Taking some time out to visit Bodrum in Turkey with my boyfriend Ben was the perfect way to round off summer. Our schedules have been so busy recently, that sometimes we’ve been like ships passing in the night, so it was lovely to spend some time relaxing together in the sun and do nothing but sunbathe, eat and sleep.
Bodrum is an absolutely stunning place and is of course home to the internationally renowned Turkish restaurant, Nusr-et, which is owned by social media sensation Nusret, otherwise known as ‘Salt Bae’. Being someone who lives and breathes vibrant dining, visiting Nusr-et has always been on my bucket list and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
One of the things that stood out above the rest was Nusret – the man himself. He is such a gentleman, and of course a brilliant businessman. He totally embodies his brand; everything from the entrance to the staff uniforms, the dining tables and the bar were all adorned with his ‘Salt Bae’ images and branding.
If you ever visit Nusr-et, you have to expect there to be a wait, but being surrounded by what I can only describe as sensational theatrics made the time fly. The Nusr-et themed music set the scene as the bartenders entertained diners with their skills, flaring behind the bar (basically juggling with the cocktail shakers!) and their dramatic fire show lighting up the bar. All the while Nusret strutted from table to table, grandly slicing his signature rack of lamb and showering it with salt in his own very special way – no one does it quite like him.
The show continued while we were seated at our table and by this point Ben was very hungry. It’s safe to say he definitely made the most of this one-off opportunity and decided to order the steak AND the rack of lamb. I agreed to share, secretly knowing he would never be able to polish all of that off himself. The steak arrived, shortly followed by the lamb, which was accompanied by Nusret who prepared and served it to us in his famous charismatic way. It was beyond delicious – I can totally understand why people come from all over the world to flock to his venues!
Being in the same industry, I may have taken different things from my experience at Nusr-et compared to the other diners. Seeing venues such as this keep me inspired to continue building the Menagerie brand and developing the experience for our customers so they can create their very own Menagerie Moments. Who knows, maybe ‘Menagebae’ will be the next social media sensation. Except I’ll be sprinkling glitter, not salt!