Wonderful spot for some of the best Mediterranean food in DC! I visited ala for a casual Friday dinner with a few friends, and we absolutely fell in love with this place -- the space is super cozy and beautifully decorated, the service was friendly, and the food is amazing. We initially snagged a spot on the patio because there weren't any open seats inside; while the patio was spacious and gorgeous, it was sweltering outside (shoutout to DC summers). The staff was really thoughtful and offered to move us inside the second a table opened up. The interior was just as gorgeous as the patio, and I loved the comfy circular booths all around the restaurant -- it's a cozier dining experience compared to the standard rectangular ones, and it makes sharing food so much easier. Speaking of food -- we got a bunch of items to share. We started off with the dip combo, tabbouleh, and grilled halloumi, then transitioned to the grilled shrimp and roasted cauliflower for our mains. Everything was absolutely incredible. I loved each of the dips, but you can never go wrong with a rich and creamy classic hummus. It went wonderfully with the soft, pillowy, and warm pita, but also with the crispiness of the fresh veggies. The tabbouleh was great on its own, but topped with an extra bit of creaminess and punch of flavor from either the hummus or baba ghanoush? Life-changing. The grilled halloumi was, well, grilled halloumi -- how can you NOT love a chunk of cheese that's been grilled and slathered with honey, herbs, and nuts? The grill brought out more of the natural flavor of the cheese, and it was rich and slightly melty; the savory cheese went perfectly with the sweet honey, and I loved the extra bit of crunch from the nuts. The shrimp was super flavorful and tender, with a great hit of spice and savoriness from the Urfa peppers and garlic. It typically comes with Turkish sausage, but you can ask for them to omit it if you don't eat red meat (although everything in their restaurant is halal, including the cheese). Last but not least, the golden cauliflower was outstanding! It was beautifully roasted on the outside, with the char adding the perfect hit of smokiness to complement the rich, nutty tahini sauce. To lighten up the dish and add a bit of brightness, they also topped the whole head with pineapple amba and a lovely herby, lemony chermoula. Unfortunately, the center of the cauliflower was a little bit undercooked so it wasn't quite as tender as I was hoping, but it was still a phenomenal dish.

Ala offers a great balance of fresh and hearty options that are a great fit for any meat and veggie lovers alike ! They have such a large spread and my most favorite part is that you can make it your own with the large variety of dips and toppings! They also offer a selection of a la carte option that you can order on top of the buffet offerings. We also opted for the all you can drink for an additional $12 and it's certainly a deal! The service was also amazing! Our waitress promptly came by to welcome and introduce herself . She was also very helpful when it came to the bill. We had several staff who also came by to ask how things were and how everything tasted! The restaurant is great for an intimate setting. They have some two tops or tables for larger groups. The decor is also beautiful as it ties in some greenery with the colors from the many Moroccan style decor.

First-time Brunch visit and it went AMAZING! My fiance and I went to Ala for a Sunday brunch date, which surpassed our expectations! The food was delicious, the drinks were tasty and unique, but the service is what stood out the most! Vanessa attended our table and was warm, kind, and very knowledgeable. She made our experience unforgettable and unique. As first-time visitors, she made great recommendations and helped us through the experience of a bottomless variety of dishes and options. She went above and beyond, which showed she really cared about our dining experience. The venue itself is beautiful and well-decorated. We will absolutely be returning again!

Quite good! Had another team dinner here. This time we went to the second floor and the decorations there showed a different, more modern style

Lovely modern Turkish cuisine. They bill themselves as coming from the Levant, but I think most of the items in here are Turkish. I confirmed that after talking with the owner. I have eaten here a few times and all the food is great. Loved the crab salad, chicken shish kebab, falafel. Lunch special for $44 includes 3 meze and a desert.

Delicious all you can eat brunch for $36! There is a large portion of self serve foods and they are all amazing. You can order tapas styled entrees that come out hot and filling. I highly recommend this place if you ever need a big brunch! The staff were extremely nice and the place itself looks fancy and great to just hang out with your friends to chat over brunch. Would definitely come back again for brunch occasions!

Go to the bar and ask for frank! he is incredible, and the food is to die for. 10/10 recommend the all you can eat!

Lovely service with Harrison! I visited for my cousins birthday and enjoyed very yummy food and a nice restaurant ambiance. I would recommend this for bottomless brunch as I thought it offered good value for an upscale restaurant.

It's been a while since we ate at Ala. We've enjoyed lunch here on several occasions, and we met a friend for dinner a few nights ago. Ala is an interesting restaurant-the food is always really good though I'm pretty sure that the chef turnover here is pretty high. The menu also looked different than the one we we used the last time that we were here. It was a pretty cold night and our table was right near the front door. After the group behind us left, the staff helped us move to another table a bit further away. If there's one thing about Ala that could be improved it is the quality of the tables and layout of the restaurant. The food as always was amazing. We shared 3 appetizers and they were all good to excellent. The mushroom shish kebab was very tasty. The mushrooms had a nice flavor and texture and the skewer sat above a bed of black eye pea stew and tahini. A nice flavor/texture combo. The crab Fattoush was good, probably my least favorite of the mezzes that we chose. The flavor and texture were OK, but nothing really stood out for me. The Halloumi wraps were very good, crispy on the outside soft and warm with a great flavor on the inside. Our large plates included the Golden Cauliflower. I've had this before at Ala but the other night it was particularly delicious. The cauliflower is topped with a delicious flavoring-the vegetable is crisp and wonderfully baked. The Lavraki was filleted for us with a wonderful flavor and texture. The asparagus that accompanied the filet were delicious. Finally, my wife and friend enjoyed the Lamb Shank. I don't eat meat but I could see that the lamb was literally falling off of the bone. They said it was incredible-tender and delicious. The broccoli, carrots and potatoes that accompanied the lamb were really tasty. There was no room for dessert, but we completed our meal with tea-both healing and Levantine. This is a high quality restaurant that I highly recommend.