Bamboo - OCTAGON BAR - Not so Strongly Worded Letter

AkanmuAbuja@gmail.com

Rating: 7/10

January, 2013

"The Octagon Bar" (Bamboo House) – Bar, Sports Bar, Hookah, Outdoor Lounge

3 Salt Lake St.

Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria.

Please see the bottom of this letter in the Highlights/Review section, as well as the bold sentences for the brief version of this letter/review.

Letter to the Octagon Bar Management

Dear Octagon Bar Management,

This is a not so strongly worded letter to express my opinions following my experience at your establishment. I should inform you that this letter is being made available to the public through the internet, primarily for the purpose of empowering or entertaining other consumers curious about your establishment.

Everyone knows this place as “the outside part of Bamboo”. I realize though what you were going for by calling it the Octagon Bar as the bar area is literally shaped as an octagon. All in all, this is a great spot to hang with friends.

Beyond the large bar area is a spacious cabana with small tables that sit 4-6. One of my favorite things is that you have this lounge-like portion where people can relax around white linen covered wood, along with lanterns and other nice sources of dim lighting hung around to complete the effect. Also nice is that at this section, service is usually good as waiters respond fairly quickly, are polite, and tend to pass by frequently enough for you to be able to call for more things as needed. One thing I don’t enjoy though is that when the grill near the cabana gets going, if the wind is blowing in the direction of the cabana, customers may end up smelling like barbecue.  Perhaps you can do something about this.

One of my favorite things about this place is that the actual bar area is quite spacious and is set up in a way that groups of friends can hang around the bar, while also providing a large opportunity to meet new people. One annoying thing though is that your bartenders around the bar are not very attentive. It takes a long time to get the attention of a bartender when customers sit around the bar. In fact, even getting a bill and change back after paying was a 30 minute activity. It can get quite frustrating. For the most part though, this is one of the nicest bar areas in Abuja because it is spacious, nicely set up, has a good number of high stools for people to sit on, and is actually convenient for people trying to smoke sheesha at the bar area (you can also smoke under the cabana). Good job.

Two weeks ago (in January 2013), I would have said the hookah and drink prices here are on the higher end. However, as I’ve come to experience more places in town, I think your 2,600 naira per hookah order 1,200 Naira plus per shot, and $500 Naira plus beer prices, and 1,200 Naira shawarmas are reasonable. The prices are reasonable especially when one considers the fact that this place manages to seem slightly more exclusive and sophisticated than even places like Beer Barn and Ketchup that are almost as pricey.

As for the hookah itself, it is decently prepared but overall, the hookah is not worth its price. My main problem with the hookah is that you didn’t have mouth pieces for a few weeks and instead decided to wrap the pipe with foil paper (which is even less sanitary than the actual pipe when sharing with friends…you see, the thing is when the pipe is wiped, even with just a hand, the saliva from the person before goes away. This isn’t the case when foil is used).

For the most part, the best thing about your bar is the actual bar itself. The atmosphere is nice and the entire place is one of the nicer places in Abuja. You should improve the service in the area around the bar though because poor service really does hold this place back from meeting its full potential.

Please feel free to contact AkanmuAbuja@gmail.com if you represent The Octagon Bar and would like to respond.

Warm Regards

Akanmu

Highlights/Review

1.     This is a positive (and thus, not so strongly) worded letter, primarily because the overall experience here is worth it.

2.     The outdoor atmosphere is amazing during the day and also at night.

3.     Service is much better under the cabana than it is at the actual Octagon bar.

4.     The food, drinks, and hookah are on the slightly pricier side of things but ultimately worth it because this is one of the nicer places in town.

5.     Even when the cabana is full and the bar seems a bit crowded, you will most likely still find a spot by the bar: for instance, I’ve gone here on many weekends when Beer Barn and Ketchup got too full.

6.     This is one of the nicer and slightly more upscale (feels like it anyway) spots in town.

7.     If you are willing to spend this much money as a customer though, Vanilla (close by and also in Maitama) may be a better choice because it feels nice, more upscale, and is only slightly more expensive.