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    Zaytinya

    4.1 (163 reviews)
    PriceyGreek
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Zaytinya Photos

    ZAYTINYA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Zaytinya

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    Reviews With Photos

    Crispy Brussels Afelia
    Meghan T.

    Zaytinya is a Jose Andres restaurant located in the Shay hotel in Culver City. We went for date night, but it seems like a lot of big groups dine there for company meetings or just family get togethers. Our servers were super attentive throughout and always happy to answer questions. It's a tapas style restaurant, so they recommended getting a few plates to share. They also start you off with complimentary house-made pita and olive oil with a pomegranate reduction. Delicious olive oil! The pita is great because it's fresh, but in general I wouldn't say it's my preferred type of pita. We started with the baba ghannouge which was perfectly creamy with a nice, fire-roasted flavor. It went well with the pita bread. Next, we had the seared halloumi. The portion was pretty small but the texture of the halloumi was perfect and the dates were delicious; I'm not sure if they were soaked in mint, but the flavor was perfect. The cauliflower tiganites had beautiful preserved lemon. The crispy Brussels afelia had good flavor as well with coriander seeds and barberries. The Adana kebab was very delicious but was much smaller than we anticipated. Overall, delicious food but nothing that blew me away. Everything was presented beautifully and service was great.

    Olive oli cake
    Sophie G.

    Treated my mom here for her birthday and had a really terrific meal! Each dish was so flavorful and the plating was gorgeous. We did valet parking which was super easy. The restaurant itself attached the hotel, large and beautiful interior but very loud. Our waiter was very charming and gave great recommendations since it was our first time. There were four of us with a variety of preferences, dietary restrictions and allergies and we had no problem getting the perfect amount of dishes that we all loved. I was really impressed by the drinks as well. My favorite dishes were the baba ganoush, grilled halloumi (probably my #1), cauliflower and the olive oil cake. Do not skip on the dessert!

    Laura C.

    Parking: We found free street parking on Venice Blvd, but I believe you can get validation if you park at Ivy Station? Experience: We walked in on a Friday night around 8pm and were seated immediately although the restaurant was fairly full! I loved all the booth seating. It was dark and pretty loud outside. The outdoor patio appeared to be closed. The pita bread was delicious and the waiters made sure the basket was replenished throughout the night. You order family-style. We got the baba ghannouge, cauliflower, scallops, fattoush, and labneh pide flatbread. For dessert, we got the chocolate cake. Everything was solid, nothing outstanding, but I'd come back to try other items on the menu!

    Shish Taouk
    Harish J.

    Got a chance to visit Zaytinya in Culver City again. I've always been a fan of their Shish Taouk and the best way to eat it is to make small pita wraps with everything they serve on the plate. The Za'atar margarita was quite alright, but the Sidecar to Tangier is my personal favorite. The balance they have going with Ras el hanout, saffron and metaxa is just beautiful. The service was prompt and friendly. Do check them out if you are in the area.

    Jessica J.

    The best of times for my first Valentine's Day with my boyfriend. He chose well, as always, when taking me out, and everything was perfect Excellent service and food--no complaints. We will definitely come back soon! The setting was nice; not too loud or quiet, with beautiful decor.

    Ruriko S.

    Stick a fork in me, I'm done ! Food is delicious. At the hands of Jose Andres, Zaytinya is hitting it out of the park with these amazing culinary creations. Staff members are kind and friendly. They really care about their customers. The first time, we came to Zaytinya the waiter gave us a cup of French fries by mistake and they let us keep it at no charge. They are on point every time with good quality and ambiance.

    Andrew H.

    Great service and staffing. Food was all well prepared and vibrant. Interior decour is just the typical beige-wood slats-minimalist modern, but the entire restaurant is incredibly clean. The unlimited fresh bread was the best and most essential part of the meal. Go with larger groups to try as much of the menu as possible

    The famous Ancient Olive Martini
    Vanessa C.

    We were a party of 6. We ordered a variety of items and shared. They bring you lots of food and we could have ordered just 1 dish per person. They suggested we order 2 per person but we are not big eaters so I think that 1 different dish for all six of us would have been plenty. We thought about ordering the Chef's experience but it really is too much food and we have some picky eaters. The service was top notch at the beginning. However, once we determined not to do the experience, the service was still good but not as white glove service as when we first sat down.

    Menu
    Lorena T.

