BAB ALHARA Restaurant — Restaurant in Scotland

Left underwhelmed....

Family were pretty hyped to visit this place considering the wrath of glowing reviews. The restaurant is nice and clean with attractive decals on the walls giving you sense of the traditional feel. Whilst new to the traditional cuisine I didn't find it particularly outstanding but it was nice. After a brief chat with the waitress (who was very polite and patient) we decided on qozi chicken, lamb shank, mixed grill and for starters kibbeh with fish pakoras. Starters were tasty, the fish was particularly good, the kibbeh was a small portion but felt it needed some dipping sauce. The qozi chicken was more or less grilled chicken (dry) on the bone served with loads of plainish rice which came with taps per my choice - for my personal taste the dish lacked flavour and the tapsi wasnt sufficient to lift dryness of the rather large chicken and rice portion. The lamb shank was cooked extremely well, such tender meat falling off the bone which was cooked to perfection. The flavour was quite mild....but more so it just wasn't exciting. The mixed grill (for 2) was a good portion, came with lamb kebabs, chicken tikkas, chicken doner and lamb doner. The chicken and lamb here was good and juicy and had a nice taste but its pretty hard to get a wrong! The chicken and lamb doners had the typical salty taste (Nice) but the cuts were dry and a bit hard as if had been cooking on the grill for ages or not very fresh. My biggest criticism comes at the end, we ordered desert, death by chocolate, luckily it wasn't the end of us ha! It took around 20-25mins to be served - after asking how long it will be. Once served it became clear, it was frozen rock solid! I can only expect it was being left out to defrost hence the delay, but it would have probably needed 2 hours to defrost to an edible state. My little girl was disappointed and we sent it back. Another point, there are dishes on the menu lacking any description, this took us time to order. The page with pictures of the dishes was a good touch. Asked for the bill, requested to have the desert removed, which should have been out of courtesy but was met with mild resistance - note to manager, never argue with reasonable requests from the customer! The matter was resolved rather amicably in the end. To sum up we left pretty disappointed, the food in general was nice but boring and was lacking flavour. It was just...

Absolutely shocking hospitality, I came here to have a good time but was constantly made to feel like a burden on the restaurant. Manager (Amanda) was constantly complaining about cost cutting and how she thinks the menu is too cheap. Waitress was bringing me baklava and after waiting ages manager suddenly decides that I can’t have it and goes totally against what the waitress said and starts arguing with me! I will never be returning here and do not recommend it. Horrible and stingy manager and boss. Show no respect towards customers or any means of providing basic customer satisfaction. Lunch menu was misleading and manager kept making us feel bad for ordering off it. This place is so pathetic You cant tell your customers to wait on something and then just tell them after they have waited that you can’t fulfil what you agreed you would give them with absolutely no compensation or remorse. All she said was ‘there is nothing I can do about it’ (would it really kill your business to give at least ONE small piece of baklava just to not upset a customer as you already agreed you were bringing it!) Customers don’t remember the prices of things as much as they remember the experience and service provided. This was one of the worst ways I’ve been treated in a restaurant and I was desperate to just get out of there. Will tell my family and friends to steer away too, no one deserves to be treated that way. Manager is so obsessed with cost cutting to the customers face, I wonder how much ‘cost cutting’ happens in the kitchen. Beware! On a more positive note, the dark haired, slim waitress was lovely and was apologising for the inconvenience and upsetting experience that the manager and boss caused. She had great hospitality skills and tried her best to give us a good experience - manager and boss should learn from her! Honestly, spend a few extra pounds and go somewhere where you will actually be treated with respect, fairly and...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Al Sultan in Glasgow with my partner, and I must say it was an overall enjoyable experience.

Firstly, the restaurant had a neat and hygienic atmosphere, which made for a pleasant dining environment. The cleanliness was apparent throughout, although the toilet fittings appeared a bit outdated, they were still well-maintained and clean.

The service at Al Sultan was excellent, and our server went above and beyond to enhance our dining experience. They recommended a selection of teas, and the one we chose was fantastic. It added a unique touch to our meal and left a lasting impression.

Speaking of the food, we ordered the biryani and peri peri grilled chicken. While the peri peri chicken was perfect in every way, the biryani fell short of expectations. As someone of Indian origin, I found the biryani lacking authenticity. It was soggy and overly spiced, with ingredients such as garam masala and English vegetables that felt out of place. It seemed more like an instant preparation rather than a carefully cooked biryani.

However, one standout element of our dining experience was the Arabic tea. It was a truly wonderful experience, both in taste and presentation. The flavors were rich and satisfying, and the way it was served added an extra touch of impressiveness.

Overall, dining at Al Sultan provided a refreshing break from bland food and offered a unique experience. While the biryani may not have met my expectations, the exceptional service and the delightful Arabic tea made up for it. If you're looking for a different dining experience, Al Sultan is definitely...