Cafe Zevian — Restaurant in Falls Church

My party of three had an early lunch at Cafe Zevian on a Saturday and came away with mixed feelings.

Some of the concerns outlined can be attributed to the teething problems of a new restaurant so I hope management takes this review as constructive feedback.

Positives: -The restaurant is a nice place to spend time, there is lots of natural light and tasteful decor and tableware. -The food is tasty and was nicely plated. It was clear the kitchen put in the effort here. I'd have to sample more of the menu to say if there is anything unique but the food was easily the best part of the experience.

Smaller areas for improvement: -The lunch menu presents all dishes in a single list which makes it difficult to determine what is a full meal vs a smaller plate. Some simple groupings would be really helpful here. -The menu does a poor job of identifying which dishes are vegetarian, vegan, etc. -We arrived at 11:30am and were given a breakfast menu, however they were also serving lunch and we had to ask for that menu. There were no drinks listed on either menu and no drink menu was available. -I found the large TV distracting. It was showing scenes of Turkey and not sports but it still felt out of place.

The dealbreaker: -The primary issue was the service. For context, we were one of only three tables occupied during the hour we were there. While our server was polite, things were very slow and the basics were missed. Drinks came out in two stages and took 10-15 minutes to arrive (water, OJ, coffee). We ordered a few dips which came without the bread which eventually came 10 minutes later. The basics were also missed like no water refills or being asked we needed anything else during our meal. Service felt very reactive and not proactive.

In summary, Cafe Zevian has potential - it’s a nice space with solid food. I just hope they can improve the service and give some attention to the small things we take for granted at most...

I rarely leave reviews, but this experience was bad enough that I feel compelled to warn others. I truly don’t understand why someone would go through the trouble and expense of opening a restaurant if they aren’t committed to making good food. So many corners were cut here that it was almost insulting—and there’s no way the owners genuinely believe what they’re serving is good.

Don’t be fooled by the glowing five-star reviews. My husband and I chose this spot based on them, only to walk into a mostly empty restaurant—just one large group was seated when we arrived. A server greeted us and said our waitress would be right with us, only to turn around and become our waitress herself. It was disorganized from the start.

We ordered the cold mezze sampler, and everything on the plate tasted store-bought, not house-made. It was all refrigerator-cold—so cold, in fact, that we could barely scoop anything up with the bread, which itself was also cold and tasted like it came out of a plastic bag. Not fresh, not warm, not good.

For our mains, I ordered the branzino, and my husband got the salmon. The fish itself was okay—not amazing, but at least served warm. However, the dishes were completely overwhelmed with sauces. The sides were disappointing: cold potatoes, cold spinach, and a “salad” that was just unchopped spring mix tossed with cherry tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle. That same balsamic was inexplicably poured over the main dishes too, clashing with everything on the plate.

The worst offender was the sauce on the salmon—a thick, dark paste made of butter and sumac that totally overpowered the fish. It was incredibly heavy-handed and hard to eat.

Honestly, the nicest thing I can say about the place is that the furniture looked decent. The service, the food, the overall experience—mediocre at best. I walked away frustrated that we...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fresh new gem you have to try!

Just discovered Café Zevian, and let me tell you—this brand-new Mediterranean/Turkish restaurant is already knocking it out of the park. It might be new to the area, but it feels like it’s been a local favorite forever.

From the moment we stepped in, we were welcomed like family. Erika, our server, was an absolute sweetheart—attentive, professional, and just radiating positive energy. She made sure we were taken care of from start to finish with the kind of warm, personalized service that’s rare to find these days.

The atmosphere? Clean, cozy, and beautifully decorated with a modern Mediterranean touch. Free and easy parking made the experience even better—no stress, no circling the block!

Now the FOOD—let’s talk about it. Everything we ordered was full of bold, authentic flavors. From perfectly grilled kebabs to fresh appetizers and house-made desserts, each bite was a total win. And of course, no Turkish meal is complete without a proper Turkish tea—and theirs was on point.

Even though it’s a new place, the staff was working like a well-oiled machine. Fast service, big smiles, and genuine hospitality from every single person there.

If you’re in the mood for something flavorful, comforting, and different from the usual, this is your spot. Give Café Zevian a try while it’s still a fresh secret—you’ll be back, trust me. Just don’t forget to ask for Erika!

Five stars, no...