Nefes — Restaurant in Melbourne

I’ve been to this restaurant multiple times in the past and have never had an issue, or bad enough experience to write a review UNTIL now.

My (3) friends and I came in to do shisha and from the minute of entry, there was an issue until the end.

We initially had drinks from outside and weren’t allowed to bring them indoors, which I completely understand, but to have 2 staff (female and male) waiting at the front door to make sure I did not enter until I finished my drink was excessive. Now usually with shisha, you get seated upstairs, which is what we requested. They offered my friends and I seats downstairs on the dining tables and had informed us that if a seat upstairs become available, they would let us know. Because they said that, we accepted and came inside. Now I wanted reassurance that we would still get moved upstairs eventually and when i raised the matter to the staff, they point blankly said ‘forget about it, it’s not going to happen’ and continued to take in other customers upstairs for shisha.

Now fortunately because we had friends upstairs who were willing to swap seats with us, we then moved upstairs because of it.

Moments later we had received our order which was shisha, tea and sunflower seeds BUT only 2 cups between the 4 of us and no coal. We mentioned this to 3 staff members and no one got back to us. After 20 minutes of waiting, we finally received everything we ordered, despite other customers receiving their orders and coal way earlier than us.

After a while, we noticed a big group behind us (about 10-15) had come in to the restaurant with açai and drinks from outdoors to enjoy whilst they had their shisha. When I raised this to the staff member who initially told me we weren’t allowed, he said he will tell the group off. What I saw is he told them ONCE and let the situation go as if they were allowed. From this moment I knew they had an issue with my friends and I and were playing favourites so I decided to let it go.

Now at the end of the night, we had gone up to the counter to pay, I had mentioned it to the other staff member who at the start informed us we weren’t allowed any outdoor food/drinks. I asked ‘where were you? Why was the group upstairs not told the same information you gave me’, she responded with a huge smirk on her face ‘I was downstairs’ and that was it.

The staff members were cowards and very unprofessional to us paying customers.

Will I come back? Maybe. Who knows, but definitely not anytime soon.

Will I expect good...

It was a total disappointment. Their service was very slow. The soup we ordered beforehand took half an hour to arrive after asking twice, and it wasn’t fresh. Our main course didn’t arrive even after two hours, so we had to leave. When we asked about our food, they kept brushing us off. The customer service was terrible, and the music was extremely loud. I asked twice for the volume to be turned down, but they turned it up again. I definitely do not recommend this place.

Tam bir hayal kırıklığıydı. Servisleri çok yavaştı. Önceden sipariş ettiğimiz çorba, iki kere sormamıza rağmen yarım saat sonra ancak geldi ve taze değildi. Ana yemeğimiz ise iki saat sonra gelmedi ve biz kalkmak zorunda kaldık. Yemeğimizi sorduğumuzda ise bizi hep geçiştirdiler. Müşteri hizmetleri çok kötüydü ve çok yüksek sesle müzik çalıyordu. İki kere müziğin kısılmasını rica ettim, ama tekrar açtılar. Asla tavsiye etmiyorum.

I don’t understand what this means ( your answer about my comment)( ı came 23 jan 2025) What kind of record could there be? Does this response imply that I, as a customer, am lying? If that’s what you’re suggesting, it’s even worse that as a business you’re not addressing the feedback seriously and trying to correct the situation. Because I clearly remember the table I sat at, the waiter who was trying to assist, and the situation. In fact, when we told you that we couldn’t wait any longer after two hours of waiting for the food, the cashier offered to pack the meal for us for free. The meal that wasn’t ready after two hours was only ready when we were about to leave. I really don’t find this response appropriate. I hope that instead of replying like this, some action is taken and changes are made for the...

Atmosphere Nefes has a lively atmosphere that might appeal to younger people who enjoy smoking shisha, listening to music, and spending time in a social setting. The place offers shisha and often plays music, giving it a vibrant, café-style vibe. However, it’s definitely not suitable for families or anyone sensitive to smoke.

Service The service was unfortunately very poor. The staff made multiple mistakes with our orders — bringing the wrong food, forgetting the appetiser, and even serving incorrect drinks. The overall organisation was lacking; the staff seemed distracted and undisciplined. Some were even eating behind the counter while working, which was quite unprofessional. It also took a long time for the food to arrive, and when we mentioned the missing appetiser, they tried to make excuses instead of simply fixing the issue. The service experience was the biggest disappointment of the visit.

Food Quality The food was average at best. The watermelon juice didn’t taste fresh, and the Turkish-style kofte for kids was basically like shop-bought burger patties with rice — not authentic or special. Most other dishes were just okay, nothing that would make me want to return.

Value for Money Prices are around average, but the overall experience and food quality don’t justify what you pay. It simply isn’t worth the money, especially considering the quality of service.

Overall I wouldn’t recommend Nefes for families or anyone expecting quality service and food. For young people looking mainly to smoke shisha, play backgammon, and relax with tea in a social setting, it might still be an option — but for everyone else, there are far better...