In recent years, there has been a growing trend of tasting tours, reality-food, including an attempt to taste the local culture. The culinary scene did not escape Israel. Although there are still no Michelin restaurants in Israel, there are many restaurants that do not fall at all from the level of Michelin restaurants, special gourmet restaurants, creative chefs and simply crazy food. A significant part of the uniqueness of Israeli culture is the combination of flavors: Italian, French or Bulgarian cuisine, which meets Turkish, Greek, Indian and Ethiopian flavors. This combination creates absolutely unique and interesting flavors.
I am often asked by friends and clients if I have recommendations for restaurants in Israel. So in this article I have gathered seventeen restaurants that I like to return to. The restaurants are divided by regions in the country for the convenience of the readers.
Beteavon!
Tel Aviv
As a cultural center in Israel, Tel Aviv has a prominent place in Israeli cuisine. There are many wonderful restaurants in Tel Aviv and high standards in general. Here are some of my favorite restaurants:
George & John
Undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in Israel. Located inside the Drisco Hotel, at the border of Jaffa. As befits chef restaurants, the meal consists of creative dishes, a limited menu with a lot of thinking behind each dish.
Chef: Tomer Tal. Style: gourmet restaurant, small and indulgent dishes. Kosher: None. Average price: $150 per person.
Website: https://gandj.co.il/en
TYO
For fans of Japanese cuisine, this restaurant is a must. Wonderful sushi restaurant, accurate dishes. Location – Neve Tzedek.
Chef: Yasuto Oyamada (“Sushi Temple”, New York). Style: Gourmet sushi restaurant. Kosher: None. Average price: $100 per person.
Website: https://tyo.co.il/en
Manta Ray
Why not enjoy a restaurant of the highest culinary standard, while sitting near the beach and the promenade in Tel Aviv? Manta Ray provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to its clientele, in a pleasant atmosphere and wonderful Mediterranean food.
Chef: Ronen Skinzis. Style: Mediterranean. Kosher: None. Average price: $100 per person.
Website: https://mantaray.co.il/
Mashya
Within the Tel Aviv scene, Mashya restaurant stands out. With fresh fish every day, and fine meat as they say (confession – I don’t eat meat, but the fish at Mashya is simply wow), Mashya restaurant is absolutely one of my favorite places in the city. Located in the city center.
Chef: Guy Arish. Style: Mediterranean. Kosher: None. Average price: $100 per person.
Website: https://www.mashya.co.il/our-menu/
Beit Romano
Near the railway park is the restaurant of one of the most famous chefs in Israel. Eyal Shani is known for his great love for tomatoes, but visitors to the restaurant are advised not to miss the perfectly baked sweet potato in its skin.
Chef: Eyal Shani. Style: Mediterranean. Kosher: None. Average price: $70 per person.
Website: https://romano-restaurant.business.site/
Opa
As someone who avoids meat, there is nothing like going to a restaurant where the whole menu is possible for me. Such is the vegan chef restaurant located in the south of Tel Aviv, close to the Levinsky market. The restaurant is also suitable for non-vegans 😉
Chef: Shiral Berger. Style: Vegan. Kosher: None. Average price: $150 per person.
Website: https://www.opatlv.co.il/en
Jerusalem
Israel’s capital was also not overlooked by the developed culinary scene in Israel. Here are some of my favorite restaurants in Jerusalem:
Eucalyptus
In this wonderful restaurant, everything is calculated: starting from the romantic location near the Sultan’s pool, and ending with a limited and wonderful menu. Here too we can find well thought out gourmet dishes.
Chef: Moshe Basson. Style: Land of Israel. Kosher: yes (Tzohar). Average price: $150 per person.
Website: https://www.the-eucalyptus.com/
Mona
We returned to this restaurant again and again, each time accompanied by other friends. Beyond the unique style in a historic building, the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly waiters, the dishes are great and special. The restaurant offers small dishes, my recommendation – just take all the starter dishes, with an emphasis on the fish.
Chef: Moshiko Gamlali. Style: French-Italian. Kosher: None. Average price: $100 per person.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/monajerusalem/
Satya
Every now and then when we arrive in Jerusalem, I look for a recommendation for an unfamiliar restaurant. I had to check out Satya because recommendations for her appeared everywhere. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, and the food is familiar – but different. The restaurant’s kitchen creates a combination between the old Jerusalem cuisine and a European gourmet restaurant.
Chef: Ilan Grossi. Style: Jerusalem. Kosher: None. Average price: $120 per person.
