VAULT | Modern Asian Restaurant — Restaurant in Dhaka Metropolitan

Extremely Disappointing Experience at Vault Dhaka – Biased Policies, Rude Staff & Poor Treatment of Regular Guests

Yesterday, five of us visited Vault Dhaka after making a reservation. At first glance, the place looked stunning — beautifully designed, clean, and well-lit. But to our surprise, it was nearly empty, especially considering it was during the Eid holidays when most places in Dhaka were packed.

After placing a sizable order, we stepped outside briefly to take a few photos. Nothing extravagant — just a few casual pictures like anyone would take on a special occasion. Suddenly, one of the staff rushed toward us with a printed copy of their “policy” and told us: “You are not allowed to take pictures here; our owner has strictly prohibited it. We can only allow 2–3 quick shots if you're seated at the table.”

We politely questioned the logic behind this — we were outside, not disturbing anyone, and clearly dressed for Eid. But instead of understanding, another staff member rudely said: “You didn’t come here to take pictures, you came to eat — so enjoy your food. What’s the point of taking pictures anyway?” That attitude was extremely disrespectful and unprofessional.

We immediately decided we didn’t want to stay in such an unwelcoming environment. We asked to cancel our order and pay only for the few items already served. They refused, claiming the rest of the food was already being prepared — even though we had only placed the order a few minutes earlier. We were made to wait unnecessarily while they brought out the rest of the food, ignoring our repeated requests to just settle the bill and leave.

When we asked why such a restrictive policy wasn’t shown anywhere before ordering — not on their social media, website, or at the entrance — they said it was “mentioned on the page” and that “customers are alerted when necessary.” We checked — there’s no such mention anywhere.

And what makes it worse: influencers and vloggers are clearly allowed to take unlimited pictures and videos without any issue. So it’s obvious this so-called “policy” is not enforced equally. It’s only imposed on regular guests like us. That’s not a policy — that’s discrimination.

Even more frustrating is that this is not the first time Vault Dhaka has treated regular customers like this. We've now heard from several others who had similar encounters — being rudely interrupted for taking pictures, given poor service, and made to feel unwelcome.

To make matters worse, almost all of their staff are consistently rude, unwelcoming, and poorly trained in customer service. Not once during this experience did anyone apologize, try to explain respectfully, or attempt to make us feel comfortable. It was the opposite — we were made to feel like a burden, not a guest.

In the end, the manager brought the remaining food and the bill. We paid without delay and left immediately — and we will not...

I’m honestly very disappointed by my recent experience at this restaurant.

This wasn’t my first time visiting it was actually my third, and I used to enjoy coming here because the interior is beautiful, the food was decent, and the service was usually okay. I was excited to return, to take a few nice pictures, enjoy a meal, and have a chat with a friend. But this time was completely different. As soon as we arrived, I needed to use the washroom and asked my friend to come along. We were inside for around five minutes not taking photos, just freshening up and chatting briefly. Suddenly a staff member came in and told us we couldn’t stay in the washroom for a long time and that we had to order first. I found that comment incredibly rude, especially since we were obviously there to dine. Of course we were going to order we had just arrived. After we placed our order, my friend asked me to help her take a photo as people often do in restaurants. It’s totally normal to want to capture a moment or memory, especially in a nicely decorated place. But then we were told, “You’re not allowed to take pictures.” Apparently they’ve introduced this new rule after Eid, but we weren’t informed of this when we entered. Even worse, one staff member told us we could take photos at our table so we tried. But then another staff member came and told us again, no photos. The mixed messages and their tone were incredibly unprofessional. What upset me most was when I asked for clarification, and someone implied that it was about what we were wearing suggesting that certain outfits are not appropriate” for taking pictures. That was offensive and unacceptable. Many people go to restaurants wearing similar outfits and take photos without being judged or restricted. It felt discriminatory and judgmental. If a restaurant has such a strict no-photo policy, it should be clearly stated at the entrance or at the time of booking. And if they expect people to follow a certain dress code to take photos, they should make that known upfront not embarrass or shame their guests after they’re already inside. People go to restaurants for many reasons family time, business dinners, friendly catch-ups. For most, it’s about enjoying the moment, creating memories, and yes, sometimes taking photos. That’s not something to be treated as inappropriate or disrespectful. Unfortunately, this experience has completely changed how I feel about this place. No matter how nice the interior looks, if the staff don’t know how to treat guests with kindness and respect, then it’s not a place worth...

have never posted a bad review about anything, but this time I can't stay quiet.

my three friends and I visited your outlet today. First of all, it's fine for you to have your own policies, but some of them were absolutely ridiculous.

We were taking mirror selfies in the outside area of the bathroom, and we were told that it was against your policy — apparently because the male and female bathrooms are in the same area. That already felt a bit weird, especially since there weren’t any other guests around. Still, we accepted it and sat down.

Then, when we were about to order, the staff kept rushing us. They didn’t even let us take a moment to decide. We politely asked for a little time, but they still came back 2-3 times, hurrying us again.

Anyway, we placed our order within 7 minutes. But the food quality was bad — still, we didn’t say anything. Then someone came and told us we couldn’t take pictures. I was like, what the actual hell? When I asked why, they told us it’s one of their policies again — which was honestly so ridiculous. When we called them out on their behavior and said we’d post a review, suddenly they changed and said we could take one or two photos.

We didn’t agree with that, so we just started taking pictures. While we were doing that, they literally started following us and even switched off the lights — just so we couldn’t take any more photos. At that point, I was extremely frustrated and angry, but I still didn’t say anything.

The final straw was when they started being mean to us.

Even then, we stayed calm, paid the bill, and left.So tell me — what kind of policy is that? I can’t even take pictures of myself in a restaurant where I’m paying to sit and eat? Are you serious?

If this is your policy, it should be clearly mentioned on your posts, stories, and in the restaurant itself. And honestly, the staff was extremely rude. They were literally saying mean things about us while we were still there.

So, to anyone planning to visit — please be aware of their behavior. And if anyone else has been there before, let me know — was your experience...