Zenola Mediterranean Restaurant Vienna

I’ve had this restaurant on my list for quite a while and finally visited. Upon entering the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by the hostess. After placing the order, the waiter/waitress was very engaging, friendly and added to the pleasant experience. We ordered the hummus, red pepper spread and lamb shank 🍖 . The hummus was very smooth, creamy and zesty 🤤. It’s hands down the best I’ve ever had in the continental US🇺🇸. Naturally it was paired with piping hot Pita bread. The lamb shank feeds two and was very tasteful, moist and really tender. Zenola is a delightful hidden gem 💎. I’ll definitely be returning to this establishment and referring many others to such a fine restaurant. To the staff, the mom who puts the TLC into the hummus and other behind the scenes, thanks for a wonderful experience!! 🏆🙏🏾

This was the best food I’ve had in a long time. Everything we ate was phenomenal from the mixed grill platter to the veggie lasagna. We also ordered every dessert on the menu. As with the rest of the meal, they were amazing. The cheesecake was amazing. The chef came out to check on us a few times and was so sweet and friendly. I cannot recommend this place enough! We will certainly be back.

We went looking for a Mediterranean restaurant and this this not disappoint! This Lebanese eatery is a gem. From it's fresh, modern, open floor plan to the house made hummus and the delicious warm bread. Definitely worth trying and coming back to again and again. We started with the Hummus and an order of the Batata Harra. The hummus was fresh and lively while the potatoes were crispy and flavorful. We ordered the Mixed Grill and Shepard's Pie and everything was well cooked and season but the stars are the whipped garlic and the pie...it was delicious! We finished off with dessert if the Pistachio Cheesecake and the Ismailiyah. Wonderful way to end the evening. While we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves we did think it took quite a while for the food to come out but the servers were great at refilling the bread and drinks and checking on us.

Great service, Nice ambiance, but definitely not the authentic lebanese food we expected. For a 4.6 rating we were expecting what other restaurants in our area give for that price point in terms of flavor and great food. The tebuleh was a delicious salad but tasted nothing like what tebuleh tastes like to anyone that is Middle Eastern and grew up eating this food. The hummus was also good but again didn't taste like what authentic lebanese hummus tastes like. The bread was freshly made and that was great. The worst thing by far was the beef shawerma. It tasted like roast beef and then added a ready made shawerma flavor packet from a Middle Eastern market. And their kofta tasted so much like their shawerma with slightly less flavor. Their cauliflower appetizer lacked any flavor at all. Their falafel was good and their kibbeh was decent. Most of the patrons were an older non Middle Eastern group (which might explain the high rating.) The food really lacked the proper amount of lemon, salt, garlic. Overall, I don't suggest this place for anyone that wants authentic lebanese food. We would say it was mediocre at best.

Mediterranean food with a bit of exquisite creativity for your palate. Everything was superb from the Hot and Cold Mezze to our Entrée. We enjoyed the Kibbe Nayyeh, Fattouch (salad) that has just the right amount of dressing. Shankleesh and tomato, always a fan favorite and a great burst of flavor. Roasted cauliflower with tahini spread makes a wonderful combination. Our entrée, Lamb Shank was seasoned to perfection and amazing. Could've gone for seconds 😉 on the Ashta dessert with the fresh fruit. The staff was friendly and welcoming and loved the atmosphere.

 On my first visit to Zenola for dinner in the early evening of Friday, August 27, dining at the bar, I found the interior of the restaurant minimalist and cold. The cold ambience was saved somewhat by interesting flatware, serving dishes and artful food plating in my opinion. Also, the restaurant is meticulously clean. The bartender made me a respectable Negroni stirred on the rocks and strained into a rocks glass. I toured the menu leaning towards Scallops when I heard a customer a couple seats away from me at the bar order them and the bartender reported Scallops were not available. I ordered Pan-Seared Black Sea Bass instead with Heirloom Tomatoes, Artichoke and Batata Harra. Not wanting a full order of Falafel but interested to taste their’s the bartender was kind to get me a single falafel that came with a pickle, heirloom tomato and pickled onion. The Sea Bass was over cooked and none of the food, other than dessert, had elevated flavors I was expecting. I did not see an olive or taste anything inspired by olives as indicated in the Zenola website “Our Story.” Date and Pistachio Crusted Cheesecake was the only menu item showing inspiration. Fresh date flavor in the thin crumble crust and balanced amount of pistachio bits on top. Julius Meinl Espresso and shot of Kahlua with the cheesecake was terrific.

Very unique modern spin on Middle Eastern and Lebanese food. The bread was served warm and fresh. Everything was beautiful looking and tasty including the falafel, spinish pies, shawarma, koosa, and batata. So glad we had room for dessert. The Easmelia was a fab spin on kanafa...with the fillo crunch and creamy middle and my husband loved the pistachio cheesecake. Very nice service and enough outdoor seating to feel super safe and socially distant.

Zenola is a fine addition to Vienna's food scene, offering tasty Mediterranean cuisine in a beautifully decorated setting. The dining room is classy and the seating was very comfortable. The service was friendly and efficient during our recent visit. We ordered tabouleh and various appetizers. Every bite was delicious. You could tell great care went into presenting each and every plate. Our appetizers were served with hot bread which tasted freshly baked. I'm glad we saved room for dessert. The homemade cheesecake and asmalieh were amazing.