I started writing my monthly Israeli Foodie Roundups over a year ago, so I thought it would be nice to do a review of restaurant news for the whole of 2018. There are a few trends that have emerged:
- It is all about street food and some of Israel’s best chefs have got in on the deal
- Chef restaurants are showcasing more middle eastern dishes and less classic European dishes
- High-end restaurants are closing in favor of relaxed bistro styles
- More of Israel’s leading chefs are opening kosher restaurants
JERUSALEM
- Harvey’s Smokehouse (Kosher) opened in Jerusalem city center, in place of Gabriel. The US style smokehouse serves various meat dishes including brisket, ribs and chicken.
- Scala (Kosher) at The David Citadel Hotel re-opened after many years of closure. The new restaurant serves a modern take on traditional Israeli food, click here to read my full review.
- Andalucia Cocktail Bar (Mehuderet) opened in Jerusalem’s Kikar Hamusica. The bar menu includes a mixture of Spanish and Middle Eastern tapas-style dishes.
- Taco Luis (Kosher) is an authentic Mexican restaurant run by a Mexican family, serving a variety of tortillas and other dishes.
- Café Gan Sipur (Mehadrin) is a coffee shop in Gan Sacher in Jerusalem. The menu includes typical café options like breakfast, salad, pasta etc, as well as a varied kids menu.
- The Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem opened a new meat restaurant called 02 Upbeat Jerusalem Cuisine (Kosher). The setting is lovely and does not feel like a hotel at all, full review here.
- Naya (Kosher) Asian fusion restaurant opened in Moshav Beit Nakofa in the Jerusalem Hills. The restaurant serves sushi, Asian dishes and a variety of cocktails.
- Hadar Market opened in Talpiot.
- The Adom Group opened Cafe Asia (Not Kosher) in Cinematheque Jerusalem where Lavan used to be. The menu focuses on Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, with some Korean and Cambodian dishes.
- The Machneyuda group have opened another restaurant, called DKL (Not Kosher). The menu uses local raw ingredients, seafood and other dishes made in front the of the diners.
TEL AVIV & MERKAZ
- Chef Meir Adoni opened three branches of street food restaurants called Dunya (Kosher), two in Tel Aviv and one in Haifa, with more branches to follow.
- Malka (Kosher), the new restaurant by Chef Eyal Shani, where Liliyot used to be in Tel Aviv. There were quite a few issues when I went when it first opened but some people love it, click here for my review and photos.
- R2M Group opened Disco Tokyo (Not Kosher) in the Herzl 16 compound in Tel Aviv. Menu items include bao buns, beef in Agadashi sauce and Korean dumplings.
- Café Popular (Not Kosher) opened in Jacob Samuel Hotel in north Tel Aviv, spread over two floors. The restaurant is owned by four Tel Aviv restaurateurs and the kitchen is run by Chef Avi Bitton, former chef of Adora.
- Chef Victor Gloger opened Hola Brasserie (Not Kosher) in the Dan Tel Aviv, where Rafael used to be. The concept is an informal, inexpensive modern European brasserie.
- Chef Raz Rahav of OCD opened Barvazi Urban Sandwich (Not Kosher) in central Tel Aviv. Gourmet sandwiches include mac & cheese, baby rib croissant and pineapple and smoked labane.
- The Jaffa opened a boutique hotel in The Old City of Yafo including Don Camillo (Not Kosher), a New York style Italian restaurant with a local twist and Golda’s Delicatessen (Not Kosher), a New York style café serving bagels, lox and schmear, double cheeseburgers and grilled cheese.
- Chef Ortal Rosenberg opened Emesh (Not Kosher) in Tel Aviv, where Nanuchka used to be.
- Vegetarian restaurant Opa (Not Kosher) was opened by Chef Shirel Berger and her twin sister Sharona. Berger makes a point of not using meat substitutes or vegan cheeses but instead uses vegetables and seasonal fruits directly from the farmers.
- L28 (Not Kosher) is an interesting culinary project on Lilenblum in Tel Aviv. The restaurant will promote young chefs who would not normally have the opportunity to open their own restaurant and every six months a different chef will be in charge of the kitchen.
- Avocada (Not Kosher) in Tel Aviv, focuses on avocados, even the desserts. Although many of the dishes are vegan, dairy, fish and meat are also included in some dishes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnKB7tAc8r/?utm_source=ig_embed
- Nomi (Kosher) is the new chef restaurant at the David Intercontinental by Chef Yoram Nitzan of Mul Yam and Bindella. The modern Israeli restaurant replaces the French restaurant Aubergine.
- Containers opened in Ramat Gan next to the Diamond Exchange as a permanent food truck complex.
- Como (Kosher) is a new dairy Italian-fusion restaurant in the NYX hotel, Herzliya Pituach. Chef Lior Ya’akov, previously worked at Kitchen Market.
- Al Hamayim (Kosher) a fish and sushi restaurant on Sharon Beach in Herzliya Pituach, became kosher. The menu includes a variety of dairy, fish and sushi dishes.
- Hamikdash (Kosher) in Kfar Saba became kosher. The restaurant is a temple to all things meat and is a very exciting addition to the kosher dining world.
REST OF ISRAEL
- Nina Bianca (Kosher) opened in Bilu junction, near Rehovot, with a Mediterranean dairy menu including truffle arancini, burrata, leek risotto, gnocchi, pizza and various fish dishes.
- Akko finally has a kosher chef restaurant thanks to Chef Uri Arnold. Roots (Kosher) has a Levantine style menu and the restaurant is housed inside a large stone building.
- Agamon Market next to Hotel Galilion in the Hula Valley finally opened fully.
- 5th Avenue in Eilat became kosher. The new menu was designed by Chef Aviv Moshe, click here for a full review.
- Karibu (Kosher) by Tel Aviv’s David Ve Yossef has opened in the Queen of Sheba hotel, in place of Chicago.
RESTAURANT CLOSURES
- Café de Paris in Jerusalem- the building is being developed into apartments
- Hahatzer closed and the chef plans to focus on Medita
- Bakshish in Jerusalem, near the shuk
- Pasha Tel Aviv on Rehov HaArba’a, Tel Aviv
- Rothschild Allenby Market closed after just one year
- Liliyot closed and Malka opened in its place
- Chiripom by Chef Avi Levy closed in Tel Aviv so he could focus on Hamotzi
- Nanuchka was replaced with Emesh
- Osteria da Fiorella closed after 33 years in business
- Mr & Mrs Lee by Chef Shaul Ben Aderet closed after four years
- Chloelys in Ramat Gan closed after 16 years, the kosher branch in the Hilton Tel Aviv is still open
- Roberg on Moshav Livnim
To read previous monthly roundups, click here and don’t forget to follow this blog to receive automatic updates.
Categories: Monthly Roundup, News
3 replies »