A Mediterranean Feast Worth Sharing at Zaytinya

World-renowned chef José Andrés opened a new Mediterranean restaurant named Zaytinya on Dec. 1, 2025. Zaytinya is renowned for its Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese mezze, which are small plates from Balkan, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisines. The restaurant is located at 180 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, and also has locations in Washington, D.C, Las Vegas, New York City, and Miami. Entering Zaytinya in the Stanford mall, you’re immediately greeted by an ecstatic bar with a blue and white circle pattern that shines throughout the restaurant. The interior gives off coastal vibes with a chic ambience. All of the features combined immediately present the idea of how this isn’t any ordinary restaurant, this is a top-of-the-line service that is presenting Mediterranean cuisine at its best.

Zaytinya isn’t a small name either. Andrés started the franchise in 2002 and brought along Mediterranean culture throughout the US, and even received the prestigious Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand designation in 2016. Expectations were set high from the very start.

After a quick wait, a server warmly brought us to our table. The restaurant, while not at its busiest hour, was still decently crowded, which created a cozy atmosphere within. The consistent pattern of blue and white throughout the restaurant, along with the coastal furniture, made it feel more like you were on a Greek island rather than a restaurant within a shopping mall. Once seated, we were immediately presented with menus with a wide variety of foods. 

Here’s what we ordered, and these are our thoughts:

Shortly after being seated, we received complimentary pita bread with olive oil. We received Tzatziki sauce to go along with the complimentary pita bread, and it instantly became one of the best starters we have ever tasted. Not only was the pita’s puffy appearance amusing and unique, but the inflated and hollow insides that could easily be squished were extremely satisfying: doughy, soft and warm. When dipping the bread into the Tzatziki sauce, it delivered a creamy taste, a perfect combination. Once we had finished the basket of three pieces, we immediately wanted more. 

We ordered Garides Me Antho ($20), which is delicately served shrimp with lemon juice. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, but the lemon juice had a tart, unsweet taste.

We also ordered the Halloumi Pide ($16), a Greek-style cheese pizza served with a light Turkish Tomato sauce, delicious mozzarella, halloumi cheese, basil, and chives. 

Our first main course was the sesame salmon ($45), which was served in a large bowl filled with greens, caramelized onions, oyster mushrooms, and, in the center, the salmon covered fully in sesame seeds.  The portions were surprisingly large, as it was more than enough for one person, and were appealing with a chewy and tart lemon seasoning. The greens combined with the mushrooms share similar traits to the best of salads. The salmon itself was perfectly cooked, and the sesame seeds that came with it created a wonderful combination. If you are looking for a full-on meal, on the cheaper side of the menu, that still fulfills the five-star restaurant’s reputation, the sesame salmon is the way to go.

The second main course we received was the lamb chop ($65), which was by far the best food we received and some of the best food we’ve ever eaten. Three lamb chops are covered in a light-flavored sauce and sit perfectly on top of the kefalograviera purée, which is a Greek cheese from Epirus and Macedonia. The lamb was cooked perfectly at a medium temperature, with the juices providing an extremely flavorful taste that combined a juicy meat flavor with a clean, welcoming lamb tang. One bite was enough to realize just how good these lamb chops are and how Zaytinya puts their best efforts into their food. While the price of the lamb chops may make you hesitant, the flavor of the lamb chops makes it worth every penny.

Finally, for dessert, we received a mix of three sorbet flavors ($9 each), one of which was a clear winner. The sweetness combined with the pear taste made the pear olive oil sorbet the best of the three. 

From there, we faced disappointment with the strange taste of raspberry mastic and honeycrisp apple. If we could have ordered three scoops of just pear olive oil, we would have. The perfect amount of sweetness by itself, not followed by a strange taste, was simplistic yet perfect.

Overall, we recommend Zaytinya the next time you’re in Palo Alto, as it brings great service, vibes, and a great window into Turkish, Lebanese, and Greek cuisines.