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    Zaytinya

    4.4 (500 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Zaytinya Photos

    ZAYTINYA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Upscale
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Zaytinya

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    KEBAB PLATTER
    YJ L.

    Was looking for late night food with a friend, and stumbled upon Zaytinya's reservation on Open Table for the same day at 9:00 PM. The confusing thing was that Zaytinya closes at 9:00 PM, so how was it that we could set a reservation for the same day? Turns out, if you get there right at closing, not a minute later, they'll still seat you. They won't rush your dining, and they'll serve you the same regardless, which is something most restaurants don't do anymore (we were actually turned away by a different restaurant that closes at 9:00 PM, but we tried to find seating at 8:35 PM). Ambiance is very, very date-night or milestone celebratory night-like! The decor, lighting, and atmosphere is elegant yet comfortable. Price point is definitely more date-like/upscale. Took a little bit to look through the menu, but thankfully, Zaytinya has good descriptors for their dishes. Another positive thing to note: they take allergies seriously. They ask for allergies, double check, and when they serve you, they explain what alterations were made to fit the allergy. The watermelon salad (karpuzi me feta) was light, refreshing, and unique. The kebab platter was the best bang for buck if you want variety! The celebration rice was our least favorite; the description seems great, but if you don't know what tahdig is, it changes everything. It's a crispy "bottom of the pot" type rice, so it's so standalone with its variety and complexity of flavor. The light, fluffy pita with the oil and vinegar was so addictive! Service was definitely on the slower end; my friend had to ask a few times for her water to be refilled. However, when our server was flagged, he was attentive to our requests.

    Belle E.

    Beautiful restaurant, affordable & gives an exceptional high quality menu? I am there! The bday celebrations continue... @zaytinya was absolutely worth the visit. I love mezze, its right up my alley of ordering too many dishes, and the small plates gives me the opportunity to try a few different dishes with smaller portions. Hommus - creamy, flavorful, comes with chili crisp, garlic, harissa and pairs perfectly with the complimentary pita. Crispy Brussels Afelia- Yes please! One of my favorites at this meal and the barberries & yogurt added the right freshness & tart that the brussels bitterness needed. Halloumi Pide - I loved this the first time I came. Feel the same after this visit. The crust is crispy yet light and the halloumi & mozza cheese had the perfect stretch. Chewy & cheesy a must order! Steak Harra - cooked medium rare. Seasoned and grilled perfectly & the buttered greens & labneh provided the brightness a heavy steak brings to ones palate. 3PM in Instanbul - floral, fruity, refreshing! Would definitely order again. I can see why people are drawn to Zaytinya. The food, service, ambiance are all on point! And did I mention Michelin Bib Gourmand. Yes, José Andrés has lived up to his reputation once again.

    ZA'ATAR PIDE
    Krupa T.

    Absolutely delicious!! I've been to a few of Jose Andres' restaurants and they are always a hit! He did a fabulous job of creating a tapas menu. The eggplant dish absolutely melted in our mouths. The pita that comes on the side is soft and fluffy. The roasted red pepper and feta dip was delicious! We got a lemon and club soda mocktail that was tart and balanced the flavors well. The staff was attentive and the location was super cute! I wish we could have sat outside but aside from that, it was a great experience!

    Sharon H.

    Located in the Stanford mall, in the corner with Blue bottle coffee. I loved the menu and the welcoming modern decor . Always enjoy the ambience of a spot with indoor olive trees and the laterns hanging from the ceiling were so pretty. My main gripe would be that I wish they offered a sampler plate with multiple dips, because it's always hard for us to choose amongst them. We ended up getting the eggplant dip and the labne which were both really good. Comes with the pita that is baked into a huge puff, and is nice and thin for dipping. You can add on vegetables to dip with which is a nice option - but it's hard to dip with the leaves that make up the majority of the bowl! The carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers were nice to dip with though The crispy Brussels sprouts are a must. I usually find the brussels sprouts at restaurants to be too greasy, but these were well crisped without feeling oily in the mouth. I was intrigued by the Spanish crudo on the menu. It comes with on top of a potato purée and a sprinkled with some chips, most of my family thought the dish was a little weird, but I was into it ! The octopus was also beautifully pleaded, and also came on top of a puree, it comes as a chopped up arm, but you can see all the tentacles as well, which we prefer. We also enjoyed the cheese pide that came with halloumi cheese. Overall excellent food, beautiful decor, sufficient service We'll be back !

