Almost unimaginably, the war in Gaza has stretched from all of 5784 to include all of 5785 – a frustrating reality that has left its mark on the country’s culinary sector as well, with more restaurants closing their doors than we care to recount.
Still, Israel’s spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation endures, not only in hi-tech but also in gastronomy. For the second consecutive year, we salute the chefs and owners who venture into the unknown in the face of the uncertainty posed by war and its attendant social turmoil.
Whenever we run this annual roundup, we have to emphasize this caveat: no list encompassing an entire year of new openings or transformations can purport to be exhaustive. If we want to describe restaurants and not just mention them, there is simply not enough space, nor is it possible to cover the whole country, although we occasionally venture out of metropolitan Tel Aviv.
The following list comprises 10 restaurants in two categories: the first half reveals new openings altogether, while the other half are establishments that have introduced significant changes to their formats or offerings during the past 12 months. As usual, we refrain from ranking restaurants and simply list entries in alphabetical order. All but one have bilingual menus, and even more do not bother with English menus when it comes to wine and/or desserts. As always, we ensure that some kosher restaurants are also featured.
New restaurants
Casa Bella Italian Bar and Bistro
Ambiance: Situated in the heart of Herzliya Marina, right under the Ritz-Carlton hotel, Casa Bella’s location is arguably the most appealing of its attributes. Few things on a summer’s eve in central Israel can beat sipping drinks while gazing at a Mediterranean sunset, basking in the cooling sea breeze and admiring the yachts moored in the harbor. There is also seating in an air-conditioned interior.
Drinks: The full bar serves both specialty and classic cocktails, as well as shots (a.k.a. “chasers”). The wine list, which includes both kosher and non-kosher vintages, is more than adequate, with a reasonable selection available by the glass. The wait staff is generous with wine tastings before you choose which to order. Casa Bella offers both imported and domestic beers, on tap and in bottles.
Menu: The extensive food menu comprises six sections: Starters, Salads, Pizza, Fresh Pasta, Specials (all pasta dishes), Main Courses. Most pastas are available in gluten-free versions, and the menu contains plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. There is a separate dessert menu, highlighted by Italian-inspired sweets. The restaurant introduced an appealing brunch menu several months ago.
Recommended: Bianca (cocktail); sea bass ceviche, cheese arancini; gnocchi artichoke (for lemon lovers), polenta tortellini; affogato (vanilla ice cream with espresso, not listed).
Casa Bella Bar & Bistro. Not kosher. 2 HaShunit St., Herzliya. Tel. (050) 681-6580.
Dali Wine Garden
Ambiance: Dali Wine Bar, named after its owner, Yuval Dali (and not the famous surrealist artist), opened at the end of 2025 and morphed into Dali Wine Garden just this spring. This pleasant oasis in the heart of Tel Aviv suburb has a cute wine truck in lieu of a bar; instead of bar seating, there are very basic wooden tables, chairs and sofas in an al fresco setting, on a synthetic lawn or on a small deck. There is also a small indoor seating area, with air conditioning (or heating in the winter). Plentiful cushions are available to make the outdoor seating as comfortable as the upholstered chairs on the deck and indoors. A DJ plays the musical soundtrack on Thursday evenings.
Drinks: Since the emphasis is understandably on wine, there are no specialty cocktails, although some classics are served, as well as shots (“chasers”). Approximately 60 international vintages are represented on the wine list, curated by a sommelier, with approximately one-third available by the glass. Three brands of beer are available, in bottles only.
Menu: The Hebrew-only food menu is distinguished by the absence of any hot or even warm dishes. Still, there is plenty to choose from and share among the six categories: Appetizers (including the house breads), Small Platters, Bruschettas and Panini, Salads, A Surprise Dish and Desserts. There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options. The cheese, fish and charcuterie platters are deliberately smaller than usual: for the price of one larger portion, one may combine an order of two smaller ones. Wines are both kosher and non-kosher, and no unkosher food is served. There is a “happy hour” every day until 7 p.m., offering a 20% discount on both food and drink.
