ala | Bethesda

"Met for lunch there today (8/15/24) with a group of friends. The food was amazing! The service was incredible. Hussein, our waiter was splendid. Several of my friends shared plates, while I got my own. The falafel were the best I have had since I was in Istanbul. All of us, except one drove from various points in Northern Va and it was definitely worth it."

"We really enjoyed this restaurant great place to go with a family and share a bunch of tapas. The food was very good and very creative presentation. The cocktails are also very nice and different. The mock tails were also tasty. We loved the beef kebob that was a must! The fish was also delicious. The watermelon salad was very refreshing and a great starter. My suggestion is they need to work on their wines as none of them are good. They are also kept too hot which affected the flavor of them. And the white ones are not kept cold. This is an easy fix, but definitely needs to be done. Overall, we really loved this restaurant and the atmosphere is great. Our server was also very sweet and friendly. Parking is pretty easy as there are many garages around here/ street parking. Looking forward to returning soon"

"Enjoyed a Restaurant Week dinner at the bar here. When I arrived, it was packed with only 1 bar seat available in the house (though I had a table res). The place has a cool feel and patrons seemed excited to be there. I guess tapas style and inventive Levantine selections lends itself to that. The staff was friendly and attentive. I'll be back and will hit the bar again too!"

"I had an event with a party of 12 that ended up coming down to 9 last minute. There were no issues with the reservation, and the process was straightforward. Note that for large parties at brunch on the weekend, the restaurant requires every member of the party to choose the prix fixe - $34 for 3 massive meals with the option to get bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary's for $14 more. There was a cute drink bar where you can add a variety of spices, sugars, fruits, and flowers to your drink and make your experience fully customized. The food was incredible and the amount was perfect for everybody! I will be going there again, and I can not recommend this hidden gem enough!"

"We heard great things about this restaurant and it didn't disappoint. The atmosphere is top-notch and makes for a wonderful date night. The mezze we tried was excellent, and we enjoyed trying a few of their cocktails and international beers. The service was quick and friendly and our waitress gave us some great suggestions. We definitely plan on visiting again."