Mourayo

We had a big party (10) and the food and service were great. We put away the menus and let the staff bring a selection of food and the entire experience was wonderful. I will definitely go back.

I was not crazy about this place. The service was not great even though the restaurant was not busy at all. The alcohol selection was not my favorite either.

3 stars
Am torn, because:
— service 2 stars
— appetizers 5 stars
— main course 2 stars.
My main dish of scallops was not very good (too salty, for one), but the appetizer we shared — Poikilia Lahanikon «Messene» $ 17 (Vegetarian dish– beets, baked broad beans, butternut squash patties, fingerling potatoes, mixed grilled vegetables, oyster mushrooms, tzatziki) was amazing. The beets and mushrooms in particular we absolutely delicious. The vegetarian guy at a table next to us ordered this as his entrée, and also could not stop raving.

Came in for dinner pre theatre and a little spooked we were in the dining room alone. A basket of pita wedges held us off until the appetizers appeared. Crusted haloumi cheese was excellent as was the butternut squash. We each had very tasty and fresh Bronzino and monkfish well prepared. It’s going to become one of our favorite local places. Prices were fair and service was attentive without being intrusive.

Dear Mourayo,
You have reignited my hope for a classy-​yet-​well-​priced Greek restaurant in DC, one that serves food from the motherland along with the quicker-​paced service that Americans prefer, while somehow managing to pace the meal perfectly. I never felt rushed; my husband and I were able to enjoy a perfect date night, while our waiter and the owner cadenced the beverage and course delivery perfectly. Your wine list is wonderful and pays homage to the varied wines from across Greece, and is apologetically authentic. We came here in jeans but felt welcomed alongside those who were having business dinners or those who clearly had time to get a little more dressed up (we came directly from the airport). Reservations are accepted, thanks to OpenTable, and we were seated right away. Unlike many other spots in DC, parking was not an issue, thanks to the parking garage located just about a block down (next to Sette Osteria). Environment is romantic, calm, and never frenzied.
Mourayo, you whetted our appetites with the Symposium dip sampler, which was a collection of five unique dips served on a beautiful platter for only $ 13. My husband’s favorite was either the tzatziki or the eggplant dip, whereas I was torn between the hummus and the whipped cheese with chili oil. The fava bean dip also had us intrigued, and the ample quantity of warm and fresh pita (regular and multi-​grain) was just the right thickness for dipping without being so huge that it filled us up in advance of the second course we ordered.
Say it five times fast, «soutzouzakia,» or just order the tomato sauce-​marinated meatballs. The serving isn’t huge, but it’s fine for one or two people, and we adored it. Two large meatballs fully-​infused with a flavorful tomato sauce and served in a pool of the sauce as well. To complement the meat-​based plate, we ordered the famous grilled octopus, and all I can say is wow! We are octopus and squid lovers (seems weird, but go with it), and we were rewarded with a beautiful presentation of grilled octopus atop an ink sauce, alongside a chopped/​marinated cold octopus salad, and all complemented with more delicious fava bean spread, which apparently pairs perfectly with octopus!
Our love affair continued with the Pythagoras Theorema, which is an absolutely delectable and shareable (again, great for one or two, or three if you’re ordering other items) dish comprised of three amply-​sized pork medallions, served atop a honey sauce, and each medallion is stacked with a bit of Greek cheese, fig, and more delicious honey glaze. The dish is served with asparagus and a dollop of Greek yogurt, which makes the pork pop even more!
Mourayo, I love you, and you were worth the wait (as you were bookmarked since I began Unilocaling), but if there’s only one area you could improve, it would be to please dial up your Yia Yia and get her baklava or Galatoboureko recipes to shore up your dessert menu. It’s the only part of our relationship that needs work, but I’ll be back for more. Thank you for making my date night so awesome and for so fully-​satiating my craving for artful and upscale Greek food.
Love,
Megan C.

We planned a big group dinner here, and the staff was exceedingly helpful, and the food was absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to go back.

We went here about a month ago, and we still talk about it. Fantastic food and fantastic service. Really delicious!

We loved this restaurant. Great location. Authentic delicious Greek food served by a friendly professional staff in an upscale but unstuffy environment. It’s a fun atmosphere, but not so noisy as to prevent conversation.

My roommate and I dined here last Friday and immediately realized this was probably more of a weeknight dinner spot than fun up-​beat Friday night restaurant but I digress… To start we ordered the dip sampler and as were completely famished and hit the pita a little too hard. Dips were definitely very tasty and our favorite was their version of red pepper and feta but definitely more for 4 — 5 people to share. I recommend for two people ordering 1 or 2 individuals plus most of their appetizers also come with a scoop of one of the dips as well. We also ordered the meatballs which were tasty and very juicy and I ordered the octopus salad as I read it was a favorite. The octopus came with two full pieces of octopus along with chopped up marinated pieces… I thought the full octopus was a little overdone and lacking flavor but the chopped up mix was nicely seasoned. While we had not ordered much at that point we were pretty stuffed but had to order the Pythagoras Theorum as again we heard it was favorite… pork medallions were well cooked and I liked the baked cheese on top however my roommate wasn’t a fan (personal preference).
All in all, even though we ate so much pita it wasn’t my favorite pita I’ve ever had, the wine by the glass selection was also lacking, and pretty expensive meal overall. If I lived in the neighborhood I would definitely try out again on a week night but I honestly don’t think it’s worth the hike from across town.

