ala | Bethesda

Ala definitely is the restaurant that offers unique and delicious food. We liked the mixed spread. Both the Bronzino and lamb shoulder dishes were presented beautifully and flavorful. The baklava was not quite impressive compared to other dishes though. We would love to go back and try different dishes.

Love the brunch here on the weekend. When you enter the restaurant, it's walking into another dimension. The food is delicious. I loved every menu I tried. Chicken, potato, shrimp, salmon, french onion soup, hummus, all excellent. The meat is halal.

Ala has good food and great service. Unfortunately, I have to give it a lower rating because they have a serious fruit fly issue. Throughout our meal there were countless fruit flies everywhere. Constantly flying and landing on our food. I highly recommend management get this in control.

Although I usually give 5 or 4 stars for decent restaurant, but looking into the detailed categories (food/service/atmosphere), rarely I would rate all with 5 stars. My son and I had brunch buffet today. The experience was very good. We ended up eating more than we should (it is a Buffett, right). Starting from the appetizers- cheese, hummus, to made to order hot food, to Turkish coffee, everything is good and if not the best. The ordered food came very quickly. Our server is super friendly and made us feel very comfortable. The short-rib is must try, but others are also good.

Great food, all the dishes had flavors you can’t find anywhere else. I was skeptical when the salmon kibbeh didn’t come with some sort of bread, but it ended up being amazing. However, I didn’t find the service particularly friendly or efficient. Our waitress never explained the menu to us which was a little confusing but we figured it out. I saw a different waitress introducing the restaurant and explaining the menu happily to the people at the table next to us. Our waitress never checked on us once and after waiting 35 minutes we had to chase her down to request the bill.

We went to the sunday buffet, and it’s not crowded. My biggest learning after our first time eating here is that don’t eat too much of any types of food, because you get full and won’t have stomach for other things. I discovered the brussels and broccoli are so good too late, but i was already so full. And seeing other reviews, the best combo seems to be brussels covered with yogurt sauce but didn’t have stomach for it. If you have multiple people, ask for those small plates and have a small plate of each (hummus, yogurt, etc) to share. I ate too much of these myself and got filled up quickly. Overall, i don’t like a buffet as food is sitting out for a long time, but the food still tasted good. If it’s made to order or like a tapas style, im sure it’s going to taste even better - everything would be hot and fresh. The baklava is not as good - not sure why. It looks good and has a lot of pistachios but just didn’t taste as good - maybe my taste buds are getting jaded with sweets. We ate at 11:45 and I wasn’t hungry at 6pm so it was 1 meal for a whole day. I would go back for a la cart for sure! Oh and our server Harrison is very nice and attentive.

I had three vegetarian mezze selections. They were so tasty! The flavors were intense in the best of ways. The Brussels sprouts were somehow light and airy, while satisfying and filling. The Bulut cocktail and Healing tea were delicious as well. Props to the chef!! The wait staff was delightful too.

We had such a lovely dinner! Our waitress Sedef was exceptional!! 🎀 We ordered Borani Shamandar which is a must (we didn’t even get a chance to take a photo of it lol), kechi, short ribs pide, and batinjan sini kebab; everything was soo delicious!! My favorite cocktail is 💯 pandora, and jallab sour has a distinct flavor! 🍸

I've been to the DC location before, but this was my first time at Ala Bethesda and it definitely didn't disappoint. The space has a great ambiance and the service was spot on. Cocktails were on the pricier side, but worth it--they tasted amazing. For appetizers, we tried the hummus, baba ghanoush, za'atar labne, and the fattoush salad (one of my favorites). The adana kebab was delicious, and the short rib pide was packed with flavor. We didn't skip dessert either--the baklava was great, but the real standout for me was the kunafa with pomegranate ice cream. Absolutely loved it. We'll definitely be back!

Visited Ala for the first time and the food definitely worth the hype. They are on the pricier side honestly for the portion haha.. but otherwise all delicious and flavorful. Beautiful decor giving calming vibes. We are only a party of 2 and asked for a bigger table but was told there are plenty of reservations coming up, though a bit empty for a while, so that was a little bit of the downside. We ended up having to move around dishes and such to make sure we don't tip over anything. We had Manti (apparently homemade daily) , Dolma Bi Lahm - basically rice ground beef wrapped in grape leaves, Garides Kebab (shrimp skewer) and a latte. At first I got the Turkish coffee but given the turkey delights was out I decided on a latte, which def satisfying. Would come back and try happy hour in the future! :)

