The Kara in Thurrock

I've been to THE KARA a few times, and I've always loved it... but I was extremely angry to hear that... ALL THE TIPS from the EMPLOYEES GO TO THE OWNER of the restaurant in the POCKET. DON'T leave any TIPS AT ALL. When you pay the bill, remove the service charge from the bill because it's not fair to enrich the boss on the work of the employees.

Azaz was a great host, very attentive and a credit to your business.

Aziz was a lovely host. Thx and see you again.

Went here during work visit and food is really good and enough to fill you up.Service is up there with waiting staff ready to help when ever.

Great food Murs our waiter was amazing Atmosphere is fantastic as always

Went for my birthday sat on a table that was soaking wet seat, no apologies from the customer service, no apologies for ruining my dress no nothing really hope it doesn't ruin no1 else's birthday

Go khan was very professional and made my time enjoyable. Fantastic

Very nice food and a lovely atmosphere! It was great for my celebration with my family. Would defo come again and recommend

Aziz our waiter was very polite and attentive. Really enjoyed our meal

Wonderful. I have been here many times with family. Today we did a work lunch for 11 people. We pre-ordered because of time restraints. The service was excellent, the staff were friendly polite and professional and the food was delicious, well presented and plentiful. Thank you for a lovely birthday lunch.

Served by Aziz. He was great and prompt with our orders. Excellent service.

My new favourite place. Delicious food, excellent service.

The restaurant was ambient, food was delicious and portions were large. Had good service from Aziz!

Food and service was good But it’s really expensive !!!

We were served by Aziz who was keen to assist to our every need. He made sure we all got what we wanted in a professional and courteous manner. An asset to the business.

We had the most fabulous time here and our server was the best…. Big shout out to Aziz 👌

Great food great service thank you Aziz

Beautiful. Customer service was 10/10 i recommend. Our waitress was aziz and he served us with kindness

The attendance was good. The gentleman that attended to us Mr fuat was very proactive, good hospitality we received from Mr Fuat. Good communication skills.

Great customer service from the amazing Aziz and others. Would definitely come back again. Very happy with the food and ambience

Lovely atmosphere, Delicious food and excellent service. Asil was an amazing host. We will definitely return.

Amazing food, great service, gorgeous place. Will definitely be back

Greay experience Yummy food and amazing cocktails

Impeachable service by Fuat and team. Thank you all

The food was really tasty and our server (Aziz) was very attentive.

Brilliant Service & Hospitality especially from Aziz! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really Enjoyed my family dinner here tonight very good staff and atmosphere❕❤️ (especially Aziz)

Aziz was to good for us keep on man

Thank you Aziz and team very brilliant❤️🤩

Aziz has provided a great service, very attentive! Amazing food, great atmosphere, our go to restaurant. Keep up the good work!

Murs was the highlight of my evening! He was such a great host and took care of us. Would recommend!

Great place good service fabulous food

Aziz was very polite and professional at same time

Can't fault this place. Absolutely love it. Friendly service all the time. It's always our go to place.

Fuat was very friendly and helpful, and food was amazing

Fantastic service from Onor. Very welcoming and good customer service. I will come back to Kara just because of Onor

Good food, staff omar was really friendly and helpful

Food was absolutely amazing, atmosphere was amazing my company drove me crazy #missies but my waiter mad up for it and smashed it 😂👌❤️

Had such a lovely time for my joint birthday! Had a table of 6. Lovely atmosphere, served by waiter named Aziz! Surprised us with 2 velvet cakes with sparklers. Would definitely come again 👍🏼

Lovely atmosphere, food and service. Murs was our waiter and was so helpful without being intrusive. We really enjoyed ourselves, thank you so much!

aziz was perfect very respectful and gave us a very good time

One of the best turkish restaurants ever beenround london area, Aziz with his table service did our night , TOP

Don’t write a proper review much but had to for this place. Best steak I’ve had full stop. Service was 10/10 staff were friendly special shout out to Murs and Aziz, checked up on us regularly. Defo would recommend. Got Australian Rib Eye Steak as my main.

I recently visited Kara Lounge to celebrate my sister’s 20th birthday, and I couldn’t have been more impressed! Despite the place being incredibly busy, the staff went above and beyond to accommodate us and ensure we had an amazing experience. From the moment we arrived, the service was top-notch—friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Lamb shish and Adana were very very tasty, I was very impressed. The bread and chili/garlic sauces served were so good that I was full before the mains arrived. Also I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical about ordering steak, thinking it might not live up to my expectations, but I was completely blown away. It was hands down the best steak I’ve ever had—cooked to absolute perfection, tender, and packed with flavor. Every bite was a delight! The atmosphere at Kara Lounge was vibrant yet cozy, making it the perfect spot for a special occasion. My sister had an unforgettable birthday, and we all left extremely happy. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and an all-around fantastic dining experience. We’ll definitely be back!

