Every year in this roundup, we have to emphasize this caveat: no list of the best of a whole year of openings can purport to be exhaustive.
If we want to describe restaurants and not just mention them, there is simply not enough space; nor is it possible to cover the whole country, even though we did occasionally venture quite far afield from just metropolitan Tel Aviv this time.
Moreover, this year the criteria are a bit different. We added a category of restaurants that came back in different formats after surviving Covid – such as switching from non-kosher to kosher – or that completely overhauled or augmented their menus (as opposed to the widespread practice of simply revising menus to reflect seasonal ingredient changes). We also expanded the definition of restaurant in certain instances to include unique culinary experiences – although we did not go so far as to feature pop-ups or “ghost kitchens,” remnants of the pandemic era.
On the other hand, we felt compelled to eliminate a few contenders that admittedly had very good food, but fell down badly in the area of basic customer service, by refusing to provide contact information other than how to reserve a table. If we are denied the right to call or email a restaurant in order to get answers to important subjective questions, then these offenders are not deserving of promotion; we certainly hope that this recent lamentable phenomenon will not become a trend.
Other worthy restaurants and chefs that are missing from this list — such as MAMO in Eilat — will nevertheless still get their just rewards by being covered in the very near future, when we write about the winners of the 2022 American Express Israeli culinary award winners. This follows last year’s tradition of honoring the nation’s best restaurants in two separate articles (albeit in opposite order this time around).
Finally, while we now have two categories, we still refrain from ranking restaurants, and simply list entries in alphabetical order. We did not, however, create separate categories for kosher and non-kosher restaurants – although we can already report that there are more kosher eateries this year than last.
New Restaurants and Culinary Establishments
Chateau Margaux
Ambiance: The atmospheric and elegant Chateau Margaux relocated this past year to new premises after being closed during the pandemic. It now occupies Beit Josephson, the first house in Rehovot, and its decor includes old photos from the 19th century as well as antiques. There are white tablecloths and fresh flowers on the tables, and upholstered wooden chairs. The soundtrack features old-fashioned crooner songs, rather different from what you would hear anywhere else. There are several rather brightly lit rooms, plus one smaller intimate one and a large one for groups; in addition, there is a spacious al fresco patio, which is enclosed and nicely heated in winter.
Drinks: There is no cocktail list, although reportedly one is in the works; meanwhile, there is a small bar stocked with the classic spirits. There is a quite adequate, exclusively Israeli, wine list, with bottles, half-bottles, and glasses offered at reasonable prices, especially the house wines. There is a limited selection of domestic beers, including craft brews, on tap and in bottles.
Menu: The cuisine is described as French gourmet, although there are Moroccan dishes as well; chef-owner Morris Elmalem learned his craft in southern France and named his restaurant after the famed wine region near Bordeaux. The menu – which comes in two versions, a Hebrew one updated daily, and an English one updated occasionally – comprises three sections: First Courses, Main Courses and Desserts. There are vegetarian/vegan options, as well as weekday value lunches.
Recommended: The house bread with distinctive spreads and dips; beef ravioli in pumpkin cream; white fish carpaccio in citrus vinaigrette; chicken liver pâté with cherry tomato jam; goose leg confit with slices of mallard breast; tarte tatin with pareve vanilla ice cream.
Chateau Margeaux. Kosher. 20 Yaakov St., Rehovot. Tel. (08) 946-7030.
DNA TLV
Ambiance: A culinary courtyard has been established in the open spaces between the tall buildings of the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv, completely separate from the large food court inside the mall. The centerpiece of this unique setting is the longest bar in the Middle East, according to the official website – actually two sizable curved bars, one designated for smokers and the other non-smoking. Seating is both at the bars and on tiered, wooden benches, with tall plants providing splashes of greenery. Rather loud contemporary music was playing the evening we visited, and a DJ is on-site Thursday evenings from 20.00.
Drinks: DNA started with more than a dozen specialty cocktails, a number which has now been whittled them down to six, alongside an extensive list of spirits. The wine list comprises exclusively Israeli vintages; and while it is rather short, it compensates by offering most by the glass as well the bottle. In addition, there are no fewer than 12 brands of imported and domestic beer, dispensed from taps or in bottles.