Originally wanted to reserve for dinner, but groups 7+ require reservations through email and a credit card authorization form, so I grabbed a friend for lunch instead. The space is stylish but relaxed, cozy, and intimate. Wasn't busy, which made it a nice, calm spot to eat and some were actually reading books while eating. I ordered the mezze lunch, while my friend went for the tarkhun lavraki (branzino whole fish). Didn't realize the mezze lunch is meant for the whole table to order, but they allowed me to order. I haven't had a lot of Levantine or Mediterranean cuisine, so I'm not sure how it compares. From the mezze lunch menu, I ordered the tuna tartare dolmades and the garides kebab (shrimp), as well as added the short ribs pide (flatbread). The tuna tartare dolmades wasn't what I was expecting - very little tuna tartare and the taste of the dolmades in your mouth drowns the flavor of the tuna. The garides kebab I've actually tried the exact same dish next door at Beth's - it felt overcooked again and a little tough. The pieces of short ribs on the pide were a bit scant and also overcooked and dry, but the flavor combination from all of the ingredients was nice. Also tried the branzino fish my friend ordered and while it was perfectly cooked and nicely presented, it lacked any special spices or seasoning to make it stand out. Food came out quickly, and both the server and hosts were friendly and checked in throughout the meal. Prices are a bit on the higher side for what the food was, but with the great service, food presentation, and vibe, it may be worth it. We weren't rushed or bothered and were able to enjoy a nice long lunch.

Stopped in on a Sunday for a birthday dinner. The restaurant ambiance is beautiful and their patio is lovely, though we ate inside. The servers were attentive for our party of 6. We were surprised to hear they had a restaurant week promotion and took part in their 2 cocktails, 2 wines add on and the cocktails were strong and delicious! I had an espresso martini that knocked my socks off literally-I was up ALL NIGHT! We had an appetizer. I had hummus -pretty standard. The goat cheese second course was better with bread, and would be better if it had the fig all over the cheese rather than right in the center. The star of the night was the paper bag bronzino which our server recommended. 10/10 would recommend. And the presentation table side was fun! A good time in Bethesda but a bit spendy. A nice way to be transported to the Mediterranean for a night!

BRUNCH HERE IS SO WORTH IT!! love love love all the types of foods they offer and I was super satisfied. It's buffet style for $36 and we also did bottomless drinks for $12! The aesthetics is super pleasing and you can only take the cutest pics outside for content. Our server was great, wish I remembered her name.

My good foodie friend and I decided to have an early dinner before catching an evening show at nearby Strathmore. What we had: RUMAAN NANA (mocktail) -- refreshing FALAFEL -- This was a bird's dream; way too many seeds. A dipping sauce would've been nice. SHORT RIBS PIDE -- Really good shortbread! I'm not a fan of feta, but it wasn't bad. The fresh veggies + tender short ribs + soft bread reigned supreme. CARROT MAHMAS -- I liked them. She didn't. She exchanged them for TAWOOK SHISH, which was an improvement. TAWOOK SHISH -- I didn't taste any, but it smelled amazing. However, she said that the chicken was seasoned to perfection but dry. SERVICE -- Our server (Amanda) was an absolute delight. Very polite, accommodating, and knowledgeable of the menu. ATMOSPHERE -- The décor was remarkable. Everything was so plush and pretty. PARKING -- I got lucky. I was able to score a sweet spot two doors down. I wouldn't mind returning to check out the unlimited brunch with a nice bottomless booze option. __ I eat. @f.hux I thrift. @DCthriftish

From beginning to end, this was a fantastic meal. We had an early reservation on a Sunday night, so were among the first people in the restaurant. We were greeted warmly and led to our seats. The decor is beautiful, the right combination of lux and inviting. Our server, Sadaf (sp?), was very friendly and helpful. She walked us through some of the things she liked best on the menu and which cocktails we might like. After hearing her recommendations, we tried two cocktails: Atesh, a pepper infused mezcal cocktail, and Zahr al-Karaz, tequila with sour cherry and lemon. Both were absolutely delicious. We also decided to do the tasting menu, which would give us a total of six mezze plus two desserts to share. Honestly, I was a little worried that we'd leave hungry because some of the other reviews seem to suggest it wasn't a lot of food. Those people were totally wrong. We got: Fetteh - eggplant with tomato and goat cheese, covered in crispy phyllo-like strips, pomegranate, chickpeas, with labneh. Omg delish! We both loved it and ended up fighting over the last piece. Manti - beef dumplings in broth with labneh and harissa. I thought these were totally amazing, but my date wasn't as into them. Honestly, more for me. Batata Hara - fried potatoes with harissa. I thought these were only OK, and probably one of the only things I would skip on a return visit. Garides - shrimp with tomatoes and shishito peppers. These were so good, very simple but so tasty, and my date's favorite. Halloumi wraps - ok, so love halloumi! I liked the mix of the halloumi, phyllo dough, and quince preserves. But the portion was teeny! Short ribs pide - seriously, by the time this came out we were totally full. I don't even think we tried it in the restaurant. I had it for dinner tonight as leftovers and it was amazing. 10/10! And then there was dessert... We got the tahini skillet soufflé and the hazelnut halva semifreddo. And because we weren't full enough, I also ordered an extra dessert - kunafa. All three were great, but I highly recommend the kunafa - not only was the cheese amazing, but the pomegranate ice cream was out of this world. The tahini skillet was delicious too. I also wanted to thank Kim and Zayneb (sp?) - Kim was incredibly friendly and helpful as she dropped off food and talked about our cocktails with us, and Zayneb helped when I ran into a billing issue (my fault!). Lovely staff, wonderful food, great atmosphere. What more could you be looking for?

