Mevlana Turkish Kitchen | Southampton — Restaurant in Southampton

I ate at Mevlana a few times with my husband and was so impressed with the food and excellent staff service that I decided to have a big family dinner there for my birthday. I made a booking for 25 people and called the restaurant a few times before the booking date to check booking details and request where we’d like to be seated for the table area to be reserved. I was told all had been arranged for me as I had wished.

On the party evening, 11th October I arrived at Mevlana with my family to find the requested tables had not been reserved and there were customers sitting and eating. The staff member who greeted me had no idea about my party booking and another staff member came over and then asked customers to move onto other tables to make room for me and my guests. Very unprofessional and rude to do with seated customers in my opinion but I guess staff had no other option at the time, as it seemed like they had forgotten to reserve the tables I had asked for when the booking was made.

Once all of my party guests had arrived and been seated, it took 45 minutes for a staff member to come over to our tables and ask for our drinks or starter order. Again I felt this was unprofessional and poor service to guests who have made a large party booking. When the drinks were brought out to everyone, some guests were waiting for an additional 15 minutes for their drinks to come. Another poor service example. The staff then brought over the complimentary bread with dips for our tables and considering that there were 25 guests, they gave us 16 pieces. We asked for more bread which was provided for, but I don’t understand how Mevlana was expecting 25 guests to share 16 pieces of bread between them when there wasn’t even enough for one bread piece each! Poor service example, yet again.

We ordered large family platters which were absolutely exceptional. The food tasted great and was served hot. All guests enjoyed their food and there was plenty for everyone.

I had arranged for a birthday cake with Mevlana when I had made my booking so the staff should have been aware of it beforehand. When the cake was brought out, the staff told us that they didn’t have enough serving plates or forks for me and my guests to eat cake for dessert, and so napkins were given instead. It seems bizarre to me that a large restaurant would not have enough serving plates and forks to use for guests at peak dinner time. I understand that the restaurant was busy with other customers too but the basics of having enough crockery and cutlery for customers, especially when there is a large party booking should be important at a restaurant! That is what customers are coming for, to eat and drink!!! Customers need plates and forks to eat with!

At the end of my party when it was time to pay off the bill and we were getting ready to leave, I was expecting for a courtesy check up from the Manager or staff member, just to ask if all was okay and if there was anything else we needed. I believe this is standard practice at restaurants from what I’ve experienced at other restaurants, especially when there is a large birthday party booking. I was disappointed that nobody came over and spoke to me about my booking to check that all was okay. The staff member just took my payment and walked away. I was wished Happy Birthday by a staff member as I walked out of the door which was really lovely, but that didn’t make up for the disappointment and unprofessional service my guests and I received all evening.

Although the food at Mevlana is outstanding, the restaurant seems to be unable to cope with large party bookings of customers . There was lack of communication between staff from the very beginning, no knowledge of ensuring guests are receiving food and drink adequately, and the restaurant doesn’t have enough facilities for customers.

I would recommend going to Mevlana as a couple or small group, but definitely would not recommend going for a large celebration as customers will be very disheartened and...

We have been meet by waitres who said to us that we can sit wherever we want. We waited for the menu which was brought togheter with the drinks menu. We asked the waiter what is vernicelli in the chicken soup, but she did not know. We asked her politely to find out if possible. She came back with the answer and then we ordered. She brought the ordered drinks and left them on the table for us to pour into our glasses. After the drinks the waiter brought a few sides of bowls containing salate, flat bread, fresh vegetables( onions, tomato, olives, green chillies) and roasted vegetables. That was great, but we were not quite sure if this were a part of the ordered soup which we have ordered for starters or was an appetiser. It will have been useful for the waiter to tell us that this appetisers were from the house. We have then tried the appetisers and the roast vegetables were good, but the flat bread was delicious. We have used some flat bread while we ate our starter soups paca( lamb soup) and chicken soup. I have really enjoyed my lamb soup and the chicken soup which my misses ordered I can frankly say that ours cooked at home is way better. After we have finished out starters we waited for some time for our plates to be cleared, but this did not happened even if there were two waiteres working and only a handful of clients sitting at the tables. Then we have been brought our mains which the waiter was a bit confused were to put them as on the table as we still had our emty soup bowls. We have made space by taking the soup bowls from our front and we put them on the side. The waiter kindly told us to enjoy our food, but she done it with her back turned to us and was two steps away from the table. My chicken and lamb shish was ok, but the rice was barely warm. On the other hand my misses chicken beyti was full of flavour and very appetising. It would have not taken much to make our lunch at Mevlana a great experience. The waiters could have smilled, they could have poor the drink to us, they could have interact with us and let us know that the appetisers are from house and they could have collected those starter dishes rather than focusing on cleaning emty tables. In the end if you like to have a table service you must go to another restaurant and I you like their food it is much better to order a take away. Or you could simply can go a bit further away to Shirley kebabs to buy great food with a smile ...

recently had the opportunity to dine at Mevlana Turkish Kitchen in Shirley, Southampton and wanted to share my experience. Overall, my initial impression of the restaurant was quite positive. The warm welcome and the extra complimentary appetizer set a great tone for the evening. The order-taking process was also efficient, and both the appetizers and drinks were delicious.

However, I must admit that the main course did not live up to the high standard set by the appetizers, which were clearly prepared in the restaurant's kitchen. The lamb shank, in particular, could have been slightly more roasted, and the potatoes could have been cooked or roasted but should be served wit souce not with water. The consistency of the potatoes was neither a sauce nor boiled water, which was a bit disappointing. Another dish called "Stew with rice" deviated significantly from the photo and description on the menu, as it appeared more like a watery, mildly warm rice with unseasoned meat. The slightly overcooked meat on the bones did not match our expectations based on the picture (it's worth checking this with the menu).

Regarding the service, there is room for improvement in terms of customer interaction. However, despite these issues, I would consider returning to Mevlana Turkish Kitchen, but only for their signature dishes mentioned on their menu. It seems that the takeaway section of the kitchen may have prepared the main dishes that was different from what we expected, resembling an item from an open buffet (watery, slightly warm rice and unseasoned meat). The meat falling off the bones (we have seen mainly bones on plate) was different from the picture, so it's worth verifying the accuracy with the menu.

To enhance the overall dining experience, I believe it would be beneficial for the restaurant to focus on a shorter menu, offering a smaller selection of dishes, but presenting them in a beautiful and refined manner. The passion for serving outstanding cuisine truly shines through at Mevlana Turkish Kitchen. Additionally, the inclusion of the swing and mini waterfall adds a nice touch to the ambiance.

In conclusion, Mevlana Turkish Kitchen provided a pleasant dining experience, although there is room for improvement. I recommend concentrating on the signature dishes from the menu and continuing to refine the service. I wish the restaurant success in enhancing the quality and delivering a consistently...