Food: The reason DNA is in the list is not only because of the innovative concept, but primarily because the chef overseeing the food component of the project is none other than Yossi Shitrit, of the award-winning HIBA and television fame. Shitrit also has his own food truck – Souk, featuring Mediterranean skewers and salads – among the four food trucks whose kitchens serve a variety of cuisines, including Japanese, Thai, and the underground hamburger by El Profesor. In addition, there is a bar menu of tapas, as well as several desserts. There is the option of self-service at the food trucks or ordering from the food truck menus while sitting at the bar, and your order will be brought to you. Value lunches are served weekdays from 12.00 to 16.00, followed immediately by “happy hour” (until 19.00), with 30% off alcoholic drinks.
Recommended: The Rump Skewer from Souk; Laab Gai Tod, from Chef Thomas Zohar’s Jai; the Tori Katsu bun from JPN; ceviche from the bar menu. For dessert, Chocolate Boom.
DNA TLV. Kosher. Ground Floor, Azrieli Center,Tel Aviv. No telephone number provided.
Greco Hod Hasharon / Greco Beach Eilat
Ambiance: Greco is obviously not at all new, but this banner year is an occasion to celebrate two brand-new branches of the excellent chain, as it expands ever outwards from Tel Aviv to the suburbs – this time to Hod Hasharon – and now even as far away as the resort city of Eilat. The former is the anchor of a spanking new complex of promising restaurants and shops conveniently situated adjacent to the train station, while the latter is right on the centrally located boardwalk and beach shared with the Isrotel Royal Beach.
Both new entries are modeled exactly on the others in Zviki Eshet’s popular chain: the signature Hellenic blue-and-white tablecloths and décor, with either lively Greek music soundtracks or regularly scheduled evenings of lively bouzouki music. Seating in Hod Hasharon is both indoors and al fresco on a patio, while in Eilat there is a sheltered deck as well as gazebos closer to the water. Each location stations heaters outdoors when needed in winter.
Drinks: There are eight distinctive special cocktails based on Greek spirits, as well as Greco’s proprietary ouzo and house red and white wines – plus retsina – from Greece, available by the glass, in carafes and bottles. In winter, there is also Greek hot cider. The beer of choice is Mythos, a ubiquitous brew in Greece (in bottles).
Menu: The identical extensive bilingual food menu comprises seven sections: Bread (untitled), Cold Mezze (appetizer salads), Hot Small Plates, Cold and Hot Main Courses, and entire separate categories for Fava and Souvlaki/Gyros. The desserts – all meant for sharing – are listed on a separate menu. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. Since it is hard to choose from the many delicious mezze, the chain offers the Disco – a tray of 10 cold delicacies for the reduced price of NIS 188. There are also value lunches served weekdays from 12.00 to 16.00.
Recommended: It is hard to prefer one mezze over another, but must-tries are the taramosalata, skordalia, tirokafteri and tzatziki among the cold salads, and the zucchini fitters and unforgettable 12 Gods Pastry among the hot choices. Also de rigeur is one of the four fava entrées, and a choice of the three versions of souvlaki. Seafood lovers would not go wrong with the Seafood Saganaki. For dessert, kaimaki (goats’ milk frozen yogurt sundae) or the giant-sized Greek bread pudding.
Greco Hod Hasharon, Not kosher. 45 Sokolov St,, Hod Hasharon. Tel. (077) 772-9047
Ichikadana
Ambiance: Casual diner-style dining in a storefront restaurant on a main street in downtown Jerusalem. Reflecting the restaurant’s authentic Indian cuisine, the premises are decorated with colorful and striking photos, wall hangings, tiles, and art from India. There are comfortable chairs and booths and an Indian music soundtrack. Since the place is small, despite the quasi-fast food appearance reservations are recommended.
Drinks: There are no alcoholic drinks at all, but rather classic ethnic beverages, such as lassi – yogurt drinks in sweet and salty versions – and chai masala.
