Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Restaurant Alert-- Don't Eat Here!

This was sent to me by a friend, whose taste and judgement I trust.

The restaurant is Prime Grill in the Prima Hotel, 105 HaYarkon St., Tel Aviv.

Issues:
(1) First I have to say that the chicken liver we had as appetizers were FABULOUS, and the spinach ravioli was edible. Everything went downhill from there. Appetizers were about 45 and up.
(2) Very expensive meal, 337 NIS for 3 appetizers and 2 main courses, that is all we took for three people.
(3) The waiter brought bread to the table. Gratis. For our table of three, there were four pieces of bread. This came with three spreads, one of which was salmon-based. Across from us a single diner got the same. When the four slices were finished, we asked if we could have additional bread. We were told sure, at an additional charge. We were waiting for our orders and had spreads left. We pointed out that the single diner had the same amount of bread brought to his table as we, a party of three, did. We told him that at these prices, and considering the guy across from us got the same thing, we should have three times as much, enough for three people. He said he'd ask and then came back with a bunch of slices... of plain lechem achid, the cheapest of Israeli bread!!! The original bread was nice. When we asked him MA ZEH, "What's that?" giving us lechem achid from a bag, he said "the other bread comes in a bag too." By the time we turned around and wanted to spread the bread with the leftover spreads, we realized that those had disappeared from the table. When queried, the waiter said that because there is fish in one of the spreads, it needed to be cleared before the meat main course could be served. Chelm.
(4) Took FOREVER to get that first carafe of water, and twice we had to beg to have it refilled, it also took FOREVER to get to us.
(5) The food: One took the Entrecote Steak, one took Tavshil Egel (veal.) The only way to describe the food was: appropriate for a misedet poalim, workers' canteen. The sides were: sweet potato, I think glaze, rice (tasted like Uncle Ben's) with inedible dead, killed, cooked too much cauliflower; a skewer of glazed dried fruit. About the steak: they never asked how we want it prepared. It tasted like maybe basar meubad, "treated" meat. The egel was like a roast a Bubbie would make, one who cooks food to death, that is. It did not resemble any veal we have met in a fine-eating establishment (our own kitchen, for example). The sauce was inappropriate for the meat. It fell apart if you breathed on it. It was the thickness of a slice of meat served at a simcha here in Israel. It boasted no particular flavor. Main courses were about 95 NIS each.
(6) I am disgusted and wonder if the Chareidi community will be enough to keep that restaurant going for more than a few months.
(7) They have chutzpa using the name of the fabulous Prime Grill restaurant in Manhattan, (I think now in CA and or FL as well.)
(8) They give you 2 starters, one of some sort of Chatzilim (eggplant,) one of some cut up veggies which were quite decent. They refill.
(9) The food was NOT HOT.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oy vey. Such a shame, especially since the Prime Grill is New York is highly regarded by many. The Prime Grill in Florida closed down, and is now Prime 18. There are other excellent restaurants in the same plaza as Prime 18.

We're the ones who have to put up with them said...

Ugh, sounds dreadful! Both the service and the food. Nothing worse than looking forward to an evening of fine dining and experiencing this.

Batya said...

t, When it comes to restaurants, a rose isn't always a rose...

ellie, true
When I heard the story I knew I had to post it to warn people.

Anonymous said...

A group of 7 of us ate at Prime Grill (Opera Tower, Tel Aviv) last night (24/4/11). No negative comment can come near how awful it was. Two of our party were 1st time visitors from abroad wanting to catch up with old friends after over 40 years. We were embarrassed for them.
Although we had a reservation for 9 p.m., no table was specially reserved and they took over 15 mins. to seat us.
Food - at best mediocre. Service - the pits, dismissive and even occasionally rude. Efficiency - zero. Noise level - deafening (it was impossible to hear one another talk. I arrived home with a sore throat from having to shout even at those right next to me).
The first dish was served only at 10.15 - and only that one dish. Three others arrived 20 mins. later. It was 1.5 hours before all dishes were served, so half of the party had finished before the other half were served.
One dish was so inedible it was returned - only to be charged TWICE on the bill afterwards.
The manager eventually agreed to knock 10% off the bill - not nearly enough to compensate for this awful experience.
I also disliked the mixed toilets.
We won't be going back in a hurry, i.e. never, and I will give this place as much bad publicity as I can. It was inexcusable.