Tembo Beach Club & Resort — Restaurant in Ko Samui

A Beautiful Location with Room for Improvement

The restaurant is situated in a stunning location, and its ambiance is equally impressive. The dining area is thoughtfully designed, offering a spacious and comfortable atmosphere. The sanitary facilities are clean and well-maintained, and the breakfast menu provides a good selection of choices.

However, despite these positives, our experience was significantly impacted by the service and food quality.

Firstly, the language barrier posed a recurring challenge. Several different waiters struggled to understand simple English, which led to repeated miscommunications when placing our orders. In an establishment of this caliber, a better level of language proficiency among the staff would be expected.

Secondly, the food quality did not meet expectations. We ordered the continental breakfast, and all four of us independently found it to be lacking in taste. This was not a matter of personal preference but a shared impression across our group.

Thirdly, the breakfast was presented on a three-tier serving stand, but no plates were provided. We had to request them separately, which seemed like a basic oversight.

Additionally, while the coffee was strong—a quality some may appreciate—I requested hot water to dilute it. Unfortunately, this request was forgotten.

Another issue arose with the complementary orange juice included in our breakfast sets. When it was not served, we inquired and were told that guests must explicitly ask for it, despite it being part of the set. This policy is both unusual and counterintuitive.

Perhaps most concerning was the overall demeanor of the staff. We remained polite and patient throughout, but the waiters appeared noticeably irritated and unfriendly, despite the restaurant not being particularly busy at the time.

It is disappointing to encounter such service and kitchen issues in a restaurant with so much potential. With improved attention to hospitality and food quality, this could be a wonderful place to visit regularly. As it stands, however, the experience fell well below expectations for a venue in this...

The restaurant is situated in a stunning location, and its ambiance is equally impressive. The dining area is thoughtfully designed, offering a spacious and comfortable atmosphere. The sanitary facilities are clean and well-maintained, and the breakfast menu provides a good selection of choices.||However, despite these positives, our experience was significantly impacted by the service and food quality.||Firstly, the language barrier posed a recurring challenge. Several different waiters struggled to understand simple English, which led to repeated miscommunications when placing our orders. In an establishment of this caliber, a better level of language proficiency among the staff would be expected.||Secondly, the food quality did not meet expectations. We ordered the continental breakfast, and all four of us independently found it to be lacking in taste. This was not a matter of personal preference but a shared impression across our group.||Thirdly, the breakfast was presented on a three-tier serving stand, but no plates were provided. We had to request them separately, which seemed like a basic oversight.||Additionally, while the coffee was strong—a quality some may appreciate—I requested hot water to dilute it. Unfortunately, this request was forgotten.||Another issue arose with the complementary orange juice included in our breakfast sets. When it was not served, we inquired and were told that guests must explicitly ask for it, despite it being part of the set. This policy is both unusual and counterintuitive.||Perhaps most concerning was the overall demeanor of the staff. We remained polite and patient throughout, but the waiters appeared noticeably irritated and unfriendly, despite the restaurant not being particularly busy at the time.||It is disappointing to encounter such service and kitchen issues in a restaurant with so much potential. With improved attention to hospitality and food quality, this could be a wonderful place to visit regularly. As it stands, however, the experience fell well below expectations for a venue in this...

I really want to like this place, especially for its' ambition and the fact that the more beach clubs and upscale restaurants, bars and boutique hotels in the Bangrak area of Koh SamuiI the better, but I can't.

Whether its the cheap "IKEA" loungers, the vast void areas, the lack of finese or style, the awkward design of the swimming pool, the locked and unattended boutique, the tacky blue and neon lights that come out at night or the clumsy menu, it all makes it unlovable. But not unfixable

Last February I walked in for late lunch at around 2.30pm, there was no one to greet me so I sat at a table in the restaurant area and got out some paperwork;

When I finally got attention from the staff, a manger came over and said I could not sit at my table as it was for 6 people and I was only one person. I said "guys you have a completely empty restaurant and its 2.30pm, when are you expecting the rush? " The manger was adamant, so I prompty left and went elsewhere where I was made to feel more welcome.

In December I arrived with a group of 12 for brunch, the staff arranged a bigger table quickly and gave us menus, there were another 3/4 tables occupied plus some people on loungers. After 20 minutes and no service, no order taken, no drinks we got up and left, I tried to persuade the group to wait, but they were hungry.

The poor waiter was on his own serving the whole beach club alongside one barman.

So to my latest attempt to love this place.

I went to meet friends who had chosen Tembo . I ordered a beer which was swiftly brought to me by the barman along side a 250Baht (€7 bill) for a single beer, it was not necessarily the price, which is double that of local 5 star hotel prices on the island, it is that I am expected to pay a service charge for the dude pouring a beer and passing it across the counter i.e doing his job.

Needless to say other than the excellent DJ the place was pretty empty again.

I really hope these guys succeed, as it has all the potential to be great, but it seems they need some experienced...