Menu: The bilingual food menu is not extensive, but there is a more than adequate selection covering many of the greatest hits of Indian vegetarian, vegan and dairy cuisine, prepared by native chefs. The menu’s four sections are Starters, Main Courses, Desserts (only two) and Extras (breads and rice). The restaurant does a brisk takeaway and delivery business, but even if you eat in, everything is very reasonably priced.
Recommended: Papadam crackers; Samosa, Pakora and Panipuri (appetizers); Malai Kofta and Palak Paneer (main courses); Lassi; Gulab Jamun (dessert).
Ichikadana. Kosher. 24 Hillel St., Jerusalem. Tel. (052) 800-0686
Kyoto Nei
Ambiance: This modern, sprawling restaurant in the food court of a huge shopping mall in Rishon LeZion is the kosher sister of the veteran non-kosher Kyoto in Herzliya Pituach. It has two enclosed seating areas, the inner one containing a pentagonal bar with seating under elegant chandeliers designed with bottles, as well as high tables and a sushi counter with no seating. The rest of the restaurant has normal tables, while both areas have comfortable upholstered seating. There is a rhythmic soundtrack, and when the restaurant is full, the acoustics are such that conversation becomes difficult.
Drinks: There are creative specialty cocktails, as well as a predominantly Israeli kosher wine list with an acceptable number of vintages available by the glass. As befits a proper Japanese restaurant, there is a list of premium brands of sake, as well as major Japanese brands of beer alongside more familiar domestic and imported brands.
Menu: The extensive afternoon/evening food menu, whose cuisine is defined as both modern and fusion, comprises no fewer than nine sections: Starters, Soups, Intermediate Courses, Noodles, Yakitori, Buns, Main Courses, Sushi (with the usual complement of Japanese raw fish components of maki, sashimi, nigiri and cones) and Sides. There is an adequate selection of vegetarian/vegan options, and the afternoon menu reflects value lunches that are served weekdays from noon until 16.00. The separate dessert menu lists only Western desserts, and they understandably suffer under the kashrut restriction to be pareve.
Recommended: Tokoyaki, Japanese pickled vegetables, Blue tuna lagoon, Sea bass in panko, and Beef filet yakitori.
Kyoto Nei. Kosher. Yaldei Teheran Bullding no. 7, Rishon LeZion. Tel. (03) 682-4046.
Maree
Ambiance: Taking up the entire rooftop of a tall beachfront hotel, the restaurant’s flashy decor features cavernous corridors, dazzling lights, a remarkable “wine aquarium,” and a central bar with open kitchen that is the beating heart (with red chandelier to prove it) of the sprawling premises. There is seating at several fully stocked bars – one in a more sedate separate lounge area – as well as at both high and low tables; some of the latter are very close to each other, barely separated by partitions that, albeit handsome, do not stop neighboring conversations from interfering with your own. A rhythmic soundtrack played by a DJ grows increasingly louder as the evening progresses. There are panoramic views of the sea and city, especially from the open-air portion of the roof.
Drinks: Maree boasts a terrific cocktail list, with six specialty cocktails blended with homemade syrups; in addition, the fully stocked bar will mix all the classics. There is an adequate, virtually all Israeli wine list (except for a few from France), with only a select few available by the glass. The restaurant serves three domestic beers.
Menu: The bilingual food menu of renowned Chef Aviv Moshe, formerly of the Messa Group, comprises four sections: Starters, Intermediate, Sea and Meat (although the last section is titled in the Hebrew version “from the Josper [grill oven]). Another difference is that there are three fewer first courses on the English menu than in the Hebrew one. There are three vegetarian/vegan options, all in the category of intermediate dishes. Finally, the Hebrew-only dessert menu features five creations by the restaurant’s dedicated pastry chef.
Recommended: Black Sea Salt (cocktail), Tuna tartare bruschetta, Amberjack tartare bruschetta, Foie gras carpaccio, Grilled sweetbread with citrus fennel, Sea bass pappardelle, Sea bream fillet, Filet mignon in chestnut demi-glace and Hazelnut brownie fudge for dessert.
