Israel Restaurant Openings, Closings, and Foodie News for December.

December 2025 in Israel brings exciting new restaurant openings, cafes, bakeries, and pop-ups across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, the Galilee, and beyond. This roundup highlights kosher and non-kosher spots, chef-driven tasting menus, seasonal food festivals, and insider foodie news, keeping locals and visitors up to date on Israel’s dynamic culinary scene.

Make sure to check out the guide to the best Jerusalem sufganiyot,  including some stores with branches around the country.

Follow Debbest (Facebook and Instagram) for real-time updates, insider recommendations, and delicious discoveries throughout the month.

Hanukkah Sameach

Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings – December 2025

• Alali Lunch is a grilled meat restaurant behind the Alon Towers in Tel Aviv. Although the restaurant itself is not new, the lunch menu is an entirely different concept from the evening menu and caters to the nearby office buildings.

• Barazina in Ramat Aviv Gimmel is a cafe by day and a wine bar at night.
• Biga Street is a self-service dairy restaurant in Rishon Le Zion, part of the Biga chain. The menu includes eggs, salads, toasts, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and pastries.
• Benatar (Badatz Beit Yosef) is a patisserie in Ashdod.
• Bereshit is a traditional grilled meat restaurant in Yokneam Illit.

• Café Lumière is a dairy cafe in the center of Haifa.
• Carmel 76 is a dairy bistro in Rehovot serving classic salads, pizza, and pasta dishes, with gluten-free alternatives for the pizza and pasta dishes.
• Casual Coffee Bar is a cafe hidden off Hillel Street in Jerusalem, in collaboration with Canopy Coffee Roastery.
• Daddy Daily Deli is an American-style delicatessen in the Basel area of ​​Tel Aviv, serving meat sandwiches, take-home meats and vegetables, soups, salads, and dips.

• Dusa is a coffee cart in Maale Gilboa.
• Gana (Badatz Beit Yosef) is a coffee cart in the Ramat Gan National Park.
• Holy Cow is a hamburger restaurant by Chef Tom Aviv in Carmel Market, the kosher version of Fat Cow.
• House of Nirvana is a dairy and fish restaurant on Dado Beach in Haifa, with a beautifully designed interior space and a covered outdoor seating area.
• Hummus Asli (Vegetarian no supervision), the famous hummus place in Yaffo, has opened a branch in Azrieli Sarona.

• Hummus Yona is a hummus restaurant in Mitzpe Ramon.
• JK Burger is a burger restaurant in Nahariya.
• Jorno Bakery (Dairy not supervised) has opened its sixth store in Savion. I highly recommend the pastries.
• Kalima dairy and fish restaurant in the business park in Caesarea, owned by Tona Koka. The menu features fresh pasta and fish dishes.
• Luciana Italian restaurant has opened a branch in Rishon LeZion, owned by Eden Ben Zaken and her husband, and in Beer Sheva (Mehadrin).
• Mika (Dairy no supervision) is a coffee cart in Ramat Hasharon in a garden nursery in memory of Maya Haim and Karina Pritika, who were murdered at the Nova Festival.
• Pop-Up 108 (Mehadrin) is a pop-up cafe in Givatayim that changes concepts every 6 weeks. The first pop-up is a sufganiyot concept with pre-made flavors, the option to choose your own fillings and toppings, and an espresso in a sufganiyah.
• Raffaello Italian restaurant has opened a branch in Netanya.
• Tufin (Dairy, not supervised) is a bakery on the corner of Ahad Ha’am and Yavne Streets in Tel Aviv, open Monday to Friday.
• Zahara is a meat restaurant inside the Nucha Hotel in Jerusalem, the little sister to Angelica.

