Zaytinya

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Idea Behind the Table

Under the direction of James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, Zaytinya is built around a single, generous premise: that the small-plates tradition of the Eastern Mediterranean — mezze — is, at its core, about sharing. A drink, a little conversation, a few plates passed between friends. The New York City location, at 1185 Broadway in Midtown, brings that philosophy to one of the world's most competitive dining cities, offering a menu that draws equally from Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese cuisines without flattening any of them into a generic "Mediterranean" blur.

As Andrés himself puts it: "Your tastebuds are excited because they are asking themselves, what is happening here?"

What Arrives at the Table

The menu moves through spreads, salads, flatbreads, and mezze before reaching larger shared plates. Classics anchor the beginning — hommus with harissa chili crisp, baba ghannouge with fire-roasted eggplant, labneh with za'atar, tzatziki with cucumber and dill. These are made from authentic ingredients and traditional techniques, then pushed just far enough to feel original.

From the seafood section, the Octopus Santorini — grilled Mediterranean octopus with marinated onions, capers, and yellow split pea purée — has become a signature across the Zaytinya restaurants. Meat mezze include the Lamb Baharat, a spiced rubbed lamb kebab served with tabbouleh and tahini sauce, and the Adana Kebab with ground lamb, sumac onions, and pickled chiles. For the table to share, a whole lamb shoulder smoked over cherry wood arrives with toum, harissa, and tzatziki — a centerpiece in the fullest sense.

The cocktail list carries the same geographic imagination: the "3 PM in Istanbul" pairs lemon lavender mint tea-infused vodka with aperol, vanilla, lime, and grapefruit. The wine program earned Zaytinya a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023, reflecting a list built around regional and modern favorites that complement the flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Broader Picture

Zaytinya has expanded to multiple cities, and a cookbook — Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon — is now available, a sign of how seriously the kitchen takes the culinary traditions it works within. The New York location also offers a Chef's Tasting Menu and private event spaces, making it as suited to a celebratory dinner as to a casual weeknight gathering over mezze and wine.