Website:https://www.satya.co.il/copy-of
Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
The Waldorf Astoria hotel is known as a luxury hotel, business people from all over the world stay at the hotel and once I even saw Benjamin Netanyahu leaving the hotel. But in recent years, the hotel allows people who are not hotel guests to experience a wonderful breakfast, and at a price that doesn’t break the bank.
Chef: Itzik Mizrachi-Barak. Style: French. Kosher: Yes. Average price: $80 per person.
Telephone to reserve a place: 02-542-3333
Dwini
One of the good things that happened in recent years following the rise in the food scene, is the entry of haute cuisine into fast food restaurants. The food at Dwini is not fast at all – the dishes are elaborate, the cuisine is unique, and Dini is a real artist, she puts all this goodness, as befits a restaurant in Israel, into a pita. You can taste a home-seasoned fish or meat dish with an exciting twist.
Chef: Dini Cresola. Style: pita chef. Kosher: yes (Tzohar). Average price: $30 per person.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/dwinyrest/
North
The cultural centers are indeed Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, but there are also some restaurants in the north that are worth traveling to.
Lotem Winery
What could be better than sitting in front of a spectacular view of the Galilee mountains, tasting Cool white wine and eating premium chef dishes? Spoiler: Nothing. That’s the best. In 2021, rioters raided Chef Omri Shahar’s Mercato restaurant in Acre. The restaurant burned down, And Lotem Winery hosted chef Omri’s dishes until he found a new place. Together they built a menu adapted to the wines of the winery. Amri reopened the restaurant in Kibbutz Lochami HaGaot – but one of his traditional dishes can still be enjoyed at the Lotem Winery.
Chef: Omri Shahar. Style: Mixed. Kosher: None. Average price: $80 per person.
Website: https://lotemwinery.co.il/homepage-english/
Uri Buri
You said seafood restaurant – you said Uri Bori. This wonderful restaurant, founded by Uri Yeremias, offers gourmet-style fish and seafood dishes. As big fish lovers, we wait for every opportunity to come to Acre and eat in Uri Bori. Uri’s restaurant was also burned down by rioters but was renovated and reopened in the old city of Acre.
Chef: Uri Yeremias. Style: Seafood. Kosher: None. Average price: $120 per person.
Website: https://efendi-hotel.co.il/the-uri-buri-restaurant/?lang=en
Magdalena
The Sea of Galilee is a wonderful region and different from all other regions in Israel. Around the Sea of Galilee you can find everything: archaeological sites, shopping, cultural sites, museums and also – a wonderful chef’s restaurant overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The restaurant is located near Magdala, a fascinating archeological site with finds dating back two thousand years, and the restaurant offers elaborate fish dishes.
Chef: Yosef (Zuzu) Hana. Style: Fish restaurant. Kosher: None. Average price: $100 per person.
Website: https://magdalena.co.il/food-menu/
South
Going to the desert? As we go down south, the amount of population and settlements will gradually decrease. But even in the south of Israel there are some notable restaurants.
Vegan Express
We discovered this restaurant by chance on a trip to Mitzpe Ramon. Israel is not bad at all for vegan restaurants, but this restaurant was something completely different. The food is creative and varied, and the chef uses ingredients we didn’t know existed – try the banana flower fish and chips, and tell me how it was.
Chef: Brittany Monique Moore. Style: Vegan. Kosher: Yes. Average price: $25 per person.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/veganxpress777
Rosemary Restaurant in the Beresheet Hotel
There are many good things in the Beresheet Hotel – and this list also includes the hotel’s two restaurants. The Beresheet restaurant has a limited menu of chef dishes, the green salad was a real experience.
Style: Mixed. Kosher: Yes. Average price: $150 per hotel guest.
Website: https://www.isrotel.com/
Neot Smadar
Neot Semadar is one of the most fascinating kibbutzim in Israel. If you have time, try to book a workshop or a tour of the kibbutz and get an impression of the common lifestyle of the kibbutz residents. The food in the dining room and restaurant is prepared from the products of the kibbutz, and although the food is relatively simple, the freshness and quality ingredients create a truly magical meal.
Style: Israeli – vegetarian. Kosher: Yes. Average price: $25 per person.
Website: https://neot-semadar.com/en/tours-visits/restaurant/
To sum things up
I could continue the article because there are so many noteworthy restaurants in Israel. If you also love good food as much as I do, you are welcome to click here and take a look at my culinary tours, and go with me for a particularly satisfying and fun experience.
The restaurants mentioned in the article are some of the best restaurants in Israel. There are many restaurants that were not mentioned in the article for various reasons. The information in the article is correct at the time of writing the article, however there may be changes in the restaurants in terms of the menu, kosher, etc. – the reader assumes the responsibility to verify the details with the restaurant before the visit.
