News and Reviews from the Israel Foodie Scene.
It is not only the end of a year but also the end of a decade. Many things may remain the same but the Israeli culinary scene is constantly changing and as always, there are plenty of new restaurant openings to report on. Wishing you all a Happy 2020!
Kosher
Harvey’s Burger Shack is the little sister of Harvey’s Smokehouse on Shlomtzion HaMalka in Jerusalem. As the name suggests, they serve a variety of burgers.
Cafe De Paris is a French cafe on Ben Yehuda in Tel Aviv with a Parisian atmosphere. The menu includes typical French pastries, sandwiches, pasta and desserts. The restaurant has a large terrace which can also be hired for private events.
Meat Kitchen is due to reopen in the Namal Tel Aviv on January 7. I for one am very excited, as it was my favorite kosher meat restaurant in Israel (Top 10 Kosher Restaurants in Israel).
One of my favorite Israeli wineries has opened a showroom in Neve Zedek in Tel Aviv. Tulip Winery, from Kfar Tikva in Kiryat Tivon near Haifa, now has a small showroom on Shabazi Street. Read a previous post about visiting Tulip Winery.
Kubeh Gutte from Haifa has opened a branch in the business area of Herzliya Pituach serving traditional kubeh dishes.
Sunshine Bazra is a cafe on Moshav Bazra in the Sharon area north of Ra’anana, which serves breakfast, pizza, pastries, salads, sandwiches and fresh juices.
Not Kosher
Lieb Kafe is a cafe at the entrance of Liebling Haus, The White City Center on Idelson Street in Tel Aviv. It is run by the same owners as Shneor Café on Pinkser Street. Lieb Kafe will serve pastries made by Shneor.
Chef Dan Shmulovich who previously owned Savida in Akko has opened Sharak fish restaurant. The restaurant is in the same location that Agadir Embassy previously held on Ben Yehuda in Tel Aviv. The Mediterranean menu features a variety of fish and seafood dishes, many with a Greek influence.
Credit: Shani Brill
Pop & Pope is a new restaurant, bar and events space on the 14th floor of the Hagag HaArba’a Towers in Tel Aviv. The venue was designed by Giorgio Armani Studio Armani Casa, along with Israeli and Italian architects. The chef of the project Chef Shahaf Shabtay, was previously the chef of Nithan Thai and before that, he set up a Michelin starred restaurant in Prague. The restaurant itself will be on the bridge that connects two of the towers and is due to open in a few months. It will be Asian themed with an Italian bakery. The South Tower will feature an all-day lounge bar which has panoramic views of the Tel Aviv skyline.
Credit: Afik Gabay
Chimera Asian Bar is a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant on Yehuda HaMaccabi in Tel Aviv. As well as the sushi menu, they serve cooked dishes such as Thai Green Chicken Curry and Chicken Pad Thai.
Reviva Second Floor is a new restaurant in the G Complex in Tel Aviv on the floor above the Tel Aviv branch of Reviva and Celia. The French-style restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch from Sunday to Thursday, and dinner for at the weekend. Breakfast is a buffet-style for NIS 136 per person and lunch is NIS 210 per person.
Muskat restaurant from Udim has moved to Ramat Aviv. The restaurant is dairy and closed on Shabbat but without kosher supervision.
A new bistro has opened at the entrance to the Eretz Israel Museum in Ramat Aviv called Artsi. There is currently a trial breakfast, lunch and dinner menu and they plan to open for brunch at the weekend in the future. There is also a terrace overlooking a fenced garden where kids can explore while their parents relax over a meal.
Papasan is an Asian restaurant in Givatayim featuring the former chef of Minna Tomei, Moshe Badishi. The menu includes food from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Thailand and more. For now, the restaurant is only open from 6 pm, but it is expected to be open for lunch in the future.
The owners of Igra Rama in Tel Aviv have partnered with Meshek Melamed to create Igra Bemeshek in Kfar HaNagid, between Rehovot and Yavne. The restaurant is located on the Melamed organic farm and the menu celebrates the fresh vegetables and organic chickens that are grown there. They are open for lunch only, Tuesday to Friday.
Other Israel Foodie News
In the October Israel Foodie Roundup, I reported that Chef Yossi Shitrit was no longer the head chef of the Barka House Group, which owns Kitchen Market, Mashya, Magreb and Onza. The new head chef of the group is Chef Nir Mesika, who recently returned to Israel from New York, where he was the chef at Timna Restaurant, which closed earlier this year.
The trend of celebrity chefs leaving their restaurants continues with the news that Chef Aviv Moshe has left Messa (Not Kosher) after 15 years of running the kitchen. Chef Moshe will now focus his time on his other Tel Aviv restaurants, Italian Quattro and Greek Yassou.
Having lost his home at Herbert Samuel a few years ago, Chef Yonatan Roshfeld has been on the move. Last January he started working at Cafeteria (Israel Foodie Roundup January 2019) and a year later he is now leading the kitchen at Grinberg Bistro and launching a winter menu.
Hasushia on Rehov Hillel and Pera e Mela/Agas veTapuach in the Jerusalem Iriah have both closed.
Golda Ice Cream will open on Agripas next to Memphis, where Pablo Mexican used to be. If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, their dairy-free dark chocolate ice cream is amazing, especially together with either coconut or a fruit sorbet to balance the richness of the chocolate.
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- The Ultimate Guide to Eating in Jerusalem
- Debbest Dishes November 2019
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Categories: Monthly Roundup
