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6 Best Israel Restaurants: Tel Aviv & Jerusalem’s hottest food and wine. In LA for Oscars parties!

oscars parties 2014, invitation

This post contains a lot of “nom”… it’s about all the delicious restaurants we tried in Israel!

Before we dive into the food, some travel news: I’m off to Los Angeles, to attend Oscars events! Seby and I were invited to several Academy Awards festivities, including a celebrity pre-party and Oscars gifting suite. Can’t wait to bring you inside coverage of the Oscars on my social networks — add me, below, to join the fun.

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kimel restaurant tel aviv

On our most recent journey, the Israel Tourism Board went all-out, and treated my filmmakers and me to 5-star dinners every evening. Each restaurant offered us a hedonistic “tasting” — we picked any main course, and they served it with a humongous selection of appetizers and desserts, and unlimited wine.

I always say: when you’re traveling, eat to your heart’s content! There are foods you simply can’t find at home, not even in specialty markets (such as local cheeses and wines that don’t export out of the country). Might as well taste as much as you can, when you’re somewhere far away.

israeli wines, kosher wine bottle

And drink up. In Hebrew, “cheers” is “l’chaim,” and we did a lot of that. Israeli vineyards have been making waves recently, overcoming the not-so-cool associations with “Kosher wine.”

I enjoyed tasty varietals with names like “Issac’s Ram” and “Star of David”. My favorite was a tasty and easy-to-drink Teperberg 1870 Cabernet/Merlot.

beet pine nuts salad

The first night, we had a rustic meal at Kimel Restaurant Tel Aviv. We thought the meal was over, after filling on incredibly fresh beet and pine nuts salad, goat cheese ravioli, and olive toasted bread. Then, the waiter asked, “Are you ready for the main courses?” He came out with plates loaded with fish filets, beef and lamb… Needless to stay, we left Kimel very satisfied!

Thanks to our new friend, fashion journalist Roza Sinaysky, for joining us. She blogs about Tel Aviv and international high fashion at TelAvivian. (Food photography by me, Melissa Rundle and Eric Bergemann.)

vicky cristina restaurant, woody allen

The next evening, we learned that there’s a Woody Allen theme restaurant. Vicky Cristina is a Spanish eatery, located at the Hatachana compound (a collection of restaurants and shops, converted from the old Jaffa train station built in 1892). One side is more formal (like the movie character Vicky), while the other, where we dined, is loose and care-free like Cristina.

mia farrow pet cat

Side note: we should note that despite dining at this restaurant inspired by the Woody Allen film, we are Team Farrow all the way! (More images of our cat, Basil Farrow, on his Scottish Fold blog.)

seafood paella, vicky cristina tel aviv

Nonetheless, the Spanish tapas were delightful — Israeli food is always fresh, since many ingredients are grown locally. The seafood paella was so outstanding that we asked for a second order.

israel cocktail menu, drinks

We perched on high counters, and people-watched in the lively, open space. The drink menu says it all. Go for the sangria, and end the meal with mint tea.

turbot fish dinner, herbert samuel

Day 3 was a treat: fine dining at Herbert Samuel, run by top chef Jonathan Roshfeld. I later found out the restaurant is kosher, but that didn’t at all limit the flavors in dishes such as turbot (above) and the signature veal cannelloni.

chocolate cake, ice cream, gold leaf

As for the desserts, the photo says it all. Chocolate cake, caramel sauce swirl, gold foil and vanilla ice cream. I licked the plate.

jerusalem bagels, oblong bagel

I’ve been showing you high-end restaurants, but let’s not forget the street food. I loved trying Jerusalem bagels, (during my day in Jerusalem), which are long and large. And my mouth is watering when I think of the falafel (crispy chickpea balls wrapped in pita) I got from small stands.

machane yehuda restaurant

If I had to name one favorite restaurant among these winners, it would be Machneyuda in Jerusalem. The space is bursting with energy and personality. Between taking our orders, the waiters danced to upbeat Lana del Ray and Prince covers!

jerusalem best desserts, semolina cake

The food also has a personal touch, using ingredients from the next-door market. Some surprises included lamb and hummus, ceviche, and tomato cauliflower salad. I’m still thinking of this trio of desserts: tiramisu at the top, an incredible deconstructed cheesecake with berries in the middle, and “Uri’s mother’s semolina cake” dotted with tahini ice cream at the bottom.