    Rex H.

    Beautiful high ceiling space with bright natural lighting, Zaytinya is a solid addition to a restaurant and food laden Stanford Shopping Center. The pillowy pita comes out warm. We feasted on the Lamb Shoulder which was our personal favorite for meat. The lamb chops were also great although can get comparable or better in other places. Hummus was creamy and all the other dishes were above average including the eggplant and octopus and halloumi cheese. We'll be back to try other dishes

    Samantha S.

    Came to zaytinya on a Sunday night in a group of 4. Inside the restaurant is very modern and clean. Lots of natural light, love the ambiance. Service was good. Food was amazing!! We shared a bunch of dishes. Our favorites were the seared halloumi, hummus and kofte kebab. The Turkish coffee chocolate cake was soooo good too. They have pitas for the table, ask for as many as you want ;) Would definitely come back

    Brandon L.

    Came here with coworkers so we ordered a lot. Good excuse to try almost everything. All the spreads were solid, we got the baba ganoush, labneh, hummus, etc. The pides were good too, can't go wrong there. The octopus was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Table favorite for a lot of us. But the real star was the lamb shoulder. Perfect amount of woodiness, seasoned perfectly, came with a bunch of sauces and paired with the bread they give you it was such a simple but great combination. Tender but still meaty, which is exactly how I like lamb. I don't like when it just falls apart. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium for the group. The whole fish was moist and cooked well, though a little bland on its own. Paired with the other sides on the table it worked really well though. The cocktails were also really good. The 3PM in Istanbul was a group favorite. Not too sweet and the flavors kind of evolved as you drank it. They also have a lot of solid vegetarian options which is always nice to see. The ambiance inside is sooo nice and the decor is really well done. This would make a fantastic date spot. Service was extremely friendly. Wish I had caught our waiter's name because they were amazing. I'll be back!

    CAULIFLOWER TIGANITES
    Tina K.

    First off, the decor and details inside this place are beautiful. It's a large spacious restaurant with lots of seating. One thing to note, it is a noisy dining experience (maybe because our booth was right by the bar area). Our server was great and all the staff we interacted with were very nice. We opted to order everything family style so we could try as many dishes as possible. The portions are pretty small, but the flavors were great. The dishes that stood out: * cauliflower was perfectly cooked * smoked beet salad was incredible and truly had a smoky flavor * the chicken blew us away, the perfectly crispy skin was 10/10 * kebab platter was a good assortment of different types of meats for all of us to try. Everything was well seasoned. The dips and bread were really great too, but nothing extraordinary especially based on the price. Overall, a great elevated dining experience. I look forward to coming back.

    KEBAB PLATTER*
    Tiffany H.

    Had high expectations for this place since it's one of Jose Andres restaurants. Loved the decor and the service was first class. People came around to check on us frequently and to refill our water. For the price, however, I was expecting more. Tried the smoked beet salad and hummus to start. The portion for the salad was quite small and was like a side salad but I enjoyed the flavors and it was delicious! The pita bread was a nice fluffy puff and served hot. The hummus had a good blend and flavor as well. We split the kebab platter which had 4 different kebabs, onions and tomatoes. It was enough for two mildly hungry people to split but was also a fairly small portion for $70. It had good flavors and we liked the meats and sides which we put in our pitas. We overall enjoyed the meal and service.

    Ivan B.

    What an amazing experience in a Mediterranean restaurant at Stanford Shopping Center! Really excited to come here with my mom and her friends. I'd like to thank them for inviting us here! Place looks really nice inside and I like how staff takes care of the tables while we're still dining here. Just imagine living here. I mean it's nicely decorated with good materials to build this place. About the menu, not really much options when scrolling through everything since obviously there were a few pages, but definitely know that they will serve good food. Food is really tasty and authentic here. Not really big portions though the quality of the food is very peak. Also, the bread tastes good. Highly recommend wrapping around meats and other sauces with the bread. My favorite dishes are the ones that come with three meats and ones that look like cheese pizza. If you're planning to come here, it can get crowded especially on the weekends. Just be sure to plan ahead since it can get packed during that time.

    Lin C.

    We went for the Mother's Day menu and it was a disappointing experience. Seems like there might have been a mix up with items coming out of order- we waited almost 50 min for our 2nd course to come out, and instead they brought out our 3rd course. We then had to let them know that we never got the 2nd course and so they brought it out after. We did not get any refills of pita breads after the first basket and no one really checked on us to see if we had questions or concerns. We absolutely love the Zaytinya in DC so we were really excited for the Palo Alto location. Unfortunately it did not live up to our expectations.

