Kasbah - another one bites the dust!

Dirk

Dirk

Well-Known Member
I remember when Mambo first opened it did quality food at reasonable prices with a good service. Over the years it has increased in popularity and the food and service has gone right downhill. Anyway, I cant comment on what it has been like the last few years as I stopped going. I just wanted to add a bit to my story.

What tends to happen is every now and again a good little place is uncovered that not everyone knows about. These little places that are reasonable, with cracking food and a great service. I first discovered Kasbah in 2000 and we practically lived out of there.

Anyway, I was somewhat concerned when Mr Judge Jules purchased the place, but read the reviews on this board saying it had not changed much. How wrong can someone be.

I had the misfortune of going twice this year. The first time I put it down to a bad order (£10 for a chicken salad during the day! It was lettuce and chicken chucked together) Anyway, the other half wanted to go back for an evening meal, so grudgingly I agreed.

We waited 45 minutes to get served our main meal. We asked for bread and olives (at £3.50!) and the girl came back 20 minutes later and said 'sorry, do you really like olives, it's just we have run out of them' No, I f***ing hate olives, but was just going to eat the bread!!!! She then went away and said that they would be kind enough to 'knock' a little off the bill.

For a one course meal with bread (no olives!) two beers and two orange juices, they charged 90 euros (nearly £70) Now, this is a beach bar, not some high class resturant - they are taking the piss!!!

The table behind us (they were not busy) had 6 people. I watched their main courses come out one by one over a period of 10 minutes!!! I watched as the guys in the kitchen piss about.

I also heard of 6 people who paid 400 euros for two courses with a couple of bottles of wine??? Come on.

Anyway, another great place bites the dust. Avoid and do not give these people your money. Thanks Judge Jules for ripping us off and killing another decent place. Hope you are happy with your bundles of cash.

Boycott from now on!!!!!
 
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience at Kasbah. I have eaten there quite a lot this year and to be honest, I found it quite refreshing to sit around between courses, and not be rushed through our meal in order that someone else can have our table to make more money for the restaurant, ok you could say the service is slow, but isnt that quite common abroad? I have always found so..... I found the food quite good, and certainly not as pricey as it seems you had to pay. Maybe someone couldnt add up on the night you were there! :?

The only complaint I could make, or rather an observation - is that they should review their ordering system and order more of the popular things like BEER!! each time they have ran out of Coronita or Sol when we were there..... and the only substitute was Miller Lite.... blurghhh..

I liked Kasbah .... I found it a good laugh, the staff were friendly and the food was good.
 
We paid 65 Euros for 2 main courses and a bottle of wine. The food was nice but not exactly big portions. We too also waited nearly 40 mins for our food and it was finished in a fraction of that time :lol:

Of course we did not go back as we felt it was over priced for the food and the surroundings. The resturant was quite quiet but they told us we could only have the table for 2 hours as we did not have a reservation - come on :roll:

Kanya was much better interms of food, service and value.
 
Kasbah has been getting so many mixed reviews. Personally I had a good time there. Food was fairly good, only complaint was the houmos which was just mashed up chickpeas (bizarre)! Oh, and the bloke serving us forgot one drink we ordered. Food took a while to arrive but we were in no rush. Go to McDonalds if you're in a hurry. Service was really freindly, and it was so nice to be able to lounge around after our meal right by the sea. All in all very good.
 
Kasbah

nice food
not enuff food
too expensive for portion
staff - rude, unhelpful
didn't have some of an already sparse menu
were grudgingly seated although we were the 2nd table there!
music - crap

Mambo

if they own the beach in front they need to get rid of the freeloaders with carry-outs
seat the sunset viewers on the beach (which had no sand anyway)
allow people to get a seat for food
staff - better than most

Savannah

new menu = crap food
poor portions
extremely rude staff
5 tables reserved when we went - lay empty for over 2 hours!
 
I had to laugh when I read this!! I didnt know that Judge Jules had bought Kasbah, but it does not surprise me because for the last 4 years, I haven't been able to open a copy of Mixmag or turn on a prog about Ibiza that features Mrs Judge Jules, without hearing her harp on about how fantastic Kasbah is! Then almost every time I've been there - there she is there!
I have nothing against Judge Jules or his wife (as long as I dont have to listen to her singing). But was this all a PR excercise for their new restaurant? Or maybe they just bought it cos they liked it so much.

Anyway.. I've been loads of times over the years & loved it.. but have to agree - this year was poor. I walked all the way there from San An bay to have the speciality 'burger' but when we got there (4 of us) we were told there were only 3 burgers left.. I thought these burgers were 'homemade' ? Did that mean there was no mince left? I wasnt sure, but I was also ordered the alioli bread & olives and was asked 'do you want the olives?' !! ... I answered 'yes' but I had a feeling it was the wrong answer. Surely they can buy more olives from anywhere! And the service was extreamly slow & more pricy than usual.
Oh well.

