Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for April.

Spring is in the air and with it comes more new openings in the Israel restaurant scene. Kosher openings include Liwa fish restaurant on the roof of Akotika Hotel in Akko, Moses Air burger restaurant in Terminal 3 of Ben Gurion and Tulum Beach meat restaurant on the beach in Eilat. Non-kosher restaurant openings this month include Gia Japanese Izakaya restaurant on Rothschild Boulevard, Pizza by Chakra in Jerusalem, and Sumac Galilean Druze restaurant in the Zichron Yaakov Mall. Other news highlights this month include the Ramat Hahayal branch of Eyal Shani’s Miznon and Zeit fur Brot Germany bakery are now kosher,  Moshik Roth taking over as head chef of  Qumran in Tel Aviv, and Shabour restaurant in Paris winning a Michelin star again.

If you try any restaurants in this update,  please share photos and a review in Restaurant Club Israel‘s Facebook group.

Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Birkin is a wine and cocktail bar in Raanana with a meat bar menu.

• Carmellita is an Italian restaurant in the Carmel Market, serving pizza, pasta, and salads.
• Itzhak & Yehuda is a meat restaurant in the Dor Alon gas station in Tel Yitzhak, serving traditional Mizrachi dishes such as kubbeh soup,  couscous, and mafrum. They also have a selection of prepared food and salads to take home.
• Liwa (Tzohar) is a fish restaurant on the roof of Akotika Hotel in Akko, overlooking the sea, by the owners of El Marsa.

• Middle East street-food restaurant opened a second branch on Menachem Begin in Tel Aviv.

• Moses Air is a new branch of Moses Burger restaurant in Terminal 3 of Ben Gurion. I tried it a few weeks ago and it was delicious and so much calmer than sitting in the noisy food court.
• Pastito (Mehadrin) is a fresh Italian pasta restaurant on Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem.
• Pitmaster has opened a new branch in Beer Sheva.
• Sense is a restaurant in Netanya by Chef Dudu Ben Abo.

• Tulum Beach is a meat restaurant on the beach in Eilat.
• YYY is a Moroccan street food restaurant in Tel Aviv by Chef Guy Peretz of Salon Yevani

Not Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Adhams Smoke House from Nazareth has opened a second branch in Nof HaGalil Center.
• Babush Bamosad is a coffee cart in Pardes Hanna from the owners of Babush Caffe in Caesaria.
• Cafe River is a coffee shop and patisserie owned by On the River, located at the Yardenit Complex at the entrance of Kibbutz Kinneret.

• Cafe Royal is a bistro bar on Hayakron Street in Tel Aviv, opposite the beach. Menu items include NYC Bagel Breakfast, Avocado Toasted Truffle & Soft Scrambled, and Truffle Gouda Cheese Burger.
• Chatuchak Restaurant is a Thai restaurant in Netanya, with an authentically Thai design and menu.
• Croûte is a European bistro in Tel Aviv by the We Love You Too Group, in place of Gan Hashikmim restaurant.
• Gia is a Japanese Izakaya restaurant on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv, where Yakimono restaurant used to be. Chef Avner Areji used to work in Dinings restaurants in London and Tel Aviv.

• Itzhak & Yehuda is a restaurant serving mostly meat sandwiches with frena bread, salads, and dips, in Moshav Tel Yitzhak, from the owners of Hacabina Cafe and Telyzhak Bakery.
• Nomena Roasters is a coffee roastery on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv.
• P² Pizza has opened a second branch on Shats Street in Jerusalem.
• Pizza by Chakra is a pizzeria and Italian bistro by the owners of Chakra in Jerusalem. As well as a range of classic pizzas, the menu includes traditional Italian dishes such as Caprese salad, Vitello Tonnato, and Arancini. The pizza lives up to the hype and is even delicious when delivered.

• Sumac is a Galiliean Druze restaurant in the Zichron Yaakov Mall.
• Tapa is a cocktail and tapas bar in the Hotel Botanica in Haifa with views over the Bahai Gardens.
• The Wine Shop is a wine bar on Montefiore Street from the Triger Group. As well as an extensive selection of wines by the glass and bottle, the menu includes bar food such as beef tartare, baked camembert, and endive salad.

• West el Balad is a bakery by Druze chef Naifa Mulla, inside the Suzanne Dallal Center, near her restaurant Naifa.

Other Foodie News

• a – By Yuval Ben Neriah has reopened for the first time since October 7, with a more casual and lower price menu than previously served.
• Coffee Anan on the top of Har Bental, overlooking Syria, has closed after 25 years as it is now part of a closed military area.
• Doha (Kosher) restaurant in Carmel Market in Tel Aviv is now a burger bar.
• Miznon in Ramat Hahayal is now kosher.

• Chef Moshik Roth has taken over as head chef of  Qumran restaurant in Tel Aviv. This will be Roth’s first kosher restaurant. Despite the impressive interior design, the restaurant has not received good reviews since it opened a few years ago, so hopefully Chef Roth will improve that.
• Saône Rhône restaurant on Yehuda Halevi in Tel Aviv is now open in the evenings for dinner, with a happy hour from 6 – 7 pm.
• Shabour restaurant in Paris by the Machneyuda group has earned a Michelin star for the fourth year in a row.
• The Diner by Goocha has reopened as an Italian American diner.
• Zeit fur Brot opened its first store outside Germany in Tel Aviv in September. This store is now kosher.

Israeli Foodie Events & Festivals

• Israel Cuisine Festival, 27 March – 12 April 2024, events in various restaurants.
• Umami Chef is a series of culinary events at restaurants in Tel Aviv,  7-16 April 2024.
• MyYain Jerusalem Wine Festival, The First Station Jerusalem, 11 April 2024, NIS 125 in advance, NIS 140 on the door.
• Tel Aviv Wine Festival, Gan HaIr Tel Aviv, 18 April 2024  – NIS 99 early bird.
• Jerusalem Craft Beer Fair, Sergei Palace Hotel Jerusalem, 1-2 May 2024, free entry.
• Tel Aviv Cocktail Week – May 2024, exact dates to be announced.

Recent Posts

• Israel Foodie News & Restaurant Openings March 2024

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We would love to hear from you if you visit any of our recommendations! Share your thoughts, photos, and reviews in Restaurant Club Israel‘s Facebook group.

This list was put together by personal research and should not be copied without permission or full credit given for its content – © Debbest Israel.