Nala Lounge

Featured reviews

• N

  Nursen Gurbuz

  ·3 months ago

  “We visited Nala Lounge in Bournemouth during a weekend getaway, thinking you can’t really go wrong with Turkish food. Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. We ordered the chicken skewer and the Adana kofte. The chicken was partially burnt, and the Adana kofte had a very unpleasant smell, to the point where we had to raise it with the staff. The salad also seemed old and far from fresh. It was honestly the worst Turkish meal we’ve had in the UK, and we couldn’t even finish our food. The starters were decent, but unfortunately that was the only positive aspect of the meal. The shisha wasn’t good either. On a positive note, we asked for ayran, which wasn’t available on the menu, and one of the staff members kindly prepared it for us. That’s the main reason I’m giving 2 stars for the service. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience and not somewhere we would return to.”

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• O

  Okba Alkhalaf

  ·3 months ago

  “Disappointing service and wrong orders (2/5) We ordered 5 burgers with fries, but they only brought one ketchup packet—with no tissues or forks at all. We also ordered a double apple shisha, but they brought double apple with grape instead, and they never changed the charcoal throughout the entire visit. The food is okay, but the service is very poor.”

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• S

  S Aslam

  ·3 months ago

  “I don’t like to leave bad / negative reviews , just want to be as honest as possible. Location & atmosphere good . Staff all good and friendly Food & portions a let down . Very pricey for what it is .”

• İ

  İbrahim KAYA

  ·3 months ago

  “After complaining about the quality of the food, the staff simply nodded and walked away without offering an apology, replacing the meal, or attempting to resolve the issue. The customer service was just as disappointing as the food. The Adana kebab was clearly not fresh it had an unpleasant smell and tasted as though it had gone off. The salad looked and tasted stale, as if it had been left over from the previous day. It was completely unacceptable, especially for a Turkish restaurant that should take pride in serving fresh food. As for the shisha, it was one of the worst I’ve ever had. The flavour was harsh, the smoke quality was poor, and it was obvious that very little care had gone into preparing it. Overall, this was an extremely disappointing experience from start to finish. Poor food quality, terrible customer service, and substandard shisha. I have never experienced such a low standard at a Turkish restaurant, and unfortunately I would not recommend this place to anyone.”

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• B

  Bex Hamilton

  ·5 months ago

  “The space falls flat the moment you walk in. It’s dark, but not in a considered, atmospheric way. The navy walls just absorb everything, so instead of feeling intimate, it feels closed in and heavy. Lighting isn’t doing any lifting. A few hanging bulbs and a strip behind the bar, but no layering, no warmth, no intention. Nothing draws you in or gives your eye somewhere to settle. The “living wall” is plastic and it shows immediately. No depth, no variation, no life. It actually cheapens the space rather than elevating it. And the dust… once you see it, that’s it. It breaks any sense of care. There’s no sense of arrival, no moment where your body drops. The room feels dead. Not calm, not peaceful, just low energy. Like it’s waiting for something that never happens. Nothing is working to settle you. No softness, no sensory balance, no contrast. You’re not uncomfortable, but you’re not relaxed either. You just don’t stay. The bar dominates the space and not in a good way. It’s too linear, too exposed, too brightly underlit. It reads as purely functional. It feels like a shooting alley at a fair that’s overstayed its welcome. There’s no zoning, no sense of where to sit, linger or settle. Tables feel placed rather than considered. The whole thing lacks structure. It doesn’t guide behaviour, it just exists. Conversely this little gem pops to life at night time. Must be the place to go pre “out out””

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• B

  Beccy Dickson

  ·6 months ago

  “The space falls flat the moment you walk in. It’s dark, but not in a considered, atmospheric way. The navy walls just absorb everything, so instead of feeling intimate, it feels closed in and heavy. Lighting isn’t doing any lifting. A few hanging bulbs and a strip behind the bar, but no layering, no warmth, no intention. Nothing draws you in or gives your eye somewhere to settle. The “living wall” is plastic and it shows immediately. No depth, no variation, no life. It actually cheapens the space rather than elevating it. And the dust… once you see it, that’s it. It breaks any sense of care. ⸻ R — Regulation (2/10) There’s no sense of arrival, no moment where your body drops. The room feels dead. Not calm, not peaceful, just low energy. Like it’s waiting for something that never happens. Nothing is working to settle you. No softness, no sensory balance, no contrast. You’re not uncomfortable, but you’re not relaxed either. You just don’t stay. ⸻ I — Infrastructure (4/10) The bar dominates the space and not in a good way. It’s too linear, too exposed, too brightly underlit. It reads as purely functional. It feels like a shooting alley at a fair that’s overstayed its welcome. There’s no zoning, no sense of where to sit, linger or settle. Tables feel placed rather than considered. The whole thing lacks structure. It doesn’t guide behaviour, it just exists. ⸻ Overall SRI Score: 3 / 10 ⸻ Straight Take This isn’t a bad space because it’s ugly. It’s a bad space because it has no intent. Everything feels surface level. Faux biophilia, default lighting, no sensory hierarchy, no atmosphere. It’s trying to be a vibe without understanding how a vibe is actually built. ⸻ What fixes it (quick wins, not a full rip-out) * Remove the fake living wall or replace with real planting * Introduce one proper focal point with depth and texture * Warm and layer the lighting properly * Break up or soften the bar line * Deep clean, properly Do that and it shifts fast.”

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• K

  Karl Kerr

  ·7 months ago

  “Had a lovely meal with the wife here last night. Had a delicious Hummus starter which i shared with the missus. The wife had a chicken yoghurt meal which looked awesome. I had the lamb kofta. Again delicious. Washed down with EFES Turkish beer 🍺 Highly recommended, will be back 😋”

• V

  Valerie F

  ·1 year ago

  “I visited Nala Lounge twice during a short stay in Bournemouth. First with my family of 4, and the second time was with a group of about 50+ people. The first time with my family was good. It was a Thursday afternoon and there weren't many guest there. The food was ok and so was the service. The second time was a pre-booked dinner for 50+ people and it wasn't great. They didn't seem prepared even as it was pre-booked. The first set of food took 90 minutes to arrive and everything else came long afterwards. The waiters weren't sure of what food was coming next and who the order was meant for - they were simply dropping the food on the table, leaving us to figure things out. I actually felt sorry for the waiters because it seemed they had turned up for a normal shift at work only to be met with a large crowd with little or no information as to what to do in that situation. Honestly, the management at Nala Lounge could have done better for their guest and staff. In the end, we the guest started rejecting the food as it seemed like too much of a hassle to figure things out. It was quite disappointing. My verdict is that this restaurant is suitable for smaller groups of people as that was a better experience for me. I've added photos from the first visit which was the better experience.”

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• Z

  Z Mehdi-Raza

  ·1 year ago

  “I have to say, this place has it all. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. We were served by Skye who was attentive, professional and very accommodating. I was there to celebrate a birthday and she did an everything she could to make the experience a memorable and joyful one. Hats off of the chefs too, the food was delicious and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend this place if you’re visiting Bournemouth- you will not be disappointed! Huge thank you to Skye & team! Can’t wait to come back!”

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• W

  william cameron

  ·1 year ago

  “Great authentic Turkish restaurant with lovley staff and great service. Though the menu is limited, the food is all cooked fresh and is excellent in its presentation, and it has fabulous textures and aromas. The food tastes amazing. Well, it's worth a visit.”