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Israel Foodie News May 2025

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Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for May.

From sizzling BBQ joints in Eilat to trendy new sushi spots in Tel Aviv, May has been a deliciously exciting month across the Israeli culinary scene. Whether you’re craving crispy fried chicken, elegant Japanese fusion, or a seaside bagel brunch, this roundup has something for every appetite.

Some highlights from this month’s openings:
Dakota, a classic American BBQ spot in the Dan Eilat Hotel, brings smoky flavors to the Red Sea coast. Tel Aviv welcomes Cue, a chic new bar and restaurant from Chef Ben Cohen, and Good Bagels, a New York-style bagel shop on Allenby. Crust takes over the old Craft Pizza stall in Jerusalem with delicious Roman-style slices, and the basement bar of the Ramban Hotel has opened.

Hungry for more? Discover the full scoop below, including kosher and non-kosher openings, foodie events like Eat Tel Aviv and Vegan Fest, and recaps of standout meals from across the country.

Discover the full scoop below and join Restaurant Club Israel‘s Facebook group conversation!

We keep in our hearts the brave soldiers fighting to protect our homeland and pray that all remaining hostages are returned to their families!

Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

  • Cafe Elkonin is a dairy cafe in the Elkonin Hotel in Tel Aviv. It serves sweet and savory pastries and desserts.
  • Crust is a pizza stall that has replaced Craft Pizza inside Shuk Machane Yehuda. It serves Roman-style square pizza. I tried a slice with kalamata olives, which was delicious.
  • Dakota is an American-style BBQ restaurant by the pool in the Dan Eilat Hotel.
  • Euphoria is a bar in Ashkelon with a burger and meat sandwich menu.
  • Kalima is a dairy fish restaurant in Caesarea, owned by the owners of Tona Koka.
  • Sakura is a Japanese restaurant in Givat Shmuel. Its menu includes sushi, Japanese meat, and vegetarian dishes.
  • Tabuna Rassa is a meat pizza restaurant on Herzl Street in place of Arais Machane Yehuda.
  • Zeit für Brot opened a new branch on Ahad Ha’am Street in Tel Aviv. The branch is a cafe and bakery.
  • Zygo Cafe is a cafe and bakery in Zichron Yaakov by Chef Guy Rozmarin.

Not Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

  • 8 Ball Imperial is a billiards hall in the Imperial Hotel in Tel Aviv. It serves wine, beer, cocktails, and bar food.
  • Alba Cafe is a bistro in North Tel Aviv serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sundays through Thursdays, 4-7 p.m., the Aperativo menu offers 25% off food and drinks.
  • Bar Paradiso is a bar on Nahalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv owned by Chef Dana-Lee Berman, a former contestant of Game of Chefs.
  • Cafe HaKovshim is a cafe owned by the Par Derriere Group. It serves pastries from Reviva & Celia, sandwiches from Shishko, and frozen margaritas.
  • Coffee Shop 51 is a coffee shop in the Yad Eliyahu suburb of Tel Aviv, a little sister to a store by the same name in Givatayim.
  • Cue is a restaurant and bar in Levontin, Tel Aviv, led by Chef Ben Cohen (formerly of Mashya). The menu features small dishes, including oysters, hash browns with caviar, tuna tartar, and mushroom tacos.
  • Ginza is an Asian restaurant and sushi bar in Herzliya Pituach.
  • Good Bagels is an American-style bagel shop on Allenby Street in Tel Aviv.
  • Klara is a Greek tavern in Talpiot Market in Haifa.
  • Loulou Kibbutzteria is an Italian trattoria on Kibbutz Amir in the Upper Galil.
  • M25 is a steak restaurant in the G Complex Kfar Saba that serves steaks, shawarma, bone marrow, and corned beef. It is a sister restaurant to M25 in Shuk HaCarmel and Ramat Aviv.
  • Okoko is a raw bar in the Sarona complex in Tel Aviv serving raw savoury and sweet dishes, freshly made nut butters, juices, and other healthy treats.
  • Sachi Sushi is a Japanese fusion restaurant on Kikar Dizengoff in Tel Aviv.
  • Shimshon is a wine bar in a shopping center in Neot Afeka, Tel Aviv, by Chef Yaniv Caspi, who founded Hummus Caspi.
  • Studio Gursha is a modern Pan-African restaurant in Yaffo that combines African dishes with Caribbean and Middle Eastern influences.

Other Israel Foodie News

  • Cinnabon has opened in  Azrieli Rishonim Mall.
  • Damyel – an amazing kosher artisanal French chocolate shop – has opened a branch in Tel Aviv.
  • The Ma Pau Indian restaurant that used to be on Nahalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv has reopened in the Shuk Levinsky area.
  • Paphos Hills Resort is a new Kosher resort in Cyprus from the Brown Hotel Group.
  • Taurus Smokehouse is a new meat restaurant that is due to open soon in Savyon by the Mila group.

Debbest Dishes from Recent Meals

  • I knew the food at Cafe Ramban was good, but I couldn’t believe how good it was for breakfast during Pesach. I had Eggs Benedict on corn bread and amazing dips and salads. Even the matzah was above average.
  • Two dinners at Darya (Kosher) in the Hilton Tel Aviv in one month. A family meal over Pesach was good, but the menu was limited, being kitniyot-free. Returning a few weeks later for a private work event reminded me of the complexities of the dishes, even on the set menu. Photos of the meal are here.
  • I had lunch at Helen Family Bakers before Pesach for a cab fix. I enjoyed the Egg Benedict Croissant while my father had the Egg Salad Pretzel. We then shared a Pistachio Raspberry Cube, which was delicious.
  • I went to check out Nura in Kiryat Anavim, the new meat restaurant from the owners of Derech HaGefen and Harim Bakery. Most of the dishes were great, but the starters came out at different times, and one group member didn’t enjoy her main dish. The desserts were very impressive.
  • I had a quick dinner after Pesach at Rachel 5. The fresh pasta was incredible. The cacio e pepe was nice, but the pasta limone was delicious, and I cannot wait to return and have it again.
  • Went to check out Roost Fried Chicken (Badatz Rubin), a fast-food fried chicken restaurant in Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem, that replaces Shmaltz. Here is a video of our meal.
  • I had a lovely evening at The 85/15, where I enjoyed bluefin tuna sashimi, tuna tartar, and sea bass fillet, washed down with margaritas.

Israel Food & Wine Events 

Recent Shuk Tours

I guided a few tours of Shuk Machane Yehuda over Pesach, but this one with two fathers and their teenage kids was worthy of an Instagram reel. Find out more about my shuk tasting tours.

Follow Debbest on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates, and subscribe to our newsletter to discover the latest and greatest in the Israeli food scene. Catch up on previous monthly roundups by clicking here.

We would all love to hear from you if you visit any of the above places! Share your thoughts, photos, and reviews in Restaurant Club Israel‘s Facebook group.

This list was compiled through personal research and should not be copied without permission or full credit for its content. ©Debbest Israel.

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3 replies »

  2. The dates you listed for Vegan Fest are from 2023. I don’t recall Vegan Fest happening last year, but either way, no dates have been announced for this year (if it happens at all).

    Reply

    • thanks, i took it off the list, there was no mention of a year on the website but i didn’t see that it says Wed 21 June at the bottom so definitely not this year.

      Reply

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