Layli Mediterranean

We stumbled upon Layli Restaurant while walking in Arlington and were excited to try it since we enjoy Mediterranean cuisine. The 4.4-star rating on Google gave us high hopes. Starting with the ambience, the restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and a lovely garden area. However, the experience quickly went downhill from there. It took almost 10 minutes before anyone came by to ask for our drink order. For dinner, we ordered hummus, baba ghanoush, maanek, and the mixed grill for two. The food was average at best. The hummus was just okay, the baba ghanoush didn’t taste authentic, and the maanek was more like kafta in sauce rather than the traditional dish. The mixed grill looked appealing, but unfortunately, all the meats were dry and lacking flavor. The service was especially disappointing — no one checked on us during the meal, asked how the food was, or offered more drinks or dessert. Overall, it was a disappointing experience given both the poor service and underwhelming food. I truly wanted to like this place, but it didn’t live up to its reviews or expectations.

Fantastic spot for private events! The team was incredibly responsive and made the entire coordination process seamless. The atmosphere was vibrant, the food and the cocktails were top-notch! 👌🏻 And don’t miss the orange sorbet!

Really cute spot if you are looking for something classy but casual. Cocktails are pricy, but quite interesting. The food is absolutely worth the money, many options to share and have for the whole table. Service is very friendly and considerate. Really cozy patio, perfect for spring-fall nights.

I finally had the chance to dine at this cute & spacious spot in my neighborhood & I’m so glad I did! As someone who doesn’t drink, I was really excited to try a good mocktail. I picked one of their cocktails & asked them to recreate it without alcohol, it turned out so fresh and flavorful. My friend went for their spicy pomegranate cocktail (also alcohol-free) & loved it. We also ordered a few appetizers to enjoy with our drinks: the dip trio was amazing, the za’atar fries were perfectly crispy & fresh & the battata harra as always was delicious. The ambiance & service were just as impressive. Honestly, I have no idea why I waited this long to try this place. Definitely coming back!

This place is an absolute gem! We visited for the first time and were thoroughly impressed. We tried several small dishes and they were all bursting with flavor. Our server brought a sample of wine so I could select a nice glass with dinner. The atmosphere was also great on a nice evening with the doors opened to an expansive outdoor patio. We will be sure to visit often in the future.

My terrible photos don’t do the food justice. Everything was delicious. We wanted to bathe in the Greek salad dressing!! It was soo yummy. The lamb and beef were perfectly cooked and the flavours were super tasty. We will definitely be back.

The food was really really delicious! It's a small plates restaurant, so they encourage you to order 2 to 3 plates person. The drinks were something I have never tasted before in my life. The staff was very friendly in explaining flavor profiles and other things on the menu. Overall, a great experience.

Loved our experience at Layli! Everything tasted very authentic and the pricing was on par with how much you got! Really recommend the grill platter of meat! It was enough for 4 people with a few other small plates mixed in.

Came here for brunch, being Lebanese myself i was looking for authentic cuisine. My server Lina was wonderful and kept the $1 mimosas coming for their pre-fixed brunch. The crab benedict and manoushe were my favorite! My friends really wanted to try the Pistachio Espresso martini and they accommodated for us :)! I'll definitely be back!

Been here twice! Excited to see a nice Mediterranean restaurant in Clarendon ! Lovely decor and music. We love the service, food and ambiance! They have plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. We ordered drinks and appetizers and will return for main dishes soon!

This is one of the new restaurants that have opened up in Arlington. It's right across Circa on Wilson Blvd. There it's lots of outdoor seating, which is amazing with the music that they play. On a nice day, definitely book the outdoor seating. The service was incredible. Our server was very sweet and attentive, and they were very quick in cleaning up the empty plates. Now to the food. One thing to note is that the portion size is quite small, for the price you pay. You definitely get a lot more food at other Mediterranean restaurants. So keep that in mind. The drinks are amazing, and the small portions go perfect with Happy Hour. We were there for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is all we ordered: - Zaatar Fries: these are amazing. So well seasoned. We finished it all. - Batatas Bravas: this was a bit disappointing. It was bland and definitely not the kind I've eaten at other restaurants. We left half of it. It felt more like a potato vegetable dish as opposed to the traditional Batatas Bravas. - Falafel: delicious. You only get 3 pieces per order. But they taste great. - Dip Trio: the dips are very small in size, but we loved them. The pita bread was nice and warm. They don't have any vegetarian entree on the menu, which was a bit disappointing. The eggplant dish also had lamb in it. We ordered enough appetizers to keep us full, but would be great if they could add some vegetarian options as entree. Now to the dessert. Do NOT miss out on the desserts. We got the Baklava and Layli Delight, and they both were absolutely delicious. The baklava comes with an assortment, and each of them were incredible. The Layli Delight was delicious as well. We completely wiped out our plates. Surprisingly, the dessert portion were bigger than the food portions Highly recommend this place. We loved the ambiance, the drinks, the music, and overall experience.