Non-Kosher Israel Restaurant Openings – December 2025

• Avo is a coffee cart opposite an avocado orchard on Moshav Bezet near Rosh Hanikra, open on Shabbat.
• Botz is a fine-dining restaurant in Mizpe Ramon by Chefs Omer Seltzer and Tal Ashkenazi, serving a 10-course tasting menu for NIS 450 per person, using local ingredients. The restaurant seats 20 people and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights.
• Cafe Hagiva is a coffee cart on Kibbutz Netzer Sereni near Nes Ziona, open on Shabbat.
• Challawlaw is a coffee cart in a cedar grove on Moshav Odem in the Golan.
• Drinkeria is a cocktail bar in Pardes Hanna by mixologist Noam Hass, who makes his own gin, brown butter distillate,  yuzu liquor, and spirits, and there are cocktails on tap. His grandparents’ house inspires the decor with vintage furniture and ornaments, and the dairy dishes are based on traditional family recipes.

• Esterika is a coffee cart in the Drom HaSharon Regional Council Complex near Hod HaSharon.
• Factory 54 Café has opened new branches in the Namal Tel Aviv and Big Fashion Glilot.
• Fe is a food bar on Washington Boulevard in Tel Aviv serving small dishes with a changing menu.
• Gastro Mechanico is a small restaurant near Lewinsky Market serving simple, creative dishes.
• Kimura-ya is a Japanese restaurant in Tel Aviv, with 200 branches in Japan, serving a traditional izakaya-style dining experience including wagyu shabu shabu, yakitori, sukiyaki, ramen, and sushi.

• Mifgash Shabi is a modern hamara bar in Florentine by Danielle Shabi Shamir.
• Mosh Thai House is a Thai restaurant on Mosh Beach Achziv.
• Nord 26 is a Nordic restaurant in Talpiot Market in Tel Aviv.
• O. is a restaurant and bar on Rothschild Boulevard by Chef Tomer Agay, in the round building where Max Brenner used to be.
• Pizza 46 is a NY-style pizza restaurant in Hod Hasharon serving classic flavors such as margherita, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
• Rustic is a small wine bar in central Jerusalem serving cheese and charcuterie platters and sandwiches.
• Salem Pizza is a pizza restaurant in the Tavor Winery complex, owned by the owners of the nearby PTSD wine bar.
• Sparrow is a bakery, cafe, and wine bar in the Drorim Mall in Bnei Dror.

• Spicehaus Bar is a cocktail and food bar on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv, a reincarnation of the original Spicehaus bar across the street, which closed during Corona. There is a happy hour from 6-7 pm, Sunday through Thursday, with 30% off all food and drink.
• Suf is a food bar from the owners of Basta and Teder, in the Great Synagogue complex, replacing Santa Catarina.

• Cafe Xoho in Tel Aviv became kosher in December 2023 and now has a full Halav Yisrael kashrut from the Tel Aviv Rabbanut.
• Hameyasdim 65 on Moshav Kfar Kisch in the Lower Galil is now under Tzohar kashrut supervision.
• Lunel, in the Quartet Complex in Tel Aviv, has launched a shared tasting menu for NIS 495 per couple, available Monday to Saturday from 7 pm.
• Chef Eyal Shani‘s Shmoné restaurant in New York City has received a Michelin star for the third year in a row.
• Si Cafe at the entrance to Kibbutz Gaash has become the chain’s first kosher branch.
• Slow and Bro in Raanana is no longer kosher and now has a menu with dairy and meat dishes.
• Sybaris Coffee in Rehavia has opened a delicatessen at 20 Azza Street, after the coffee shop moved to 22 Azza Street. The deli sells a variety of products to eat on-site and take home, including cheese, smoked fish, pasta, canned goods, honey, bread, baked goods, sandwiches, wine, and more.