Mourayo is a very nice Greek restaurant. Service is excellent, the food is good and very well presented which together makes it a nice place to go for a special dinner with friends/​family. However, it would not be the place to someone to impress them.

I have been to Greece several times, and can say with confidence that this is one of the most authentic Greek restaurants in the city! The service was a tad slow, but the quality of the food was incredible and the waitstaff/​management is most concerned about customers enjoying their experience. This is definitely not the type of place that tries to force you out quickly to increase turnover/​profit. I would recommend this to any couple looking to have a romantic date night and not spend a fortune.
In terms of specific dishes order: check out the Soutzoukakia (meatballs, appetizer) and Paidakia «Eleni» (lamb chops, main course).

Just incredible. You won’t be let down. Beautiful creations, with an attentive staff.

While checking out the menu on the street, got a tip that this was hidden gem and one of the best Greek restaurants in DC. It did not disappoint. Excellent service and excellent real Greek food.

I have to say this is the best Greek food in DC in my opinion. The only downfall is the price. However, I’m used to cheap Meditteranean fare so eating upscale is a little different for me when it comes to this kind of cuisine. However, the atmosphere, food, and service is top notch so you really do get what you pay for.

Phenomenal. This is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Highlights: always amazing service. Not just prompt, but not overly intrusive and really friendly staff. Good drinks and inspired dishes.
We have been for a few anniversary dinners and always feel like it is worth it to splurge because the food is great. Ambiance is quite nice too. I can’t really say if this is authentic greek, but it is delicious! We love the pork medallion dish. Its layering of flavors is too good to not get whenever we go.

Went there on 2÷15÷15. The atmosphere was relaxing. I felt like I was inside a ship. The walls and windows felt like those on a ship. Walls were a nice blue and had nautical themed decorations. Appetizer was Kolokythokeftedes which was a butternut squash with raisins ans sesame paste — very good, was not greasy. Only wish there was more to it… I ordered the Pythagoras «Theorema» which was pork loin with manouri cheese, figs, almonds, and honey. Pork was cooked very well and the cheese, fig, almonds, honey combination worked very well with the pork! The date ordered Giouvetsi stin Gastra which was lamb with orzo and Mythos beer. The lamb orzo was very rich in flavor, very good.

4.5, really. Mourayo is located in prime time DuPont, right next to Maddy’s, one of my favorite, down to earth bars in the city. But don’t let it’s small, incognito outdoor curb appeal fool you. This place is a gem.
My friend and I arrive there to meet 2 others in my party at the bar. We were a bit late, so we refused a drink there and moved on to the table. Our waitress promptly approached us, and after looking at the wine list, we had to ask for her help. 90% of them are Greek wines, and unless you know a lot about them… it’s hard to decipher quite which one you want.
She recommended one around $ 46 which we agreed to, but returned with a more expensive bottle.
Long story short– just go.

3.5 stars for me. Prices are good, but the mains and desserts were lacking
the octopus appetizer is great, really well cooked and the octopus salad with it was delicious. the crab phyllo appetizer was also good, but a little on the small side. meatballs were standard, so was shrimp with hummus.
The scallops were cooked well, the beans served with it were forgettable. The pork with fig and cheese was very sweet, wouldn’t get again.
pistachio baklava was ok, and the ravani cake was very syrup-​y and overly sweet. Not a good ending to the meal
octopus was great but probably not enough to bring me back

Best ever in a yin-​yang eating out day. We found this great Greek place near DuPont Circle in the Where magazine, of all places. LOVED it.
Started with a hummus like product – fava bean spread. It was good, huge portion – could have served 4. It just paled in comparison to our next items…
Then had a beet salad that was just so fresh and so simple and so delicious. Roasted beets + yogurt with dill in it. I’m going to make this too.
We then had shrimp in a sauce that was awesome – it had ouzo in the sauce, plus tomato sauce + feta. I have to try making this, it was delicious.
For our entrée, we split a whole fish – the branzino I think it was. It was fabulous. I haven’t had a whole fish cooked like that since we lived in Oakland. It was wonderful – guess you can’t tell I liked this place? And watching our waiter filet that fish was just awesome. I KNOW I can’t do that…
The service was great, ambience nice (not too loud), we walked in on a rainy night with no reservations and got seated right away, it was just lovely.
If we lived in DC, this would be one of our go-​to spots.

Not sure if the chef was having an off night or we just ordered the wrong things, but this did not live up to the 4 star rating.
The much hyped grilled octopus appetizer was scrawny and tasted burned. I think we’d been spoiled by Zaytinia’s large juicy version.
We didn’t stay past the appetizers.