This was my second visit to Ala Bethesda, and once again an amazing dining experience. It was a group of 8 of us so we had to do the prixe-fixe menu. They have a range of group menus ranging from $50-$100. We went with the Classic which was $65 pp. This was such a great option for the group. We tried it all. Cold mezzes, hot mezzes, meats, veggies, and desert! Everything that came out was delicious. We tried dishes we wouldn't have normally tried. Our server and the supporting staff did a great job with making sure we were well taken care of. Some of the standout dishes for me were the...Zaater Labneh, Halloumi wraps, the mushroom shish kebab, and the Adana kebab. Mind blowing!! I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for a great cultural dining experience.

We did not this night but rather had a few drinks before heading to Beth's for a Yelp event. I had the Jallab Sour. It is rimmed with fresh ground pistachio...cool! Slightly sour (duh) but not too bitter. I really liked it. The vibe is calm and pleasant. The bar was full so the front person asked if we wanted a table which we asked if it was ok? So we did. We want to come back for dinner even though prices a little steep. I suppose it's typical for Bethesda. But, it is an upscale restaurant.

It was our first meal out in quite some time. We had eaten at the Dupont Circle location in the past and wanted to try this one. The service was outstanding. The staff is very friendly. Some of the food items were hits, but many were misses, including the baba ghanoush. I felt hungry after the meal despite spending a lot and ordering several dishes. Standouts include the chicken shish and knufah.

Ambiance: the IG REEL video got me into to joint! From the strret, they made you feel like you're not in the DMV anymore!!! Decor is truly gorgeous. Sooooooo exicited for brunch. Service: our reservation was for Sat at 1:30pm. The restaurant was NOT busy. Hostess seated us promptly. Waitress thought we had 3 people and wanted us to go to a smaller table but we actually have 5. The waitress was ok though I had to hand her some plates to clear off the tables after she check up on us for more 'mini' entrees. It was AYCE, so I would recommend more attentiveness to cleaning out the tables when you check in. The people that delivered the food, well... we are not Mediterranean and we don't know the names of the dishes. She seemed a bit annoyed when she as dropping off the 'mini' main entrees when we didn't know what they were. Help us out and just bit give us this attitude for no reason. HUSH HUSH... ok, so we stayed OVER the 2 hrs but we paid for the food and was finishing the last bottle of wine. I didn't hear the comment about "we are now closed." This was at 3:30-4pm. Food: THE IG REEL was why we came for my fiends bday brunch. Now I have a feeling, I need to vet these videos cause I think they were paid. Honestly, the video was so good (they need to be in politics) that I was like -- I will be so stuffed and happy after!!! But that was not the case. Bloody Mary...tried it thinking maybe there's something special because it's 'house' specialty. Same same at every other places. Starters and desserts were buffet style. Smart and makes sense. Nothing stand out just regular starters you would find at any other 100 or so Mediterranean restaurants in the DMV. Mains: let's get to it. I got the salmon shrimp toast - it was a small piece of toast with 1 shrimp halved with a SIILVER of salmon (I have the pic receipt). Next I ordered the gyro with 3 silver of meat cause my bday girl was like "they have skinny tacos?" That's how much meat was on ten GYRO... then I ordered brussel sprouts, it was very salty. *** I really wanted to like this restaurant. The manager even came over when one of the other ladies didn't like her slider. That is a personal preference..." However, overall - I'm not coming back especially when there's so many Mediterranean restaurants in the DMV.

If you're looking for a delicious bottomless brunch with fresh ingredients, Ala is definitely a must try. Visited the Bethesda location for Saturday and it was a time! I loved the decor and setup--it makes you feel like you're in a European restaurant. For the brunch buffet menu, you can order from the bottomless main course which had various options to choose from. My favorite was the Adana slider with minced short-rib. You can then also choose from an assortment of starters, sweets and sides from the buffet. For drinks, our server was on top of things and always made sure we never ran out of sparkling wine for our mimosas. Overall great experience and reasonably priced for a bottomless brunch!

The brunch is phenomenal!! Mami found this place and it lived up to the reviews. I mean everything: food, customer service, decor, ambiance, cleanliness, even the all you can eat set up - 10/10. A huge shoutout to Estephanie with her amazing customer service. We tried to review all food items of the day below, all scores out of 10: Branzino salad 8 Crab salad 6 Chick pea salad 9 perfect Deviled egg 6 not heavily seasoned Cheese 10 (I love cheese) Salmon waffle 4/10 pass French onion 8 (missing cheese) Main course - one at a time Toum short ribs gyro: 7/10 short rib good, need sauce and cheese Adana slider: 10 - pickled onion goes good Tawook schnitzel: 10 - incredible sauce ordered twice Lahm bi ajeen: 10 so flavorful Tawook shawarma omelette: 5 could do without it Karanab 7 Shaksuka 8.5 very hearty. Meat free chili vibes Fall latke- 7.5 avoid the roe Gardies and salmon toast 6/10 Soujok & egg sandwich - didn't eat due to soujok being pork I strongly recommend this place. The only downside is trying to find parking. There was a promo on the app "inkind" so we saved $40. Get here.

