Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for November.

This month’s Israel Foodie News is bittersweet. The list of restaurants closing around Israel keeps growing, and although they are not all closing due to the war, it is a decisive factor. Nevertheless, there are some interesting new additions to the Israeli culinary scene. Kosher restaurants include the Machneyuda Group‘s dairy and fish restaurant on the ground floor of the new Ramban Hotel in Jerusalem;  Passador,  a meat restaurant in the Alon Towers in Tel Aviv; and MerYam, Chef Haim Cohen’s elegant dairy and fish eatery in Ramat Gan. For lovers of Asian cuisine, Ensō Asian Dining (Not Kosher) in Modiin promises vibrant flavors from Korea, Thailand, and beyond.

Meanwhile, foodies can look forward to indulgent events like the much-anticipated Round Tables American Express in December, where global Jewish chefs collaborate with local talent at celebrated spots like Mashya and Darya (Kosher).

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

As always, we keep in our hearts the brave soldiers fighting to protect our homeland and pray for the safe return of all hostages.

Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Arianna is a meat restaurant at the entrance to Oshiland Mall in Kfar Saba. The meat is cooked in a charcoal oven, producing a light-smoked flavor. From 5 to 7:30 pm, a happy hour offers 20% off all food and wine.

•  Cafe Ramban is a dairy restaurant on the ground floor of the new Ramban Hotel, a boutique hotel by the Machneyuda group on the corner of Rambam and Ibn Gvirol streets in Jerusalem.
• Gush Basar is a meat restaurant and bar by Chef Dudu Padlon in Ashkelon. The burger menu includes 8 varieties with over 15 additional toppings. Other meat dishes include asado tacos, fried chicken, goose confit sandwiches, and entrecote steak.

• Hamigdal is a cafe in the Tower of David by the owners of Harim Bakery and Derech HaGefen. It is self-service and offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, and pastries.

• Marionella is an Italian restaurant in Petah Tikva that serves fresh pasta, pizza, and cocktails.
• MerYam is a dairy fish restaurant in the lobby of the Life Tower in Ramat Gan, run by Chef Haim Cohen. The restaurant has an open kitchen and is open for dinner at 6 pm.

• Passador is a meat restaurant in the Alon Towers in Tel Aviv from the DNA Group (inc Whiskey Bar & Tasting Room). The meal costs NIS 280 per person and features ten meat dishes, including entrecote, smoked asado, brisket, shredded chuck meat, Brazilian picaña, rump steak, and pulled lamb neck.

• Patachou Boutique (Badatz Beit Yosef) is a French bakery and patisserie on Rehov Agripas in Jerusalem.
• Puzzle Burger has arrived in Jerusalem with a branch in Malha Mall.
• Vin & Viande is a meat restaurant from the DNA Group (inc Whiskey Bar & Tasting Room) in Petach Tikva. The menu features some signature dishes from Whiskey Bar. A wine shop at the restaurant’s entrance offers wine tastings.

Not Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Ensō Asian Dining is an Asian restaurant in Azrieli Modiin serving various dishes, including Korean bibimbap, Thai curries and stir-fried noodles, Szechuan chicken, and a full sushi menu. This is the 8th restaurant of the Kisu restaurant group, which also owns Fu Sushi in Tel Aviv and Nay-lon in Hod HaSharon—both excellent.
• Hasimta is a burger restaurant with a new branch in Ramat Aviv. The original branch in Metulla was hit by shrapnel and has closed. In addition to burgers, the menu includes crispy chicken and jalapeno cheddar balls.

• Holstein Burger has opened a second branch on Ibn Gvirol Street in Tel Aviv. The burgers are made from 100% Holstein beef. The original branch is in Carmel Market.
• LoKal Burger has opened a new branch in Ramat Aviv commercial center. The original branch on Ahad Ha’am Street in Tel Aviv has reopened after an expansion.
• Meshigane is a vegan cafe on the Zichron Yaakov pedestrian mall.
• Mika is a coffee cart by Sean Bar Shlomo at the entrance to Moshav Beit Hanan. The cart is named after her two friends who were murdered in Nova.
• Paris Texas has opened its fifth branch in Eilat and also opened a wine bar called Little Paris next to the branch in Givatayim.
• Plaza Cafe in Hod HaSharon is the sister restaurant of a cafe in Dizengoff Square in Tel Aviv with the same name.

• Ramen Kadima 1 is a tiny ramen bar in Haifa, the sister to Palmer Next Door.
• Studio Seniora is a boutique bakery in Tel Aviv that is only open on Friday mornings from 9 am until stock runs out.

Other Israel Foodie News

• Cantinetta Arcadia (Tzohar) is a new Friday pop-up delicatessen by Chef Ezra Kedem at Studio Arcadia in Ein Kerem. It sells prepared food, agricultural produce, bread, and more. It also serves coffee, wine, and cocktails, and Chef Kedem offers cookery demonstrations.
• Chef Tomer Agay (from Santa Katarina) is partnering with the Greco Group and cooking with the chefs at their restaurants.
• Chef Yossi Shitrit was included in The Best Chef 2024 awards. He is the first Israeli chef to be included in this list of the best chefs in the world.
• Judith (Mehadrin), a Jerusalem-based gluten-free bakery, has moved from inside Shuk Machane Yehuda to a much larger store at 21 Agripas Street.
• Nadi  Cafe is opening a kiosk next to Ginot Hair on Emek Refaim Street in Jerusalem.
• Pop Up Cafe in Kiryat Anavim has closed and is rumored to be replaced with a kosher meat restaurant from the same group after a complete renovation.
• Pronto restaurant will soon have a new head chef, Ido Samuel Cohen. He will replace Chef David Frankel, who is leaving to focus on his restaurant Laylah in Ibiza.

Israel Food & Wine Events 

• Inbal Soup Festival, from 4 Novemver 2024, NIS 87 per person
• Round Tables American Express, 1-11 December 2024, top Jewish chefs worldwide join forces with local Israeli chefs in Darya (Kosher), Mashya,  Milgo & Milbar, and Treysar.
• Sommelier 2025, Hechal HaTarbut Tel Aviv, 4-5 February 2025
• Terravino, 13 February 2025

Israel Restaurant Closings

The following restaurants have closed in recent months:

• Adama, Zichron Yaakov
• Casbah, Florentin
• Cena, Theodor by Brown Hotels, Tel Aviv
• Goldman’s Court, Yaffo (due to a dispute with the municipality)
• Gordos, Holon
• Hamitbahon, Tel Aviv
• Mansura, Yaffo (Chefs Elad Dagan and Tal Sokhmi will replace Tomer Tal at George & John)
• Onza, Yaffo
• Or Shpitz Bakery, Tel Aviv
• Serafina, Tel Aviv
• Tatti, Givatayim (Holon branch is still open)
• Yauza, Tel Aviv

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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.