Aziz was our lovely waiter, top notch service

Gokhan served us and was extremely friendly and made us laugh. Food and and ambience was great, highly recommend

Great service thanks to Gokwan, really lovely food!

A very special place for me and my partner. This is the first place that we think of when we want to celebrate 🍾

Gokhan served us when we went to Kara , and we had an amazing experience, such an excellent customer service and made sure we had a good time and enjoyed our food.

Good Turkish food, reasonable prices for the portions, and really good service by A.

Quiet but can get busy during the evening. Child friendly. Felt quite uncomfortable when staff had nothing to do so they kept staring and looking for help when it was not necessary. Nevertheless they are friendly but can get too friendly at times. Food itself was not so bad. You cannot go wrong with Turkish food. The adana kebab came a little cold and the shish was a little chewy and hard, could have been on the grill a little longer. Had asked for a surprise birthday cake but didn’t get it and was about to get charged for it on the bill when i reminded them they forgot about it. They had apologised and brought it out afterwards. Little disappointing. Probably wouldn’t go back.

Peak dinner. Gained 90 IQ points and became enlightened eating here. Onur

I’m not giving one star because of the overall food quality, which was decent. I’m giving one star because a restaurant should never deceive customers by listing items on the menu that they don’t actually serve. I ordered a “Mozzarella Di Bufala” as a starter, but they brought me a cheap pizza mozzarella instead, nothing like the authentic Italian buffalo mozzarella, which would’ve been much more expensive for them! This is misleading, and advertising one thing while serving another is simply scamming customers. Check the picture. If you know, you know. People aren’t naive!

Lovely venue but the waiter serving was miserable and when asked why’s the food taking long kept giving blunt replies. Food came but was dry and over cooked the lamb was chewy and the kitchen was rough. Won’t be back again sorry.

Lovely evening with work colleagues, food very good, service especially at bar terrible, parking a joke, no where to park only way was to wait until someone had finished!! Please more parking for patrons.

Mers was an amazing server and the food was really good, definitely recommend.

Nice service,Murs was wonderful and polite. Will visit again.

The service was amazing and the food was great. Murs was very attentive and accommodating. I will definitely be back

Amazing chicken liver appetiser! Lamb ribs and chops were great too

Exceptional service from Gokhan. Tasty food, lovely background music and great atmosphere. Will recommend 💯

Amazing Food, Quality and Service. Highly recommend!

Perfect service and lovely food I will be attending again 💯 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Amazing service !!! I would recomand 💯 and will come again to enjoy the atmosphere and food !!! The Manager of the restaurant offered the best service and Onur.

Really lovely decorated restaurant with a nice atmosphere, just a few minutes drive from lakeside shopping centre. Service was good but did feel rushed throughout. Some drinks were forgotten also. We had the lunch menu (starter and main for £16pp) which is very reasonable. Starters were absolutely delicious. Main meals were ok. Rice is reminiscent of school dinners if I'm being completely honest and therefore not too nice. We had a pleasant meal but I don't think I'd revisit. Just to note, 10% service charge is added to the bill regardless of number of diners. Not a practice I personally agree with despite the fact I would tip the same amount anyway.

Thoroughly recommend the cold appetisers platter. I also chose from the hot appetisers menu for my main course. They were all lovely too, especially the king prawns. Just one suggestion if they could put gentler music on, maybe Turkish music would be nice 👍🏻

It was lovely, just the way I imagined it to be

Fabulous food and great value. Thank you especially to Fuat for your great service.

I would have given a higher review but two elder waiters with glasses were SO rude. Rushing us and incredibly impatient with a bigger booking. Scoffed at us, rolled his eyes and cut us mid sentences. The younger waiters were all lovely and very friendly so this is not about them, this is only about the two elder ones with glasses. Food was good and general restaurant!

