Here is list of restaurants and eateries in Tel Aviv which we don't recommended, however tastes differ. We added our reason for each, and also recommended on alternative places for the same type of food.
24 Rupees
Type: Indian
Average price: 30-40 NIS
Reason not recommended: The food is very disappointing. Indian food is simple but pungent, we were missing the flavor explosion in our mouths at this place. The interior is nice though, but doesn't make up for it all.
Allora
Type: Italian
Average price: 55-70 NIS
Reason not recommended: It's too bad that they use cheap pasta for their dishes; the pasta is overcooked and the sauces taste very powdery.
* Instead: Try Pappa's or Rustico.
Amore Mio
Type: Italian
Average price: 55-70 NIS
Reason not recommended: We ordered three different pasta dishes and we are sorry to say that all three of them weren't good. It was either too salty or to bland. The ingredients used in these dishes were mediocre and too dominant, which made the food too heavy to eat. A good pasta dish makes you want to eat more of it, and not the opposite...
* Instead: Try Pappa's or Rustico.
Barabunya
Type: Fish restaurant
Average price: 80 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The concept is a bit the same as some other fish restaurants we've been to in Tel Aviv and Jaffa: grilled or fried fish with salads appetizers. But at Barabunya the fish really tastes bad, it smells, which is a sign of not fresh fish. Also the salads are not that good.
* Instead: Try Rauf et Atina, Goocha or Manta Ray.
Bar Giyora
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 30 NIS (sandwiches), 45 NIS (pasta)
Reason why not recommended: Once known in Tel Aviv for really good pasta and sandwiches, Bar Giyora's quality has deteriorated. The roast beef sandwich for example really tastes bitter and their pasta sauces have no flavor.
Frame
Type: Fusion Restaurant
Average price: 60 NIS
Reason not recommended: The restaurant and food look great (especially on the digital menu), unfortunately it doesn't taste as good as it looks like. You don't want to pay for how the food is displayed, but for the lasting great flavor...
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Frangelico
Type: Sushi (take out and delivery)
Average price: 70 NIS p.p.
Reason not recommended: Although we liked the flavor of the sushi rice, the other ingredients were a bit disappointing. They used canned salmon for the salmon maki, not what you expect from a expensive sushi place like this. The dough of the goose giyoza was a bit dry too.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
FU
Type: Sushi
Average price: 70 NIS p.p
Reason not recommended: Is this a fusion sushi place or a normal sushi joint? It seems that they are not sure what they are serving either, because the "new wave type of sushi" just didn't live up to its expectation. The flavors were just as confusing as their menu was: deep fried sushis and tiramisu for dessert.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Go Noodles
Type: Thai Fast food
Average price: 35 NIS
Reason not recommended: No authenticity in the flavors to this fast food Thai take out chain and it's a bit overpriced. Fast food doesn't have to be bad food, but it is in this case.
Hashdera 34
Type: International Bar-Restaurant
Average price: 40 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The dishes are extremely cheap here (which can explain its popularity) but its dishes are absolutely not good.
*Instead: Try The Streets.
Indira
Type: Indian
Average price: 50-60 NIS
Reason why not recommended: It's quite hard to find good and authentic Indian food. Although Indira is run by Indians, the food just doesn't taste good or prepared decently and it's way too overpriced.
La Lasagna
Type: Italian
Average price: 40-50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Super expensive and super not tasty.
Moon
Type: Sushi bar
Average price: 18-30NIS per plate
Reason why not recommended: The sushi rice was as dry as the Sahara, the fish tasted like it was farmed in a garden pond and it's as over-priced as a fake Louis Vuitton bag.
* Instead try: Sakura or Japanika.
Onami
Type: Japanese food and sushi
Average price: 70 NIS
Reason why not recommended: For a place like Onami with a reputation of having the best sushi in town, it was so disappointing to eat here: the sushi didn't taste fresh and the noodles tasted more like bad Thai fast food take out.
Instead: Try Sakura and Japanika.
Olive cafe
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 40 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Cafe-Restaurant food can be excitingly good, but unfortunately Olive cafe doesn't belong to that range of cafe-restaurants. It's a nice place to have a cup of coffee on their terrace, but the pasta and chicken dish weren't good. (This review is about the Olive cafe on Bograshov st.)
