Zaya Mediterranean Cuisine

by Robert F.

Excellent Mediterranean cuisine, with a hip, upscale atmosphere. I enjoyed Zaya. It has the feel of a lounge just without the couches. With dark decor, a bar and plenty of tables the space, although loud, is high energy. The food is solid, far better than average, and many plates are meant to be shared which is always great for groups. They ran out of one of their wine choices which I thought was odd, since their wine selection was not stellar. The four of us polished off two bottles. I can't remember the names. One was good, the other was so-so. Service could have been a little more attentive, but all in all Zaya gives you the look and feel of a special night out that is sophisticated and stylish.

by Marisa F.

Huge hit! Get the chicken beef combo shawarma  with the yogurt salad and scallop potato sides. Delicious slow cooked meat rubbed with spices that go great with the light zesty cucumber yogurt salad. We also got the scallops with sweet vermouth rub, the baba gnoush, and vegatable falafel. Everything was light and delicious! The restaurant is very nice, but casual. My mom said it reminded her of New York.

by Sarah T.

With the location to my work, you would think I'd be there everyday. However, since they got rid of the $1 Kettle Ones, I can't afford a daily stop. Things you should know.... 1) Since the Kettle One special halted, they have continued to have some sort of drink special. The current wine special: A list of over a dozen different wines for $10 by the bottle or $3 by the glass. I'm a wine lover, so I'm loving the new special. 2) The entrees are just okay. I suggest going during the 1/2 appetizer times during the week: Monday-Thursday 5-7pm, 1/2 ALL appetizers. My husband and I shared 4, plus I had a glass of wine, and our tab was like $22. My favorite two: the meat grape leaves, and the cheese egg roll contraption. 3) They offer valet parking, but during the week there's plenty of street parking. If you don't have the cash on you, grab a street spot. 4) The service I've had there has been pretty spotty. Sometimes excellent, other times just horrible. I've been there over a dozen times now, so it's been so mixed; that I can't pin point an exact overall rating. If you go and have bad service, ask to speak to the Manager/Owner. He's a very nice reasonable man, and I'm sure he'll do or say something that will make you want to come back again...5) On weekends they offer hookahs with different flavored tobacco. I've never done it, but maybe it's your thing. 6) Sleek trendy; to me makes it an every once in a while stop, because of the atmosphere and the food. Both good, but not something I'm craving on a weekly basis. You should try it out though - I totally recommend it. Hope my tips help makes your experience a good one!

by Bee N.

My favorite thing about Zaya was their $1 Ketel One drink special that was offered all summer.  After spending many nights drinking ample Ketel One gimlets and eating 1/2 price off appetizers between 5-7 p.m. Mon-Thurs, I stopped going to Zaya after they discontinued their insanely fabulous drink special.However, to Zaya's credit, I liked the majority of the wait staff, including the super nice bartender, who had to endure impatient, non-tipping $1 Ketel One drinkers (p.s. if you pay $1 for your Ketel, one a 20% tip will not suffice, give the man the money he deserves!).  The food is good, but not my favorite...good mussels, calamari, and hummus...I would definitely come for the 1/2 off apps during the week.  The lamb kabobs are excellent, but not 1/2 off.Zaya also has a cute little patio that is fun for watching the hubbub in Inman Park.  Lots of cute dogs and runners to keep you entertained.  And they have ongoing drink specials--not as good as $1 Ketel one, but who doesn't like a $3 glass of red wine during the Fall?  I would definitely give Zaya a chance...

by Melissa G.

Although I'd like to steer clear of the personal attacks going back and forth between Kit F and Nancy, I will substantiate Kit's experience with the food at Zaya.  In Zaya's defense, I overheard that they've only been open for a few weeks and are still working out the kinks... I suppose it has the "potential" to be a great restaurant, but I don't do potential - anymore.We had a reservation, I think our group of 10 really threw the service off.  The first words out of the hostess' mouth was "I hope we have enough menus." Fortunately, we did really well in "sharing" during elementary school and managed.   The staff seemed discombobulated during the entire service. The apps were ok - the spanokopita was mostly pastry with very little spinach.  We ordered hummus as an app and low and behold we got hummus as a side item with our meals - there is only so much hummus one person can eat. Not to mention the other side was rice with whole wheat vermicelli - kind of bland.  I ordered the lamb chops - a little tough. My fiance ordered the rack of lamb.  The rack of lamb was WAY better than the lamb chops. If we ever go back, I'll definitely order the rack. Oh well...in the end, it's all Greek to me.

by Lucy W.Julien S.Heather N.Talib K.katie c.

