Amazing! Such good food, everything we had tasted so good. I can't wait to go back for the brunch, it sounds like a really good deal considering the outstanding quality of the food we had. The service was excellent too.
Fantastic food, from the appetizers to the entrees to the baklava. The lamb chops were amazing!! And our waitress Gabriella was one the nicest people I have met in D.C. I highly recommend!
Best Turkish restaurant in the town. It has great chefs Ilhan and Mehmet. As a Turkish person, who is naturally very familiar with Turkish cuisine the foods taste exactly like in lux restaurants in Turkey. I really recommend this place. It might be a great Saturday night option for you. Try it!
Great food and live music!!!!!!We had so much fun and enjoy the music even we could understane a word of the songs!Food and services were amezing!!!!!
Amazing Food and service! Would recommend to everyone! Had a wonderful dinner with our son and daughter in law! The whole experience was Excellent!
The food was great! Yani the bartender is absolutely the best. Thanks to the Chef the compliment appetizer 2kisses!! Shot out to Yani and the other staff in bar area.. had a great time and great Good!
Thanks guys,
Tanya
This was easily the best lamb I have ever had in my (relatively short) life! I couldn't pronounce anything on the menu, but the descriptions were clear and easy to read, the staff provided impeccable service, and the food (again) was to die for! I wish it were a little cheaper, but even so, I feel like the price was fair considering the quality of the experience. I will definitely be looking for a reason to return.
A delicious and exciting new cuisine to me. Very attentive service and a lovely dining room. I will definitely be back.
By the way I was interested in how the owners of this restaurant came down politically with all the things and all the happenings in their home country - it is DC after all. So I asked. And I was happy and relieved with what I learned.
Did something different this year, went into DC for dinner. Upon a recommendation from a friend, we dined at Ottoman Taverna.
The food was outstanding, the service was attentive. Our waiter, Yani, ensured a delightful evening with dinner suggestions and a surprise ice cream for my husband's birthday.
We will be back!
The staff was so helpful and made some great suggestions since it was my first time eating Turkish cuisine. Dined with two friends and we each had something different and everything was amazing!
This is one or my favorite restaurants in the city. Amazing Mediterranean food. You won't be disappointed! Ask to be seated in Yianni's section. He is the man.
Fantastic food, good drinks (especially the Sultan's drink), fantastic baklava, and great service! One of my new favorite restaurants in DC!
The best food , which I ever try in USA
Not only great food but also great staff, it was a true Turkish heaven �
Loved it. Great food and great service. Iskender was so yummy.
This place brought me back to Turkey when I visited in 2014. Very nice relaxed atmosphere. Loved all the decor. Very rich feel to the restaurant. Everyone was very friendly and the food was very quick. We did the taste of turkey a 4 course meal. It was all a wonderful experience. Highly recommend this place
We are very pleased with the restaurant. The food is outstanding. The atmosphere is cozy, and welcoming. Service was very good as well. Highly recommend to visit for those who likes good flavorful food.
For 3 entry( portions are big)+soup+ 1 desert we spent 150$
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Been here couple times before; this time I came with family. We all enjoyed the appetizers however the main entrees were not up to our expectations, they were mediocre.
Lentil soup was exceptionally tasty. The fresh pita bread was a good way to start your appetizers. My biggest disappointment was the Moussaka I’ve ordered. Taste wise it was mediocre however my dissatisfaction was that it was not prepped and served as the Moussaka we prep and serve in Turkey. This is a Turkish restaurant and one expects to have Turkish style of everything. I’d understand if it were a fusion mix with another cuisine. The meal was not at all the same.
The server was nice, he did a good job and we left him a good tip what he deserved best; however the additional 20% charge added on the bill was confusing as it was indicating on the menu that it was “helping the staff” but when I asked the server he said they don’t even get a dime of it. So in other words, the owner pockets the money and pay salary of their staff with that added amount. I don’t understand the rationale here. I was about to not leaving “additional” tip as I thought I already paid 20% tip which is good enough, but I only discovered when I asked the server if they receive that amount. So this is a reminder to the owners: don’t confuse your customers and don’t put your staff in a hard position, they work hard and deserve to get tipped.
I knew this place was going to be yummy because the majority of reviews said it was but I was pleasantly surprised how tender and flavorful everything really was. This restaurant is family friendly and everything was absolutely delicious. Portion sizes where also great with a lot of options for sharing. I ordered the Lamb shish which was the best Lamb I've ever had as a kabob. Doesn't look different from other places but the flavors are out of this world.
Ottoman Taverna is a culinary gem that transports your taste buds to the rich and flavorful world of Ottoman cuisine. Located in Washington DC, this restaurant offers a delightful fusion of traditional and contemporary dishes inspired by the Ottoman Empire. From succulent kebabs to delectable baklava, every bite is a journey through history and culture. The warm ambiance and attentive service add to the overall dining experience, making it a must-visit for those looking to savor the diverse flavors of Turkish cuisine.
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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 without a doubt!