Maree Sky Lounge @ Vert Lagoon Hotel. Kosher. 3 Kehilat Tzefat St., Netanya. Tel. (09) 741-0909.
Mariposa
Ambiance: This fine dining restaurant in Caesarea was founded seven years ago by three talented chefs originally from the Tel Aviv-based Messa Group; and by living up to its motto of Sensational Cuisine, it attracted a loyal following. It was big news this year, therefore, when Mariposa turned kosher – hence its inclusion in this list. The tables of various shapes and sizes are of handsome multi-colored wood, and the black leather chairs offer comfortable seating for those who prefer not to sit at the fully-stocked bar. There is also a small al fresco deck, which is not enclosed in winter, although there is a single heater during the winter at one end. An expansive view of the golf course may be enjoyed not only from the porch but even from indoor tables near the floor-to-ceiling windows. A pleasant, eclectic soundtrack plays at moderate to loud levels.
Drinks: There are six specialty cocktails, and like much of the menu, some are inspired by Thai cuisine. The wine list is fairly extensive for a kosher restaurant, with much fewer but still adequate vintages available by the glass. For such an upscale restaurant, there is also a surprisingly large selection of imported and domestic beers on tap and in bottles.
Menu: The bilingual menu consists of one long page each of first and main courses, not counting additional daily specials. Many of the entrées rely heavily on raw fish; and while no vegan or vegetarian dishes are officially listed on the menu, the kitchen will gladly accommodated with appropriate pasta dishes made to order. Weekday value lunches are served most of the day, from noon until 17.00. Four desserts are listed on a separate menu, and they are distinguished by not being adversely affected by the restriction of adhering to the laws of kashrut.
Recommended: The house pretzel with dips, Lalique yellowtail ceviche, Liver parfait with spiced crumble and pears poached in wine, Seared sirloin steak with mushrooms and gnocchi, and Lemongrass brûlée with apricot coulis and meringue.
Mariposa. Kosher. Caesarea Golf Course, Caesarea. Tel. (04) 626-5000.
Norder
Ambiance: This handsome, brick-walled upscale restaurant located on a key corner of upper Dizengoff boasts a modern decor, with an elegant marble bar dominating the small interior. Most of the seating is on wooden chairs at tables in a partially enclosed patio that engages like an extension of the sidewalk, although there are also seats at the bar and high tables indoors. A rather loud contemporary soundtrack plays inside; it is heard less in the main dining area.
Drinks. Interesting special cocktails are crafted at the fully stocked bar, while a short but adequate international wine list offers a few selections by the glass. Imported and Israeli craft beers are served exclusively on tap.
Menu: The kitchen is helmed by Chef Lior Cohen, who previously worked at another Dizengoff hotspot, Popular. The bilingual food menu comprises four sections: Starters, Intermediates, Main Courses and Desserts. Starters are rather small appetizers, while the sizes of some of the intermediate dishes border on being main courses. The middle section includes pizzettas and salads, and there are daily specials not on the menu. There are a few vegetarians, but no vegan, options. A separate brunch menu is offered on weekends.
Recommended: Margarita Soul (cocktail); Breadbasket of sourdough and brioche, served with smoked labneh and pesto; Charred kohlrabi; Cured fish bruschetta; Sea bass with leek; Pistachio crack pie.
Norder. Not kosher. 245 Dizengoff St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (073) 331-9417
Omnia
Ambiance: Omnia, one of the anchors of the dazzling new Dabbah shopping mall in Deir al-Assad, is the new flagship fine dining restaurant of the vaunted Angus chain of butcher shops and steakhouses. Aged cuts of meat, as well as bottles of wine, are on display at the entrance. There is an open kitchen with seating at the service counter, as well as at the fully stocked bar. Tables of different shapes and sizes, and even of differing materials, plus booths, surround an indoor fireplace, and all the chairs are comfortably upholstered. There is an al fresco terrace, which is equipped with heaters in the winter.
Drinks: There is one specialty house cocktail, and a more than adequate international wine list. Three kinds of draft beer are also available.