    Came here for dinner with a family of 3. We ordered the baba ghanoush (ghannouge) $13, four lollipop lamp chops $65, huge sea bass or branzino with three accompaniments $110 and Brussels sprouts $16. Pita bread was light and the olive oil and balsamic vinegar provided a nice dip. My brother said when he first had the Brussels sprouts at Zaytinya in Washington DC, it was the best Brussels sprouts he ever had bc the outer leaves were crispy. When he went back a second time years later, they were no longer crispy. He was disappointed. We decided to try the Brussels sprouts at Zaytinya in Culver City. Again, they were not crispy. Due to the lighting in the room, they looked like black blobs in white yogurt. We were not impressed with the dish. It wasn't until I took a pic with a flash could I see this dish properly. There were a lot of tiny bones in the Branzino (sea bass). Big fish though. Baba ghanoush was ok. Lamb chops were tasty. Impeccable service - we were constantly asked if we wanted more pita bread - rare in restaurants nowadays, constant refill of water, and attentive server. Nice ambience, but better lighting was needed to see the food. The music was a little too loud for me, but not for my brother. While I admire Jose Andres' work around the world, his cuisine in Culver City and DTLA, from my experience, has a tendency to be overpriced for what you get which has been a disappointment, and this restaurant was no exception. We had a better experience with Butterfly DineLA lunch upstairs.

    Black cod
    Beatrice V.

    Came by for dinner last night, just a party of 3. I parked at the ivy lot which was pretty pricey (ended up being over $18) and they sadly don't validate. Really big space inside, nice ambiance. They serve ballooned pita and olive oil with pomegranate molasses to the table. They refill the pita which is nice! We ordered a few dishes. Oddly, they all came out together instead of the starter coming out first. Baba Ghannouge: We're all big fans of baba and 2/3 girls liked it. The reason why one of the girls didn't like it is because it was too smoky. I didn't mind it so much but it wasn't a standout baba dish. It was topped with pomegranate. Octopus Santorini: Loved this dish the most out of everything. Really flavorful. I do feel like they skimp out on portion. It's cubed up which does make it easy for sharing but it doesn't seem like a lot of fish is on the plate and it's not a cheap dish. Lamb Baharat: This was pretty good, comes with a small dollop of tahini on the side and some tabbouleh. But again, very tiny piece of meat. We each got a single bite of it. We were still quite hungry so added on another dish... Black Cod: This was good but again, small portion. Overall, food is decent but it does feel overpriced for the very small portion you get. I liked the octopus and the black cod best. Biggest reason why I've docked them in the stars is because of their service. Service was painfully slow and inattentive. The waiter rarely checked on us. We had to flag someone down to get our waiter so that we could order food. We then had to flag him down when we needed to order another dish because we were still hungry, and flag him down yet again when we were ready to pay. Really unimpressive and frankly bad service.

    DOLMADES
    Andy C.

    I haven't been to many upscale Mediterranean restaurants, but I can confidently say Zaytinya is not just the best Mediterranean spot I've tried, it's easily one of the best restaurants I've ever been to, period. Our server let us know that most of the plates are small and recommended we go with the chef's tasting menu. We took his advice and wow, what an experience! Twelve dishes and two desserts later, our taste buds were completely in a surprise! I've never been a big fan of tasting menus, but this one totally changed my mind. The meal started off light, built up to the main proteins, and wrapped up with more veggie dishes. And the desserts? Mind-blowingly good. No joke, I'd go back just for the coffee and dessert. Bonus points for their heated patio, which means my furry buddy can join me too. Can't recommend this place enough!

    Cod
    Deni B.

    Zaytinya is my ideal kind of restaurant - I love any menu that encourages you to try as many dishes as possible. I ordered the ancient olive martini and had no idea it would come as a deconstructed martini! I think it should be a little more clearly labeled on the menu, but regardless I loved it! You have to really enjoy olives to order this since it comes with an olive infused gin martini, juiced olives (almost like an olive smoothie), and gin oil olives on the side. As pretty much every review here mentions, the pita is thin, puffy, warm, and plentiful! At first, I was saving a piece for the hummus we ordered but by the time the hummus came around, it was cold and hard so it was quickly replaced with a fresh batch. Lesson learned, no reason to hold onto the pita! We ordered a little bit of everything. The lamb hummus was the perfect way to start things off, and the tabbouleh was exceptional. The bone marrow kibbeh were a little forgettable, especially when combined with such flavorful alternatives. I loved the cauliflower (with a sprinkle of preserved lemon, it was exceptional) and the cod as well. The biggest bummer was we ordered the lamb baharat, and it took forever to come out. All of our other dishes had already been long cleared away before it arrived, and at that point we were to stuffed to enjoy it.

    Menemen
    Sierra S.