Good greek salad in a cool asymmetrical white bowl...I crave greek salad from time to time and this one appeases the cravings.  Expensive though for such a small salad.  I'm a little addicted to the warm pita that's brought in a basket to the table, along with some kind of spicy spread.  I also tried a dish called "Airline chicken"- chicken stuffed w/ pancetta and apples, with sides of asparagus and quinoa in a creamy sauce...chicken was perfect but the sauce was a little too salty.  The $4 glass of bubbly cava was a nice compliment to the salty food.  Restaurant has that sleek modern dark wood type of decor that's nice but still laidback and somewhat casual.  Service is just ok...hit or miss sometimes.Excellent food! Excellent Service! Excellent Atmosphere!Took my significant something here for his birthday brunch. I love this place! Can't think of why I haven't been except it's not in my neighborhood. Food:So tasty! They don't serve wraps on Sunday (why not??) so I ordered the Falafel appetizer as my entree. The SS got the chicken swarma with two sides- hummus and fries. My Falafels were so good. All this time I thought i was eating tasty Falafels  - now I know the truth! What I had before was just a shadow of what a truly tasty Falafel should be! They were nice and crunchy on the outside. The inside was fluffy with just a hint of pepper. Yum! They served pita bread with some type of red sauce. It was pretty good. I tried my SS' chicken Shawarma. It was tasty as far as the seasonings go - was a little bit dry though. I tried the hummus and it was so good. Not thick like the superstore kind - but not runny like most authentic hummus. Perfect!Booze:I was driving so no booze for me. This place had some kick-ass  specials though! $15 for pitchers of Van Gogh vodka cocktails - yes pitchers! $3 Van Gogh martinis and wine specials. Will definitely be back when I am not driving to do some cocktailin! Atmosphere:Perfect! We had a table to the side of the patio all by ourselves. The music was barely discernible. I have been to way too many places recently where one has to talk over the music. It was nice to be able to hear one another. Tables were clutter free. Inside is really swanky. Bathrooms were nice. Only fault - for the prices you're charging for your food - what is up with that awful pink soap that can be found at your nearest gas station bath room? Please upgrade! Servers:Walked in hostess immediately sat us wherever we wanted. Server was awesome. Came by got our orders - didn't bug us 'cept to come by and fill up my water. Then magically appeared right when I put the last bite in my mouth to clear away the plates. My date and I joked that she must be watchin us on camera - she was that good! I wanted to take the hummus and one falafel left home. Super bonus points she took the food away and boxed it for me. I love that! Love it love it! Great place I will definitely be back!I've been here for lunch a few times, and although the food is mostly good, I always seem to have some problem with the dishes, and I am not a picky eater.I do love the strange dip that comes with the pita, nutty and spicy. I got the kabob combo with lamb and kibbeh.-The baba is good, but I prefer it with more roasty eggplant flavor and less tahini...--The kibbeh was dry on the outside and borderline raw inside, so I had to send it back for more cooking. I like things med rare, but when ground meat looks like flesh, I'm not taking chances. (Live through serious food poisoning, and you won't be so adventurous, believe me.)-The fries looked lovely, skins and all, but they were the same temperature as my napkin.Too bad Persepolis is so far away...I've been told that I have a "bar-girlfriend" here...never heard that phrase before. But once it was explained, it fit perfectly. I usually come here on Fridays when I'm getting back in town. I'm a sucka for the Sweetwater on tap. And every now and then I sample their solid wine selection. Well, lately there has been a woman sitting at the bar every time I go.  I drink, she eats, we laugh, we talk business, we talk pleasure; the convos are always friendly and light-hearted. Well last time I went here, I was informed that I had a "bar-girlfriend."  While confused for a moment, I quickly realized the bartender was right. Unwittingly, I was spoken for every time I sat at the bar. Lol.....I found this amusing. So, if you see me at the bar alone, just assume my "bar-girl" is in the restroom.I come here often to have drinks and appitizers with friends. never had any of the main dishes but i would recommend any of the starters. They have an excellent wine list. No more drink specials tho which is a bummer. Luke the bartender is excellent. It's a great place and i wish more people knew about it cause when I come in most of the time it's not busy.

by Kristine M.

