Zaytinya
Mediterranean restaurant · Culver City
8801 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Highlights
Eastern Mediterranean flavors with mezze, kebabs, and wood-fired pita
Eastern Mediterranean flavors with mezze, kebabs, and wood-fired pita
"Chef José Andrés, who first made his mark on Los Angeles at the Bazaar and continues to operate upscale Spanish restaurant San Laurel in Downtown’s Conrad (with eventual plans to open Bazaar Meat in the same hotel) has taken over the former Etta/Prima Donna in Culver City with his versatile, reasonably-priced Turkish and Greek-inflected restaurant Zaytinya. Originally from Washington D.C., the breezy, bright restaurant has since expanded to New York City and Miami with success, leading to a terrific cookbook published last year. Angelenos know their way around these flavors, given the Armenian, Persian, Lebanese, and Syrian establishments already here, Zaytinya should slot in nicely with wood-grilled dry-aged branzino sourced from Sherman Oaks’ the Joint Seafood, and a parade of mezze that are lovely when scooped up with the thin, fresh-baked pita bread. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Rebecca Roland
"Jose Andres’s renowned D.C. restaurant Zaytinya has landed in Culver City on the ground floor of the boutique Shay Hotel, bringing with it an Eastern Mediterranean menu that draws on Lebanese, Greek, and Turkish flavors. An entire section dedicated to spreads kicks off the restaurant’s offerings, including hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, and labneh. The vegetable-heavy mezze section relies on California produce in dishes like the crispy Brussels and bantijian bil laban with crispy eggplant, roasted garlic yogurt, cardamom apricots, spiced walnuts, and mint. Signature flatbreads come topped with soujouk or halloumi, which pair well with bone marrow kibbeh and grilled lamb chops. If dining with a group, try one of the larger family-style mains like the lamb shoulder or kebab platter. For pre- or post-dinner drinks, head up to the rooftop of the hotel for Butterfly." - Rebecca Roland
"José Andrés’ West Coast outpost of Zaytinya in Culver City offers happy hour, or mezze ora, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the bar area. Start with a $12 Ankara Club with whiskey and cumin, before ordering $9 bites like halloumi pide, za’atar pide with egg and cheese, and soujouk pide. Since it’s in a hotel, valet is available on-site to make grabbing an after-work drink even easier." - Rebecca Roland
"Chef José Andrés, who first made his mark on Los Angeles at the Bazaar and continues to operate upscale Spanish restaurant San Laurel in Downtown’s Conrad (with eventual plans to open Bazaar Meat in the same hotel) has taken over the former Etta/Prima Donna in Culver City with his versatile, reasonably-priced Turkish and Greek-inflected restaurant Zaytinya. Originally from Washington D.C., the breezy, bright restaurant has since expanded to New York City and Miami to success, leading to a terrific cookbook published last year. Angelenos know their way around these flavors given the Armenian, Persian, Lebanese, and Syrian establishments already here, Zaytinya should slot in nicely with wood-grilled dry-aged branzino sourced from Sherman Oaks’ the Joint Seafood, and a parade of mezze that are lovely when scooped up with the thin, fresh-baked pita bread. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang, Mona Holmes
"Zaytinya is a perfectly serviceable hotel restaurant on the first floor of The Shay in Culver City. This DC import from chef José Andrés looks like an upscale villa and is a convenient spot to pick at mezze after a late check-out, while admiring expensive-looking light fixtures, leafy plants, and a glossy bar with backlit shelves that are stocked with bottles of anise-y, Greek booze. The best part about dining here is the endless supply of puffed-up pita bread, which servers deliver baskets of as they roam around the dining room. The menu lists lots of bold ingredients like spicy soujouk, marash pepper, and bone marrow-filled kibbeh, but most dishes land on the milder side, and will mostly leave you double-dipping into the spreads and sauces for flavor support. That said, if you’re staying overnight at The Shay, need a fancy spot to take a client, or want to sip a citrusy cocktail as you rip and dip into hummus, Zaytinya works. Just know that you’ll be here for a while—things move at the pace of a vacation with your aunt who wants to take a picture with everything in sight. Food Rundown photo credit: Emily Schindler Hommos Ma Lahm The hummus itself is a tad bland, but the spiced ground lamb and pickled vegetables save it from falling flat. photo credit: Katrina Frederick Soujouk Pide This pide would work well for breakfast (there’s a lot of egg). But most of the flavor comes from the soujouk slices, and the flatbread doesn’t add much beyond structural support. photo credit: Maya Muldrew Fattoush A great addition to the table. This fresh, lemony salad reminds us of summer, with a ton of crunch from cucumbers raw green peppers, and pita chips. photo credit: Emily Schindler Garides Me Anitho A must order. The plump, nicely cooked shrimp come drenched lemony dill sauce that’s worth mopping up with extra pita. photo credit: Maya Muldrew Kebab Platter This $60 dish is a convenient way to sample four different kebabs—lamb, kofte, chicken and adana— but the condiments and pickled veggies are the best parts of the dish. The meat is inconsistent, with some bites that are tender and others a bit tough. Slather on a bunch of garlicky toum or scoop on tabbouleh to smooth things out. video credit: Maya Muldrew Galatopita This dessert is more chaotic than traditional galatopita, but it’s a fun, slightly theatrical finish. A scoop of apple sorbet sits atop of a crunchy sheet of almond-studded phyllo that you crack with a spoon, revealing a delicious caramelized apple custard that’s oddly reminiscent of baby food (in a way we don’t mind)." - Cathy Park
