Zaytinya, a renowned restaurant in New York City, South Beach, and Washington D.C., is preparing to open a new location in Culver City at 8801 Washington Blvd.
The restaurant’s fourth location is set to move into the ground floor of Shay Hotel in Culver City by the end of 2024, according to Eater Los Angeles. This is the latest from José Andrés Group (JAG), the highly successful restaurant group that is behind several well-known establishments, such as San Laurel and Agua Viva. Zaytinya will move into the space previously the home of chef Michael Santoro’s Prima Donna and What If Syndicate’s Italian restaurant Etta before that.
Now, chef Andrés plans to use the 10,000-square-foot space to bring more Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese cooking to the area. When the new restaurant opens later this year, the space will feature 152 indoors and another 83 on the patio. Zaytinya will feature the same design and menu as its other three locations, featuring inspirations from the East Mediterranean with flashes of bronze metals, white oak, and blue accents.
Unlike the other three locations, the Culver City Zaytinya will feature new menu items, such as a shareable kebab platter and a wood-fired oven left over from Etta’s tenure. This is all a part of JAG’s takeover of the 148-room hotel’s food and beverage program, including in-room dining, poolside bites, a lobby lounge, and more. The group also plans to open a yet-to-be-named rooftop spot sometime next year.
“Under the direction of James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, Zaytinya’s menu reflects the rich regional diversity of classical Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines,” according to the restaurant’s website. “Starting with authentic ingredients and traditional techniques, Zaytinya’s talented chefs create original and unexpected dishes that bring these regional cuisines to a level never before experienced. Often thought of as party food, the small plates style of dining encourages socializing – a drink, a little conversation, and a few mezze shared by friends and family.”
