Zaitoon Restaurant, Anna Nagar — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

After watching a movie at Skywalk, we decided to try food from a nearby place. During our search, Zaitoon was one of the options, and we ultimately chose it due to its good reputation.

Our first disappointment began immediately when we went to wash our hands in the restroom area. It was one of the worst places I have seen recently. The sinks had turned yellow, and I couldn't press the soap dispenser due to the dirt on and around it. This was a huge letdown. Despite Zaitoon's strong reputation throughout Chennai, the area from the entrance to the washing area was a disaster.

We ordered pepper BBQ and alfam BBQ. Both tasted good, with the alfam being superior in taste. We liked it so much that we ordered another alfam.

We also ordered eight kuboos, but they were all hard and difficult to chew. They should have been soft. Since we were hungry, we started with four kuboos and asked the server to replace them with soft ones. However, he brought back the same hard kuboos. We decided not to complain further as it seemed pointless.

We then ordered Romali rotti, which was a decent experience and a relief compared to the kuboos.

The chicken lollipop was delicious, and we finished it within 10 minutes. It was so tasty that we quickly devoured it.

We had mango banana shakes and lime juice, both of which tasted good.

Although the service was slow, I still gave a ₹100 tip because the staff apologized for the delay due to Swiggy orders. This was acceptable, but the condition of the wash area was not.

On our way out, I informed the main reception staff about the wash area. He mentioned that they were aware and waiting for renovations. They should either renovate the area or at least clean it properly in the meantime. Such a big excuse for needing renewal is unacceptable. When charging premium prices, they should provide premium facilities. I hope the owner reads this review and takes action to correct the situation with the...

Food: Hot and sour chicken soup - Perfect spicy soup for any sore throat but the only problem is the rubbery shredded chicken; pretty soupy but not enjoyable 😑

Tawa dajaj roasted - One of their best-grilled chicken with toasted onion, Capsicum, and tomato; though it was with bones, the meat falls off gently, marinated, and flavored to perfection with the right spiciness, umami, and Tanginess 🤩

Kozi laham mutton - Boneless lamb in Arabian rice with native spices; a bed of fragrant saffron rice mixed with aromatic spices and topped with meat which was almost cooked to perfection except in one spot 🫣

Afghani dajaj - A well-grilled meat with a hint of the umami flavor all over; topped with masala, this was indeed GOOD!! 😊

Effa dajaj - WOW!! Juicy BL chicken marinated and tawa grilled to perfection; was bursting with great flavors and with the fries, and dips this was MUUUUAAHHH!! 🥰

Mutton tawa roll - Fluffy roti stuffed with meatful mutton; saucy with pickled veggies, a bit chewy but on the whole was OKAY!! 😐

Laham meshwi - Yet another BL mutton which was super tender and smooth; great spices but was too strong on fragrance, felt it overpowered along every bite!! 🤔

Quesso stuffed dejaj - This was a chef special and the specialty of this dish was the texture on both sides with a burst of juicy flavors along a bite. Served with dry pita bread (disappointed), hummus, and fries on a side, the meat was roasted well on the outside while having the signature juicy keema stuffing on the inside, soft and enjoyable (only the meat)!! 😍

Ambiance/Price: One of the best places for Arabian food in Chennai. They are pioneers in grills, tawas, and kebabs which allures people of all kinds. They have a valet parking facility with sufficient seating space; waiting time gets high during peak hours. Their well-lit space is such a treat to the eyes and it gets comfy over time. Service was decent with their prices...

I went to Zaitoon Anna Nagar recently. As they say you should reach the restaurant before 12PM or before 12:30 at least for lunch or you will see yourself waiting in queue. First time in my life i tried Arabian dishes.. I started with chicken spicy soup which was nice... It had more chicken pieces unlike what i used to see in other restaurants... The clope Meshwy with kuboos and nice garlic flavored mayonnaise is a creamy and crunchy treat. Squid roast was crunchy and tasty but it had some raw fish smell... Not a big deal though. Arabian Kozi Rice was good. Flavor is also good. But taste is not upto the mark as its a very plain main dish. The gravy they provide with the rice is the same my mother used to make with chapathi in my home and the quantity is also very less.... But you can ask for extra gravy... Even that's not enough to finish the rice.. So better i would say is you must be needing a gravy dish to finish this Kozi rice.. I also had Effa Dejaj (missed to take snap) - flat chicken with spicy coating (4 pieces). It was super tasty and the spice is also very good.. i would recommend Clope Meshwy and Effa Dejaj to new people who wanted to give a try here...

The ending Dessert Tender Coconut falooda is also very nice... I wanted to make one thing clear. Wherever you have ice-cream the coconut flavor actually tastes like dried one. Yeah coconut should be served as a fresh one. So i had the similar taste in the ice cream they used in falooda... But the coconut pieces and other sweeteners are really nice...

My family was really happy with the quality and taste of food. Overall it costed ₹2560 for 4 persons. We as a family won't eat a lot. So it may differ from people.

I would like to visit again to try the mutton dishes, sea food platters and barbecue dishes.

Overall...