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We stayed in Washington DC for our kids' soccer match and, on the way back, decided to have Turkish food before the flight.
Wow, I don't even know where to start. I've had Mediterranean or Turkish food in many places outside Turkey, but I've never tasted anything this delicious anywhere else.
The ambiance is fantastic – not overdone, but an elegantly chosen design. It's not overly luxurious, a simple yet clean environment. The staff is very attentive and friendly. The service is very fast.
As for the flavors, one of us tried the "Trip to Turkey," a 4-course, pre-fixe menu for $44.95. Lentil soup, sigara boregi, inegol kofte, and baklava for dessert. The portions are satisfying, and everything except the baklava deserves 5 stars. Baklava gets 4 stars, but finding good baklava outside Turkey is really challenging.
On the table, we had Adana Kebap, Tavuk sis, Greek Salad, Ezme, and Shepherd Salad. The salads were incredibly tasty and fresh. Tavuk sis wasn't dry at all, it was tender, and Adana Kebap was perfectly cooked. I highly recommend the Tavuk sis; I've never had such tender and flavorful chicken skewers.
For dessert, I tried kadayif, and I enjoyed it. I ended my meal with Turkish tea.
The Pide that came with the meze were warm and tasty. Whether it has a Michelin star or not didn't concern me, but the ambiance, taste, and service deserved 5 stars from someone as hard to please as me. I highly recommend this restaurant.
I want there for dinner. Staff was very kind and helpful. I liked the food a lot, it was very tasty and all ingredients were fresh. The portions are big so I was full after dining there ☺️ The restaurant is spacious and I liked its atmosphere. I had a nice time there. It was a bit strange the fact that we had to pay a service fee of 20% but this wasn’t tip for the waiter so I left tip also for the waiter.
Loved our experience here at this restaurant and getting to try the various hummus and dips. The ambience of the restaurant and the location are great, with a very well done fancy dining area. We thoroughly enjoyed dining here and experiencing Turkish cuisine.
I came across this place on Google search. The food was very good and authentic. Also the servers we had was every attentive and made sure we had our food on time. The diner kebab was dry and I think it was precut and frozen and thawed tomour order, however everything else was great.
Definitely recommend it
we were celebrating a birthday and wanted a special place and someone had suggested Ottoman Taverna so we decided to check it out.
The ambiance of the restaurant was nice - reminded me of the business class lounge at Istanbul airport. The service was also good and attentive throughout our time (they include service charge for every table no matter the size)
we started with the cold mezze which was good and filling - complimentary pita bread was also given. we then got the vegetarian moussaka, lamb dish, kabobs and eggplant. the veggie dishes were good, a little bland but good. the meat dishes were good but the salad and rice accompanying could’ve been better
overall good turkish food in a nice ambiance
Traveled to Washington DC and Ottoman Taverna was in one of the Michelin Guide recommendations, and obviously the food was absolutely delicious, flavorful and authentic.
Our server was very nice and kept apologizing because the food took over an hour and a half to get to us (it was Labor Day weekend, place was full) regardless, the food was amazing and I’d like to think it was just our bad luck that day.
Delicious and authentic Turkish food. Highly recommend the iskender (thinly shaved pieces of döner served atop pieces of pita/pide bread, topped with tomato sauce and served with yogurt on the side - mix it all together and you have a fabulous comfort meal!). Service was fast and attentive and the atmosphere was lovely and bright. I would definitely make a point to come back here every time I am in D.C.!
Large elegant space with many tables. The food and staff all seem authentic. We had some of the Ottoman specialties. The leather couches are worn and need to be reupholstered. The waiters are attentive and friendly. This place seems to attract families, food bloggers, and everyone in between. Really seems to be one of those places where you could practice your Turkish.
It’s a romantic restaurant, decorated beautifully. Our server was Hüseyin and he was very nice and attentive, and made great recommendations. We had three hot and three cold mezzes along with tavuk sis (chicken skewer), butter shrimp, and Çökertme. It was all delicious and very reasonably priced. Best food I’ve had in a restaurant in DC.
We came here on a Saturday evening with reservations. The inside of the restaurant is fairly large and there’s seating outside as well. All of the meat is halal and there was lots of options to choose from on the menu. We decided to get the Mixed Grill so we could try a variety of different meats. It serves two people and was around $68 or so. Pretty much everything we tried tasted amazing. The meats were incredibly well seasoned and cooked. All of the staff we interacted with were friendly, however service was a bit slow especially when it came time to getting someone to bring our bill. Despite that, I’d still recommend coming here as the food is fantastic and the leftovers even tasted great two days later.
It was my first time here.
Our server was incredibly nice, he did a fantastic job and I wanted to leave a good tip which he really did deserve it however the additional 20% charge added on the bill was confusing and did not feel right. Because there was again an additional tip on the payment print!!
I can only hope that the owner is sharing and honest. Otherwise it is just misleading customers and it is really wrong!!!
Cold start was amazing, I like the beyti better than iskander kebab.
Thanks for the food and service. But because of the bill not being transparent, I will not come back.
Good luck
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