My friend went to the DC location and highly recommended the Bethesda one. We came here on a busy Saturday for brunch. When you arrive its giving Mykonos vibes with some of the decorations and aesthetics. We decided to go for the bottomless brunch. Some of my favorite breakfast items include shakshuka, toum short ribs gyro, salmon toast, karanab, fall latke and the tawook schintzel. All of the items that came out were seasoned well, plated with plenty of greens and had all the right flavors. Some of the items were so good we had to re order them. They also have a nice buffet line that include fresh fruit, plenty of dessert items, cheese, pastries and French onion soup. We really enjoyed our experience here and made sure we tried everything. Our servers were amazing as we were constantly getting juice and champagne refills. I really enjoyed my experience here and will definitely be back to try their dinner options.

We visited Ala in Bethesda for their Restaurant Week brunch menu. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a Middle Eastern flair. There are stunning displays of wine and wall art. The DC restaurant has received a Michelin star. Their brunch menu offers both buffet and a tapas menu. There is a large buffet filled with everything from deviled eggs, hummus, a variety of cheeses, and some salads. I really appreciated the selection of cheeses. The pita bread was fresh, soft, and tasty. I was not a fan of their spreads. Then, you are allowed to order from a menu of tapas style small plates from crab omelettes, gyros, potato pancakes, and smoked salmon on toast. I found a lot of inconsistencies with the food. My crab omelette had a fishy taste, the crab didn't taste fresh, so I didn't eat it. Next, the gyro meat was tough and tasteless. It was served on a prepackaged taco shell which was rubbery. The potato pancake was drenched in zatar and that was not listed on the menu ingredients. Why would you mix apple pie flavors with a heavy handed spice? I left that dish too. The tastiest dish was the smoked salmon on toast. Unfortunately, they had small shrimp on top that were overcooked to a hard tough texture. I removed them. The smoked salmon and creme fresh base topping was delicious. The dill mustard brought a bright punch of flavor. There was a large display of desserts. But, many of them were tasteless and cold. The best dessert, hands down was the baklava. It was heavenly. It was crunchy, nutty, delicate, with a sweet honey taste. They also had a chocolate fountain that you could dip fruit or cake into. The cake was tasteless. My friend even tried dipping the cold cake in chocolate, but even that didn't help. The service was excellent. We had a great server who was very polite and nice. I also really liked my mimosa. It was refreshing and thirst quenching. So, stunning ambiance, great service, excellent baklava. But, the food was not memorable, the cost was high, and I wouldn't go back. Maybe, my experience was an outlier, but my friend ended up getting sick after our visit. So, that sealed the deal for me.

Ala was one of the best dining experiences I've had in September in the DMV. A girlfriend and I met for dinner on a Saturday night and started with a Pandora cocktail and a Mirra Martini, followed by mixed spreads served with warm pita. From the hot mezze, we enjoyed the short ribs pide flatbread, Karanab roasted cauliflower with tahini and walnuts, Garides Kebab with grilled shrimp, Tanook Shish chicken skewers, and the Levant featuring carrot muhammara, labneh, and fried mint. For our large plates, we shared the Ras-el Hanout braised short ribs and the Tarkhun Lavraki, a grilled branzino with fennel salad and tarragon sauce. A special thank you to Manager, Katerina for her warm hospitality and to our server Salim, who provided excellent service, shared his deep menu knowledge, and guided us through a modern Levantine tasting journey. I look forward to coming back soon to try the brunch.

Loved everything about ALA! The service was amazing -- super quick, friendly, and on top of everything. The food was so unique and full of flavor without feeling over the top or unapproachable. You can tell there's a lot of creativity in the menu, but it's still totally comforting and delicious. The cocktails were fun and really well made -- definitely worth trying a few! Prices were very reasonable for the quality and overall experience. Such a great spot -- I'll definitely be coming back!

Loved walking into Ala! I almost walked right by it so make sure you look for the sign because all the restaurants are so close together. It was super cute inside, but the tables are kind of close to each other and in the aisle. We went on Saturday for brunch during restaurant week. We did the all you can eat plus one mimosa. The buffet was nice. We were able to get all of our cheeses and dips plus desserts and a chocolate fountain. The food was amazing. I can't pinpoint my favorite dish because everything was so flavorful. I highly recommend going! A parking garage is right across the street or around the corner.

