Wine bar tapas reach new heights
Review: Chefs Dudu Biton of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and Einav Azguri of Bar à Vin in Tel Aviv create tapas that complement the best wines.
The lobby bar in the iconic King David Hotel has recently undergone an upgrade, installing equipment that enables serving dozens of wines by the glass, thus creating the King David Wine Bar. Fortunately, the genteel furnishings remain, as has the cordial and knowledgeable sommelier and bar manager Daniel.
The King David Wine Bar stocks some 85 wines, all Israeli and all kosher, with vintages from the country’s largest and most prominent wineries, as well as from respected boutique wineries. At any given time, 14 different wines are available by the glass, most featured on tasting menus that rotate monthly and bi-monthly. Single glasses start at NIS 35, then two for NIS 59, three for NIS 87 and four for NIS 111.
Glasses of wine are served with complimentary plump green olives and salted nuts, but there is also a tapas menu boasting 10 dishes ranging in price from NIS 15 to NIS 55. The good news is that the tapas come from the kitchen of the King David’s exclusive La Regence restaurant, helmed by executive chef David (Dudu) Biton.
Salmon takes pride of place among the tapas: there is delicious smoked salmon cured on the premises with herbed cream cheese, shallots and grated egg, onions and caper berries, accompanied by a basket of fresh, crusty house bread and butter.
Daniel’s recommendation was the spicy salmon: raw salmon tartare exquisitely seasoned with ginger, spicy aioli and finely chopped cucumber.
The one warm dish is perfectly fried fish tempura, served with a creamy, zesty chili aioli, while for dessert there is a selection of three cheeses and two small jars of premium marmalade.
Naturally, there are sparkling and sweet wines ideal for washing down dessert.
The Wine Bar at the King David Hotel
Kosher
King David Street 23, Jerusalem
Tel. (02) 620-8784
Bar à Vin: Welcome addition to Rothschild culinary scene
A spacious square at the foot of Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard is the home of Bar à Vin, a relatively new wine bar with welcome emphasis on food, since the dishes are prepared by the talented Einav Azguri, previously behind the menu at Cerveceria, a popular tapas joint.Aside from a few indoor tables and plenty of stools at Bar à Vin’s handsome bar, dominated by refrigerated shelves of wine behind glass doors, the main seating area is al fresco in a large, roomy plaza.
The international wine list comprises 38 wines in eight categories; with the exception of six wines and two champagnes, all are available by the glass, ranging in price from NIS 29 to NIS 57. The tapas dishes start at NIS 28.
Like the establishment itself, the dishes here bear French names, with the descriptions in English and Hebrew. The daily specials, however, are explained orally by the bilingual wait staff, who maintain that the specials—representing the chef’s inspiration of the day, using the freshest ingredients—are the best things to order. The waitress also let us know what the most popular dishes on the printed menu were—starting with the Gougere de Bourgogne, a savory cheese loaf with Parmesan and Emmenthal cheeses baked into the actual dough, making for a soft, chewy delicacy that was practically addictive.
Based on her recommendations, we selected dishes representing three different categories on the permanent menu. The calamari salad was very different from the usual: the deep-fried seafood was reminiscent of pork rinds; mixed in with green herbs, red onion, pineapple and tiny slivers of red chili, the result was a wonderful interplay of flavors.
The Camembert gratiné au four with piquant jam, meanwhile, was decadently rich. The cherry tomato jam was more like a sweet chutney than a spicy condiment, but it was nevertheless an excellent foil for the baked cheese. In addition, the topping of toasted chopped hazelnuts added welcome crunch and contrasting texture.
The beef sirloin was a lovely bit of steak: sirloin slices cooked just right—a seared crust sealing in the moisture of the pink centers that melt in your mouth. The succulent meat was accompanied by a generous portion of thinly cut French fries that are as good as can be found anywhere.
Our selection from the daily specials was pork prime rib still on the bone. Generously seasoned with salt and pepper, the thick slab of juicy and flavorful white meat was finger-licking good. It was served with another helping of those superb fries.
The four desserts at Bar à Vin—two daily specials and two permanent fixtures—are in the traditional restaurant vein. The Crepe Suzettes, distinctively filled with crème pâtissière and drenched in Grand Marnier, were a worthy rendition of the beloved classic, while the chocolate mousse on crème anglaise was the consistency of a thick ganache, nicely accented by coffee bean shavings.
Even on a Monday night, Bar à Vin was quite full, undoubtedly a testament to the quality of its offerings.
Bar à Vin
Not kosher
Rothschild 7, Tel Aviv
Tel. (053) 937-3540