Menu: Omnia is a collaboration between veteran rancher Fadi Dabbah and esteemed Chef Zozo Hanna, whose protégé Basel Mreisat helms the kitchen. The prime cuts of beef are dry-aged on the bone for 45 days before being carved. The evening menu comprises five sections: Starter (frena bread with dips), Appetizers, Specials, The Galilee Meat Experience and Desserts. Unlike the commonplace mezze that open many meals in Arab culture, many of the appetizers here are also based on meat, while others are gourmet vegetarian first courses, complemented by specials created from unique cuts. Steaks, hamburger, pullet and Asfolk lamb are at the centerpiece of the menu, crowned by premium Blue Label cuts on the bone. Desserts represent the best that Levantine sweets have to offer, a welcome change from the usual Western fare.
Recommended: The fixed-price Tasting Menu is always a good bet, but you can’t go wrong with any of the exquisite steaks or lamb chops on the menu. Similarly, the beef carpaccio is a winning entrée, along with any of the four superb vegetarian options. The crown jewel of the desserts is Chef Zozo’s award-winning Halawet El Jibn.
Omnia. Not kosher. Dabbah Mall, Deir el Assad. Tel. (077) 938-6217
Stanley Lounge
Ambiance: The intimate lounge is located in the lobby of a boutique hotel, with the fully stocked bar on the side of the entrance. The dim lighting, combined with seating on comfortable couches at low tables (or in one of several booths), create a relaxing and intimate atmosphere. A jazz soundtrack plays at a moderately loud level of sound. An al fresco seating area is planned for the sidewalk in the spring.
Drinks: This is the forté of Stanley, which describes itself as “drink makers [crafting] artisanal cocktails from farm to glass.” Thus, there are no fewer than 23 specialty cocktails, made with homemade liqueurs, spirits and syrups, and the cocktail list goes into detail with exact descriptions of how they taste. One may also order one of Stanley’s creations – whether alcoholic or not – straight (i.e., not blended as a cocktail). In addition, there is an excellent international wine list, with a few vintages available by the glass. Only one kind of beer is served: an Israeli craft brew.
Menu: There is a limited food menu, designed to accompany alcohol, but it is noteworthy because the consulting chef was none other than Ido Feiner (featured previously on these pages here). The bilingual menu comprises four sections: Appetizers, Bruschette, Firsts and Intermediate Dishes, complemented by a separate dessert menu. Considering the size of the menu, there are adequate vegan/vegetarian options.
Recommended: Desert storm cocktail, Tigre de Leche ceviche, Steak tartare, Caesar salad, Mascarpone with goat cheese in fruit soup.
Stanley Lounge. Not kosher. 6 Beilinson St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 920-7755
Sushi Bazel
Ambiance: This Japanese-Asian restaurant has undergone several transformations in its life, moving first from its old Tel Aviv location that gave it its name to a more central location, and now to new premises between Ben Yehudah and Hayarkon Streets. But that is not the reason – in addition to its excellent food – that it is in this roundup: Sushi Bazel took advantage of this relocation to also become kosher, a trend we have been exploring in this article. The new occupant, with its grandiose fully stocked bar, takes up most of the lobby of the attractive hotel, extending as well to a welcoming al fresco side patio bordered by a wall of greenery. There is a fairly loud contemporary soundtrack, and comfortable chairs at the tables.
Drinks: There are six most unusual Asian-inspired specialty cocktails, as well as hot or cold house sake. This is one of the few places where you will find Japanese beer (Asahi) on tap, as well as other Japanese and domestic brews in bottles. There is a short but adequate exclusively Israeli wine list – curated to pair with Asian food – with vintages also available by the glass.
Menu: The restaurant serves dinner only, although delivery may be ordered all day long, with sushi platters and combinations that are not on the evening menu. The bilingual menu consists of two long pages of sushi and other dishes – and is actually more extensive than it looks, with a significant variety of fish, chicken/poultry, meat and vegetable (especially mushrooms) dishes. Alongside Japanese classics – ramen, gyoza, yakitori, etc. – there is even a colorful Indonesian one. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free choices, as well as both Asian and Western desserts.
Recommended: Zenchili, Spicy tuna roll, Rice cake, Goose breast.
