Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for July.

The Israel restaurant scene loves a good trend, but there is also a tendency to overdo it, and the bubble bursts. Last year, the trend was to open pastry shops; this year, it is wine bars, French brasseries, and Italian bistros,  most of which are in Tel Aviv! Lovers of Cafe Noir’s famous schnitzel will be glad to hear about Augustine by Noir opening in Ra’anana, and Modiin residents should run to get their pizza at the newly opened branch of Craft Pizza. Further north, Saela is the first kosher dairy restaurant on the beach in Haifa, and Cinnabon has opened a branch in Ofer Kiryon Kiryat Bialik.

There is no question that the restaurant industry in Israel is still affected by the war and fewer tourists. The news below includes the reopening of more restaurants and the sad news of those restaurants that have not survived and have officially closed.

If you try any restaurants in this update,  please share photos and a review in Restaurant Club Israel‘s Facebook group.

We pray for the safe return of all the hostages and our brave soldiers.

Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Caffe Pitzi is a coffee and pastry shop by Chef Haim Cohen in Bnei Barak. The original branch of Pitzi in Ramat HaSharon does not have a kashrut license but sells the same goods.
• Coffee House Hodaya is a coffee shop located in a courtyard in Moshav Hodaya near Ashkelon.
• Craft Pizza (Mehadrin) has opened a new branch in Terrassa Buchman in Modi’in, and the branch in Shlomtzion HaMalka in Jerusalem reopened after the fire last month.
• Felicita Express is a pizza and pasta food truck in Rishpon.

• HaBustan (Mehadrin) is a Galilean dairy restaurant in the Villa Tehila boutique hotel in Rosh Pina. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch during the day and becomes a bar restaurant at night.
• Jerem is a vegan street food restaurant in Ramat Gan that serves vegan shwarma, Arais, and bolognese dishes.
• Me Ma Mu is a new burger chain owned by Greg and Biga. The chain has started with branches in Rehovot and Kiryat Ono, with more branches set to open by the end of the year.

• PAT – Morning & Co. (Tzohar) is a Neopolitan deli cafe by day and wine bar by night in Ashdod, owned by Farino Pizza.
• Picasso by Eran Schwarzbard (Badatz Beit Yosef) is a cafe and bakery in Petach Tikva, the sister branch to Picasso in Rishon LeZion.
• Saela is the first kosher dairy restaurant on the beach in Haifa.
• Yawelli Yawelli is a Moroccan street food restaurant in Netanya, owned by Yammos on Sironit Beach.

• Yerushalmi Street is a cafe in a pastoral setting in Ein Hemed near Mevaseret Zion.

Not Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings

• Augustine is a brasserie in the Industrial area of Ra’anana, owned by Cafe Noir and Sebastian. The menu includes the classic Cafe Noir schnitzel.
• Benjamin is a restaurant in Hod HaSharaon by Chef Daniel Shalit that features local produce and creative cocktails.
• Cafe Margo is a brasserie in Petach Tikva by Chef Ohad Levi.
• A second branch of Cafe Otef has opened in Florentine and is run by residents of Reim.
• Cafe Petit is a Parisian-style brasserie on Rothschild in Tel Aviv, in place of Moses Burger.
• Cinnabon has opened a branch in Ofer Kiryon Kiryat Bialik.
• De Facto is a lounge bar in the Poli Urban Hotel in Tel Aviv.
• Fish Royal is a fish restaurant in Rishon LeZion.
• Fortuna is a pizza restaurant in Hod HaSharon. It is the sister restaurant to Fortuna Eilat.
• Kimiko is a Japanese restaurant in Haifa with a menu focusing on nigiri and sashimi.