We found the coffee bar opened outdoor during the day. They had baked goods, Gelato and various drinks (hot and cold). You can sit in the patio area while the restaurant is closed. Drink and baked goods was delicious. Looking forward to trying their dinner/restaurant soon!

I was hoping to enjoy this location, but I found myself fairly disappointed. I tried a number of their small plates to share, and they were all okay, nothing to write home about. I ordered a glass of wine but it had gone bad. The waiter was apologetic and replaced it with an alternative. Ambiance wise, the music here is very loud. I wasn't exactly sure what kind of vibe they were trying to create, as it was fairly empty at the time we were there (earlier in the evening). When walking by, I've seen it busier later into the night, so the louder music could make more sense to me then... but listening to loud deep house made for an odd dining experience. The overall experience was middling in terms of food and ambiance, but considering they're a newer restaurant, I hope that they're able to improve as they get their feet under themselves.

My friend and I have heard how the service at Láylí was pretty rocky when they first opened so we waited a month before stopping by. It's in a prime location right outside the Clarendon Metro, which was very convenient. Our server was helpful and we got our food pretty quickly. DIP TRIO - 18 This comes with three dips -- hummus, labneh, and one of muhammara (roasted red pepper dip) or tirokafteri (creamy red pepper dip with feta). This time around, we chose the tirokafteri which ended up being our favorite because it was lightly spicy, but the feta cheese made it so creamy and delicious. The hummus was very typical and nothing crazy and same with the labneh. They give you a big portion of pita bread here and we had a hard time finishing. This is a good option if you share with 2 or 3 others. WARAK ENAB - 12 This was grape leaves stuffed with rice, tomato and parsley. The flavor of grape leaves is very unique. It's not one I can describe well because I don't eat it often enough. Each order comes with six nearly wrapped grape leaves and my friend enjoyed this a lot (since she is a fan of it). I would recommend it to try! LAMB SHANK FOR TWO - 56 For this price, the portion size was pretty worth it. We got a fat lamb shank that was super tender and juicy, sitting on top of a savory lamb jus that was delicious. The lamb was very good and we enjoyed that with the saffron rice we got with it (topped with pomegranate seeds and scallions). Again, lots of meat on the shank and we ended up having enough for another meal. The vegetables on the side was steamed and salted well. I enjoyed the broccolini, asparagus, and carrots. I would recommend the lamb shank if you're looking to splurge a bit. In terms of ambiance, it would have been better if they opened the windows and doors because the voices of other groups/parties were definitely amplified based on the interior structure. It was really hard to hear one another since it was so loud inside. Overall, the food was decent, but we both agree we'd try other Mediterranean restaurants before circling back to this one.

Our Uber driver dropped us off at the wrong intersection while visiting DC and noticed Layli Mediterranean restaurant next to us. It was an hour from closing on a Tuesday night, but lots of customers enjoying their meals. We reviewed the menu at the hostess counter and was quickly informed the kitchen is closing soon and if wanting to order to do so asap. We were seated and quickly ordered our appetizers and drinks. We placed our orders while appetizers were delivered and enjoyed the trio dip with warm pita bread. We did notice they forgot my order when they delivered one of the meals. Our server didn't check on us as someone else delivered the food. It wasn't until 20 minutes later my meal was served and no apology not that I was expecting one. Overall the food was good, but service was no where near what DC restaurants usually have. Will try other restaurants in the area, hopefully their service will live up to DC expectations.

The bright purple lights and just opened sign drew us in to try this new restaurant. There was a live dj playing vibey music and great outdoor space. We sat at the bar and got drinks and a few apps. The drink was fine but the food was incredibly bland and not anything to call home about. I hope the food gets better the longer they are open but will probably not be back to try because for the price, it's not worth it in my opinion.

Amazing food. Beautiful decor. The chicken was out of this world. Yum. I definitely recommend this place.

Incredible hidden gem! I visited Layli for date night and it did not disappoint! Not only is the food incredible but the spot itself is really cool. They have indoor and outdoor seating (the patio is quite spacious!). For food, we share the hummus & duck appetizer which was delicious (wish they had gluten free outta bread but the veggies worked for dipping). My bf got the lamb chops and I got the scallops. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the chops were quite huge. The scallops were pretty large and served over a cauliflower puree. Everything was very delicious! The he service was wonderful and our server provided great recommendations and was quite attentive.

