Lulu — Restaurant in Xàbia / Jávea

My recent visit to Lulu Beach Club was not just disappointing — it was deeply unsettling due to the aggressive and unprofessional behavior of our server, Rory B. What should have been a relaxing evening with friends and family turned into an uncomfortable and tense experience that escalated beyond what should ever be acceptable in any service environment.

It began when I made a light-hearted, friendly comment about the garlic bread being a small portion for our table of six. It was clearly a joke — but instead of receiving it in good spirits, Rory leaned down toward me, got uncomfortably close, eye-to-eye, and said flatly, “Sorry, bud,” in a way that felt confrontational and passive-aggressive. It immediately changed the tone of the meal and left us feeling uneasy.

His negative attitude continued throughout the night. When we asked about the beers on the menu (none of which were available), he responded with visible irritation, as if we were annoying him simply by asking.

But the worst moment came at the end of the meal. I was on a work trip and needed a receipt, so I was filling out the payment on the screen. Rory stood over my shoulder, staring at me as I tipped him $39 (a full 20%), and once I hit “print,” he coldly said “Have a good night, folks.” I asked about the receipt, and he came back, stared me down, and said in an aggressive tone, “Do you want a receipt? I’ll get you one.” When I asked what his issue was, he shot back: “You’re the one that has a problem with me.”

What makes this worse — and what should alarm Lulu Beach Club management — is that there were small children at the table who witnessed this aggressive exchange and felt scared. Rory’s energy and tone were intimidating enough that one of our guests’ mothers had to calmly usher the children away to avoid further distress.

Afterward, when I brought all of this to the attention of the manager, I was met with complete dismissal. She showed no genuine concern, offered no apology, and seemed far more interested in minimizing the issue than resolving it. Her indifference not only failed to address the situation — it made it worse. It was clear that the concerns of a guest — especially one trying to shield their family from a hostile encounter — were not being taken seriously.

This is not just about poor service — this is about a server creating a hostile, inappropriate atmosphere, with behavior that could be seen as threatening, especially in front of families and children. Rory B. should not be working in a public-facing role, and if Lulu Beach Club wants to protect its reputation and provide a safe environment for guests, this needs to be addressed immediately.

We will absolutely not be returning, and I strongly encourage others to reconsider dining here until this kind of behavior...

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE

It goes without saying that we knew that Lulu Beach Club doesn’t have a beach. No big deal the vibes are very much in keeping with the theme.

My wife and I have been to many beach clubs all over the world. Barbados, Mykonos Tenerife, etc etc. We have lived in Moraira for over 15 years and been coming here for over 30 years. I can honestly say this is the worst service that we have ever received. We arrived at the entrance to a sign saying wait to be seated. We waited 8 minutes and no one turned up. So we took the plunge and walked in the general direction of what appeared to be the restaurant. We were met by the lady who should have been on the front desk. Once our reservation was confirmed, we were shown to the table. We waited for one of the 5 waiters and waitresses to offer us drinks and the menu. No one came. At this point we had been sat for 10 minutes. My wife spotted what appeared to be a senior member of the team and motioned for her to come over. We explained that we hadn’t been given a menu or offered drinks. I felt like we had committed a cardinal sin because the look we received confirmed that we must have broken some sort of protocol. Anyway, I digress. She went to speak to waiter 1, who I presume said it wasn’t his section, then waiter 2 ( same thing) . From what we saw she, with reluctance, grabbed a menu for us to share and disappeared before we could order an aperitif. Having reviewed the menu and made our choices we waited a further 15-20 minutes and no one turned up to take our order. We still hadn’t been offered a drink. Even water would have been acceptable as it was very hot. At this point we stood up and left. On the way out we spotted the disappearing desk lady with a colleague. We explained our dissatisfaction and why we were leaving. We received a less than heartfelt sorry and left.

We had heard good things about LuLu’s. Unfortunately we didn’t get to experience them. We won’t be back.Anywhere can look good and the food( which we didn’t try) can be fantastic. However, if you can’t look after your clients, it all falls down.

Never again. There are plenty of other excellent places in...

EDITED:

New review 07/22/25

After our first visit, Joost — the owner — reached out to us directly to understand what went wrong. We explained everything, and he was genuinely apologetic and clearly upset that things had gone so poorly. He admitted they were unusually overwhelmed that night, but didn’t use it as an excuse. Instead, he invited us to come back for a proper experience — and we said yes.

When we returned, Joost greeted us personally and made sure everything went smoothly from start to finish. The staff was warm, attentive, and a total 180 from before. You could feel the difference.

It’s rare to see an owner care this much — not just about the food, but about the experience. He took a bad night and turned it into something memorable for the right reasons.

Previous Review

I don’t like leaving bad reviews, but when service is this poor, others need to know.

We arrived excited for dinner at 9:26 p.m. and were told to wait at the bar — no problem, we had drinks and waited about 20 minutes. Once seated, we were given food menus but no drink menu. It took 15 minutes just to place our food order, and after that, our server vanished.

We had to flag down random staff to order basic drinks (dirty martini, margarita), but no one seemed to know what we were asking for. When the drinks finally came — after multiple clarifications — they were wrong. Meanwhile, appetizers arrived (minus one), and when we asked about the missing one, we were given uncooked bread.

By 10:45 p.m., still no entrees. We complained, were told “7 more minutes,” but 20 minutes later, nothing. Other tables were also visibly frustrated; one got a complimentary drink tower, but we received no such acknowledgment.

Fed up, we told them we were leaving and asked to cancel the food. Shockingly, they still handed us a check, charged us for the drinks — and even included drinks we hadn’t ordered.

Bottom line: completely unprofessional, disorganized, no apology, no compensation. We left hungry and disappointed. Would...