    Karla M.

    One year to celebrate my best friend and I's birthday. We made reservation reservations for the evening and we were sat down within 10 to 15 minutes. Firstly, the ambience is pretty loud for dinner time. Felt like I had to definitely yell a little bit to have a conversation. The restaurant inside, however it was really chic and classy. The order of brussels sprouts and a salad for starters and for our main dish we got the platter. The bread that was served is also very delicious. I definitely see their brussels sprouts are a must-- you can never go wrong with that and I really loved the taste of the salad. I felt like I never got tired of it. The platter was also very interesting because they allow you to try different meats I did think that I had liked the chicken a bit more and there was also some lamb but it's still a good experience to try.

    HOMMUS
    Phong T.

    Zaytinya is a restaurant nestled at the Stanford Shopping Center by renowned Spanish-American chef José Andrés. They opened in December 2025 so my friend and I were excited to try as this is my first experience at one of his restaurants. We walked in on a Sunday afternoon around 1PM for lunch. Since it was sunny and warm, I asked for an outdoor seat when checking in with the host, but the wait was up to 45 minutes. Fortunately, there was a table inside right by the opening to the outdoor seating near the bar, so we were able to catch partial sun rays. SERVICE Based on previous reviews, there was a lot of feedback about the customer service. Like any restaurant, there is a period when improvements are made. I can assure anyone reading my review that the service was excellent. From the host to our server, Gil, great personalities and good vibes all around. FOOD We ordered a few apps & mezze to share. - Complimentary Bread with Oil & Vinegar - HOMMUS purée of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, harissa chili crisp - FALAFEL traditional crispy chickpea fritters, tumeric pickles, cherry tomato, tahini - ZAYTINYA FRIES crispy potatoes, house mushroom salt, roasted garlic yogurt - OCTOPUS SANTORINI grilled mediterranean octopus, marinated onions, capers, yellow split pea puree - SHISH TAOUK grilled chicken skewer, sumac onions, garlic toum, grilled tomato Everything was fresh and tasty. Highlights we really enjoyed were the hommus (so smooth and fresh!) and falafel. My only main feedback was that the octopus was overcooked and dry. The pea puree was flavorful but quite thick and slightly gritty. We thoroughly enjoyed our server and the delicious food. I will definitely return to try more menu items and explore the dinner offerings. The interior decor is immaculate, truly transporting you to a Mediterranean destination.

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    Joe was very helpful and great recommendations great food and ambience , will come again

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    The olive oil cake is amazing and Jess was fantastic. Not a single bad dish in the house!

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    Page 1 of 13

    Zaytinya Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Zaytinya

    Are there quiet tables?

    Not really but you could pick a corner and hope it'll be quiet.

    Can I bring my own bottles of wine? Is there a corkage fee?

    Hello Curtis, Our corkage fee is $30 per 750ml bottle with a maximum of 2 bottles per reservation.

    Is this restaurant child/baby friendly?

    Yes, plenty of space indoors and outdoors other patio--it's upscale casual :-) When we went, we saw toddlers!

    Do you have outside seating available?

    Yes. Patio seating is available.

    By any chance, is the meat halal?

    Everything except the steak.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Beit Rima

    Beit Rima

    4.5
    (1k reviews)
    26.5 mi
    $$

    I came across this place while walking through Duboce Triangle and immediately noticed the line…read morewrapping out the door. Of course, curiosity got the best of me, so I came back the next day--and wow, I'm glad I did. From the moment you walk in, you're hit with the culture, the decor, and the energy of the place. The atmosphere alone is worth experiencing, but the food is what really steals the show. We started with the sampler, which came with a variety of appetizers and dips. The baba ghanoush was absolutely fire, and the shakshuka was packed with flavor. The chicken plate was solid, the kebab plates were incredibly juicy, and the glazed braised lamb was completely off the hook. For dessert, the muhalabia was the perfect finish, and the grilled hanger steak is an absolute must-order. And whatever you do, don't leave without trying Samir's hand-kneaded bread--it's unforgettable. If you haven't checked this place out yet, do yourself a favor and make the trip. The hype is real

