A roundup of kosher restaurants and takeout in Sarona.

Updated May 2021

People are always asking about kosher food in Sarona, especially because there is a high turnover of restaurants and shops, so it is hard to keep track. Many of the kosher places that were there when they first opened no longer exist, and others have tried and failed. I will try to keep this updated, but please take that into consideration. If you want specific recommendations, please ask in the Restaurant Club Israel group.

I have not included exact locations as it is hard to do that, but I will distinguish between Sarona Market, the indoor market area, and Sarona, the outdoor complex. Instead of creating my usual list of recommended places, this post includes all kosher places.

KOSHER RESTAURANTS

• Pita Basta has a number of interesting items on the menu. I normally order the Heavy Pita (NIS 34) – not a mistake in translation! – which is grilled chicken liver, silan, lemon sauce, tahina, and other delicious toppings. They also serve a dessert, Pita Loti (NIS 10), a crispy grilled pita with nutty chocolate and banana – sounds delicious!
  

  

  

• There is something about a great rotisserie chicken that never gets old. The Rotisserie Chicken Club has opened its third branch in Sarona Market. In addition to grilled chicken, they also serve chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, sweet potato chips, and roasted potatoes.
  

  

  
• Rachel BaSdera is a gourmet dairy sandwich stall imported from Jerusalem. Each sandwich is crafted with love and topped with caramelized tahina and silan.
• Tandoor is a meat street food restaurant that serves meat skewers cooked in a Tandoor oven.
• Wok to Walk is an Asian noodle stall where you can build your own noodles and rice dishes. Delivery is via Wolt.
• Located in the basement of a Templar building, Whiskey Bar (Hashgacha Pratit) has walls lined with over 1000 types of whiskey, but it is still enjoyable for non-whiskey drinkers like myself. The setting and décor are unique and there are plenty of large tables, so it is an ideal place for dinner with friends, but don’t expect much in the way of service.

•  Hummus Eliyahu is a chain, but the hummus is of very good quality and not your typical chain.
• Paradiso is a typical Israeli dairy café with the usual selection of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, pizza, pasta, and fish – basically, they do everything OK and nothing that well.
• Mixi Salad Bar is a kosher salad bar with a great selection of fresh vegetables, grains and toppings. The medium is NIS 38 and the large is NIS 42, both include bread. They also serve toast for NIS 32.
• When Sarona first opened, Biga (Mehadrin) was the only option for a kosher sit-down meal, and the menu was interesting, the setting quaint, and the service was what you expect from a mid-range cafe.  Over the years, it has worsened, and not only is the food not good (in my opinion), but the service is worse. It takes a lot for me to walk out of a restaurant, but I walked out of Biga without even eating.  I returned for a team lunch not long after, and we all left unhappy and frustrated.

KOSHER SHOPS & SNACKS

In addition to the restaurants mentioned above, there are several places in Sarona Market for takeaway snacks and desserts.

• Homemade healthy ice lollies in various flavors, including vegan and sugar-free options. Paletas’ unusual flavors include Pistachio Malabi, Vietnamese Coffee, Mango Chili, Mexican Chocolate, and Super Spirulina.
• A branch of the popular Halva Kingdom in the Machaneh Yehudah shuk, the Sarona Market store also includes a sesame mill at the back to see the fresh tahina being made. The store has a selection of around 100 halva flavors and will normally let you try them before you buy.  My favorites are the coffee and Belgian chocolate flavors, and they recently started selling pre-sealed jars of halva so they can be easily transported. They also sell various savory and sweet flavored-tahina – the chocolate tahina is delicious and a healthy alternative to the spread of chocolate.
• Le Boucher is a well-laid-out, immaculately clean butcher with an impressive selection of meats, including veal schnitzel, asado, and osso buco, as well as pre-made burgers and kebabs.

Here are other posts about Sarona:

• Dining in Sarona
• Quick Bites in Sarona Market

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