Food - superb Atmosphere - classy Service - demands improvement… We went to Alena at The Norman Hotel on a Friday evening to start off my husband’s birthday weekend. The place is beautiful, very classy, and the food throughout the night was excellent. At first the service matched the atmosphere - attentive, polished, and exactly what you’d hope for in a restaurant like this. The problem started after we had ordered dessert. I stepped away to go to the bathroom. Before going to the bathroom, I asked the hostess discreetly if she could please have the bill ready when I came back. I explained that it was important for me to pay myself without my husband noticing, since it was his birthday and I wanted to surprise him. She said no problem. But when I returned, the servers were waiting with the cake and candle already lit and rushed me back to the table. I tried to explain that if I sat down, I wouldn’t be able to get up again to pay discreetly, but they brushed it off and insisted there was nowhere else to put the cake. So I sat, and the moment was lost. After that, things got worse. Nobody came over to us for nearly fifteen minutes. We couldn’t get anyone’s attention to bring the bill, and by then neither of us was really eating the dessert. Finally the check came in the normal way, and of course my husband reached for his wallet. I had to insist on paying in front of him, which was exactly what I had hoped to avoid. Up until dessert, the night had been perfect. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere special, and the early service flawless. But the way the staff handled the end of the meal really soured the experience for me, and I left feeling disappointed on a night that was supposed to feel seamless and celebratory. Besides the end of the meal, everything else was perfect. But in a place with this price point, the expectations were high and unfortunately not met.

This is a fine dining restaurant, so I'm judging it accordingly. Every small detail matters and is taken into account. Overall, the food was tasty. There was nothing bad about it, but it lacked excitement, uniqueness, or anything special. The flavors and complexity were very average. Therefore, I deducted one star. In addition, we ordered the eggplant pizza, which was delayed and arrived approximately an hour and a half after we arrived at the restaurant. Despite an apology, there was no compensation offered. Furthermore, when they asked if they could bring the main courses in the meantime, I requested that they not arrive together with the pizza (as it would be too much food all at once). Unfortunately, they did arrive together, and as a result, I deducted another star. To make matters worse, they charged a staggering 34 shekels for a bottle of water. This crazy price cost them yet another star. As a fancy fine-dining restaurant, it is usually customary for bottles of water to be complimentary (as I have experienced in many similar restaurants). And if they are not, they certainly do not cost 34 shekels. On a positive note, the service was good overall, a bit slow (it took them 25 minutes to take our order). Additionally, the portion sizes were quite generous compared to similar places, which was a pleasant surprise.

Absolutely amazing experience at Alena in The Norman Hotel! Imri and his entire team were outstanding,so warm, attentive, and professional. The food was absolutely delicious, every dish was a delight. Service was top-notch from start to finish. Highly recommend!

We had an amazing evening at Alena. We had lots of different dishes, we were a diverse table including vegetarians and gluten free diners and we all had great fresh and tasty dishes. The atmosphere was plesent and elegant stuff were super nice, friendly and professional. Came back for a fine dining evening. We had dishes from the seasonal menu and standard menu and found everything to be extremely good. We will come again

Dinings is definitely one of the best Japanese restaurants I ever have. They surprise me of their nice service and food. Their Japanese food is not just tasty but creative, some taste are very authentic and some are very cool that I never seen in Japan. The food is just so tasty that I go there once again when I visit Israel again. The chief is very kind and friendly! The whole atmosphere is amazing nice. Location is very convenient. Must go try out! The price is comparatively high but worthy to try it once at least. Try the creative and authentic Japanese food!