The other thing in which standards had slipped considerably in Ibiza this year was Sangria. Kanya use to do a blinding one with strawberry, huge grapes, banana, fresh mint etc.. and Bora Bora did a half decent one but this year at both I got what looked and tasted like the 'Don Simon' carton one, with soda water/lemonde (?) for €15 this is not cool.

Ok, rant over!
Hx
 
ibizahoney said:
I wasnt sure, but I was also ordered the alioli bread & olives and was asked 'do you want the olives?' !! ... I answered 'yes' but I had a feeling it was the wrong answer. Surely they can buy more olives from anywhere! And the service was extreamly slow & more pricy than usual.
Oh well.

Ok, rant over!
Hx
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I cannot believe they asked you the same question re alioli, bread and olives!! Must be a standard practise.

As for other comments about fast table service, I do like to sit and enjoy my meal, but when you wait for a menu, then your drinks and then 45 minutes for something to eat when you are hungry, takes the pi$$.

Kasbah was totally mismanaged this year and I will never go back.

Give me Il Vaticano any day! (One of my favourite restaurants in the world) We went three times and the girl remembered our exact order every time from when we previously went. The guy in Kasbah couldnt remember our drinks order from 20 seconds before!!! A three course meal with two bottles of wine and coffee, 80 euros. :D
 
Anyone ever try the kasbah pizza? way too much cheese :)

How about some good news now. On wandering in the Marina I chanced upon the most fantastic meal, so good I went back for more at least four times with friends. It was some random german bar place ja, the most delicious Salmon Tagletelle for only 4.5 Euros, good draft beer and fine wine by the glass... they even had some cuban looking lady rollin fresh cigars.

SalmonTagetellia.jpg


Danke!
 
The other owner of the Kasbah (who i think also runs Judgement Sundays) admitted that the portions are smaller and some prices have gone up. When i asked why he said 'it's business!'. As a business man myself i suggested that an excellent business idea is to seat people quickly and take thier drinks order straight away and deliver asap that way by the time they get to order they also need another drink, and by the time the food comes they have drunk 3 or 4 drinks increasing profits substantially. He didn't take too kindly to my constructive advice.

The other gripe i have is with the useless manager who now runs it. He is really rude has no guarantee idea about customer service and makes a big deal about getting you a table in an empty restaurant if you haven't booked.

I suggest you all get over to Gusto that is run by the original owner of Kasbah, there the service is excellent, the owner couldn't be friendlier and you still get a nice sized portion.
 
can i make a suggestion. you've come all the way to ibiza so why go to a place that's just like any other in soho, or any other british city centre. why not try a local bar, and sample some spanish/ibicenco food and hospitality? service is a profession in spain, waiters pride themselves on their skill, knowledge and customer service, food is always value for money, well cooked and in ample portions. The tables are usually large enough to fit your wine (not so my table in Kasbah on my only visit) and you'll also be near to somebody who's not exactly like you!

Try the Villa Manchega (they're all from cuenca)just up from Kasbah for real food, cheap prices and a great spanish atmosphere - especially when real madrid are on the box.

i recommend - meatballs, deep fried chicken wings, octopus fry up, patatas povres (ibicenco chips) and a nice rioja - about €20 for two (including bread, alioli and olives, beer and coffee)
 
recommend - meatballs, deep fried chicken wings, octopus fry up, patatas povres (ibicenco chips) and a nice rioja - about €20 for two (including bread, alioli and olives, beer and coffee)
Click to expand...
I'm hungry now :)
 
Sign my petition here:

www.boycottibizaforolives.com
:lol:

Flippancy aside - I'm a bit of a food philistine, but I'll be trying Stephen's suggestion next year. The value you get in locals haunts is great - check the price of a beer in the square at the bottom of D'alt Villa compared to a minute away at Base etc! And I guess that's still nore expensive than a local back street bar
 
i've said it before and i'll say it again. ibiza is not expensive.
notice how i said ibiza and not a few trendy bars imported from britain or italy.
you don't have to go in backstreet bars to get great value for money - some of the best, nicest, friendliest bars are right there on the 'main' streets. just follow the locals - and this rule applies all over the island (yes, even the 'dreaded' san an)

try it - you just might like it.
 
I hope to try some of the places mentioned on this thread next year. I def agree that great food & value for money can be found in lots of places in Ibiza.
The trouble is, you tend to go to places you know of, heard of, recommended by people or have seen advertised. These tend to be your 'Kasbahs' & 'Mambos' especially if you haven't been there before.

What annoys me is the large number of places competing to sell you 'The best English Breakfast' ! .. but never mind.

Oh well... I still love Ibiza.

P.S The worst thing about the Kasbah scenario is that I love olives! & I wanted them more than the bread & alioli !

Hx ;o)
 
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