Went here for brunch during restaurant week--$35 including one drink, which is a fantastic deal. The service was excellent, and the buffet spread was impressive. Ambiance is also excellent. What really stood out was that the quality of the food didn't drop just because it was a buffet--everything tasted fresh and well-prepared. There were plenty of vegetarian options, and even if you don't eat eggs, there were still a good number of dishes to choose from. The baklava was especially delicious. My only small critique is that the hot vegetarian dishes could have used a bit more seasoning to bring out the flavors.

I came here for a dinner with a client and the food was so delicious. This is a newer place in the area so I wasn't sure how food and service would be, but everything was great. I really enjoyed the set up of the tables, as well as the over ambiance. The food was great and plentiful. We tried so many things but I loved the potatoes and the wine. Will definitely be back.

We came here to have a quiet new years eve dinner before celebrating at home. The waitress was very nice and helpful. We had several Mezza plates and she was able to make all but one gluten free. The hummus was great (I was pleasantly surprised by a sweet note). The falafels were great (but does have cross-contamination due to the fryer). The chicken skewer was also great. I had the beef skewer which I really liked and had some very nice and spicy sauce to accompany. My dad loved the branzino, and my wife love the lamb shank. We all walked out satisfied and saying we will definitely return. The place use to be an Italian resteraunt called Positanos. And the decor still had some remenants of the Italian vibe. Overall this is definitely a place to go for middle eastern food - the waitress said the dishes are mostly Turkish, but with heavy middle eastern influences from Jordan, Syria, etc.

It was my daughter's birthday and she wanted to visit here. Despite being full they did accept our reservation which felt nice. Great welcome. Restaurant is very cozy and the decor like a Mediterranean home. It was a busy night and we had a friendly staffer. Mixed spreads was a great way to start. Comes with 2 pieces of pita so it was great suggestion to order extra pita for a party of 4. Usually only wouldn't praise potatoes but the Batata Hara was a wonderful that I hadn't tasted in potatoes before with a finger licking sauce. If you are vegetarian the Batata Hara and the Mushroom Shish would be a great combination. These are Mezze which I have learned are smaller portions so you can taste more dishes without filling your stomach on one. Other delightful dishes we ordered were Tawook Shish (chicken kabab), Garides Doujok (shrimp) voted by the table as the best dish. A few other dishes that I can't recall but good memories and the stomach felt good. I tried the Armenian beer which reminded me of the days living in Russia in the 90s. It's a good beee but very different from usual fare. Next time I'm here I'll try the Lebanese beer. You can expect to spend $30 to $40 without tips or more depending on drinks. I wouldn't call it an expensive restaurant as the prices around here are similar. One think that was a small miss was that one of the cutlery pieces looked dirty. Parking is paid in the garage right in front or you can park cheaper a block away at the Woodmont corner public parking. Thanks to Montgomery County parking was free on the holiday Saturday we went .

Just felt like you're welcomed the minute you walked in. This place has cozy sections - it's small but large enough at the same time. We decided on the Tasting Experience for $48 each. The roasted brussel sprouts just blew me away- it tasted light, crunchy, and a bit like fried squid. lol. Highly recommend! The crab salad tasted like you're at a Mediterranean beach...sunshine. Shrimp with sausage got a little kick to it...turmeric flavored. Their dishes are like tapas- but larger in size. Complements to the ‍.

This was one of the best Mediterranean brunches I've had in a while. The small plates and buffet left me feeling full and happy. The servers were also really kind and kept the small plates coming. Check them out the next time you're in Bethesda

I love Mediterranean food and I love bottomless brunches. We tried everything on the menu and every single thing was soooo good ! They have a section for cold foods such as dips , an area for desserts that are all amazing. Then they bring every bottomless entree that you request over for you. The schnitzel was our favorite thing ever we ordered it 4 times. I love that they give you the bottle for your bottomless and at the dessert bar they have add ons that you can try in your mimosa if you would like. If you don't want to drink they also have a bottomless non alcoholic drinks as well as coffee and tea. Our waitress berna was so sweet and always made sure everything was perfect. I would come back here every weekend. The price is also perfect and is another reason I would love to come back and with large groups as well. Also the ambiance was amazing the resturant is so beautiful and they have the comfiest chairs ever ! I would love these for my dinning room table. I would highly recommend this resturant 30/10!!