Osteria da Fiorella
Type: Italian
Average price: 60-80 NIS
Reason not recommended: You don't have many options on the menu and the flavors are not that spectacular. It's also a bit too expensive for what you're getting. There are much better Italian places in town.
* Instead: Try Pappa's.
Pulke'im
Type: Grilled chicken
Average price: 35 NIS
Reason not recommended: The grilled chicken dishes don't have much flavor, the chicken taste kinda bland and chewy. It's also a bit expensive for grilled chicken.
* Instead: Try the Grilled chicken of Shimon.
Segafredo
Type: Cafe and Sandwiches
Reason why not recommended: We gave this cafe a couple of chances, but everytime we order something there, it either had a bug, piece of plastic or hair in the desserts. Once is a coincidence, but three times?
Sekai
Type: Sushi, East Asian
Reason why not recommended: The food tastes artificial and not fresh. Sushi is mediocre.
* Instead: Try Sakura or Japanika.
Sushi Atsa
Type: Sushi
Average price: 26 NIS per dish
Reason why not recommended: It's a cheap sushi place and we weren't impressed by the food, unfortunately. The sushi rice doesn't have any flavor and sometimes it's also very dry, as if it was undercooked.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Tandoori
Type: Indian
Average price: 70 NIS (buffet)
Reason why not recommended: This place is so expensive for Indian food that doesn't taste like Indian food.
Tazza d'Oro
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: If you are adding grated coconut and sesame seeds in the schnitzel crust, you're either a genius or overconfident. It this case, it was the latter. Cute cafe to have a drink and read a book, but you don't have to come here for the food.
The Old Man and the Sea
Type: Fish restaurant
Average price: 75 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Don't be fooled by the size and bustling crowd at this restaurant. Unfortunately, it doesn't reflect the good flavors of the food served here. The salads which are served as appetizers are not 'home made', some of them really taste like jarred food. And the fish just doesn't taste that fresh.
* Instead: Try Rauf et Atina, Goocha or Manta Ray.
Wolfsnight
Type: Burger place
Average price: 50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The only thing that was good about the hamburger was the bun. Now, that's not what you want to like the most of a hamburger. The meat was a bit dry and didn't have the juiciness that a good hamburger should have.
* Instead: Try Moses or Agadir.
24 Rupees
Type: Indian
Average price: 30-40 NIS
Reason not recommended: The food is very disappointing. Indian food is simple but pungent, we were missing the flavor explosion in our mouths at this place. The interior is nice though, but doesn't make up for it all.
Allora
Type: Italian
Average price: 55-70 NIS
Reason not recommended: It's too bad that they use cheap pasta for their dishes; the pasta is overcooked and the sauces taste very powdery.
* Instead: Try Pappa's or Rustico.
Amore Mio
Type: Italian
Average price: 55-70 NIS
Reason not recommended: We ordered three different pasta dishes and we are sorry to say that all three of them weren't good. It was either too salty or to bland. The ingredients used in these dishes were mediocre and too dominant, which made the food too heavy to eat. A good pasta dish makes you want to eat more of it, and not the opposite...
* Instead: Try Pappa's or Rustico.
Barabunya
Type: Fish restaurant
Average price: 80 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The concept is a bit the same as some other fish restaurants we've been to in Tel Aviv and Jaffa: grilled or fried fish with salads appetizers. But at Barabunya the fish really tastes bad, it smells, which is a sign of not fresh fish. Also the salads are not that good.
* Instead: Try Rauf et Atina, Goocha or Manta Ray.
Bar Giyora
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 30 NIS (sandwiches), 45 NIS (pasta)
Reason why not recommended: Once known in Tel Aviv for really good pasta and sandwiches, Bar Giyora's quality has deteriorated. The roast beef sandwich for example really tastes bitter and their pasta sauces have no flavor.
Frame
Type: Fusion Restaurant
Average price: 60 NIS
Reason not recommended: The restaurant and food look great (especially on the digital menu), unfortunately it doesn't taste as good as it looks like. You don't want to pay for how the food is displayed, but for the lasting great flavor...
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Frangelico
Type: Sushi (take out and delivery)
Average price: 70 NIS p.p.
