We arrived at the Herbert Samuel Herzliya with enthusiasm and great expectations, as would be expected of a restaurant located at a Ritz Carlton.
We were a party of 11 celebrating my sister-in-law's 50th birthday.
The moment we arrived, I quietly advised the hostesses who...the birthday girl was and requested as much 'hoopla' as possible. They smiled, thanked me for letting them know and said, all good, with pleasure (my words, their message).
Our table was next to one of two doors that let to the balcony with other diners. The other door did not open to any tables. From the start, other guests but mostly wait staff, continuously ran in and out, bringing a gust of wind with each passing, and never quite closing the door following exit or entry, causing a draft each time. The wait staff apologized but continued their revolving door policy anyway, against our habitual, respectful protests.
Dinner: our meals were average in flavor, very small in portion and WAYY overpriced for the deliverable. I understand in a high end restaurant portions are not large. This went beyond small though.
Also, one of the elements that make fine dining special is the ambiance. There was none here. It was noisy, there was no beautiful background music, and the table settings, cutlery, napkins and drinking glasses were average at best.
Honesty: My thin adult son asked our waiter to recommend the most filling main course. The waiter recommended the 220 NIS lambchops. I am afraid this turned out to be misleading. In comparison to the other main courses we ordered that evening, it certainly was not the most filling of the options, just the most expensive.
I asked if the lemonade was freshly made. He said it was. Turns out, it wasn't.
Side note: My daughter ordered lemonade too. After waiting patiently for 20 minutes with no lemonade in sight, she asked again.
Finally, to bring this full circle, this was supposed to be a 50th birthday celebration. I expected to see something special from the restaurant.
There was NOTHING. No little special something during the meal. No little sweet with a candle or sparkler at the end. Our bill was 2300 NIS without tip. You would think that the staff would have had the class to make this a night to remember in a positive way. Sadly, it was anti-climatic and disappointing, which I expressed, with respect, upon my departure.
I've had very positive experiences at other Ritz Carlton restaurants around the world. However, if you have a celebration coming up and are looking for something wonderfully delicious and spectacular - the Herbert Samuel Herzliya is not the place.More