I first went here for a girls' night a couple of weeks ago. Even though we had a reservation, they could not seat us for over 20 minutes and were very apologetic. The hostess said they'd treat us to dessert, but the wait was quite long. We were seated at a very cute table and the restaurant decor was beautiful and cozy. Our server was attentive and quick and we got our drinks quickly. My friends are all vegetarian so we started with the mixed spreads with pita....and it was good and same as most Mediterranean restaurants...nothing stood out as bad or amazing. We also ordered the kechi which sounded amazing but it was just ok...could've used a touch of honey or sweetness. I ordered the chicken tawook shish based on the server's recommendation and it was amazing!! Very flavorful and spicy too. We ended with the baklava and vegan desserts. The baklava was very good but the vegan dessert was just ok. The following week, I took my husband back to Ala for a date night since I did enjoy most of the food and the ambiance. This time we ordered the falafel, kechi again, chicken and brussel sprouts. We both found the falafel very dry and tasteless and when the manager came to ask us about the food, we told her and she offered to take it back and recommended the zucchini fritters instead. They were delicious...crispy and on a bed of labneh. The brussel sprouts were great too as was the chicken. And again, the kechi was ok...I wanted to give it another shot since I love all the ingredients in it, but something is just missing (I think honey). So overall, I really like the ambiance and service at Ala. Their food has been hits and misses but I look forward to trying other dishes there soon.

We went for the brunch with unlimited main dishes. One caveat is that you can only order one at a time, and sometimes the wait was too long. It was a good experience and the food was good, and had a lot of variety! My favorites were the fried brussel sprouts and the gyro!

What a wonderful dinner at Ala! We started the night with the mixed spread paired with soft and warm bread. The mixed spreads consisted of hummus, baba ghanoush, jagegh, and za'atar labneh! My personal favorite was the za'atar labneh because of the rich, tangy taste! We shared the braised short ribs with ras-el hanout and grilled potatoes! The ribs were flavorful and soft. The grilled potatoes were a perfect combination! We also tried the mini manti which was a delicious and filling side! Overall, the dishes were delicious with the right amount of seasoning! Our meals paired well with our cocktails! Olzem was an amazing server! She constantly checked in on us and made sure we enjoyed our night. She was knowledgeable of the menu and gave us suggestions of her personal favorites! The manager was also friendly and attentive. She checked in on us at the end of our dinner and ensured we enjoyed our time. The restaurant had a beautiful interior. Well-lit and spacious for family dinners. There is a paid parking structure behind the restaurant. I would definitely come back if I am in the DC area!

From the second when you get in and find yourself in stylish and well thought design,you have a feeling that food will be great. In this case,food was good to very good,service was perfect +. Our server was amazingly well trained and knew everything about food,he asked our opinion about everything we ordered with great attention,like it was cooked by him. Baba Ghanoush was very good,I was surprised by pomegranate molasses on the top,but it worked really well. Soujouk pide was amazing,a little spicy from sausage( soujouk),a little sweet sauce and amazing dough. I decided to take off 1 star,because falafel was really over spiced and too crispy,no creamy texture and any moisture inside. Tabouleh was incredibly creative,with pickles and dried blueberries,but was dry,I think touch of lemon juice and olive oil will make it shine. Deserts were great, Antep Baklava was absolutely delicious, in US maybe the best,tahini soufflé was most comforting dish in a long time. It was basically cookie batter with tahini, warmed on the skillet with some nuts and every bite made me feel good. I don't mind to come back, food had distinctive flavors and whole night was pleasant.

Loved the decor and ambiance of ala! The service was super attentive and helpful with our questions. The tables can only be reserved for 2 hours which we didn't realize so had to leave a little early. The food was good, we tried the Brussels sprouts, falafel and shrimp and the shrimp was definitely my favorite!

Spectacular Mediterranean cuisine in DT Bethesda. It's got a very warm, cozy Mediterranean vibe. We ordered the 3 plates for $55 special, which was more than enough for us. Def a great option?

This is such a cute spot! I loved the interior decoration - super cozy ambiance, it felt like you were in someone's family home or in a foreign city. Service was super friendly - from the wait staff to the front desk! I came for happy hour and snacks - drinks were great ... we enjoyed the levant and the bulut. The mixed spreads assortment was a little underwhelming in size and the fact that it only came with 1 singular pita, but the flavors were there! The flatbread was also super tasty, but again a pretty small portion. I would love to come back here and try more of their menu!

I will start this review by saying... wow! I was so impressed with this restaurant and as a first time customer, I will absolutely be back! Coworkers and I went with a 12:15pm reservation and I'm glad we did because the restaurant started to fill up shortly after sitting and getting settled. The decorations were beautifully laid out without crowding the dinning area. Our waitress had a smile and was very helpful picking our lunch shared plates. We got 8 plates for 4 people and the mixed spreads plate and we were all so full when we left. We also got a delicious hot "digestive tea" that had pomegranate and fresh mint and it was so good. I didn't even get pictures of all the food because of how quickly we dove into it but I promise I will when I go again and get new/repeat plates. Rave review from this Yelper!!!!

