn't get more as we'd get full. Ended with broccolini and halloumi as that's my favorite and cooked well and broccolini was flavored and not bland. Server was great and not asking us too much to flip the table. read more
Stopped while visiting DC. I tried the Tawook Schnitzel and the Toum Short Ribs Gyro. Both were really good, but the gyro was the way to go! I had to order another one because it was that good! Coming back next time I'm in DC! read more
2 years ago
I wish that I would've written something about this place closer to when I've been. Now that it's been a while, I realize that there really wasn't much that was memorable. The food was OK. The vibe was a bit stale. When we came, they had just updated their brunch menu. The food was not bad at all. The service definitely needed some work. All in all, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come back, especially given some of the better spots in DC that serve similar food. read more
2 years ago
Delicious all you can eat brunch for $36! There is a large portion of self serve foods and they are all amazing. You can order tapas styled entrees that come out hot and filling. I highly recommend this place if you ever need a big brunch! The staff were extremely nice and the place itself looks fancy and great to just hang out with your friends to chat over brunch. Would definitely come back again for brunch occasions! read more
I came here for the three course menu brunch with a group of my friends on a Saturday morning. We had made a reservation prior, which was a good move our part, because the restaurant was very busy. We decided to go for the bottomless mimosas option, in addition to the brunch, which we thoroughly enjoyed. For starters, highlights were definitely the patatas bravas. The hummus bubble goodies were fine, but there was definitely not enough pita for our party size, and it took a while for them to come out with more. The shakshuka was a standout for the main course. The brussels sprouts were a little undercooked, and the latkes were under seasoned and kind of mushy. The challah French toast was delicious, though I wish that that the portion size had been larger. The desserts were absolutely incredible, and we enjoyed all of them. I think overall, the food was very delicious, and I was extremely satisfied. I think the service was fine, though rather slow. Despite opting for the bottomless mimosas option, it felt like our champagne bottle was always empty, and required us asking the servers multiple times for a new bottle of champagne. I would definitely come back here, but would recommend it only if you have a lot of time. read more
My friends and I went to ala looking for a place to get drinks and grab some food. I can't say anything about the food because my friends and I waited 30 minutes and didn't even get our orders in. Meanwhile, the tables next to us were served, despite having larger party sizes and coming at the same time as us. I was excited about the menu, which looked great but I expected better service. read more
I brought an out of town friend here for DC Summer Restaurant Week and we had such a blast, highly recommend! Everything we ordered was a hit and I keep thinking about when I can come back. Notable: Fried haloumi Feta croquette Hummus The shot glasses of soup (I can't remember what it's called) Baklava Cocktails We were sat upstairs which was kind of... a different vibe? Bright lights, a little stale, I think it might have slowed service a bit. The food was good enough that this didn't really change my impression of the restaurant. Downstairs seemed a lot nicer but I'll have to come back to find out. read more
2 years ago
Came here for brunch and our group of 5 was seated at a big table, which I always appreciate so that we each have more space. We all did the bottomless prefix brunch. Ala has a juice bar where you can adorn your Bloody Marys or Mimosas with, so I added tons of olives to my Bloody Mary and then fresh strawberries to my Mimosa when I wanted to change drinks. I ordered these 3 off of the prefix menu - 1) baba ghanoush 2) crab omelette (this one was my favorite!) 3) zalabia read more
2 years ago
We had an amazing 3 course brunch ($34 per person, without bottomless) at ala! Our waitress Sophia was excellent and the food came out quickly, which was perfect because we were in a hurry. We both felt the 3 courses together were very filling. Another great aspect is that the bathrooms provided seat covers. The space was really clean and felt well-maintained. read more
1 year ago
Business owner information
Deniz G.
