[ FISH RESTAURANT ] Two reviews of the same experience - your choice

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 20:32

To understand this thread, read this post first, please.

http://www.cyprus44.com/forums/80774.asp

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 20:33

5.15 pm Arrival at Sirinyali Fish Restaurant. Warm welcome at the door by Hamit (restaurant manager?) - expressing his hope that we would become regular customers again - and shortly afterwards by Hakki (see msg 1) also. Felt at home again at once! Sat down with four EU friends and ordered some drinks.

Choice from the rich, revised menu. Staff wrote it all down and hurried to the kitchen. Within a very reasonable time all orders were delivered at our table. All six of us enjoyed a great meal. Example: our friend B. had his 15 plates of mezze and then a great fish (40 TL).

Had coffee, talked again to the manager, who regularly checked our table to make sure his potentially new customers were fine.

Great evening. After this fine experience we will certainly go back.

Or will we? Read the second review and make up your mind.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 20:35

5.15 pm Arrival at Sirinyali Fish Restaurant. Nobody there to say we were welcome. Luckily finding some friends and we sat down. After 30 odd minutes we decided we might get a drink if we ordered at the bar. - Yes!

Ordered different choices from a very limited menu (fish you can buy in several other places). Waited. Yes! “Mezze” we didn’t order arrived. Confusion. The staff wrote it down again and delivered the same “mezze” again. More salad than a Cypriot Turkish goat could eat in two days.

Shortly now. Two out of the party of six didn’t get any food. Asked the waitress. Answer: the kitchen does not have what you ordered. Manager? Sitting at the table next to us. Showed him two empty plates with an unspoken question... Answer, not bothering to stand and come to the table: “Your food is coming soon.” (Kitchen didn’t HAVE the ordered food!).

Summary: NO, this was it, never again.

I hate to say it, but this local restaurant is not worth doing business.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 20:36

I’m so angry (and hungry) that I may have forgotten some details, but if so I’ll do that in the next posts. If you don’t mind - I’m really trying to save you some money. Don't go there. It's a chaos.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 20:57

I hope you spoke to one of the managers

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 21:03

Re: Msg 2,

Did they have proper fish and chips on the menu, not this fresh disgusting stuff with a head, full of bones, which I don't know how to eat?

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 21:06

@ msg 5, philbailey: I must reply to give the manager due credit. Although you could have read his reaction in post # 3, but I'll write it down again for you.

Manager Hamit was having some food and drinks with (Cypriot) Turkish friends/acqaintances at the table next to us and replied smilingly with “Your food is coming soon.” when I lifted my empty plate and showed it. (The kitchen didn’t HAVE the ordered food as the waitress told us - after one of our party went to the kitchen to find out the facts!).

What else would you like us to have asked the manager?

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 21:13

So you did not speak to him to complain

just showed your plates?



Thought if you complained before you left

maybe he could have explained

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
11/12/2011 21:17

@ msg 8, philbailey: If you ever visit the TRNC you must go there and have a meal. I'm sure you'll do better than the six of us (and four other people, probably Brits, at another table, who ordered and didn't get any food either).

Enjoy your meal - if you manage to get it.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 09:49

Hakki (re: msg 1), isn't this thread the place for you to comment?! Thank you.

ROBIN HOOD


Joined: 26/05/2008
Posts: 238

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 11:31

probably too embarassed. I would be. Grand opening night? Free welcome drink? Finger food? Not a chance. Just a lousy selection of food begrudgingly served and an overloud "disco" which killed any chance of conversation. It seems the staff were more interested in dancin´g and singing along than dealing with the paying customer. Well, I expect they'll have much more time to themselves in future. Although it is only 100 yds away I'll not be tempted back.

Hakki I thought you'd do better than that. Very sad.

metininkibris


Joined: 12/12/2011
Posts: 86

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 11:47

I have been many times before to this place by the sea ,nice setting the owners very rude and not welcoming prices were in Euros ! and expensive, not one for me Hakki bad move .

Ralph96



Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 531

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 12:05

When you turn into Karsiyaka square and drive all the way to the sea there is a resturant on stilts, Is this the one ???

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 12:12

@ msg 13, Ralph96: The restaurant is called Sirinyali (a small and a big sign on the front).

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 18:41

Hakki (re: msg 1), isn't this thread the place for you to comment?! A deafening silence is not exactly damage control.

suehowlittle


Joined: 31/10/2010
Posts: 1202

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 18:47

What a shame, this used to be our absolute favourite place. We loved it when it was just Hamit and his family. We used to go in the fridge to choose our own fish. It was informal and Hamit used to write your order down on the inside of his cigarette packet, there were no prices, no menu, nothing and therin was its charm because he never fleeced you and you always left full and feeling that you'd paid a very fair price for your meal and drinks.



Hamit in those days once offered to sell us the place for £350,000 including the house (wonder why?) Anyway, we did not retire here to work so we gracefully declined this startling offer!!



But Hamit got older and tired - he could not go on for ever. But we kept trying the place whenever his nephew or some person who used to work for Niazis took over. It was shocking over and over again and we vowed never to go again until I read the first part of your review. Then on scrolling down read the truth.



