Lalezar, Dubai

After officially reviewing almost 100 restaurants in detail, (No I didn’t review Starbucks, Tim Hortons, KFC and McDonalds) I can confidently say that service is the key! Even if your food is average, the service MUST be good. It is an integral part of a restaurant! It matters even more if the restaurant is located in a Five star Hotel.

Lalezar – serving Turkish cuisine and a signature restaurant at Zabeel Saray in Palm Jumeirah. The interiors are stunning and literally feels like walking into a Turkish Palace with great marble detailing. Unfortunately, that’s where the grand feeling ends and the poor service begins.

We waited 20 minutes for someone to take our order after literally shouting to be served. The service just kept moving from bad to worse! The tables around us never got cleaned through the our entire sitting. There was food and napkins thrown on the floor and the worst part is the servers walking over them without a blink!

Drinks – Overdose of sugar syrups. Ordered a Virgin Pina Colada and a Fresh juice, only to send it back and replace them with Coke. The drinks were downright disappointing.

Lentil Soup – The lentil soup was not bad at all. A lot more flavorful than the Arabic or the Iranian lentil soup.

Lalezar Signature Appetizer – Sharing Plate came with 10 various dishes. Our favorites were the sausage and deep fried baby squid.

Beyti Kebab – Not only had an excellent presentation but also the taste. Minced lamb kebab wrapped in crispy Saj bread with Kashkaval cheese and walnuts.

Iskendar Kebab – The famous dish of Turkey literally found on every street of Istanbul and Turkey.. Thinly cut beef and lamb, bread cubes and tomato sauce along with some yogurt.

Kuzu Pirzola – Chargrilled lamb chops with vegetables and served with a side of Firik rice. We didn’t enjoy the lamb chops much but the rice was unique and flavorful!

Sheesha – The Sheesha was served outdoors with a pleasing view but once again the service was crap. No waiters or servers in sight. Took us 20 minutes to get a bottle of water.

Dessert – While I tried the Traditional Baklava, Dubaigirl opted for the Taza Meyveler or the Fresh fruits (which I think is the worst dessert). The Baklava was served with a side of vanilla ice cream and we paired it with Turkish tea!

 

Our entire visit was utterly dissapointing! In addition to the poor service, the servers never replaced the dirty spoons and forks at our table. We had to shout for them everytime! We were sorrounded by filthy tables by the end of the night. The staff is clearly untrained.

Lalezar has a good atmosphere and decent food. If only they could improve the service and hire a professional team, it would be worth a visit!