Jump to content

Recommended Posts

We went to Na Pura Portuguese restaurant yesterday for dinner. The place was dirty and messy, the food took ages to be served. And just when we started eating, a huge dog, a pitbull, came from nowhere running towards our children! When the restaurant owner (who happens to be the dog owner!)came to remove the dog, the animal got scared or nervous, and peed all around us! We were shocked and traumatized! The girls were hysterical! We decided to leave straight away and were left with only an apology... We will never be going back. Does anyone know who can I contact (i.e. at the council) to make a formal complaint about the hygiene/health and safety issue?


Edited to correct the title.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/25205-na-pura-restaurant-nunhead/
Share on other sites

We've eaten at Na Pura several times recently and have been very impressed. Although it's fairly basic, the restaurant has always been spotlessly clean when we've been, and the service has been very friendly and helpful. Most imporantly, the food is wonderful; it's cooked to order so there is inevitably a bit of a wait for some things.


I'm sure it can be a bit unnerving to have a dog running up to your table whilst you're eating, but I'm not sure what more the owner could have done than apologise? Contacting the Council to make a formal complaint seems a bit extreme!

Not when the dog is a pitbull, no! And surely not when it pees all around your table, in a restaurant, very close to two 5 year old girls. I didn't mention in my previous post but there was also a guy (not a customer, I suppose one of the staff) smoking inside the restaurant. Surely that is not allowed anymore, is it? Anyway, I am filing a complaint. I don't want to feel guilty when I read in the papers that a pitbull hurt a child inside that restaurant. Fortunately, it wasn't my child or her friend, but next time, who knows?
If it had been a smaller dog, say a Jack Russell that had run up to you in the restaurant, I'm pretty positive in saying that you wouldn't consider making a complaint. Its unlikely that a dog that isn't trusted by its owner would be kept any near a commercial premises, where families and children would be welcome, and a reputation is at stake! I agree that it must of been terrifying for your children, and that it is wrong for a dog to be allowed net customers at all (let alone pee all over the place!)- but maybe this is a matter you should take up with the owner of the restaurant rather than the council.
If I may add I was the customer smoking in the OUTSIDE part of the restaurant also something that you MAY have forgotten to mention in your terrible experience which if you do some research in fact is allowed. and did not see any dog anywhere i have eaten there many times and always left with a smile on my face. They have a lovely garden and the dog is a very friendly dog that is not always around, but I go to the restaurant day in day out. And I have never seen a customer leave on one bad note. Some people are very happy to destroy peoples businesses, But what you don't realise is that it is there way of income and I know that they look after there establishment very well and it upsets me that people who have only been once can judge a very well served but simple restaurant, And I have lived in the area for 4 years and they were already here. Meaning they are doing something right. but hey what do i know

If this is true, it is unacceptable, especially if it is the owner's dog. The fact that the owner may judge his dog to be safe would not influence me one bit. It should not be there. It could react in a strange way to young children, as this dog did.


Unacceptable if true as I say.


Please do report it, OP, as something needs to change.

Perhaps the mutt was out back at the time and it darted off and the owner couldn't hold it back. I very much doubt the owner would knowingly allow their dog to run riot in his restaurant. To complain to the council over a one off incident such as this is harsh and potentially damaging to a small business owner. The owner moved the dog and apologised. Perhaps if you'd stayed around long enough he might have offered you a complimentary stiff drink to get over the shocking and traumatic experience of a dog peeing at your feet.

OK so I've been lounged... As it happens, Sergio, this was not our first time there. And if you were the "customer" smoking, you acted very weirdly, with your feet up on the chair, not eating or drinking anything, just staying there for the exact time it took you to smoke your cigarette. That's why I assumed you were a member of the staff.

Anyway, the main issue was the dog. It was a pitbull. It jumped on two 5 year olds. It peed all around us.

I don't want to destroy anyone's business, I want such business to offer a safe and healthy place for a family to enjoy a meal together. Something needs to be done.

"You don't go to a restaurant to have dogs pissing on or near "


true, true... but I'm willing to bet the owners didn't get up that morning with a view to it happening either. If there was multiple reportings of dodgy doggy behaviour then by all means - but unpleasant as this experience was.... sometimes stuff happens. Can't we shrug things off or does everything have to be reported?


People take their kids out all the time - and with the best will in the world sometimes those kids do somethings others don't like in restaurants. If restaurants started barring and reporting those parents who would be spared?


Sometimes we need to just rub along

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...