Lovely atmosphere with scrumptious food and generous portion size. Hot platter was amazing Music was bit too loud Friendly staff

From the moment we walked into the Kara we knew we were in for a special dining experience. The atmosphere was elegant and sophisticated, with beautifully set tables and ambient lighting that created a warm yet upscale feel. The service was truly impeccable—every staff member was attentive without being intrusive. They checked in before and after each course, ensuring everything was perfect and that we were enjoying our meal. It’s rare to find such a high level of hospitality, and it made the entire experience feel even more luxurious. Now, the food—simply exquisite. Every dish was crafted with care, bursting with authentic Turkish and Mediterranean flavors while being presented like a work of art. From the perfectly grilled meats to the rich, aromatic moussaka and delicate mezes, every bite was a delight. The desserts were perfection! If you're looking for a restaurant that combines top-tier service, outstanding food, and a refined ambiance, The Kara is the place to go. Highly recommended! We were invited by Hassan to come and experience the dining and are truly grateful we went.

Good restaurant to eat well. A wide menu to enjoy Turkish food. A fantastic experience. I will repeat.

Brilliant staff, very attentive. Food was great

Very beautiful establishment, food, service all at the highest level, live music. 5 stars

I’ve eaten here a couple of times and absolutely love this restaurant, staff are friendly, vibes in the evening with the live singer are great and portion sizes are great ! Highly recommend! My only downside is we booked a table on a Friday evening and still had to wait almost an hour for our booked table …

Great service good food Highly recommended

I had a delightful experience overall. The food was flavorful, showcasing rich and authentic Turkish spices, and the variety of drinks really stood out. They offered both traditional Turkish beverages and a nice selection of other options to complement the meal. The highlight, however, was the dessert—it was simply lovely, providing the perfect sweet finish. If you’re looking for a place that combines warm hospitality with delicious Turkish cuisine and a great drink menu, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Thank you to the chefs who made absolutely amazing food, also desserts are so good, the person who chose the wine list clearly knows his stuff as the wine list was splendid. The wine we drank was fantastic. The waiters were also very sweet and kind. Would definitely recommend!

Very cool, good service in my opinion and a good atmosphere

Amazing food, good venue and good staff and drinks!

Maria and Gokhan are very lovely people. Maria was very kind and approachable

Perhaps one of the best decorated Turkish restaurants in London. Lamb shish and Adana were very very tasty, I was very impressed. The bread and chili/garlic sauces served were so good that I was full before the mains arrived :) Very friendly stuff and great quality service. This was my first, but definitely not last visit.

Awesome people, lively, kind and friendly…Gohkan and Mariah rendered top tier service.

Absolutely fantastic food and atmosphere. Staff were lovely and even tho it was so busy we didn't have to wait for food or drinks. Food was amazing and will definitely be returning at some point. Thank you all for a lovely evening

I had a great time celebrating my birthday here. The food was so delicious and the portions are massive! I would highly recommend.

We went on a work celebrations this week and it was great . Food especially the starters was great , huge portions and tasty mains . Staff were very attentive and there was a great atmosphere. Would recommend

The food and the service was fantastic.

Keep returning to this place on numerous occasions, as food service and atmosphere is the best in this place.

This is THE VERY BEST place. Excellent meal, big portions, very fast served. Really welcoming staff. Waiter - Gokhan. Place what I can recommend to anyone. Definitely this not the last time be here. Two main meals , one bear and one juice - £62 only. It's worth it!!!!

Great place, big portions of delicious food! Lovely waiters and waitresses. A bit too noisy with the live music , so a bit hard to hear each other but overall great place

We had lunch here today and it was delicious. The food, the decor and service was amazing. Will definitely go back.

Great food, quick and friendly service, big portions.

Wasn't too impressed with the service, food was nice though. Probably won't rush back.

Lovely food but it was so busy., you couldn't move. The car park was a nightmare, not enough spaces and really difficult to turn around because people were piling in. We were asked to move to the bar after our meal which iv never been asked in any restaurant before, which was packed and you couldn't sit down and we were in everyone's way, with staff going backwards and forwards with drinks. Perhaps it's better during the week.

When here for a date night. 10/10 on everything. Food was superb, service was the best and atmosphere was great. Got a seafood grill and he got a chops grill. Both r very nice.

Gokhan was super nice and professional ☺️

Tasty well cooked grill. Great service.

Food was delicious and a generous helping. Service was great by Gokhan! Would definitely recommend 👍🏽

I loved the food and atmosphere. Gohkan was excellent 👌. It was our sister's birthday and we'll definitely come back again. Thank you Gohkan you were exceptional 👏 👌

We had fun and the service was excellent. Gohkan was very professional and friendly and he really served us well.

Mr Gokhan attended to us and is an excellent service 👌👌👌👌