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In a city revered for its high-end dining and enticing global cooking, this relative newcomer is a beacon of Levantine cooking. Guests here are accommodated in a vast, light-flooded space made ultra-comfy with plush carpets, velvet-upholstered chairs and stunning light fixtures. An inviting bar merely enhances the mood. These dishes are refined versions of traditional delicacies and products are immaculate, as evidenced by the mezze, complete with pickled red cabbage, tahini and refreshingly tart yogurt. The piping-hot truffle manakish is a fragrant staple thanks to za’atar, feta and garlic; while sucuk with onion-thyme jam or cold-smoked mackerel with sumac-spiced cream deserve their own fan following. As seen in the Michelin Guide.
Middle Eastern specialties, wines & cocktails served in a stylish restaurant with a terrace.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1320 19th St NW, Washington, DC 20036
Website: http://www.ala-dc.com/
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ala | DC
The name ala comes from Turkish expression meaning “a mix of all the colors.” Ala welcomes everyone to their tables! – Washington Post. Bethesda’s Dining Boom …
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Big news from the Washington Business Journal (@wbjnewsroom) — Fresh off the presses … If you’re looking for a DC spot that feels like a Mediterranean …
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About ala | DC … Welcome to a gastronomic gem that transports you to the sun-kissed shores and rich culinary traditions of the Levantine region. Nestled …
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Reviews
mark cornett
My wife and I went for our anniversary based off a recommendation from friends. The atmosphere was great both outside and in. The staff went above and beyond. If I could offer any advice, listen to their recommendations for food and drink. We had amazing cocktails, small plates, entrees and desserts. The Kunafa was incredible and we went back for seconds on the Halloumi Wraps. The Short Ribs Pide and Adana Kebab were mouth watering. Everything was phenomenal. Alp and Sumac (not her real name but thats what she asked us to call her as her name was harder to pronounce) were incredibly attentive and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely return!
… moreJay Fal
I had a great time at Ala. Harrison, our server, was amazing and made the experience even better
I also had the chance to talk to the chef and was so impressed with his Turkish and international background. You can really feel the creativity in the food ✨
I tried the happy hour hummus, batata harra, and the Adana burger. Everything was delicious. The cocktails were great too
For dessert, I had layaly Lubnan and I loved the twist of using almond milk instead of regular milk. Such a thoughtful and modern touch
Overall, a beautiful experience and I will definitely come back.
… moreI also had the chance to talk to the chef and was so impressed with his Turkish and international background. You can really feel the creativity in the food ✨
I tried the happy hour hummus, batata harra, and the Adana burger. Everything was delicious. The cocktails were great too
For dessert, I had layaly Lubnan and I loved the twist of using almond milk instead of regular milk. Such a thoughtful and modern touch
Overall, a beautiful experience and I will definitely come back.
Nikita B
Great Food & Service, But Disappointing Hosting Experience !
We went to Ala in DC for dinner on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Our server — a young kid — was genuinely great and had excellent customer service. We started with the mixed cold mezze spread (came with 2 pitas and 4 small spreads). They were okay but nothing memorable.
The vegetarian hot mezze, though, were fantastic. We tried almost all of them, and every dish was packed with flavor — we even ordered seconds of a couple because they were that good. Highly recommend the hot mezze. In the large plates, the only vegetarian option was the mushroom dish, which was just a few baked mushrooms over eggplant spread. It was just okay and not something I’d recommend.
Drinks were mixed: cocktails were excellent, but both mocktails we tried were disappointing.
For dessert, we got the Kunafa. It was interesting, but the ice cream on it was the real star — definitely worth trying.
Now the issues: the restaurant was nearly empty, yet the host seemed rude and uninterested. She initially tried to seat our group of 5 at a 4-top, and when I asked for a bigger table (we were celebrating a birthday), she didn’t respond and acted like the request was unreasonable. We eventually got a 4+2 setup with mismatched chairs.
Then, at 9:20 PM, we were told the kitchen was closing at 9:30 and were rushed to order — even though we still had a full round of small plates, mains, and dessert planned. A heads-up would have been appreciated since the restaurant is listed as open until 11 PM, and we came at 8:30 expecting to enjoy a relaxed birthday dinner.
Overall: great food (especially the hot mezze) and good cocktails, but the hosting experience and early kitchen close were disappointing.
… moreWe went to Ala in DC for dinner on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Our server — a young kid — was genuinely great and had excellent customer service. We started with the mixed cold mezze spread (came with 2 pitas and 4 small spreads). They were okay but nothing memorable.
The vegetarian hot mezze, though, were fantastic. We tried almost all of them, and every dish was packed with flavor — we even ordered seconds of a couple because they were that good. Highly recommend the hot mezze. In the large plates, the only vegetarian option was the mushroom dish, which was just a few baked mushrooms over eggplant spread. It was just okay and not something I’d recommend.
