Helena — Restaurant in Tel-Aviv

A Lesson in How to Undermine a Good Restaurant

Helena is a beautiful venue with refined, well-prepared food. Portions are reasonable, and the prices — while clearly inflated — are, unfortunately, quite common for trendy Tel Aviv establishments. That alone would not have been a problem. What truly ruined the evening was the staff’s astonishing arrogance and complete disregard for basic hospitality.

We had a reservation for six people. Instead of being welcomed properly, we were crammed around two tiny, awkward tables barely suitable for four. We mentioned it — more than once — but were brushed off with vague assurances that a proper table would soon become available.

When that table eventually freed up, no one seemed in a hurry to clear or prepare it. Staff members stood around chatting and laughing among themselves while we waited nearby. Finally, someone dropped a tablecloth on it and left — no follow-up, no sense of urgency.

After too long, I quietly set the table myself — not to offend, but simply to move things forward and hint that we had waited long enough.

That harmless gesture prompted an unbelievable reaction. A staff member came over and scolded me, aggressively and with no effort to understand the situation. When I attempted to explain, she cut me off mid-sentence, refused to let me speak, and escalated things with condescending hostility. I pointed out that she wasn’t even listening — she couldn’t have cared less.

To be fair, our server had been kind and attentive at the start. But soon after the incident, he returned (clearly instructed by someone else) and told us, with obvious discomfort, that while we could finish our wine and appetizers, nothing else would be served. In other words, we were being quietly but firmly shown the door.

We left. We paid only 10% of the bill — not to avoid payment, but as a clear and deliberate protest. I told them that if they had an issue, they could call the police. They didn’t.

What made the situation even more embarrassing is that we were invited by a local friend — a well-known Tel Aviv influencer — who was mortified by the way we, as tourists, were treated. When you’re going out with friends and spending a substantial amount, the very least you expect is to have a pleasant evening. Instead, we were made to feel like a burden.

Helena has potential. The setting is lovely, the food is good. But none of that matters when the staff treats guests with such entitlement, contempt, and a stunning lack of grace. Until that culture changes, this place is...

An amazing tapas bar with super kind service and high VFM considering the area it's located at.

We were a group of 4 people, came at 18:00 to enjoy their HH where they offer an oyster for 1 Euro (amazing price, definitely the cheapest option in Tel Aviv, while not compromising the cleanliness and freshness), and wanted to try as many dishes as possible so we focused on the smaller dishes rather than the bigger ones.

We obviously started with the oyster offer - served on ice with a tangy home made sauce (reminded me of mustard in its flavors), pickled red onion and a lime wedge.

From the pinchos section we ordered the octopus skewer and several montaditos. we went for a large variety so we tried the grilled corn (amazing tangy flavor), padron filled with a fish kebab (delicious sauce that covered the entire bite), Hawaii schinken & emmental cheese (spicy sauce and sharp flavors), foie gras pate (creamy), stracciatella cheese and strawberry jam (it's probably the simplest one, but also was the best one IMO).

From the charcuterie section we ordered the roast beef platter, served with pickled red onion & chimichurri sauce. It was very well made and sliced super thinly.

From the veggies section we ordered the green beens XO (amazing tangy flavors), patatas bravas (fried potatoes served with a super creamy sauce), tomato slices with mojama shavings (simply tomato slices topped with salt-cured tuna, a very special dish you won't find anywhere else).

From the crudo section we went for just one dish - tuna tartar with fresh raspberry sauce served on creamy goat cheese and topped with dried raspberry flakes - it was so special with an amazing flavor balance, one of the most special dishes of our dinner.

Lastly, from the bigger platters section we ordered the anchovy butter spaghetti topped with toasted breadcrumbs (a but heavier, but definitely more filling although it's still not main dish sized, very creamy and salty) and the shrimps with airy tomato butter and a coriander sauce (another one of my favorite dishes, we literally wiped the plate clean because the sauces were so perfectly balanced and very delicious).

And of course we couldn't leave without having a slice of their famously known basque cheesecake that definitely didn't disappoint - it was super creamy and rich, but not heavy so you can just keep eating more and more.

To conclude, if you're looking for a cool tapas bar with a great ambiance and vibe, high attentive service and really good food - this...

Been there for a date during the oyster event. To be fair oysters were amazing - very fresh, good tasting qualities and with garnish. I’ve tasted oysters at a couple of places and those were the best. Too bad the service spoiled the impression- we were seated at smoking zone and I specifically booked non-smoking (realized it when after 20-30 minutes people started to smoke around us). We were forgotten by waiters multiple times while all the tables around us were served - people that came before us, after us..whatever. First waited for 30 minutes to make an order without even water on the table, then after finishing oysters ordered some other dishes and after 40 minutes of sitting with dirty plates on the table decided to leave because it was not worth it anymore :) to note our table was just beside waiters’ stand and we were passed by dozens of times. and of course it was a mistake in check because why not. Left without compliment from the kitchen. Restaurants that pretend to be fancy do not behave like that :) 4 stars for oysters that do not reflect actual cooking, atmosphere is nice and 2 stars overall because service is much more important than the...