N. N.

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  9      Service  5      Value  4     

I organised for a group of my friends to have dinner at Rumeli on Saturday night. I had not been to Rumeli since they shifted to their upstairs venue, so I was curious to see whether their original hospitality and value for money was still in place. Sadly, I can't say that the transition to a larger venue has done them any favours.

While the ambience of the venue is fantastic, as are the band, the food is definitely *not* what it used to be. For $45.00, I was expecting the food to be more plentiful than it was, but all we ended up with were some very good dips and bread, a plate of half-cold and fairly mediocre meat, rice and salad (and all our meals were served at different times), and a random dish of seasoned chicken. We waited and waited but No dessert was forthcoming, despite it being advertised as part of the banquet we'd paid for).

I'm hoping that most of the $45.00 we paid goes toward the band, because they certainly earned their fees, unlike the (female) bellydancers, who were far from entertaining. Just for once I would like to see a Turkish restaurant hire some female bellydancers who have charisma, talent, actual dancing skills, and some passion behind their craft! The two males who danced were much more polished and had better stage presence than the two women.

Overall, Rumeli is a great place to go for a drink and a dance, but don't expect much in the way of the cuisine. It seems that the shift from a family-style restaurant setting to a large function centre setting has meant compromising quality for quantity.

I'd probably go back at some stage for a fun night out, but I wouldn't really recommend it to my friends.

Nov 27, 2011

5.5 Average

Food  4      Ambience  9      Service  5      Value  4     

I organised for a group of my friends to have dinner at Rumeli on Saturday night. I had not been to Rumeli since they shifted to their upstairs venue, so I was curious to see whether their original hospitality and value for money was still in place. Sadly, I can't say that the transition to a larger venue has done them any favours.

While the ambience of the venue is fantastic, as are the band, the food is definitely *not* what it used to be. For $45.00, I was expecting the food to be more plentiful than it was, but all we ended up with were some very good dips and bread, a plate of half-cold and fairly mediocre meat, rice and salad (and all our meals were served at different times), and a random dish of seasoned chicken. We waited and waited but No dessert was forthcoming, despite it being advertised as part of the banquet we'd paid for).

I'm hoping that most of the $45.00 we paid goes toward the band, because they certainly earned their fees, unlike the (female) bellydancers, who were far from entertaining. Just for once I would like to see a Turkish restaurant hire some female bellydancers who have charisma, talent, actual dancing skills, and some passion behind their craft! The two males who danced were much more polished and had better stage presence than the two women.

Overall, Rumeli is a great place to go for a drink and a dance, but don't expect much in the way of the cuisine. It seems that the shift from a family-style restaurant setting to a large function centre setting has meant compromising quality for quantity.

I'd probably go back at some stage for a fun night out, but I wouldn't really recommend it to my friends.

Nov 27, 2011