As big fans of the DC location of Ala, we were excited to venture out to the Bethesda sister branch. The first impression is a good one with the greenery filled outdoor seating area. The welcoming feeling was further enhanced by our server for the evening who was super. She was really friendly and helpful and did a super job with the tableside platings (ours and that of another table that we couldn't help but watch.) We really liked our table which was by the window and featured a pillow filled bench. The only problem with the décor was the lighting, that, though it was pretty, somehow produced a real lot of glare so that reading the menus (with smaller low contrast print) hard enough that all four of us ended up having to look at it online on our phones. Ala features a wide selection of hot and cold apps which always makes up the greater portion of our meal. We enjoyed the hummus, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and chicken skewer. My favorite was the salmon kibbeh. I was expecting little falafel like meatballs but it was very different and really tasty. This was definitely the plate that I continued to pull over to my side of the table. The portions were generous and I could have been totally satisfied with those dishes as a meal. But, then, there were several yummy main dishes to share and enjoy and so we tried two of those - the branzino and the short ribs. The shorts ribs were meaty and delicious and the branzino was the one that was part theater as it was baked in parchment and then opened and plated tableside. Its flavor was more subtle but also very good. For dessert we had the baklava. As the portion was three pieces and we were four at the table, our wonderful server inquired if anyone was having a birthday. It just so happened that one of us had turned a year older that week and so she brought over the birthday wishes and another piece of baklava. Didn't I tell you that she was great?! Ala was packed the evening we were there which I have the feeling it always is. However, it didn't feel overly noisy and we weren't at all rushed during our dinner. From food to service to space to very easy parking in a garage right across the street, Ala was a wonderful place to enjoy a meal with friends or alone with a book (as the person at a nearby table was doing.)

We had an outstanding dinner at Ala. Great service, incredibly delicious food and beautiful atmosphere. A must try. We will definitely go again.

I know that we went during restaurant week but we did the same timing last year and had a good experience so things have really gone downhill. I'll start with the most egregious - there were inaccurate or missing food labels everywhere. In addition, there was a huge amount of cross contamination with a single serving spoon for 1-4 dishes. This is a huge health risk, particularly as some dishes are meat or shellfish. I repeatedly had to ask what some dishes were out of curiosity despite having no allergies and no one resolved the signage issues. I can specifically remember multiple instances of signage being completely wrong. Now that the most egregious and dangerous is out of the way, it was horrible service. We were seated per reservation and ignored for 15 minutes. I finally flagged down a server to ask if we were supposed to wait for plates or water or drinks. A manager and hostess who had since ignored us came over to say sorry and get us a server. I subsequently saw another table seated and given the normal greeting and instructions so clearly we were just missed. The food was terrible. It's an insult to the Michelin Guide. Every bread type piece was stale. I truly think they ordered Costco or similar frozen meats and threw a bit of seasoning on them. I can't even tell you which were the worse offenders given the aforementioned incorrect signage. The menu was also inaccurate. For example it listed schnitzel but the restaurant served a platter of lukewarm fried chicken (labeled as fried chicken). Finally, while this is rarely something I would point out, the other patrons were awful. The table next to us had a child who did not sit down once in our 90 minute meal. He bumped waitresses and my partner and was chastised for attempting to climb structures. The GM cowardly refused to intervene and ask the parents to control their child. I frankly am furious that I paid the amount I did for this horrible, borderline dangerous meal. The restaurant hosts regular buffets and shouldn't have been caught off guard. It's the worst restaurant week experience I have ever had.

Incredible food, service, and ambiance! Everything on the menu was 10/10. The dessert was probably my favorite dessert I've had at a restaurant... let's say top 3! Recommend this place

Went for a Sunday brunch date with my husband and really enjoyed the overall experience! Reservation was made through Resy and it was easy to modify the time the day before when our plans changed slightly. The ambience is very cool with an outdoor mediterranean vibe (while still being inside and air conditioned). The buffet area is a nice place for folks to browse while they wait for their entrees to come out. I appreciated how the entrees were all tapas size so that we could comfortably order 7 dishes between the two of us! The standouts were the brussel sprouts and the short rib gyro. We didn't opt for the unlimited drinks but did each get a mocktail, which were made to order and very refreshing (and on the sweeter side). I used the InKind app for the first time to receive the $30 off and it worked smoothly!

Solid, but not stunning Levantine restaurant. Nothing disappointing, but maybe doesn't quite live up to the hype or price tag. My wife and I came here for a short date recently because it looked yummy and felt like it might be a Zaytinya, but closer to home. In some ways that was true. The ambiance was if anything a little better with a chill, dark and moody space that did feel exotic, but also calm and chill. The menu is reminiscent of Zaytinya too with a lot of middle eastern small plates. It also has a short list of signature cocktails that are themed well. That said, none of it is as well-executed as Zaytinya. We got the drink special which was a before dinner cocktail, two 3-oz pours of wine during dinner, and an after dinner cocktail for $36. Sadly, the cocktails were all sweet. The daphne tree was herbal, but sweet. The day dream was a decent old fashioned, but also sweet. The pandora was an amazing color and had nice lavender, but also sweet. The espresso martini went well with the dessert and was the only one that wasn't sweet. The wine was hit and miss. The dips sampler was great. The two kinds of labneh really rocked and I loved the smoked baba ghanoush, while the hummus was fine. We also got the Adana kabobs and the shrimp and sausage. They were both good--making sure you got all the different flavors of the elements of the kabobs kicked it up a notch. We also got the semolina cake dessert, which was light and went really well with the espresso martini. That said, nothing really screamed Michelin-level except maybe the price, which was about $250.