Reason not recommended: Although we liked the flavor of the sushi rice, the other ingredients were a bit disappointing. They used canned salmon for the salmon maki, not what you expect from a expensive sushi place like this. The dough of the goose giyoza was a bit dry too.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
FU
Type: Sushi
Average price: 70 NIS p.p
Reason not recommended: Is this a fusion sushi place or a normal sushi joint? It seems that they are not sure what they are serving either, because the "new wave type of sushi" just didn't live up to its expectation. The flavors were just as confusing as their menu was: deep fried sushis and tiramisu for dessert.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Go Noodles
Type: Thai Fast food
Average price: 35 NIS
Reason not recommended: No authenticity in the flavors to this fast food Thai take out chain and it's a bit overpriced. Fast food doesn't have to be bad food, but it is in this case.
Hashdera 34
Type: International Bar-Restaurant
Average price: 40 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The dishes are extremely cheap here (which can explain its popularity) but its dishes are absolutely not good.
*Instead: Try The Streets.
Indira
Type: Indian
Average price: 50-60 NIS
Reason why not recommended: It's quite hard to find good and authentic Indian food. Although Indira is run by Indians, the food just doesn't taste good or prepared decently and it's way too overpriced.
La Lasagna
Type: Italian
Average price: 40-50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Super expensive and super not tasty.
Moon
Type: Sushi bar
Average price: 18-30NIS per plate
Reason why not recommended: The sushi rice was as dry as the Sahara, the fish tasted like it was farmed in a garden pond and it's as over-priced as a fake Louis Vuitton bag.
* Instead try: Sakura or Japanika.
Onami
Type: Japanese food and sushi
Average price: 70 NIS
Reason why not recommended: For a place like Onami with a reputation of having the best sushi in town, it was so disappointing to eat here: the sushi didn't taste fresh and the noodles tasted more like bad Thai fast food take out.
Instead: Try Sakura and Japanika.
Olive cafe
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 40 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Cafe-Restaurant food can be excitingly good, but unfortunately Olive cafe doesn't belong to that range of cafe-restaurants. It's a nice place to have a cup of coffee on their terrace, but the pasta and chicken dish weren't good. (This review is about the Olive cafe on Bograshov st.)
Osteria da Fiorella
Type: Italian
Average price: 60-80 NIS
Reason not recommended: You don't have many options on the menu and the flavors are not that spectacular. It's also a bit too expensive for what you're getting. There are much better Italian places in town.
* Instead: Try Pappa's.
Pulke'im
Type: Grilled chicken
Average price: 35 NIS
Reason not recommended: The grilled chicken dishes don't have much flavor, the chicken taste kinda bland and chewy. It's also a bit expensive for grilled chicken.
* Instead: Try the Grilled chicken of Shimon.
Segafredo
Type: Cafe and Sandwiches
Reason why not recommended: We gave this cafe a couple of chances, but everytime we order something there, it either had a bug, piece of plastic or hair in the desserts. Once is a coincidence, but three times?
Sekai
Type: Sushi, East Asian
Reason why not recommended: The food tastes artificial and not fresh. Sushi is mediocre.
* Instead: Try Sakura or Japanika.
Sushi Atsa
Type: Sushi
Average price: 26 NIS per dish
Reason why not recommended: It's a cheap sushi place and we weren't impressed by the food, unfortunately. The sushi rice doesn't have any flavor and sometimes it's also very dry, as if it was undercooked.
* Instead: Try Japanika or Sakura.
Tandoori
Type: Indian
Average price: 70 NIS (buffet)
Reason why not recommended: This place is so expensive for Indian food that doesn't taste like Indian food.
Tazza d'Oro
Type: Cafe-Restaurant
Average price: 50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: If you are adding grated coconut and sesame seeds in the schnitzel crust, you're either a genius or overconfident. It this case, it was the latter. Cute cafe to have a drink and read a book, but you don't have to come here for the food.
The Old Man and the Sea
Type: Fish restaurant
Average price: 75 NIS
Reason why not recommended: Don't be fooled by the size and bustling crowd at this restaurant. Unfortunately, it doesn't reflect the good flavors of the food served here. The salads which are served as appetizers are not 'home made', some of them really taste like jarred food. And the fish just doesn't taste that fresh.
* Instead: Try Rauf et Atina, Goocha or Manta Ray.
Wolfsnight
Type: Burger place
Average price: 50 NIS
Reason why not recommended: The only thing that was good about the hamburger was the bun. Now, that's not what you want to like the most of a hamburger. The meat was a bit dry and didn't have the juiciness that a good hamburger should have.
* Instead: Try Moses or Agadir.
