El Fondouk — Restaurant in Djerba Island

I came to the restaurant a day before my birthday for reservation I found lady talking French I told her that I want to make reservation for tomorrow for my birthday occasion she told me “ you don’t need just come tomorrow between 7 am and 8 am , you will find me Then I will make sure to give you special small cake with candle from us “ I was extremely happy then I came the day after I was waiting for 2 hours until I realized they open at 9 am I didn’t find her I found someone else told him what she said to me he said literally to me “ I work in morning she works at night we can’t offer you what she offered “ then he asked his colleagues about candles and he told they don’t have then told me do need something else I forgot about the cake and my birthday I was extremely hungry and tired because it was my 1st time in Djerba and I came from the north of Tunisia to celebrate my birthday in Djerba after that I requested crepe and Arabic coffee I was waiting for 30 minutes then told me there is no coffee now it took time to be cooked and I told him i can’t eat crepe without Arabic coffee because I like to drink it without sugar to enjoy its bitterness with chocolate of the crepe then I was waiting for other 30 minutes and he brought the disgusting coffee with sugar , I will never ever come to this place and I will never recommend it period !!! Worst...

We had one of the most disappointing dining experiences I can recall.

The starters, a complimentary brik and a Chinese-style fried wrapper, arrived soggy and cold. The octopus salad that followed came without dressing; we couldn’t place what seemed off, but we were hungry and only asked about it after eating two-thirds. The server confirmed it was supposed to have a dressing and offered to remake it, but we just asked for some dressing to finish what was left.

Mains were better in flavor, the lamb was tasty though not fully heated. Still, details were lacking: I had to stabilize a rocking table myself with a napkin and had to ask three times before I was given a replacement napkin.

The real issue came at the end. When I politely asked if the octopus salad could be removed from the bill, a staff member accused us of lying, insisting the dish had dressing and refusing to acknowledge any mistake. It was combative and humiliating. I paid just to leave. A woman who may have been the owner saw this and asked about our experience, but when I explained, her dismissive response was simply that it was a busy night. No apology, no accountability.

If you care about food quality, service, or ambiance, this is not the place. Mistakes happen, but doubling down and blaming the customer is unconscionable. Something is...

Our experience at El Fondouk was deeply frustrating. Despite adhering to there no-reservation policy by arriving promptly at 7pm for our large group of 16 people (11 adults, 5 kids), and seeing our tables prepared, the staff stressed us because not every member was present and seated at 7pm. We clearly explained others were in their way to the restaurant, but they dismissed our assurances and didn't believe us, they even gave one of our tables away to another group of people. This rigid enforcement, threatening and lack of trust for a large group, especially after we arrived on time as required, showed zero flexibility and ruined our mood for dinner . we were met with suspicion – questioned like we weren't telling the truth about our arriving guests. This pressure, followed by them giving our table away, stripped away any sense of pleasure . We felt deeply humiliated, turning what should have been a joyful gathering into a stressful and unpleasant dinner. The guest satisfaction and joy is their last concern. Filling all the tables' policy, no matter how, ruined our culinary experience. The menu was very limited, the food was delicious and generous but the dessert was horrible and under expectations. I certainly will...