We went here with my husband for lunch last Sunday. Among all the restaurants in the district we have decided to go to Ella as we have many times before. I'm Turkish and my husband is French and Ella has always made us feel home (Istanbul) with great dishes and service and friendly chats. Well, it was a huge disappointment and I am disgusted by what has happened...
We entered on this rainy afternoon around 2-3pm and the server made us sit near the fridge - a table with two seats. The restaurant was 90% empty and I asked if we can change our table since it was very uncomfortable near the fridge. (We changed our table there many times before without any problem) She said that it's orders of the boss - big tables are for groups - the rest for couples (and there are only 2-3 tables with two seats in that restaurant by the way) she said if you want you can sit downstairs (where there's no service, it's near the door and across the kitchen - in an empty restaurant) so I said I came here before many times and this has never been a problem, she replied "everybody says that" We have decided to sit where we are. She came back and said "i'll divide this 4 seated table and you can sit here" - finally, a solution after 15 minutes.
I was already feeling weird after all this drama. She arrived, took our orders. We asked for lahmacun (Turkish pizza) to share as starter and 2 main dishes with drinks. She arrived with the starter - uncut, no knives.
Normally they serve fresh and hot pitas (like at any Turkish/Kurdish restaurant in the world, it's served automatically at kebab restaurants in Turkey, in France) and ezme (tomato salad). She hasn't served anything so I wondered if their service has changed. She said "boss told us not to serve clients who ordered starters" (??) She went down and came back with pita and ezme and said "I'm new here but these are the orders I do what they say" I said you didn't have to bring anything, I just found it strange boss this boss that and since we came here many times before.... She cut me and repeated again "everyone says that" I said please put an end to this 'everyone says that' as if I'm lying... She looked at me with a super arrogant face and left the table... I said to my husband "if this is the case and the style of the service we won't really come back" She said "as you like" in Turkish with her back turned at me...
I said "as you like? Ah ok then we are leaving" We stood up, went to the desk to pay the drinks and the starter which we didn't eat by the way, she started gossipping with the other employees in Turkish, they all started laughing (!) the guy at the kitchen said what's going on, she said one more time "leave as you like" and then she said in Turkish " these (not they) think we are their slaves", a young guy - the cashier - laughing (!) took my credit card, I paid, we left, went to a Mexican restaurant instead.
I wrote a review on their Facebook page explaining the situation, no apology, nothing. Instead they deleted both my review and my husband's.
This restaurant for me was the best kebab restaurant in the district, well even in the city. They had local very delicious and correct dishes from south & southeast of Turkey. Yet, I have never ever seen such an awful, hateful, hostile service like this before. Neither in Turkey, nor in France..
Customer relationship at Ella is quite medieval and I've been here with family, with friends, suggested it to tons of people, local guides - we just celebrated my husband's birthday here in late May. I regret all that.
If you want to be humiliated, it is the right adress. Food is great but the service & the attitude; they are more than horrible. Here the customer is not right, the people who work there see in themselves the right to mock you until the exit. read more