Drinks were mixed: cocktails were excellent, but both mocktails we tried were disappointing.
For dessert, we got the Kunafa. It was interesting, but the ice cream on it was the real star — definitely worth trying.
Now the issues: the restaurant was nearly empty, yet the host seemed rude and uninterested. She initially tried to seat our group of 5 at a 4-top, and when I asked for a bigger table (we were celebrating a birthday), she didn’t respond and acted like the request was unreasonable. We eventually got a 4+2 setup with mismatched chairs.
Then, at 9:20 PM, we were told the kitchen was closing at 9:30 and were rushed to order — even though we still had a full round of small plates, mains, and dessert planned. A heads-up would have been appreciated since the restaurant is listed as open until 11 PM, and we came at 8:30 expecting to enjoy a relaxed birthday dinner.
Overall: great food (especially the hot mezze) and good cocktails, but the hosting experience and early kitchen close were disappointing.
Vidit Thakkar
We came here for a dinner and our server was amazing with recommendations. The food was amazing and great as well.
Dinged 1/2 or 1 star because we were rushed to order entrees and desserts as they wanted to close the kitchen despite having more than an hour to their official closing time. The server helped us get as much time as he could but it put a dampener on a wonderful evening.
Also the lady at reception could be nicer than scowling at folks coming into the restaurant.
— I was also in the same party as another reviewer who commented below expressing the same issue—
… moreDinged 1/2 or 1 star because we were rushed to order entrees and desserts as they wanted to close the kitchen despite having more than an hour to their official closing time. The server helped us get as much time as he could but it put a dampener on a wonderful evening.
Also the lady at reception could be nicer than scowling at folks coming into the restaurant.
— I was also in the same party as another reviewer who commented below expressing the same issue—
Yongmei Zhang
We have been wanting to try this new Mediterranean place. We had an early dinner around 5 o’clock on a Sunday night.The food was delicious especially loved the beef kebab. Pita bread is hands down the best in the area. Everything is fresh and tasty. Service was great too. Outdoor seating is lovely.
… moreErica
We came for restaurant week and had a great time. It was four courses and we added the four drinks to go with it. It was especially nice that they did regular menu items + regular sizes so you could get a sense of what it is usually like. The bread and dips were great, we really liked the potatoes and brussel sprouts. We did the lamb kebab and chicken for a main course. By then we were pretty stuffed. Both were delicious and well seasoned. The chicken was a tiny bit dry, but had ample sauce to compensate. We tried both desserts and were super pleased. All of our drinks were pleasant and fun. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant. The staff were kind and attentive. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend it to anyone.
… moreAnna
We had an unforgettable dinner at ala in DuPont. Our server Jamie was a wonderful host and accommodating for our dietary restrictions. The food was some of the best we’ve had in DC. Some favorites were the za’atar labneh, baba ghanoush, duck prosciutto, and chicken thigh kebab. Do not skip on the white chocolate pistachio baklava and house made teas for dessert. Fun vibes to come for a date or group. Come hungry!
… moreLev Freinkman
I liked the place. Food was good, staff – friendly and knowledgeable. Plenty of vegetarian options and a good selection of regional wines. While the restaurant tries to position itself as Eastern Mediterranean, it smells Turkish. And one of the managers indeed was from Turkey. Against this background, it was a really nice to get a very decent bottle of red Armenian wine, Karas 2023. It actually made our day. Plan to visit their other location in Bethesda.
… moreChristia Ds.
This place was good !! Couldn’t have been more content with what I ate. It is pricey, but we did have coupons through InKind app which was nice
The ambiance is beautiful and very cool.
Coffee was good and the little sweet was interesting.
The flat bread incredible, duck prosciutto was something new and good, the salmon and shrimp dish was great! Chicken and veggies were so tasty and tender
Would love to return
… moreThe ambiance is beautiful and very cool.
Coffee was good and the little sweet was interesting.
The flat bread incredible, duck prosciutto was something new and good, the salmon and shrimp dish was great! Chicken and veggies were so tasty and tender
Would love to return
Victor-Luke Agbeibor
Great restaurant in the heart of DuPont circle, DC. The ambience was top tier and the service was excellent (special shoutout to Erick). The food was very flavorful and they had a quite a good variety of eastern Mediterranean dishes (specifically Turkish and Greek). Note, this place is pricey! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend if you are a hearty eater as the portion sizes are quite small. However if you are, the “tasting experience” is probably your best bet ($58 when we visited) which allows you to choose from any 3 of their hot or cold mezzes. I highly recommend the pita and hummus (might have been the best I’ve had). The Ras-El Hanout short ribs also deserves a shoutout. Overall, it’s a great spot for a dinner date as the atmosphere is hard to beat.
… more