Meh.  The interior is chic, but nothing too unexpected.  They put three people at a two-top table outside, with the third chair blocking the walkway, so our third person was constantly in the way.  There were four-tops open, which made it especially odd.  The hostesses are clearly chosen for their looks, not their common sense.  Otherwise, the service was ok.  Beata was pretty good, everyone else could use a bit more experience/training.My shoarma was just a pile of meat, not a sandwich like it's supposed to be.  And it was lukewarm.  The rice pilaf was good, but it's impossible to mess that up.

by Julien S.

Excellent food! Excellent Service! Excellent Atmosphere!Took my significant something here for his birthday brunch. I love this place! Can't think of why I haven't been except it's not in my neighborhood. Food:So tasty! They don't serve wraps on Sunday (why not??) so I ordered the Falafel appetizer as my entree. The SS got the chicken swarma with two sides- hummus and fries. My Falafels were so good. All this time I thought i was eating tasty Falafels  - now I know the truth! What I had before was just a shadow of what a truly tasty Falafel should be! They were nice and crunchy on the outside. The inside was fluffy with just a hint of pepper. Yum! They served pita bread with some type of red sauce. It was pretty good. I tried my SS' chicken Shawarma. It was tasty as far as the seasonings go - was a little bit dry though. I tried the hummus and it was so good. Not thick like the superstore kind - but not runny like most authentic hummus. Perfect!Booze:I was driving so no booze for me. This place had some kick-ass  specials though! $15 for pitchers of Van Gogh vodka cocktails - yes pitchers! $3 Van Gogh martinis and wine specials. Will definitely be back when I am not driving to do some cocktailin! Atmosphere:Perfect! We had a table to the side of the patio all by ourselves. The music was barely discernible. I have been to way too many places recently where one has to talk over the music. It was nice to be able to hear one another. Tables were clutter free. Inside is really swanky. Bathrooms were nice. Only fault - for the prices you're charging for your food - what is up with that awful pink soap that can be found at your nearest gas station bath room? Please upgrade! Servers:Walked in hostess immediately sat us wherever we wanted. Server was awesome. Came by got our orders - didn't bug us 'cept to come by and fill up my water. Then magically appeared right when I put the last bite in my mouth to clear away the plates. My date and I joked that she must be watchin us on camera - she was that good! I wanted to take the hummus and one falafel left home. Super bonus points she took the food away and boxed it for me. I love that! Love it love it! Great place I will definitely be back!

by Laura F.

Ok, I did not go to enjoy the $1 cocktails, since I was with my parents... so this is a review of the regular dining experience. I do admit the $1 offer is enticing though and will probably draw me back to Zaya. This place has a great atmosphere. I was there on a Tuesday evening, which you'd expect to be slow at an upscale place. It was crowded and hopping! It was a little loud, which made conversation difficult, but overall I was really pleasantly surprised by the energy. The food was hit or miss. The hits were big - enjoyed the grape leaves and LOVED the Beef Shawarma (or something like that) I ordered. I'd go back just for that. Also the pita-spread they give you instead of bread and butter was super yummy. Where they missed was on the side dishes. I got tabbouleh, which I have loved other places but hated here. It kind of tasted like a big lump of seasoning with little body. The baba ganoush was another miss. Just not great. My hummus was decent but not mind-blowing. The desserts were very good as well. The service was not great - they were pretty slow, especially with wine refills. Overall this was a really pleasant evening. For a full meal for 5 people, including 4 glasses of wine and desserts all around, our bill was just under $200.

by Sara C.

Eric is my practice partner, for many different things.  Yesterday we practiced drinking Zaya's $3 vodka mixed drinks.  I was very happy about that and the conversation gets so much more interesting with alcohol on the cheap.  Outside of the daily drink deals and half-off appetizers from 5-7 Monday-Thursday, the food was pretty good.  Eric has eaten similar food in Israel and it met his standard.  We both got variations of schwarma, which was pretty tasty and came in fairly large portions.  For sides, the french fries were small and dried up, but the yogurt dip and baba ghanuj were well done.  Plus, the free pita and dip appetizer was awesome.