Sorry to say we will never go near the p

aussiejock



Joined: 06/10/2010
Posts: 350

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 19:04

DutchCrusader I enjoyed your review of this restaurant I thought it was well presented, your message 2 had me thinking this was one of the best restaurants out there, untill I read message 3, and what a let down, I just couldn't believe that anyone could go through another faulty towers, are you shure his name wasn't Basil faulty, but must say I enjoyed your Interpretation of a great night out. but sorry you threw your money away.





Robert

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 19:09

Fish Restaurants in TRNC are generally a non starter given the very poor selection of fish/Shellfish available in the Eastern "DEAD" MED....

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 22:09

@ msg 17, aussiejock: (...) but sorry you threw your money away. (...)

▶ Huh? You don't think I paid for a meal I ordered, waited for but didn't get, do you...?!

cavalryman


Joined: 08/11/2010
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
12/12/2011 22:23

Its sad that some people do not learn from their experiences hakki (who i do not know ) has been at the corner bar and the queen bar.This venture does also not look as if it will succeed either you would think the owners would have done more research into who they let the business to as its a reflection on them too.Maybe its just if you are a local you can do it if you fail so what? and people ask why we have bad places to eat.

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 07:24

I can only think there must be two Sirinyali restaurants. Arrived there yesterday lunchtime. Empty. A genteleman came and said hello, we asked for Hakki, he looked confused then we sais, this is Hakki's nwe place, and he said, no Hakki, ths is my place. We left. Hakki where are you?

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 10:44

@ msg 21, pollymarples: (...) I can only think there must be two Sirinyali restaurants. (...)



▶ No, there's only one Şirinyalı Fish Restaurant in Karşiyaka. And last Sunday Hakki was present when the "opening party", which he announced on this board, was supposed to have started at 5 pm. He was suddenly gone so I could not ask him for an explanation about anything. That's why I sent him a SMS yesterday - to give him a fair although belated chance to reply to the reviews of (t)his event.

For one reason or another Hakki has not reacted (yet?).

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 12:00

Well at my age DC it doesn't take much to confuse me. but for the owner (if he was) to look and act as if he had no idea who Hakki was and more importantly where he was, left me wondering if I had just had a dreamt it all and that no post had been put on here.



Needless to say, since I no longer live in Karisyaka, I will not be looking for Hakki again. Be interested to hear what you find out DC.

cavalryman


Joined: 08/11/2010
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 12:56

From what I have heard the owners did not even know themselves of the (change) the person you spoke to must have been the tenant.

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 17:56

He just kept saying 'no Hakki' my restaurant. Hakki did e mail before the 'do' but I never attend openings, just usually go afterwards. No harm done.

blade


Joined: 19/06/2010
Posts: 1286

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 19:00

Opposite the Colony / same road, between two petrol stations there is a small cafe looks a bit of a greasy spoon from the outside. Its the best place to eat fish here, the guy is also a fish monger,he knows his fish. Don't expect posh but expect good food.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 20:04

With the greatest of respect Blade, "Knowing your Fish "here, all 4 species is hardly an exercise in Easter Med marine biodiversity......

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 20:06

Sorry! Eastern Med....not Easter Med , it's not even Christmas Yet.......

queenbar


Joined: 14/06/2009
Posts: 427

Message Posted:
13/12/2011 22:29

My dear friend Duchcrusader'H' and lovely customers I am really apologize!On Sunday I am realized that I made big mistake by being in share with owner of that fish restaurant.For many years I was trying to serve in best way for you in Cyprus Queen bar.And I decided to open the same bar and restaurant again but I understood that I made a mistake.I always tryed to serve you good but I realized that union business is not good.So on Sunday it was my opening and closing day of that union fish restaurant.Again I apologize my lovely customers!!!I hope to you after that at the only place of good service at Cyprus Queen Bar.On Wednesday the 14th of December we are inviting you for a Karaoke Night with Ozi B. It will start at 8.30 pm



Come and have fun with us!



Q.B

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
14/12/2011 09:50

Thank you for your reply, Hakki. It's no use to go back to the moment we met in the fish restaurant and tell you now what you could have said to our party that moment - we would have left right away. So, as far as I'm concerned, this thread may be closed by a moderator.

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
14/12/2011 10:38

So Hakki, are you definietly back at the Cyprus Queen?

queenbar


Joined: 14/06/2009
Posts: 427

Message Posted:
14/12/2011 18:24

Dear my friends for many years we spent together bad days and good days. Really would you like to see me at Queen Bar for an unlimited service?Are you ready to start for being all together? Please write me your good or bad opinions about this!!!











Q.B

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 00:16

I only hope the reply was either copied and pasted

on other sites or also to be closed



example



http://www.cyprusnow.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=368&sid=fb0942c3f613ca76d2b4e5e16554f4f2

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 00:24

Re: Msg33,



Could you please translate your message into English?



Je ne comprends pas.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 00:31

Msg 34

I only hope that the reply from the owner

was also reported on another site

that also "damned" a place

on a personal opinion

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 00:47

Re: Msg 35,

Have you ever heard the term "customer review"?

Nowadays all hotels, restaurants and other establishments have them - positive and negative - the sign of the times.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 00:53

msg 36

maybe the accused does not know the site

many do not

but the reply should be known



this is not trip advisor

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 01:12

Re: Msg37,



It is so nice

that you write

in stanzas,



But the meaning is still escaping me...

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3534

Message Posted:
16/12/2011 05:46

I mean that the owner replied on here, there is also a thread on the OP's own forum where the reply has yet to be posted .