jerusalem cool bar

If you think that Jerusalem is a serious, religious place… think again. At night, Machaneyuda has a happening bar scene with acrobatic cocktail mixing.

machane yehuda israeli restaurant

The open kitchen bursts with friendly calls between the chefs, and flaming dishes.

lively jewish restaurant

Outside, we saw locals hanging out in the streets, and going from bar to bar. If you visit only one restaurant while in Israel, I hope it will be this one.

boya tel aviv

However, we ate so well on every night. We joined Louise Kahn (glam singer of Terry Poison) at Boya, a top-rated restaurant at the Tel Aviv port. This is great place to take a walk, and watch big waves roll in.

grilled mushrooms, top israel restaurants

By now, you must be getting a sense of what’s loved in Israel: fresh Mediterranean dishes, with a touch of the Middle East. We tried a number of pastas, fresh baked bread from the “tabun” (traditional clay oven), and lots of seafood. We agreed that one of the standouts was a grilled cauliflower appetizer.

best hummus in israel, hommous restaurant

One cannot visit Israel without trying the hummus — sometimes called the national dish. We had it multiple times, and even visited a local “hummous restaurant” where Jews and Arabs happily sat down to eat this delicious dish together.

social club restaurant tel aviv

Finally, before a night of clubbing, we chowed down at Social Club on Rothschild Boulevard. It’s an ideal location for meeting up with friends before going out, and we especially enjoyed the grilled calamari with fava beans and tahini.

Coming right up: I’ll take you inside the Israeli LGBT nightlife, including a drag queen performance!

herbert samuel desserts

I leave you with a flower-topped napoleon dessert, from Herbert Samuel restaurant. Did you expect Israel’s food scene to be this exciting? Have you tried hummus, falafel, or other dishes mentioned in this post?

PS: don’t forget, I’ll be in LA with Seby for Oscars celebrations — previews will be on my @lacarmina social networks.

24 Comments

  1. MelissaR
    Posted March 1, 2014 at 12:19 am | Permalink

    Looks so yummy! Is making me hungry!!

  2. fran
    Posted March 2, 2014 at 8:17 am | Permalink

    ahh that looks so good!

  3. Brenda
    Posted March 2, 2014 at 8:17 am | Permalink

    Aww I want to eat at all of them.

  4. Ken
    Posted March 2, 2014 at 8:24 am | Permalink

    SO much appreciated… thanks for
    sharing

  5. Farah
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:46 am | Permalink

    the grilled calamari looks divine.
    Man you ate WELL!

  6. Sharon
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    #TLV and #JLem food is the best

  7. Rena
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    Gorgeous photography

  8. Jen
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    so great to meet you last night – love your style! :) XOXO

  9. Dayo
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:47 am | Permalink

    looks amazing ( ^_^)b

  10. Ben
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:48 am | Permalink

    lets hang!

  11. Dan S
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:48 am | Permalink

    how long are you in town for?

  12. Hadie
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    You travel around the world. I´m jealous:0)

  13. Ursula Garcia
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    Be yourself!!!

  14. iris
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    Very nice . . . . . and mouth-watering!

  15. Manny
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:49 am | Permalink

    Mexico’s Finest restaurants n Taco’s stands r here in Los Angeles Cali.

  16. J Harris
    Posted March 4, 2014 at 7:50 am | Permalink

    Definitely check out Beer Belly: a craft beer barin Koreatown and sample their duck fat french fries. If you have a sweet tooth head on up to the W Hotel in Hollywood where Sugar Mama’s Goumet Cupcakes is at; they knock Sprinkles out of the water! And if you make it out to West LA, Gottsui WLA has great Okonomiyaki. Seoul Sausage Company combines K BBQ into American food like a Galbi Sausage or Da KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), their fried rice balls are great too. Both of these later places are located near the crossroads of Sawtelle Blvd & Mississippi Ave in the area sometimes called Lil Osaka. I hope this list proves helpful. All the best to you!!

  17. Ariel
    Posted March 5, 2014 at 8:46 am | Permalink

    Yum yum

  18. Rena
    Posted March 5, 2014 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    can’t believe there’s a hummus restaurant cool

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