• Kiosk del Pasta is an Italian restaurant on Ibn Gvirol in Tel Aviv serving fresh pasta.
• LP is a cocktail bar and restaurant in Tel Aviv owned by the Imperial Group. The menu focuses on small and medium-sized dishes cooked on coal.
• Mercatino is an Italian restaruant in Ramat Yishai.
• Meshek Ofaimme has opened a cafe and farm shop in The George Hotel in Tel Aviv. The hotel is not kosher, so it is unclear if the cafe is.
• Moses Shop has opened a new branch in Zichron Yaakov.
• Oomai sushi and asian food take-out restaurant has opened a fourth branch on Dizengoff in Tel Aviv.
• Oyster Club is an oyster and champagne bar on Nachalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv.
• Pardes is a restaurant in The George Hotel in Tel Aviv, operated by Chef Barak Aharoni, formerly the chef at The Norman Hotel. It is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu changes daily. The restaurant has an open kitchen and garden.
• Petite Wine is a wine bar owned by and next to Banh Mi Nong in Tel Aviv. The bar menu features food from the restaurant.
• Rosso is an Italian wine bar on Nachalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv.

• Taverrna Romana is an Italian restaurant in Tel Aviv by Chef Bentzi Arbel and Chef Omer Cohen, the owners of Kapara Mio and Calabria.

Other Foodie News

• 300 Gram (Mehadrin) meat restaurant has moved from Moshav Betzet, near the Lebanese border, to Moshav Bustan HaGalil in Western Galilee.
• Cafe 65 in the 65 Hotel on Rothschild Boulevard has reopened after being closed since the start of the war.
• Chef Eyal Shani has announced that he is opening a new restaurant in Tel Aviv called Gila – he has hinted that it will focus on rotisserie chicken.
• Contento in the Carlton Hotel has opened for the summer.
• TV & Radio food journalist Efrat Enzel has announced that she is opening a food business but has not said what it will be.
• Gaston Steakhouse (Kosher) in Airport City is again open at lunchtime with a business lunch menu.
• La Bonne Patisserie, with branches on Dizengoff (between Jabotinsky and Arlozorov) and Ben Yehuda (corner with Gordon), is kosher through Tzohar.
• Market House Cafe (Kosher) in the Market House Hotel in Yaffo now serves a breakfast buffet from Sunday to Friday and is open to the public.
• Mykonos Terrace (Kosher) is a summer terrace of the Greek restaurant Salon Yevani in the Daniel Hotel in Herzliya Pituach.
• Rozel is a crepe restaurant due to open soon in Shuk Machane Yehuda.
• Shimmy’s is an American restaurant due to open in Modi’in.
• Shishko in Tel Aviv has moved from the Great Synagogue complex to HaKovshim Street.

Israeli Foodie Events & Festivals

• Auto Ochel Jerusalem 2024 (Jerusalem Food Truck Festival), 25 June to 1 August, Armon Hanatziv Promenade.
• Wine Party, Hazuk Netanya, 26 July, NIS 110 early bird.
• TLV Cocktail Festival 2024 – Dreamland Edition, 1-2 August.
• White Wine by the Sea, Herzliya Marina, 14-15 August, NIS 89 early bird, NIS 110 on the door.
• Amot HaMayim Wine Festival,  Siftach Cafe Efrat, 18 August.
• Zichron Yaakov Wine Festival, Tiyul Garden Zichron Yaakov, 12 September.
• Rosh Hashanah Wine Festival, First Station Jerusalem, 19 September, NIS 99 early bird.
• Tel Aviv Wine Festival, Gan Ofer, 26 September, NIS 99 early bird.
• Sommelier 2025, Hechal HaTarbut Tel Aviv, 1-2 February 2025.

Israel Restaurant Closings

The following restaurants have closed due to lack of business as a result of the war:

• Animar in the Dan Tel Aviv hotel will close at the end of July. The restaurant may open in another location, but nothing has been confirmed.
• Brut wine bar on Nachalat Binyamin
• Dalida in Levinsky Market
• Fifi’s Asian restaurant in Levinsky Market.
• Goodness vegan restaurant in Tel Aviv.
• Mattarello Cafe in Ein Zivan in the Golan. The owner has hinted that he might open in Tel Aviv or reopen one day in the Golan, but for now, it is a sad day for all croissant lovers!
• NG steak restaurant in Neve Zedek.

Recent & Updated Posts

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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.