Highly recommend!! The hype around this place is worth it. I have been a few times and every time it is amazing. If you are going to get one thing on the menu get the short rib, it is amazing. The inside of the restaurant is super cute and service was top notch. The first time we went we had our server order for us and she did the best job! Also their brunch is a must try, seems like a lot of their dinner food but re done into breakfast food but in the best way.

Visited Ala today and it was wonderful! On a really great spot in Bethesda with parking right across from it.. you're really immersed right when you walk into the restaurant, feels like you're away in Mykonos! Truly beautiful. Our waitress was Jenny and she was sooo kind & attentive, she gave us some ideas on what to order and nothing disappointed. The drinks were not only beautiful but also tasty, I'm a fan of drinks that don't taste like complete alcohol so the sweetness was lovely. Overall great experience and I definitely want to take more friends here. Heads up they're pretty strict about their 2 hour time limit for tables.

A great addition to the Bethesda dining scene. I think this part of Bethesda needed it as most of the better restaurants are in the Bethesda Row area. This was the former Positano restaurant. Daniel was our server- it was his first day, but you couldn't tell as he was very friendly and knew the menu really well. I've never been to their Dupont Circle location, but it's the same menu. They even have a tasting menu priced at $89 per person, but it's a lot of food so we opted for a la carte. Our favorite dishes were the Urfa Pepper Shrimp, crab salad and Adana Kebab. Those were outstanding and would order those again. We liked the Baba Ghanoush- glad it came with two pita breads. The Branzino was ok- wish the skin was crispy. The cocktails were good as well. Beer prices are high though. Will have to try their happy hour. Glad this place opened a second DC location in Bethesda!

I don't even know where to begin... First, it's good to know that there is a parking garage across the street from the restaurant, BUT beware because it closes at 11 PM. Back to the restaurant... when walking in, the ambiance gave off a homie vibe. It was beautiful! My friends, and I did the tasting experience in the Levant wine, and cocktails. There was so much food, and everything was delicious! I was too busy eating and enjoying life, so I didn't have many pictures. I highly recommend the hummus, karanab (brussel sprouts), short ribs pide (flatbread), and soujouk pide (flatbread), and my favorite cocktail was levant. Our waiter was ADAM. Helpful, funny, charming, and extremely nice. He helped elevate our experience and ensured we were well cared for. Honestly, the entire staff was helpful and friendly. The manager was super sweet as well. If you're thinking about not going to ala, think again! I'll be back.

A lovely ambiance, great service, excellent food. I can't attest to the drinks because I didn't have a cocktail during our brunch but I'll be back at dinner. The seating's cozy, with the feeling of a homey Mediterranean patio. Service isn't rushed, which I appreciate. For food, on our first visit we tried: - arayes minced beef cheese "meat pie" more akin to a pita sandwich with a yoghurt dipping sauce and a red cabbage slaw, which was really delicious to the point that my toddler bogarted most of mine - quzi kofte lamb burger which was very tasty and tender - batatas spiced crispy potatoes which was pretty excellent and come with every entree - tabbouleh with freekah, parsley, mint, pomegranate, and tomato--maybe the best I've ever had.

I highly recommend ala in Bethesda! The food was delicious. The service was incredible. And the vibe was immaculate! We will 110% be back. It is a costly meal but so worth it!

Love that ala opened a new location in Bethesda! We've come a few times on the weekends and while there's a short wait sometimes, we've always able to get a seat, even without a reservation. The inside is very cute and the bar area is nice. We love the food and always get a number of plates for sharing. Look forward to coming back to try their brunch next time!

I loved the brunch in DC location, so we came to this location for brunch as well. First off, for people who drinks, the deal is great - $48 for bottomless food and mimosa. But the full table have to participate. 2 out of 4 parties in my group don't drink, but they still had to pay $12, for juice. And the food was not as great as DC location, and subpar for similar cuisine in the area. The ambiance is nice - exotic and intimate. But...too many better choices in the area, probably won't go again.

Always glad to find a good happy hour. But this one is tricky. Seating is only at the bar certain hours and becomes more liberal other hours. But those hours can change based on how busy they are. There. Is nice shaded outdoor seating as well as a generous amount indoors. The decor is imaginative and comforting. We had the house chardonnay which was a bargain at $6. One dish was the deeply roasted brussel sprouts that I highly recommend. Our second dish was fried chicken strips with a side of pickled beets and cucumbers. Lastly we tried a sandwich that had melted cheese, minced beef, coriander, along with a dill yogurt dipping sauce. Everything was great. Definitely adding them to our happy hour list.

Is different experience than the original in dc. It feels cozy and homey.. food is really good as usual.. thank you guys for your hospitality and making my friends birthday unforgettable