Hi Shalu,…
3 months ago
3 months ago
3 years ago
Solid spot for happy hour! My favorite drink was the mirra martini-- their take on an espresso martini. It had an amazing texture; a little thicker than most espresso martinis I've had. The bulut (think rum, pineapple, coconut, tropical flavors) was pretty good, but the martini was the stand out of the two. The cocktail menu is limited, and they are $10 during happy hour. For food, the tawook strips (fried chicken) were an amazing deal at $9, and came with pickled veggies and a tasty sauce. Halloumi had nice flavors albeit a little dry, and the spinach croquettes were delicious. Our server was super nice, and the ambiance/decor is really cute, especially outside, although it's getting a bit too cold for that. read more
I was looking for pup friendly yet trendy restaurants in Georgetown and came across this Mediterranean haven. We made reservations for a late afternoon on a holiday weekend. Although it was restaurant week, we were still able to order ala carte. They have great menu, ofcourse it's Levantine cuisine, food was flavorful, authentic and finger licking good. We definitely would recommend this place to anyone in the area or passing through! read more
The hits were the lamb kabob and the dips! After coming from turkey travels, i feel like my kabob bar has defiantly been raise and this one was flavorful and tender. Loved it. The dips were great as well and there was diversity within them, since we got the set of four. The babaganoush was the best, but I'm an eggplant girlie. The carrots were fine, but not tender or buttery and I would pass next time. The restaurant looked very nice, and they have a happy hour at the bar only that I would probably stop by again for. The service was not great. We were seated in a back corner and I think the waiter forgot about us. The kebab took a very long time to come and we ordered extra bread for the dips to fill ourselves up. He also forgot about my drink order until later. Waiter was very nice and apologetic and gave us a free desert/drink to compensate, but still something to note. I'd be open to coming back again, especially for brunch or HH. read more
1 year ago
Came here with a friend on a Saturday afternoon for brunch in the summer of 2023. "One word": make-your-own mimosas. While I tend to like a bit more OJ, my friend was happily free to add as much champagne as she liked to her own mimosa. So you can believe we took advantage of the bottomless brunch option. However, we are also responsible so we indulged in the food as well. The fried halloumi was absolutely heaven, paired with honey, walnuts, pistachios, and chives. The challah toast was a close second and the portion size was just fine for the two of us. read more
We came on Friday night and it wasn't busy at all. They offer happy hour from 2-6pm Monday-Friday so we made it just in time. We ordered the hummus, labneh, torshi, fried halloumi, and tawook shish kebab. For drinks, I got the levant and louloudi. We both enjoyed the fried halloumi, labneh (loved the creaminess), torshi, and levant (refreshing and liked the sumac in it). The other dishes were also good, but didn't stand out. I thought the chicken in the tawook shish kebab needed more flavor. It is a little pricey, even with the happy hour prices. One of the dishes came with pita but only three pieces so you end up having to order more. My partner and I came to celebrate his birthday, and I specified that we're celebrating a birthday on my reservation. Unfortunately, sometimes it is not communicated from the host to the server so I had to mention it to our server who then brought out a baklava with a candle. Rating it a 3.5/5. read more
1 year ago
Ismael was the best!! Food was fantastic. Made us feel so well taken care of. Made my friends bday so memorable read more
Business owner information
Deniz G.
Hi Camilla!…
3 years ago
I went to ala for their brunch. It is about $48 per person with an unlimited mimosa bar. You do serve yourself the mimosa and they had a couple of juice options with fruits and syrups that you could add onto your mimosa. For brunch, you pick one starter, one main course and one option from the sweets menu. In my opinion that was really good for the price because it's rare that you would have three course meal, bottomless mimosas for under $50. For my starter I had the parfait which was really good but a very small portion. For my entrée I had the sucuk and eggs, which was a type of sausage with eggs. The sausage was really flavorful. You could tell that it was prepared with many herbs and spices. For dessert I had a chocolate mousse that I don't see on the menu anymore. I've added photos of some of the other dishes that my friends had but looking at their new bottomless brunch menu. It looks like they changed things up a bit. All of the items available were full of flavor but some were a little bit too salty for my taste, like the potatoes. This is definitely worth a try especially if you are on a budget. The waiter was very friendly, and took his time to explain some of the more traditional dishes to us so that we would choose the right options for our palate. They did offer to pour the mimosas for us if we did not want to continue to get up, but we thoroughly enjoyed mixing and matching the different juices, syrup, and fruits for ourselves. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. The outside area has a beautiful awning with flowers all around so it's a great opportunity to take some pictures while you are there. I will definitely have to revisit ala to see about some of the new items on the brunch menu. read more
Yum! A great small plates restaurant in DuPont Circle! I have been on the hunt for the best kunefe in DC and believe that after a year of searching, I've found it! It's right here. Perfectly crispy, gooey interior, outrageous whipped cream on top... 100/10. Easily added to the list of favorite DC dishes. The small plates we shared--while quite pricy--were good! The baba ghanoush was smoky perfection and a great complement to the Zaatar pita. The croquettes were good too! The potatoes weren't a huge hit for me, but the harissa sauce they came with really hit the spot. And the couscous was good! I can make a similar dish for much less, though. We had a great server and liked the well-decorated interior. Overall, it was a great experience! I can't wait to come back! read more