Sushi Bar Bazel @ Prima City Hotel. Kosher. 9 Mapu St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (077) 996-8444.
Umai
Ambiance: The venue of this private tasting salon is the spacious dining room of a large apartment in a luxury building in Jaffa. There are two large tables with seating for 10 and six, respectively, as well as one small table for 2 (plus several seats at the preparation counter. The seating at the handsome wood tables is either on chairs or benches (with and without backs). A mellow Japanese soundtrack plays softly in the background. Patrons remove their street shoes upon entering, and may sit barefoot or wear warm socks or slippers provided by the host. Interestingly, there is a beautiful bathroom, complete with a Japanese toilet operated using remote control. (Note: The experience is not recommended for small children.)
Drinks: Premium Japanese sakes are explained and served in small ceramic pitchers at each seating, with the number of diners limited to 20. Bottles of Japanese beers are also on offer.
Menu: Chef Alex Abramov, who spent years in Japan honing her culinary skills, defines her food as “an innovative blend of Japanese and modern cuisine” (but not fusion). She has created two kinds of tasting experiences: Kaiseki set meals of nine courses per person, and Izakaya evenings revolving around dishes that pair with alcohol. The former are offered twice a week, and the latter once a week. Menus, which may be accessed online, are revised and updated seasonally; moreover, the chef can accommodate personal dietary requirements (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free) with appropriate advance notice. The monthly schedule of meals may be found on the Ontopo website, either directly or accessed via the restaurant’s website (link below), with new openings posted additionally on the Umai Facebook page. Abramov is also responsive on WhatsApp.
Recommended: The menu may change seasonally, but each Kaiseki meal is an entity unto itself, so it is difficult to pinpoint any particular dish that repeats. Regardless, there will always be a variety of warm and cold dishes featuring fish, vegetables and/or tofu, as well as Wagyu beef, a realm of Abramov’s particular expertise. Her flagship dish is sweetbread tempura, an Abramov creation that you will not find served this way in Japan. The seared gyoza is a real treat, as is her homemade mochi dessert.
Umai. Not kosher. 8 Abed El Rauf El Bitar, Jaffa. Tel/WhatsApp. (052) 597-7897.
Honorable Mention
Cafe Landwer
The Cafe Landwer chain has of course been around for a long while, but this year it has introduced a special menu devoted to that dish especially beloved by Israelis: schnitzel. The Special Schnitzel Menu, which deserves recognition also because it is overseen by talented Chef Yahaloma Levy, features no fewer than four varieties of breaded and fried treats. (Note: It is served in all the branches except the kosher ones, which have certification only to serve dairy; the branch whose details are below is the one that was visited for the purposes of this review.)
The dedicated menu was inspired by a creation that won fame on a national television competition show: Schnitzel Spring Rolls, in which strips of fried chicken are wrapped in lettuce and drizzled with a sweet-and-spicy salsa. This Asian-inspired version is joined by the Rump Steak Schnitzel, in which beef takes the place of chicken; the Classic, which finds the chicken pounded rather flat; and the Crispy Chicken, served with a bun as part of a deconstructed sandwich. We actually were most taken with the latter, which is enhanced by being topped with grilled Haloumi cheese and accompanied by a pleasant pesto.
Cafe Landwer [Habima. Not kosher. Habima Square, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 775-1400.]
Mashya breakfast/brunch
This gourmet restaurant, originally founded by celebrity Chef Yossi Shitrit, has seen a significant upgrade in the daily morning/noon meal. Chef Guy Arish oversees a tripartite menu that is part prix fixe and part à la carte: the basic price entitles you to a lavish buffet – with the usual complement of salads, cheeses, smoked fish and meats, plus an array of fresh-baked breads, croissants, cakes and pastries – as well as a choice of one of six hot dishes, among which the Mashya Benedict and the Ham and Cheese are a cut above one might expect when encountering these names.
Even more treats await in the menu section titled “The Bites”: six small dishes reflecting extraordinary creativity, and for which one pays a bit extra. Especially recommended here are the deviled eggs topped with caviar; the asparagus with house hollandaise and shaved truffle; and two meat delicacies, braseola and beef tartare.