    I'd give this place about 3.5 stars. The food was good, but…read moreI've definitely had better elsewhere. I ordered the chicken and beef kabob plate, and while the meat was flavorful, I wish they included more hummus. At around $25- $30 per plate, I expected a more generous portion. I ordered takeout and arrived about an hour later because the app never updated to show my order was ready. Surprisingly, the restaurant wasn't very busy, and they didn't start preparing my food until I got there. I mentioned that I had placed the order an hour earlier and expected it to be ready, but the server seemed to brush off my concern, which was disappointing. One highlight was the hot sauce. I'm not sure if it's house-made or not, but it's so good. The pita, however, was a letdown. I prefer my pita soft, fluffy, and warm, but this one was hard and grainy. Overall, it's a cute restaurant with decent food, but it isn't my top choice.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Chicken Shish Tawook Plate
    Chicken Shish Tawook Plate
    Inside

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    Inside
    Iraklis

    Iraklis

    4.7
    (575 reviews)
    13.1 mi
    $$

    Best Mediterranean food I have had!!…read more And the staff was incredible!! D was the best host ever!!

    Social media strikes again…read more.. I came across a reel on IG featuring Iraklis. The food looked intriguing and scrumptious...in other words FIRE! I would not have known about this place if it wasn't for the reel. I'm also not familiar with Syrian and Lebanese cuisine. Thought I'd give it a shot. Not the biggest of venues, it a bit small on the inside, they have few benches and tables outside. Parking wasn't an issue, plenty of spaces in the parking lot. The staff was very helpful and informative. This is a fast casual spot with table service. They do bring the food to you, but you can help yourself to everything else afterwards, is: water, sauces, napkins etc. #SyrianEats: WRAP: ~ SHAWARMA: Damascus style CHICKEN - 5/5 Absolutely DELISH!! Love the garlic spread that came on the side. The wrap was already tasty enough, but somehow it was even tastier with the Garlic spread. Even the fries that came with it were spectacular! That drizzle pomegranate molasses... just DELISH!! This was one of the best wraps I had Stateside. Actually the best! PLATE: ~ MANSAF - 5/5 The Lamb shank was excellent as well! Tender fall of the bone with flavor galore, and the butter sauce was amazing as well...delish! The rice that came with the Lamb shank was OK. It was probably good, but the flavor profile didn't stand up to the rest of the food. I thought it could use more flavor, but that just me nitpicking... 4.5 ***** rounded up to 5***** for me This food here is amazing. I'll be back...

    Photos
    Menu (Apr. 2026)
    Menu (Apr. 2026)
    Mango Lassi ($3)
    Mango Lassi ($3)
    Chicken Shawarma Taco

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    Chicken Shawarma Taco
    Tannourine

    Tannourine

    3.9
    (531 reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $$

    The appetizer is pita bread with yogurt, olive oil, herbs and sesame seed. Had to take out what was…read moreleft cause there was a lot of food. We ordered chicken caesar salad, it was fresh with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and other greens. The lamb shank was cooked so tender and fall off the bone perfection. The spice is just enough so you won't taste the gaminess of the meat. I would recommend to those who wanna try and appreciate meditterran food to check it out. When we went there, there were about three tables occupied, the service was just right on time and ambiance is good for medium size family gathering or party. The place cam accomodate maybe 40-50 people.

    Had dinner here with my girlfriends and had a very pleasant experience! We came on a weekday around…read more6pm and the restaurant was completely empty. There wasn't even any music or anyone inside to greet us so it felt a little awkward. Luckily, a nice hostess came out shortly and gave us a nice seat by the window. We ordered the cheese boruk as an appetizer and the chicken and garlic as my entree. The cheese boruk was fresh and crispy on the outside. The chicken and garlic was also very good! The chicken was nicely cooked and I liked the garlic sauce (definitely on the stronger side!) and potato wedges. I wish the chicken was a little more grilled for some extra char, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Overall, good food and pleasant dining experience! Hope this restaurant gets more attention!

