News and Reviews from the Israel Foodie Scene.

A few weeks ago we prepared for the second closing of all the restaurants in Israel. Even though the closing didn’t happen, the reduced numbers allowed inside a restaurant has made it hard for all restaurant owners. Some have chosen not to open under the limited restrictions but most have managed to adapt to make things work and it seems that the Israeli public are out in force supporting them. I am once again pleasantly surprised by how many new restaurants have opened and for once, most of the new restaurants are kosher.

As much as it is important to support your favorite restaurants to make sure they remain in business, I think it is more important than ever to support new restaurants. Opening a new restaurant is always challenging but it is even more difficult with the current restrictions. If you do manage to try one of these new places, please remember to report back with either a comment on this article or a post on  Restaurant Club Israel.

Here is a roundup of the openings and closings on the Israeli foodie scene:

 Kosher

• Arais restaurant in Sarona Market is now kosher. Despite the name, the restaurant has a full grilled meat menu and is located on the outside of Sarona Market, with plenty of outdoor seating.
• Arale Crepe Brulee which took Jerusalem by storm last summer has opened a branch in Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv. The freshly made crepes are wrapped into a cone, filled with ice cream and topped with crème brulée. A delicious indulgence.

• BP Bistro has opened a third branch in Horev Center in Haifa. Half the restaurant is set up for sit-down and the other half for fast-food and take-away. The menu includes a choice of 13 different burgers and 7 sloppy joes, as well as much more. All three branches of BP offer delivery.
• Cafe Lyon Jerusalem (Mehadrin) will soon be opening in place of Trattoria Haba on Yafo next to the shuk.
• A few months ago Caffe Yaffo went from being kosher dairy to not kosher. Now it is once again kosher with a Tzohar meat menu.  It is one of the few kosher restaurants in the old town of Yafo.

• Dialna Frena Bar has opened a second branch in Shuk HaCarmel, just months after opening their first branch in Jerusalem next to Shuk Machane Yehuda. Not an easy time for one new restaurant, let alone two. I hope they make it work!
• Hana & Penina (Mehadrin) is another burger restaurant near Shuk Machane Yehuda.  As well as burgers, they also serve wings, schnitzel and meatballs. I will go and check it out but it will take a lot to convince me that Josef is not the best burger in Jerusalem.
• Kuku Rotisserie is a new rotisserie chicken restaurant in the Bursa complex in Ramat Gan. As well as rotisserie chicken, they also serve fresh schnitzel and a variety of side dishes and salads. They also offer delivery.

• Minato sushi, with restaurants in Herzliya and Caesarea, has opened a pop up in Tel Aviv on the rooftop of Alma Hotel on Ahad Haam Street. The rooftop has beautiful views over the top of the buildings around Rothschild and is open on Wednesday and Thursday nights with booking in advance.
• Meet the Meat (Mehadrin) is a meat restaurant in Yesod Hamaala next to the Hula Valley. The menu focuses on various smoked, grilled and BBQ cuts of beef.
• Napoleon Patisserie (Mehuderet) has replaced Gourmandises de Yoel in Kikar HaMusica in Jerusalem. The traditional Parisian-style cafe is owned by Laurent Levy, the owner of Kikar HaMusica and the Optical Center chain. The cafe serves all the most popular French cakes and pastries, as well as home-made ice cream which is served from a cart at the entrance to the restaurant, making it easier for take-away.
• Venice Pizza Bar in the first kosher restaurant on the beach in Rishon Le Zion. As well as pizza, the menu includes salads, pasta and a selection of starters and desserts. Venice Pizza Bar menu in Hebrew.

 Not Kosher

• Eissalon ice cream from Haifa has opened a branch in Karkur called Eisfeld. Both branches have online ordering options.
• Gelido is an artisanal ice cream parlor on Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv. The ice cream can be ordered on Wolt.
• Pasia cafe has opened near Kikar Dizengoff in place of Cafe Landwer. The menu has a wide selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
• Pinoli Gelato is a new Italian ice cream parlor on Kikar Dizengoff. As well as the usual flavors, they have some more unique flavors such as pinoli (pinenut) ice cream, lime and basil sorbet and Aperol orange sorbet. Pinoli Gelato is also on Wolt.

• Chef Yossi Elad aka Papi, one of the founders of the Machneyuda group, has opened Simha & Sasson, a new street food restaurant near Kikar Rabin. The menu items include pita filled with meatballs, fish kebab, Spanakopita (Greek spinach and feta pastry) and grilled vegetables. Prices range from NIS 38 to NIS 55 and the menu is due to expand in the future.

Closings

• Blondie Grilled Cheese, Jerusalem
• Cafe 65 in 65 Hotel, Rothschild Tel Aviv
• Memphis, Jerusalem
• Roosto, Jerusalem 

Other Israel Foodie News

• Cafe Shalva (Mehadrin) in Jerusalem now has an outdoor terrace.
• Dixie Grill Bar by Chef Chaim Cohen, Brasserie M&R and Chef Eyal Shani’s HaSalon in Tel Aviv have all temporarily closed.
• The kosher branch of Yakimono in the Hilton Tel Aviv has a new delivery service. The menu includes sushi, dim sum, salads and hot Asian dishes.
• Pinukitchen is a new gluten-free market in Ness Ziona with an impressive online store.
• Delicious Experiences is a new website from the founder of Delicious Israel that connects home cooks with leading chefs and culinary experts (mostly US-based) for one-on-one private workshops via video chat.

Israel Foodie Events

• Mateh Yehuda Rural Food Festival: 5-22 August 2020
• Succot Wine Festival, Tel Aviv: 7-8 October 2020
• OpenRestaurants, Jerusalem: 17–21 November 2020
• Terravino Wine Competition: November 2020

 Recent Posts

• Fika – the Swedish Bakery Expanding Around Israel
• Debbest Dishes June 2020

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