The food is washed down by juice (unfortunately not fresh squeezed) and a hot beverage included in the fixed price; but there are also four specialty mini-cocktails designed for daytime drinking, as well as a limited selection of carefully curated wines.
Mashya. Not kosher. 5 Mendele Mokher Sfarim St. (in the Mendeli Street Hotel), Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 750-0999.
Segev Express and Nihon
Chef Moshe Segev is no doubt one of Israel’s most successful chefs, at the helm of a culinary empire that includes an ever-expanding and always innovating chain of restaurants, not to mention a line of frozen foods found in every major supermarket chain. This year, the chef with more than 600,000 social media followers has broken new ground in two areas: augmenting his presence in the kosher sector, by opening Segev Bar & Lounge in Petah Tikvah (his second kosher establishment in that city, and third in the country); and completing the transformation of the former Segev Kitchen in Sharonim Mall into a new hybrid concept named Segev Express and Nihon – a merger of sorts of an outlet of the chain of Segev Express restaurants with the menu of the adjacent Nihon Nu Ba, a fascinating Japanese bar and tapas lounge.
The new entity, which retains the decor characterized by a plethora of greenery, introduces an extensive bilingual East-West menu that covers many bases and offers something for everyone, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Although the restaurant is not kosher, there is neither seafood nor pork on the menu; still, there is a sufficient variety of meat, fish and poultry in no fewer than nine menu categories: Sushi (with three subsections), Starters, Salads, Fish, From the Chef’s Kitchen, Main Courses, Pizza, Pasta and Desserts. The portions are all large enough for sharing, and among the five desserts is the cheesecake palette, the flagship dessert from Segev Art, the late lamented sole fine dining restaurant bearing the brand’s name.
The food is accompanied by specialty cocktails, including the noteworthy Thai Margarita; a more than adequate international wine list, with a fair selection by the glass; and a limited selection of domestic and imported beers (two on tap).
Segev Express and Nihon. Not kosher. 2 Harakun St., Hod Hasharon. Tel. (073) 266-5555.
Sneak Peek
L’Epoque
On the cusp of the new year comes a much anticipated new entry: the first Israeli restaurant affiliated with the famed Joel Robuchon International (JRI) group, dedicated to preserving the art and legacy of the chef who had amassed the most cumulative Michelin stars in history.
Opening a restaurant in Tel Aviv, to join many other culinary capitals of the world, was one of Robuchon’s dreams, which unfortunately never materialized before his untimely death in 2018. Nevertheless, underscoring the importance to JRI of the new standard bearer in Neve Tzedek was the presence from France of the group’s executive chef, Robuchon protégé and successor David Alves, who was in the kitchen that is now being turned over to local Chef Eugene Koval, formerly of the sorely missed Cordero.
L’Epoque has been unveiled in a fittingly classy venue, the reborn Elkonin Hotel, once the oldest hotel in Tel Aviv, and now morphed into a posh boutique hotel worthy of inclusion in the prestigious MGallery Hotel Collection. Situated right at the entrance of the hotel’s lobby, the restaurant manages to display touches of elegance in a simple setting.
The four-section menu is not extensive, but it includes most of Robuchon’s classic masterpieces, with the addition of some local Mediterranean adaptations. Few people will be able to afford to order many courses anyway, as the prices are sky-high: it is not often one encounters a (crispy) poached egg – even one topped with caviar, as pictured – costing NIS 320.
Among the stars of the menu alongside the signature egg are foie gras mousse with Parmesan foam; caramelized lobster in a sauce of whipped coconut and black pepper; and lamb shoulder confit with medjool dates and whole chickpeas. The latter is one of the main courses, virtually all of which come with Robuchon’s famously decadent mashed potatoes, thick and redolent with butter and fat.
Finally, there are as many desserts as entrées, all of them French par excellence, such as the Robuchon interpretation of the traditional tarte tatin: a delicious apple tart with cinnamon ice cream.
L’Epoque by Robuchon @ the Elkonin. Not kosher. 9 Lilienblum St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 548-4000.