Ajja
Mediterranean restaurant · Georgetown ·
Mediterranean & Middle Eastern fusion with craft cocktails
Mediterranean & Middle Eastern fusion with craft cocktails
"A night at Ajja feels like walking into a backyard neighborhood party hosted by a crew of best friends. Well-lit and brightly colored, it’s unstuffy in an Austin-meets-Palm Springs kind of way, with a vegetable-driven menu that reaches from the Mediterranean to the Middle East. It’s impossible to go wrong, from the mezze platter to the lemon chicken tagine or harissa-grilled Carolina shrimp, so the best way to experience Ajja’s mastery is to split as many dishes as possible. Consider sitting at the bar out back, where you can watch fireflies dance before the skyline." - eric ginsburg
"A night at Ajja feels like walking into a backyard neighborhood party hosted by a crew of best friends. Well-lit and brightly colored, it’s unstuffy in an Austin-meets-Palm Springs kind of way, with a vegetable-driven menu that reaches from the Mediterranean to the Middle East. It’s impossible to go wrong, from the mezze platter to the lemon chicken tagine or harissa-grilled Carolina shrimp, so the best way to experience Ajja’s mastery is to split as many dishes as possible. Consider sitting at the bar out back, where you can watch fireflies dance before the skyline. photo credit: Forrest Mason" - Eric Ginsburg
"Listed as a dinner recommendation in Raleigh — included as one of the city's notable restaurants visitors should consider for a holiday meal." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"When celebrated Raleigh chef Cheetie Kumar announced the post-pandemic closure of Garland, the restaurant she ran with her husband Paul Siler, fans were understandably upset. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long, as Kumar and her team opened Ajja a short while later. Ajja’s menu strays a bit from Kumar’s Indian roots, offering a pan-Middle Eastern and Mediterranean selection of items like lamb seekh, chicken kabab, and the fisherman’s dolma, a seafood-stuffed shishito peppers with Anson Mills blue rice, charred eggplant, saffron, sweet and sour kashk, roasted tomatoes, and toasted almonds. Beverage manager Lindsay Ogden’s creative list of craft cocktails, wines, and beers complements Kumar’s menu." - Matt Lardie
"Led by chef-owner Cheetie Kumar, this restaurant is taking part in broader industry dialogues through its chef’s involvement in the symposium, signaling a focus on culinary creativity as well as the social and cultural questions shaping modern Southern dining." - Erin Perkins