I think the food was pretty average for a Mediterranean restaurant and mezzes but the restaurant's set up is superb. There are indoor and outdoor seating, with a little booth on the border that sells pastries, coffee, and gelato. Not sure if I will be back for the actual dining experience but overall the place is conveniently located and has a nice ambiance.

I'm surprised how busy this restaurant is, as it didn't particularly impress me. I got the spicy prawn mezze, ma'anek, and beef tenderloin shawarma. The beef tenderloin was probably my favorite, but overall the plates lacked special flavors, especially considering the high price. The pita is alright but very thin and gets stale quite quickly. I also felt like the service was all over the place, as our server changed 3 times and we had to flag someone down for the check.

Love this place. Great food and ambiance. We ordered the dip trio and mixed grill for two. Excellent!

Patio area was cute and shaded. That the only good thing about the place that experienced. I ordered the NY strip and eggs. Not much of flavor in both. The strip looked like it was reheated, not cooked at the time of ordering. Small portion I felt like I didn't even eat. Service could use a lot of help. Server (Hafsa) could learn from the experience. She dropped the bill and walked away with no time to explain we wanted to slip. Had to chase her down. Then some of us got gratuity charge for a table of 4. Had bad experience getting that removed. Will not be coming again. Not even for drinks.

Láylí's atmosphere is amazing! The cocktails are superior, and the food is great. I do wish there was more value for the money, but overall, it's really good. A happy hour would be a fantastic addition.

I ordered the grilled Amish chicken with vegetables and couscous. It was really delicious. Usually when you honor take out food it's not really good. It's cold or soggy or just ordinary but this was so yummy that I have to say I would order it again and again, the presentation was great as well so if you're having gas or you just want to have a special man for yourself really healthy try the chicken dish.

Food portion was little relative to its price. Food quality was also poor and we were disappointed. Even worse, they definitely charged us more than what we ordered, as our order total shouldn't surpass $45, while the bill we got was $73 before tip! Never come back!!

We stopped in for dinner and sat outside on the lovely (gigantic) patio space. The food and service were excellent. We've tried several other Lebanese / Mediterranean places in the area and this was much better than several of them. We'd definitely come back.

Láylí LebaNOM NOM NOM 4 stars for forgivable growing pains. A really beautifully decorated indoor/ outdoor seating arrangement. Music playing loud enough to provide ambiance but not inhibiting chats. We had 6 small plates between 2 and were just nicely full. Overall very high points for well seasoned tasty and interesting food. Our favorite was the hot prawn mezze . Really well seasoned fresh prawns with a pita chip " salad". Different and delicious. Battata Harra was also a winner. Lots of raw garlic and cilantro with a mild hit of spice. The low points included the bread- thin, cold and not enjoyable. The fillet beef "shawarma" was a wonderful piece of meat done dirty by lack of flavor to accompany it. I would pass on this and go for an extra portion of zatar fries. The Fatayer was lighter on flavor and didn't add anything to the meal. Definitely a go to for a date night/ girls night/ summer glass of wine and tapas style hang out. Service was trying but lacking. We waited too long for a second drink and for our bill, but as this was their opening week I would happily overlook this. Each dish should be named by the person dropping and bussing service was exceptional. Friendly and attentive without being overbearing.Price point is appropriate for the area. We will be back, hope to see you there!

My neighborhood spot. So much culture and delicious mediterranean food. Incredible service and atmosphere I absolutely love everything on the menu. The cocktails are delicious every time - the pistachio martini is an absolute must. Always a vibe with the playlist and service is top notch. Rohat is so kind and hospitable! Can't wait to see what's in store for this spot! I'll be back over and over!

***Dined here on 06/07/2024 @ 8pm. This was their first week open. -Food: 5/5 I had the Chicken Shawarma Sliders and they were delicious. -Service: 5/5 Our server, Jack, was outstanding -Ambiance: 5/5 Best outdoor seating in Clarendon, lighting is great, music by the DJ was also great and NOT too loud (you can still easily have conversation) ***Dined here again tonight on 06/28/2024 @ 8:15pm -Food: 3/5 food was not as good as the first night -Service: 5/5 We had the same server, Jack....he remembered us and what we had ordered from our first visit.... can't say enough -Ambiance: 5/5 Still the best outdoor seating and I would love to know what is going to happen to this restaurant given that the building is apparently set to be demolished- they just opened so I would hope that the landlord didn't falsely lease them the space knowing that the building would be converted and their lease suddenly terminated given that they just hired staff and spent money renovating- here is the ARLnow article: https://www.arlnow.com/2024/06/27/clarendon-ups-store-closes-citing-redevelopment-plans-for-office-building/

The drinks here are incredible! The service is even better! Love the vibe here and it's a beautiful restaurant!