    Yummy brunch! Food service was fast and the food was flavorful. The portions were small for the price but that could just be their brunch items. Complimentary pita and oil to start was a nice treat. Massive interior with extensive seating options - indoor/outdoor/bar/table. Staff were all friendly and helpful.

    Their version of spanakopita. Blah.

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    Amazing!!!!!! The food is exceptional and the wine was vibrant! We will be back soon!

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    Zaytinya Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Zaytinya

    Are the mezze plates small? The entrees are crazy expensive here so I'm wondering how much I need to spend on dinner if I stick with mezze.

    Kind of small - we spent around $30-$35 each on food when we went and were full

    Is there a corkage fee? if so, how much?

    30.00

    Is this fine dining and dress code?

    No, casual is perfectly fine

    Parking for Zaytinya in culver city?

    Valet at the Shay or self parking at the Shay

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    Taverna At The Mar Vista

    Taverna At The Mar Vista

    4.2(714 reviews)
    3.1 miMar Vista
    $$
    Casual dining
    Free WiFi

    Phenomenal. Instantly transported to the Plaka in Athens by this meal…read more Cool, airy atmosphere with sidewalk seating. An open concept for seating but still feels intimate. Service is prompt and without fuss. Pricing is fair, considering the gigantic portions. The dishes are easily shareable (if you are inclined to do so). One of the great things about going in a group is you can try a variety. Here's the scoop. Keftedes- nicely cooked. Grilled veggies - was supposed to be a mixture of eggplant, zucchini, onions, and peppers. This was predominately eggplant (which suited me just fine). Have a feeling it's how it's scooped on the plate when serving. Solid flavor and a huge portion. Souvlaki - asked for one pork and one chicken skewer to try them both. Both winners. Nicely grilled exterior and still juicy. The tzatziki was bright, creamy and lightly garlicky. Chopped onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and lemon wedges are also provided with pita if you feel like making little sandwiches. I prefer to use the pita to sop up the sauces. Bifteki- this was THE dish, hands down. The bifteki were cooked perfectly- grilled outside, tender and juicy inside. Seasoning was simple but flawless. I substituted the fries (which were good - I nabbed some from another plate) but the lemon potatoes stole the show. Incredible flavor. I did not want this dish to end, and will probably order it every time I visit. (If only I could convince someone to order the octopus and the moussaka. I have to try them but this portion is already huge.) Another thing I will order next time is a bottle of Malamatina. This retsina is so difficult to find in the US but is mind blowing when served icy cold. Yes. I said next time. This restaurant will be on permanent rotation when I'm in town.

    Definitely get the SAGANAKI! Cheese flamed table side with pita is a great starter…read more Fish was fresh and nicely grilled. HAPPY HOUR: 5-630pm limited selection PARKING: free one hour parking to 6pm on Ocean Ave right around the corner. So pretty much free after 6pm!

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    Taverna At The Mar Vista
    Taverna At The Mar Vista
    Taverna At The Mar Vista

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    Tut's Egyptian Cuisine

    Tut's Egyptian Cuisine

    4.3(451 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$
    Halal
    Vegetarian friendly

    I cried eating this food. You might too. It is INSANE that Bill Addison hasn't visited. Look--we…read morehave searched all of Southern California for legit middle eastern food that is as delicious as what we grew up with. And well, even my Sito would have co-signed on Tuts. The LOVE and complexity and flavors and quality, are simply ambrosial bliss. This place is the sleeper gem for all of LA. Thank heavens we live in Venice because the passion we have for the beauty of Tuts is rather immense. At a time of hell and war in the surreal aggression across the Middle East, Tuts is a beacon of the true illumination of this ancient culture and the healing inherent in it. Thank you beyond words Tuts!! See you soon lol, xx Brigitte and James

    I recently tried Egyptian food for the first time while I was in Canada and loved it. So when I got…read moreback to LA, one of the first things I did was look for a local spot. I was excited to find Tut's Egyptian Cuisine nearby. We sat on the patio, and the propane heater definitely came in handy since it was a little chilly. I ordered the Koshari since that's what I had before and really enjoyed. Unfortunately, this one didn't hit the same. Instead of being full of flavor, it mostly tasted like pasta with a pretty bland tomato sauce. It was disappointing. Someone in my party had the sautéed shrimp bowl and liked it, but overall everything else felt pretty forgettable to me.

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    Tut's Egyptian Cuisine - Stuffed grapeleaves vegan or beed options

    Stuffed grapeleaves vegan or beed options

    Tut's Egyptian Cuisine
    Tut's Egyptian Cuisine

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    Zaytinya - greek - Updated May 2026

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