Namak — Restaurant in Washington

Outstanding Mediterranean fare served in a super cute and cozy space! While I was initially devastated when the old Mintwood Place shut their doors a few years ago, Namak has more than made up for the loss, moving into Mintwood's old space and turning it into one of my favorite eateries of 2025. Their dishes are inspired by a number of countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece and Turkey, and I absolutely love the way they combined flavors and styles across so many different distinct regions / countries.

The staff is incredibly friendly and did a phenomenal job explaining the menu, as well as helping us decide how many dishes we should order. They mostly have shareable small plates, so we decided to split eight dishes between the four of us (including two mains and six starters). This ended up being he perfect amount of food to feel full, but not overly stuffed.

It's hard to choose a favorite from all eight plates, but a few highlights included:

(1) Hummus -- you honestly can't go wrong with of their dips, but I have a special place in my heart for their classic hummus. It's rich, fluffy, and airy, and I love the extra little bit of heat and umami from the green harissa. All of their dips are also served with a wonderful, super soft pita, but the staff is also super accommodating and will provide assorted mixed veggies if you need a gluten-free option

(2) Roasted cauliflower -- I am literally still dreaming about this cauliflower. Namak somehow managed to transform this humble cruciferous vegetable into the most incredible flavor bomb. The cauliflower is perfectly roasted, with a tender center and gorgeously charred exterior, and is generously lathered in turmeric, za'atar, and garlic. The craggy florets also make the cauliflower the perfect vessel for the rich, nutty tahini sauce, and the squeeze of lemon also offers a great hint of freshness.

(3) Octopus -- genuinely amazing. The tender slices of octopus arranged on a super creamy and light butternut squash puree create the most incredible combination of flavors and textures. The dish is quite refreshing and light, making it a perfect choice for the swampy DC summer heat or fall, and I love the sprinkling of torn herbs to add a bit of extra freshness...

My husband and I came here for dinner Saturday night 06/14. We're big fans of Austin Graff and follow his reviews and were excited to try Namak not only for that reason, but also as a new fresh spot in Adams Morgan which has been fairly stagnant for a few years.

I want to attribute our experience to an off or slow evening, and we will be back to hopefully have a better time, but as of last night I can't recommend it.

We came a bit late in the evening, (8:45-9ish) and checked with the host if they were still serving, and how late the kitchen was open. We were told they were "absolutely open and the kitchen was open for another hour". We sat at the bar which we were assured was full service.

Our experience at Namak really amounted to a buildup of small things that were mildly unpleasant but culminated in a very unpleasant experience.

The food was good, but not exceptional, I am a vegetarian and there were not a lot of good options that weren't sort of redundant hummus or garlic based dips and it's overpriced for what it is honestly. I did think the wrapped grape leaves were phenomenal though! But why were they breaking down the bar while we were eating? The barback was washing bar mats and literally moved dinner plates we were eating from so he could clean around the well (moving dirty and soapy water onto the bar around our plates and glasses etc).

Why was a manager working from a laptop in a window booth behind us during service on a Saturday night? There was a whole cadre of staff in the back corner of the bar snacking and chatting which I don't really care about except that we received such bad service overall I don't even know why they were all there.

My husband and I agreed that it must be a slow Saturday and the staff was doing everything they could to wait it out, pre close and gtfo.

To also mention, I also ordered an (off menu) vodka drink, did not specify a liquor and was charged top shelf at $18. I did not complain (which is on me), but it's just like, what a waste of...

Namak is one of the best restaurants we dined at in 2024. A Mediterranean restaurant in the old Mintwood Place space in Adams Morgan, a friend and I went for dinner at 7:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. It was busy! Here's our experience.

1. Food: The dishes are inspired by countries along the Mediterranean Sea like Turkey, Greece, and even Iran (which doesn't order the Mediterranean). To start, my friend and I ordered the walnut labneh and the whipped goat cheese. It came with a small bag of warm bread for each of us.

For our mains, I ordered the torsh kebab and my friend the chicken. For sides, we got the Greek potatoes and the green beans. Every single thing was full of flavor and well made. We devoured everything.

For dessert, the pistachio baklava and the cheesecake were excellent choices.

2. Drinks: It's an impressive list of cocktails using ingredients from around the Mediterranean Sea and wines from the region. If you love a tad sweet, order the Beet's Knees or the Namak 75. My friend enjoyed the white wine from Palestine.

3. Service: From host to server, everyone was kind, attentive, and passionate about what they are building at Namak. A service charge is worked into every bill, but they are worth tipping beyond that.

4. Space: It's a beautifully designed space with a bar and a large dining area. Despite being full of patrons, the noise level was low so you can easily have a focused conversation.

5. Area: Adams Morgan is a lively neighborhood with many restaurants, cafes, bars, murals, and parks. It's a beautiful part of town, but budget up to 30+ minutes to find street parking. It took me 45 minutes to find it far from Namak. I recommend walking, biking, Metroing, or taking a...