Israel Food & Wine Events – Winter 2025

• YMCA Christmas Fair, Thursday (5-10 pm), Friday and Saturday (12-10 pm), 4 December to 3 January 2026, NIS 20
• Sweet JLM, 14-21 December 2025, Armon Hanatziv Promenade
• Culture and Wine Week, 14-20 December 2025, Eilat
• Western Galil Winter Festival, 18-20 December 2025, various locations
• Onot Winter Festival, 18-20 December 2025, Kfar HaNokdim
• W8 Galil Wine Festival, 19 December 2025, Dalton Industrial Park
• The Biblical Feast, The Biblical Museum of Natural History, 24 December 2025, $380
• Cheers New Year’s Festival Wine Party, 3 January 2026, NIS 159-199
• Sommelier, Heichal Hatarbut Tel Aviv, 12-13 January 2026, NIS 95-120
• Terravino, The Grap Man House, 5 February 2026

Recent Debbest Dining Experiences

• I enjoyed a lovely meal at Amaya (Kosher) in Rehovot. We started with crispy kubaneh with brown butter, eggplant tirshi, and labaneh, followed by a standout tuna tartare on a sea-salt cracker with yuzu ice cream – such a great combination. The hamachi sashimi with charred beets, herbs, and caramelized pecans was fresh and vibrant. The sea bass on buttery mash with roasted greens was comforting and well executed. We ended with a salty-honey tart topped with milk toffee ice cream—a sweet finish to a delightful meal (Instagram reel of the meal).

• I stopped by Azia 19 (Kosher) in Rehavia for their happy hour with some friends (OK, I live next door). The Happy Hour menu includes ten types of mini-handrolls for NIS 10 each,  six raw-fish options, one cooked-fish option, one meat option, and two vegetarian options.  I ordered a selection of six rolls, each a single bite, freshly made and perfectly balanced in flavor.  Standouts were the black cod tempura, the saba handroll with Albacore tuna, miso peppers, and ponzu sauce, and the foie gras handroll, which was more beef tartare than foie gras, but no less tasty. We also shared the sesame Caesar salad, and all left very satisfied.

• Had a very cool dinner at Basta Dagim — ultra-fresh sashimi cut right in front of us by the fishmonger, sold by weight, and served with their homemade ponzu sauce, which pulled everything together. We grabbed a bench outside, using a makeshift cardboard barrel table, and it all felt effortlessly authentic. Simple, fresh, and seriously good.
• I had a spontaneous lunch with a friend at Cafe Ramban (Kosher) in Rehavia, and it was exactly the kind of mid-week break I didn’t know I needed. We shared a cheese platter with a slightly sweet sesame cracker, the perfect Eggs Benedict, and a crunchy Caesar salad covered in parmesan snow. I am organizing a private event in the hotel there later in the month, so the event manager sent over the Bavarian cream dessert for us to share. As a lactard, I prefer the parev version, but I love the almond caramel topping.
• Birthday dinner at Fringe (Kosher) was a mixed experience. We shared a fresh green salad with a tangy citrus dressing, and while my friend enjoyed her sea bass with roasted vegetables, my special lemon pasta topped with sea bass fell short. Tasty, yes, but the fish presentation felt off, and the lemon was overpowering, even for a lemon lover like me.
• Dinner at the David InterContinental Tel Aviv (Kosher) — as part of the My Kosher Menu festival, a special set menu curated by Chef David Biton. We started with Goldy’s sweet challah paired with silky celeriac tahina, followed by Mediterranean amberjack – my favorite dish by far. The roasted artichoke was good, and the Jerusalem artichoke-and-black garlic kreplach in a clear onion consommé were also tasty. The Rossini beef croquette with black garlic and goose liver terrine brought a rich, decadent finish to the savory courses. Dessert was a glossy chocolate mousse with a drizzle of olive oil — overall, it was very tasty, but many of the dishes had similar flavors (Instagram reel of the meal).

• The daughter of a good friend is studying at a sem in Jerusalem this year, and I was surprised to hear that she hadn’t yet been to  Tipsy Cafe (Kosher). We met for lunch, and the sun was still shining, so we took advantage and sat outside. We ordered a selection of dishes from the menu, and the highlights were the maple syrup, cheese-waffled fries, and babka French toast. I also enjoyed the new Iced Strawberry Matcha drink and loved the Magen David latte art. Check out the full video review.

Recent Posts, Reels, and Articles

• Best Sufganiyot in Jerusalem – Updated 2025 Guide
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• Dinner at David 16 in Jerusalem

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

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