It’s long been renowned for sun and beaches — but now Israel has secured its status as a foodie paradise with no fewer than six out of the top 50 restaurants across the region.
The list was announced in Abu Dhabi last week by the World’s 50 Best guide, which has drawn upon the expertise of hundreds of food critics in its first selection devoted to North Africa and the Middle East.
The half-a-dozen restaurants in Israel boast an inspirationally broad range of styles and cuisine.
One establishment is devoted to the number 19, another is a refreshingly unpretentious hole-in-the-wall outlet, and there’s also a touch of traditional European-style luxury, plus a restaurant serving up Japanese-style raw fish — entirely kosher.
As Tomer Tal, the chef at George & John (nine on the list), told the JC: “Until today the world has not been made aware of how Israeli cuisine has evolved over the past 20 years.”
The Jewish state was only outshone by the hosts, UAE. Long renowned as a gourmet resort for its wealthy tourists, it led the pack with a jaw-dropping 19 entries, while Israel came second with six.
Here the JC whets your appetite for your next visit to Eretz Yisrael with our guide to the six on the top 50 list:
OCD #3
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The creation of chef Raz Rahav, OCD in Tel Aviv seems preoccupied with the prime number 19. That’s the number of diners at each of two daily sittings for a 19-course tasting menu served at a bar around an open kitchen. Kosher and vegan customers can be catered for with advance notice.
The food is a melting pot of Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Middle Eastern influences, with local ingredients drawn from artisanal producers for a menu that changes four times a year with the seasons. Israeli-produced caviar features, often with cauliflower pancakes, while Rahav’s Iraqi mango pickle paste is a paean to Mizrahi innovation.
George & John, #9
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At Tel Aviv’s George & John, chef Tomer Tal takes the catch landed by fishermen in Jaffa port and uses flavours drawn largely from the Moroccan food with which he grew up. The restaurant is named for the brothers who launched a modern food scene in Jaffa 156 years ago in the Drisco Hotel, later site of the neighbourhood’s first outdoor grill.
Do order the wild cabbage infused with herby fumes and dressed with a foam of aged cheese: “I like to pay respect to simple vegetables like cabbage and kohlrabi,” says Tal, with a nod to his father’s Ashkenazi food traditions, as well as those of his mother’s Moroccan kitchen.
HaBasta, #14
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Tucked into an alley off Carmel shuk, Tel Aviv’s famous food market, is a hole-in-the-wall outlet delivering top-end fine dining. Chef Elon Amir cooks up whatever the market delivers into dishes mostly not for the observant: pork, oysters, clams and crab bourekes are among the favourites locals flock to enjoy.
Avoid treif by ordering pizza bianca or the terrific massabaha (a chickpea dish). Wine is taken as seriously as the food, with a focus on natural vintages made with minimal chemical intervention.
Animar, #17
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Overlooking the promenade by Tel Aviv’s beaches, Animar combines the Persian and Libyan influences of chef Hillel Tavakuli’s heritage with those of Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean.
Tavakuli first grabbed diners’ attention at Pastel, the restaurant of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, after honing his skills at Michelin-starred restaurants abroad. Fish and seafood dominate a classic menu on which sharing plates loom large, with Turkish koftes a signature dish.
PESCADO, #24
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This kosher Ashdod restaurant in Tel Aviv was founded by fisherman Eran Jano with chef Yehi Zino, who bases his menu on the fresh catch landed each day by his partner.
The emphasis is on raw fish: after all, Israelis are the largest consumers of sushi per capita outside Japan. The sashimi gets a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of spice, tahini and chives, and there’s wild fish slow-cooked in local olive oil, and a signature dish of crispy-fried gill of red drum.
Milgo & Milbar, #40
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Located on Tel Aviv’s cosmopolitan Rothschild Boulevard, Milgo & Milbar offers a traditional European style complete with white tablecloths and uniformed waiters, and a kitchen open to the bar with a carefully curated soft jazz soundtrack adds to the atmosphere of elegant nostalgia.
Having trained in Strasbourg and honed his skills in New York, chef Moti Titman has created a richly eclectic menu. Fish dominates, but don’t miss out on some star vegetable dishes, including charred corn croquettes served with Parmesan and hot habanero sauce. A signature sea fish tartare incorporates kohlrabi, along with cucumber, fresh ginger, almonds and jalapeno chillies.
