Istanbul Restaurant — Restaurant in Great Britain

Amazing food, completely ruined by what is hands down the worst service I’ve ever experienced. I used to work in hospitality, so I tend to go easy on staff, so you can imagine how bad it had to be for me to write this.

We ordered Soup, Lamb liver, Lahmacun, A platter for two, Two drinks

It started off fine with the starters. Once the main platter arrived, that’s when it went downhill. None of the starter dishes had been cleared. The soup was still there, the empty bread basket, a wooden serving block, and all our starter plates. They just started adding dishes to the already full table and told us to “make space.” Can you not see things can be taken away?

We asked at least three times for the table to be cleared and some new plates. Nothing was done unless we specifically spelled it out and even then no initiative was taken.

When they finally cleared the table (after my wife got up and sought someone out), they didn’t bring new plates. So there we were, ten minutes after the platter arrived, still waiting to eat it. In the end, we had to eat a whole platter off the tiny side plates. Imagine the feeling we felt when the table next to us had their table cleaned and actual 30cm plates given to them! Whilst we were picking off a side plate!

The soup bowl, excess cutlery and lamb liver was still on the table at this point.

I had enough and asked the waiter with glasses to pack our platter for takeaway. I was told to pack it myself. I was handed two small burger boxes. I had a full platter to pack into burger boxes. I couldn’t even be bothered to argue at that point so I left part of the meal (which I paid for) behind as it simply wouldn’t fit.

We’d already been given a third box earlier for other food, and still that wasn’t enough. At this point I left.

Never in my life do I leave a table uncleared or in a messy state to respect the staff, but I wasn’t even given a single opportunity to clear which I was eating, nor was I shown any respect.

I’ve ordered from here several times and genuinely enjoyed the food and that’s why I finally decided to dine in. But after this experience, I can confidently say that I won’t be considering food from here again....

Two stars for Istanbul restaurant and here's why: (I'll start first with what I liked because I'm a positive person)

The restaurant looked clean enough although I would have appreciated it much more if there were more tissues in the table instead of one. Also, I liked the fact that the staff were wearing a uniform that stood out which is something that I appreciate when going to a restaurant. It helps you identify the staff instead of embarrassing yourself and asking a fellow customer to bring you a glass of water and apologize repeatedly when they say they don't work there.

The lamb kofte tasted actually like meat. I usually find that Turkish restaurants overload kofte with red chilli and spices that you don't taste the meet. This was not the case here so I highly recommend this for you. Unfortunately, these were the only two positive things that I noticed there. I was really looking forward to visit this restaurant because it seemed always busy and some friends have recommended me to check it.

For an order of grills which are already prepared, it took them almost 30 minutes to put it on our table! It was not worth the wait. Very slow service and unfriendly staff who would not smile (perhaps too stressed because of being too busy but still). The rice was very cold and poor quality, I visit lots of Turkish and Indian restaurants and I can tell the quality of the rice by just looking at it.

It was a small portion of food if compared to the money I paid and if compared to other restaurants. I did not like the rice, the doner and the chicken wings. The chicken shish and ribs were fine.

Unfortunately, I did not like the environment as well. Too busy, too noisy and squeezed. Some piano music would have helped. Also, I did not appreciate the fact that the waitress asked us to eat and leave in one hour because "the table was booked" but later did not kick us out because the food was served late. I'd recommend a full re-training to...

I recently visited with high hopes for a delightful evening. The ambiance was inviting, and the menu boasted an array of enticing dishes. However, the experience was marred by an unexpected and unpleasant occurrence involving the staff.

Upon entering, I was greeted warmly and seated promptly. The initial service was attentive, and the food was indeed delightful. The flavors were exquisite, and each dish was crafted with evident skill and attention to detail. The atmosphere contributed positively to the dining experience, creating a pleasant environment for patrons.

Regrettably, the evening took an unexpected turn when a dispute erupted among the staff. Their argument over which region was the first to develop a particular culinary technique became increasingly loud and disruptive. It was apparent that their focus shifted from attending to the customers to resolving their disagreement.

This dispute, while seemingly trivial in subject matter, had a profound impact on the overall experience. The once-impeccable service faltered as the staff's attention wavered, leaving tables unattended and customers neglected. It was disheartening to witness the decline in service quality due to the internal discord among the staff members.

Despite the excellence of the food and the inviting atmosphere, the unfortunate episode involving the staff's dispute overshadowed the positive aspects of the evening. The lack of attention and care towards customers due to their argument left a sour note and significantly impacted the overall enjoyment of the dining experience.

In conclusion, while the culinary offerings and ambiance at [Restaurant/Establishment Name] were commendable, the unresolved staff conflict cast a shadow over an otherwise promising evening. It is my hope that the management addresses such issues to ensure that future patrons are not deprived of the exceptional experience that this establishment has the...