    Photos
    Tannourine
    Lamb couscos
    Lamb couscos
    Veggie Couscos

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    Veggie Couscos
    Beit Rima

    Beit Rima

    4.3
    (509 reviews)
    26.9 mi
    $$

    I had heard many great things about Beit Rima and was super excited to finally try it with my…read morepartner and parents. When we got there, it was extremely busy inside and outside, but despite the anticipated wait, we were seated within 5 minutes or so. As a heads up, the Cole Valley location is very small. There is seating inside and outside, but it is pretty loud inside (not that it detracted from our meal). We noticed there was a lot of take out orders coming through, so it seems like this place is equally popular for takeout, which makes sense given it's small size (they do not take reservations). We started off with the mezze sampler, which has lebna, muhammara, baba ganoush, hummus, pickles, and falafel. We all loved the sampler, although we noticed it didn't come with a lot of pita bread. Since most of our entrees were also coming with pita bread, it wasn't an issue. I particularly enjoyed the lebna, which was super creamy but had a nice tang that rounded out the flavor. The hummus and baba ganoush were also very good, and the muhammara was rich and had a great flavor. My mom got the falafel platter, my dad got the grilled hanger steak, my partner got the musakhan and I got the chicken shish tawook plate. My mom really enjoyed the falafel platter. It was super loaded with falafel, baba ganoush and hummus. The falafels were really good. They were nicely fried, but still had a soft and tender interior. My dad liked the hanger steak, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare. The green zhug sauce was interesting, and the freekeh had a nice nutty and earthy flavor. Our favorites were the musakhan and the chicken shish tawook plate. The musakhan had a really interesting sweet/savory spiced flavor, and was complemented really nicely with the caramelized onions, sumac, pine nuts and toasted pita. The skin had a nice crispness but the chicken was super tender. The chicken shish tawook was definitely my favorite. The chicken had an incredible, charcoal-grilled taste and was super tender without being dry or overcooked at all. This was the best bite I've had all year, and I loved dipping the grilled chicken in the lebna, muhammara, baba ganoush and hummus that remained from our sampler plate. Highly, highly recommend this place. Super reasonable prices for generous portions of super flavorful food. Next time, we'd love to try the lamb shank and branzino.

    Tried to join Yelp waitlist before arriving but seems like a bunch of people had the same idea…read morebecause our table was ready immediately after even though the estimated wait time was 45m. As a result, it seems like the waitstaff don't hold your reservation for 5m, as we were taken off 2m after getting the phone call. Finally got seated outside on a windy day, which made for a chaotic experience (they should probably reconsider the standing table numbers that kept falling). Order and pay inside which was seamless. The food itself was delicious (though sitting outside in the wild made it cool quickly) and I loved the ful and musakhan! They also were kind to bring us extra warm pita. Overall, a hectic memorable adventure for yummy food.

    Photos
    Outside sitting
    Outside sitting
    Musakhan ($20)
    Musakhan ($20)
    Complimentary TEPID Water ($0)

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    Complimentary TEPID Water ($0)
    Paprika Cafe

    Paprika Cafe

    4.4
    (1k reviews)
    59.5 mi
    $$

    What a cute place! The falafel wrap was one of the BEST I ever had! So fresh and made with love…read more The SPICY LEMONADE was outstanding, we never had anything like it. A wonderful surprise and a joy for our tastebuds! Small and comfy area to sit. Very casual and awesome! One man show and made with love. THANK YOU!

    What an amazing little hidden gem. This place is the real deal. Very authentic, and very…read morethoughtfully cooked. The man who made our food was making it to Order and he had been running this business for over 40 years! The service was excellent and it felt very personal. The food was absolutely delicious! Everyone in our party completely agree agreed that they loved everything they ate. There were two omnivores, one vegan, and one vegetarian. And the vegan baklava! What an incredibly unique and special treat to find baklava vegan! Absolutely delicious! I'm a huge fan of spanakopita, but I haven't been able to eat it for a long time because I'm the vegan in the group and when I said something about that out loud, he said he would make me a special vegan spanakopita! Right there! Made To Order! This man is amazing. Seating is very limited, so several of the people we saw that came behind us got their food to go. I think most people there need to expect there would be a little bit of a weight and that seating is very limited and it's outdoors. Although the outdoor seating does have covering. All the people in line, waiting for food seem to have no problem waiting for it because they knew it would be worth it. And honestly... Considering the line of people we saw behind us (10-11?) and the fact that there were three ahead of us... no one really had to wait very long at all! It was really impressive how much he could get done by himself. The next time you're in Monterey, California, you definitely need to check out Paprika. I only managed to get one photo of my plate of food because I was too distracted by deliciousness to remember to take photos of anyone else's food. And obviously, by the time I remembered to photograph the baklava.... Several pieces seem to be missing.

    Photos
    Outdoor seating
    Outdoor seating
    Insanely delicious vegan baklava
    Insanely delicious vegan baklava
    Paprika Cafe

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    Zaytinya - turkish - Updated August 2026

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