There are lots of updates this month so I will keep the intro short. I have changed the format to Kosher vs Not Kosher – please let me know in the comments below if this is helpful or if you prefer it to be ordered by location.
Kosher
There has been a lot of movement on Emek Refaim in Jerusalem recently. Hayouka BaPita by Chef Aviram Hayouka opened in early December. Waffle Bar has officially closed down. Bagel Café (Mehadrin) has temporarily moved a few doors down while they renovate. They are also due to open a branch in Kanyon Hadar. Aldo has moved from the small store next to Bagel Café – to the doomed corner of Rachel Imenu.
Netanya has had an explosion of new kosher restaurants. A few months ago Chef Uri Arnold (owner/chef of Arnold’s) opened a meat Greek Tavern on the beach called Souvlaki. Now, Chef Moshe Segev has opened a second branch of his kosher restaurant called Moshe Segev. This restaurant follows the opening of Segev’s first kosher restaurant in Beer Sheva a few months ago. The menu is only available in Hebrew.
Chef Meir Adoni has opened a new chain of Middle Eastern fast food restaurants, called Dunya. The first branch opened in Ramat Hachayal in mid-February and eventually, Adoni aims to bring his food to the whole of Israel, including Nazareth and Rahat. The prices will be higher than most fast-food chains but all the dishes are designed by Adoni himself, using high-quality ingredients.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BepIw5TlWjb/?taken-by=chef_meir_adoni
Atmosphera (Kosher) is a new grill restaurant in Ashdod. The menu includes a selection of small tapas dishes, Mediterranean style starters, as well as fish and meat main courses, such as baby grouper, green seabass, asado on the bone, a burger with a selection of toppings and various steaks, here is the full English menu.
Babam (Kosher), Ashdod – the trend of smoked meat is spreading around the country and Ashdod is the latest city to open a smoked meat restaurant by Chef Eran Hessel. Items on the menu include hot smoked pastrami, asado, smoke entrecote, goose breast, smoked bone goulash soup and a smoked hamburger.
The Croladin is back for good. Roladin’s version of the Cronut, is now going to be permanently on the menu and not just for Hanukah. Fillings include coffee amaretto, pistachio, chocolate, crème patisserie and white chocolate.
Chiripom by Chef Avi Levy has closed in Tel Aviv. He has decided to focus all his time on his Jerusalem restaurant, Hamotzi.
Chef Aviv Moshe of Messa and Quattro has launched a kosher vegan catering service called Berry Fields. For more information, call 09 955 9544.
Luciana has opened a new branch in Modiin. The decor looks beautiful, but I hope that the food and service are more like the original Emek Refaim branch than the Mamilla branch.
Eilat has two new kosher restaurants: 5th Avenue by Chef Aviv Moshe is newly kosher and Karibu by Tel Aviv’s David Ve Yossef has opened in the Queen of Sheba hotel, in place of Chicago.
Click here to read my full review of the new Scala restaurant in The David Citadel Hotel.
Not Kosher
After 16 years in business, Argentinian Chef Victor Gloger recently closed Chloelys restaurant in Ramat Gan and has now opened Hola Brasserie (Not Kosher) in the Dan Tel Aviv, where Rafael used to be. The concept of the new modern European brasserie is to offer a less formal and less expensive menu. The menu features dishes like Tuna Tataki (NIS 56), Pizza Beets & Blue Cheese (NIS 69), Seafood Paella for two (NIS 195). There is also a smoking bar called Barola, with an extensive wine and cocktail menu and bar food. The kosher branch of Chloelys (Kosher) in the Hilton Tel Aviv will remain open.
Chef Omer Miller, the owner of the popular burger chain Susu & Sons (Not Kosher), has opened a pizzeria on Rothschild in Tel Aviv, called Sabba & 300 Rabbits (Not Kosher). Unusual pizza toppings include carrot, pumpkin, pasta, pancetta, osso buco, jalapeno and shredded short rib. They also have a number of sweet toppings for dessert pizzas.
Coming Soon
Since Liliyot closed for renovations a few months ago, we have been waiting to hear what the big update will be, well it is even more exciting than expected. The new Liliyot restaurant will be Chef Eyal Shani’s first kosher restaurant in Israel. Shani is one of Israel’s celebrity chefs, whose restaurants include, Port Said, North Abraxass, HaSalon and Romano (Not Kosher) in Tel Aviv and Miznon branches in Tel Aviv, Vienna, Melbourne, New York and a kosher branch in Paris. Shani is most famous for his whole roasted cauliflower and his love of tomatoes. The restaurant will continue to hire at-risk youth and is due to open in early March.
Kosher restaurants by celebrity chefs are becoming a trend in Israel. Chef Yoram Nitzan will be opening a new kosher restaurant in the David Intercontinental hotel. Nitzan spent 20 years as the chef of Mul Yam specializing in seafood, until it burnt down in July 2015. He was also the chef of Bindella Osteria which closed last year.
Recent Posts
- A Weekend Getaway in Haifa
- Scala Offers Authentic Jerusalem Food in a Hotel Surrounding
- Press Exposure for Restaurant Club Jerusalem and Israel
- Shabbat in Jerusalem – Fast Food
To read previous monthly roundups, click here.
Categories: Monthly Roundup
I personally prefer it by location, but I can completely understand how categorizing it as “kosher vs. not kosher” would be helpful for those that are kosher.