Ottoman Taverna — Restaurant in Washington

Great food that's flavorful and approachable for any Middle-Eastern food lover.

Three buddies and I visited here on a Friday night for restaurant week. I had come hungry and ready to feast, and this did not disappoint.

The dining room is large and expansive, with high ceilings and large windows and a view into the kitchen. While aesthetically pleasing and bright, it did get very loud as the restaurant filled up - as if we were in an echo chamber. A note if you are coming for dinner on a busy weekend.

Our table participated in the restaurant week menu, which included, per person, 2 small plates, 1 large plate, and a dessert. I also got a cocktail to start the night - the speciality Gin and Tonic w/ Pomegranate Juice. It was refreshing and a solid start, although not particularly the most exciting drink.

We coordinated our small plates to share, so we were each able to try 8 different ones. They were all delicious - with my favorites being the Muhammara (red pepper spread with walnuts), Mutabal (eggplant dip), Kaydari (yogurt with walnuts), Potato Pancakes, and the fresh Hummus.

For my entree, I had the Adana Kebab, a well spiced ground beef link with a little spice, salad and bulgur on the side. The plate was delicious. It was a relatively simple presentation, but everything was prepared so well and the spices were able to elevate the quality of beef and make every bite savory. While I'd certainly order this again, I am eager to return to try all the other meats on the menu.

Everyone at my table went with the baklava, so I went with the rice pudding. The pudding was fine (and significantly more food than the baklava), but it was a bit plain - it would have been better served paired with a nice, bold drink.

The last points ties to the service. While our food came out promptly and on time, it was a bit difficult to get ahold of our waitress throughout the night. I had tried to grab their attention to order another drink or two, but failed. Disappointing, but they were very busy so I did not think much of it.

Overall this was a good experience with amazing food. I am curious to not only come back for dinner outside of restaurant week, but also to visit for a...

Once a year or so, you have truly terrible service. Well, today was the day, and Ottoman Taverna was the restaurant.

We had a reservation for six- all dear friends I had not seen in a little while.

The waiter was less than helpful when we placed our orders. No big deal.

The big deal started when the waiter did not bring the food for three of our six friends. They also brought out a plate of jams and spreads, but not pita or bread to eat it with. We asked about our missing dishes several times. We kept hearing excuses about confusion in the kitchen, yet no food. 30 minutes passes, and now my friends no longer want their food…the experience has been ruined.

Our apathetic, uninspired and in all likelihood, UNDERTRAINED waiter also had offensive body odor. Vociferous enough that you need only be within 5 feet to be blessed with his pungent smell.

They finally brought out the missing dishes, far beyond a normal wait time.

While I saw the waiter talk with the manager from a distance, no manager came to the table to make the situation or apologize.

Somehow this restaurant has Michelin Star stickers on the font door.

The food was below average. The service was atrocious.

And then when the bill came, they apply a 20% surcharge/tip. I am a great tipper, in almost all circumstances, but this was not worth 20%. I just wanted to leave, so I handed over the credit card, signed the check, and was happy to escape a complete waste of my time, money, and aggravation.

Ottoman Taverna- shame on you. You ruined a meeting with friends I had been looking forward to. It is one thing to not have stellar service. It is quite another when the waitstaff and service ruin the vibe and fun with friends.

I hope you go out of business, as it seems to be deserved. If you serve more customer like we were served, your days are numbered.

Am I angry, yes? Is this review 100% accurate, yes.

Eat someplace...

This is my first time having Turkish food, and I will say that after trying the Istanbul breakfast, I am not sure if Turkish food is my cup of tea. However, I do think Ottoman Taverna has excellent food, and I would give it 5 stars because of the work they put into their food, their affordability, and the varieties that are included in each dish. They are also very tasty when, for example, one finds their favorite dip with the cheese. It was definitely an experience of discovery.

The menemen was very tasty! Eggs were well-made and having the vegetables in there made me feel like I have had it in other cuisines, and overall just felt very homey. Eating the Istanbul Breakfast was a journey of trying to eat everything together and discovering new flavors. For example, cucumber with tomatoes, tomatoes with cheese, cheese with olives with honey, yogurt with cucumber, etc., and I kept discovering new flavors. But I cannot say I fully enjoyed the process because purely from a personal preference standpoint, I would prefer my food combinations cooked, or at least not just stacking one on top of another. I know it speaks more about the cuisine than the establishment.

The cold meze platter had six different types of dips, and I only knew about hummus. The flavors were all so different and I loved experiencing all of them! Just purely personal preference, I think I would like to try those dips with veggies as well just to see how it turns out. Regardless, Ottoman Taverna did a great job creating the hummus, pembe sultan, muhammara, atom, haydari, and moutabal!

I will definitely recommend this establishment to anyone who wants to try Turkish food. That is...