Nice vibe, great food, friendly staff. Try the dip trio. Highly recommend this restaurant!

My husband and I had dinner at Layli, a recently opened Mediterranean restaurant in Clarendon. For drinks, my friends enjoyed the Orange Blossom Old Fashioned and Spicy Pomegranate Mezcalita. I enjoyed a Rose Water Gin Tonic. We decided to skip the spreads & and dips and hot & cold meze, and get the Mixed Grill for Two. It consisted of 4 types of meat - woodfired chicken taouk, beef kabob, butcher's kefta, and arayes. It was served over saffron rice with sumac pickled onions, grilled onions and artichoke hearts, and briny caperberries. It was served with bread and two types of sauces - toum and tzatziki. I'm looking forward to returning to try their Pistachio Espresso Martini, Pesto Sour, and hot and cold mezze!

Had a wonderful pistachio ice cream coffee. delicious! Very nice owner- it's a family business. Great place for a baklava and coffee

I was attracted to the ambiance of this new restaurant, which encouraged us to try it for brunch. FOOD Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. I ordered the NY Strip & Eggs, but it was underwhelming; half of the steak was cold, suggesting it had been reheated. The high prices didn't reflect the quality, with small portions and a lack of flavor. PLEASE CHECK YOUR BILL Our waitress, Hafsa, dropped off our check in a hurry and upon review we noticed there was a charge of $9 for WATER and a 20% gratuity to our table of four which was later covered as an "accident." SERVICE Hafsa did not check in on the table for lengthy periods of time. We had to get up and find her to address our check and pay in which she followed with "she didn't plan to return to the table" comment. My suggestion for this restaurant if it wants to stay in business is to revisit the quality of food and service as it seems to be a theme in the reviews

Tons of potential. I miss Bar Ivy. Drinks and food great so far. Ive been to 5 happy hours here.

If you're looking for a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant with a chic, sophisticated vibe, this is the place to be. We sat on the outdoor patio, where the ambiance was enhanced by great music and an inviting atmosphere. The small plates were perfect for sharing, and I highly recommend the grilled platter for two--it was not only delicious but also beautifully presented. The selection of wines by the glass added to the experience, making for an all-around enjoyable and memorable evening.

I've been to Layli quite a few times and it continues to impress me (more and more every time). They just added their new fall drinks, highly recommend! They also set up heat lamps and wood fire outside! The food came out very quickly and was delicious! Lastly, the music choice is excellent for an upbeat dinner vibe!

The good: I'll be honest, I think the patio was the only reason we even thought about going here to begin with, and it was by far the best part of the experience. The bad: The staff was alright, they just seemed a little scattered but that is to be expected since it's a new place and this was the dinner rush. The ugly: The food. Until tonight I didn't know you could make chicken that dry. Other dishes lacked flavor and were just underwhelming. Best thing I had was the stuffed zucchini and even that was only alright. If this restaurant wants to stay in business through the next winter, and are going to keep charging as much as they currently are for food, they need to spend less time on plating the food and more time on making it taste better. Recommendation: If you absolutely must stop here, just stay for one of their $15 cocktails. I'm not going to suggest an alternative Mediterranean restaurant but almost any other place would be of better value.

Location isn't enough to remedy the problems at Layli. The kitchen and service are understaffed so wait times are long. The bread was cold and inedible. The food and cocktails are just average, but pricey. Pass on Layli.

This place is quickly becoming our favorite place in Clarendon. Great environment, really nice servers and owners/family, very good food.

Went here for brunch with my cousin for the first time and really enjoyed my time. The service, the food and the drinks were great. The vibe made me feel like I was on vacation! Our glasses stayed full and plates came out fast. Our server was Hafsa and she made our experience a solid 10/10. Definitely coming back.

Closing at midnight yet they wouldn't serve us at 11:30pm? Lazy staff. Terrible customer service.

Really nice atmosphere and would come back for drinks but the food was very hit or miss. Some dishes were pretty bland. The chicken sliders were tasty

Amazing experience here - very authentic Lebanese spot with a fun, loungey vibe. Food was excellent, service was very responsive and timely. I could see a few kinks they're still working out, but overall very impressed. We will definitely be back! I think some of the negative reviews are outdated - definitely give this place a shot!

I was unfortunate enough to dine in last week. I won't be returning. The management seemed very rude and dismissive. They just weren't prepared to serve a decent rush.

Went here a couple weeks back. Our server, Jacob, was excellent. He was attentive and friendly and got us our drinks and starters quickly. Outside of that the rest of the experience was alright. The ambiance was nice but the food was so underwhelming. For food that is supposed to be shared the serving sizes are too small.

5/5 for service and ambiance! a great addition to the restaurants and bars in the area! will for sure return !