ala

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—

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.

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.

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!

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.