For restaurateur David Levin, it has been a long-held dream. But the opportunity to run a supervised kosher eatery which opens on Shabbat is about to become a reality.
In what is thought to be a British first, Tish Bar and Restaurant will offer a fine dining experience while observing all the halachic requirements of the day of rest.
Tish, in Belsize Park, North London, will take payment from diners in advance, keep pre-made meals in "hot holding" until they are served and ensure that every detail is taken into consideration — even down to avoiding hand-dryers and electronic taps in the bathrooms.
Mr Levin said his restaurant, due to open later this month, will be a Jewish “haven” and provide people with the “opportunity to revel in a delicious feast whilst unplugging from technology".
“I have been dreaming about doing this since I was a child,” he said.
“When eating out at kosher restaurants I have always thought that I could have made something nicer at home and I think that is a common experience in the Jewish community. I want to change that.”
Mr Levin said Tish was “a long time coming” for the Jewish community.
“You’ll be surprised how many people in this area or St John’s Wood and Hampstead are looking for a restaurant they can to go to on Shabbat.”
Tish also hopes to attract observant Jews who might walk from further afield.
“I want as many people as possible to enjoy the Shabbat experience and I don’t want to exclude people,” Mr Levin said.
“The lights won’t be switched off. The taps in the bathroom are not triggered electronically. The food will be cooked in advance of Shabbat and kept warm until it needs to be served.”
The restaurant is under the supervision of the KLBD, the London Beth Din’s kashrut authority. Payment for the Shabbat set-menu will be taken in advance, allowing customers to avoid breaking Shabbat. Wine ordered on the day will be charged at a later date.
“It was not a problem getting the Beth Din to agree,” Mr Levin said. “We worked with them on every detail to make sure they were happy.”
Customers, Jewish or not, will be asked to observe the rules of Shabbat by switching off their mobile phones.
“I think people will be quite happy to go for a nice meal where the person next to them isn’t talking on the phone or being distracted,” said Mr Levin.
The 160-seat restaurant will feature a menu of Ashkenazi delicacies including chicken soup with kneidlach, chicken schnitzel and apple strudel.
Mr Levin said: “What I wanted to do was to open a restaurant that was equal to the finest restaurant in London. I am not interested in the other kosher restaurants. They are not my competition. I want to be better than the Wolseley.”
The head chef will be John Ellison, who previously worked at the Ivy.
Mr Levin added: “I wanted to work with people who are not only the best at what they do, but lovely people who you would want to be your friend. We are going to be a big family.”