3 years ago
I'd really give it a 3.5/5. My huge problem was the menu says bottomless with food purchase, but our waitress made us get the three course menu. We asked someone else (not dressed like a waiter possibly a manager) the policy and he said you can do bottomless with a la carte, but our waitress insisted that wasn't true. The inconsistency with that policy was our first impression of the restaurant which was a bit annoying. The price wasn't an issue we just knew we didn't want that much food and it's still not clear what you have to purchase, so I wouldn't go back. It's actually well priced for the amount of food and drinks you get. I got the soujok and egg sandwich which was good. The tajook strips were okay. The challah toast looked like two little bites, however I didn't try it. The zalabia was really good. The starters were tasty too. Nothing crazy, but they were decent. read more
I have been to this restaurant under different names over the years. However, this is the best incarnation so far. Menu is clearly labeled for vegan and gluten free options. The food is Mediterranean tending towards middle eastern food and it was very good. I had the lamb kabobs on a cranberry chutney sauce which was delicious. No beef, pork, chicken, or shrimp options for the kabobs. My wife had a short rib which she devoured. We had a waiter in training, but he tried hard to provide good service. He did know much about ingredients, but was otherwise friendly and prompt. The redo on the decore was really nice, providing different rooms with nice vibes. Definitely worth a try even if you been to this location before. read more
Food and drinks were good, but not fantastic. The service was a bit slow but the staff was very nice. It took a bit for my friend and I to catch someone's eye to order even though it was pretty slow. Also, while the photos online made the place look very ambient, the vibe was not quite as cozy as was pictured. We ordered the mixed spreads, the flatbread with sausage, kechi, batata hara, and pita along with a gin lavender drink and a passion fruit tequila cocktail. The food and drinks were pretty good. I feel like this would be a nice place to come when the weather is warmer and you can sit outside. I'm glad I experienced the food and drinks but don't think I'll be coming back any time soon. read more
11 months ago
Business owner information
Deniz G.
Hi Ann,…
2 years ago
Awful experience here. We sat on the patio for happy hour. Turns out, they only have happy hour inside. We decided to stay outside anyways because it was a nice day. I got sooooooOOOO many bug bites after sitting out there for about 10 minutes. The food was also very mediocre and unimpressive. I will say that their drinks are delicious. The passion fruit lime one was so refreshing and delicious. read more
More info about ala
1320 19th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
Dupont Circle, Downtown
Directions
Visit Website
http://www.ala-dc.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
ala Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - ala
Do kids pay full price for brunch?
Hmm they don't have anything listed on their menu nor website but I'm sure you can ask in person.
Is the 3-course brunch the only option during the day on the weekend? Can we order off the regular dinner menu instead?
Unfortunately during the brunch hours it’s the only option.
Is Ala the same establishment as Ankara? Same owners / chefs?
Pretty much but there have been some changes to the menu.
Hello, any heating options on your patio?
Starting from September 25 yes we’ll have patio heaters.
Do you guys have a new year eve special menu or something like that?
Hello, Thank you for asking! We will be offering both our New Year's Eve specials and our all-day…
Any gluten free options?
Hi Ale, We have plenty of different gluten free options. Please check our menu www.ankaradc.net/menu
Will you ever bring labneh back? Yours was the best in town!
Hi Meredith, Thank you so much for interest:) We're planing to bring it back better than ever at the end of August.
Are opening hours different during Ramadan?
No. We open as our regular hours. Weekdays 11 AM to 10:30 PM weekends 10 AM to 10:30 PM
Do you guys have kokoreç?
Hey Wali! Unfortunately we do not have it. But we'd like to have it in our inventory at future!
Is your place serving HALAL meat?
All of our dairy and meat items are Halal certified!
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
131 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
1 year ago
2 months ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
2 years ago
10 years ago
3 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
7 years ago
1 year ago
4 years ago
9 years ago
11 years ago
5 years ago
ala - mediterranean - Updated October 2026
Best of Washington, DC
People found ala by searching for…
Georgian Restaurant in Washington, DC
Bottomless Brunch in Washington, DC
Vegetarian Friendly in Washington, DC
Palestinian Food in Washington, DC
Dog Friendly Restaurants in Washington, DC
Turkish Breakfast in Washington, DC
Persian Food in Washington, DC
Outdoor Dining in Washington, DC
Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Washington, DC
Browse Nearby
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Restaurants near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Coffee near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Parking near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Desserts near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Lunch near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Cocktail Bars near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Things to Do near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Shopping near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Gyro near ala
BEST of Washington, DC, District of Columbia Thrift Stores near ala