Recommended: House focaccia with homemade salsa; avocado bruschetta; cauliflower salad, burrata salad; the rotating surprise dish (ours featured seasonal fruit); cheesecake.
Dali Wine Garden. Not kosher. 71 Sokolov St, Ramat Hasharon. Tel. (052) 484-0866 [for private events].
Jon Mattaeng
Ambiance: There are actually a number of restaurants in the world with the name Jon Mattaeng (JMT), which reflects the casual informality of this self-styled Korean soul food eatery – a first and only in Israel. The decor is gaudy, while the furnishings are as basic as can be: simple wooden tables and chairs, all al fresco on the new sidewalk-cum-pedestrian walkway opposite the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Catchy Korean K-pop music plays on the soundtrack.
Drinks: The alcoholic beverage of choice is soju, a version of sake that comes in a variety of flavors, sold here in bottles on display in a colorful open refrigerator. There is only one kind of wine – white, in an airline-sized bottle. Two brands of Japanese beer are sold in cans, alongside an array of unusual soft drinks.
Menu: JMT founder Reut Gershoni describes the cuisine as Korean comfort food, serving authentic dishes that do not compromise its flavors just to suit what are considered conventional Israeli tastes. The electronic menu lists dozens of dishes, grouped in no fewer than eight sections, most with names so unfamiliar that it would be meaningless to reproduce them here. The bottom line: the food has to be tasted to be believed; and with plenty of vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free options available, there is no excuse not to be adventurous and try a few things that will undoubtedly surprise you, and likely please you as well. Desserts can come in over-the-top huge portions.
Recommended: Chicken wings, seaweed rolls, stuffed chili peppers, bulkogi bimbibop, schnitzel, tukbuki, soft-serve ice cream sundae.
Jon Mattaeng TLV. 3 Ahuzat Bayit St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 510-1099.
Katzir
Ambiance: As befits a fine dining restaurant situated in a five-star hotel, the dining area is extremely elegant, in a modern setting, with white tablecloths and imitation marble tables. The leather chairs in the indoor seating are very comfortable, with many tables next to floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the sea. A blanket of heavy velvet is available if you find the air conditioning too cold. Weather permitting, there is also al fresco seating on an expansive patio. Contemporary vocal music plays on the soundtrack at a pleasant decibel level. The place is also the venue of a highly acclaimed, sumptuous breakfast buffet (kosher dairy).
Drinks: The full bar serves four specialty cocktails, made with locally distilled spirits, plus all the classics. There is an extensive international wine list, with a separate book for wines by the bottle, alongside a reasonable selection of wines by the glass listed in the food menu. The prices of the premium bottles and magnums can reach into the four figures, and even some wines by the glass into three figures. There is Israeli craft beer on tap, and imported beer in bottles.
Menu: The food menu (kosher meat), created by native-British Chef Daniel Raymond, is described as based on the freshest possible seasonal ingredients, and thus it may be revised as often as several times a week. The cuisine is described as “an expression of Middle Eastern, Tripolitanian, Iraqi, and Indian influences, honoring Jewish tradition and Israeli terroir.” A meal starts with the complimentary “opening move”: house bread baked on-site, accompanied by sweet, pickled and dips and a beef tallow butter substitute. The dinner menu comprises three sections Tweezers, Palettes and Spoons (you’ll understand when you see the most unusual cutlery); Big Plates; and Limited Edition (three main courses). There are adequate vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options. A separate dessert menu features elaborate pareve final courses, and, of course, digestifs. The restaurant also serves a traditional Shabbat dinner on Friday nights and Shabbat lunch on Saturday afternoons.
Recommended: Royal pearl (cocktail); ceviche, lion’s mane, anchovy mashwiye; lamb chops; sirloin steak; dessert.
Katzir. Kosher. @ the David Kempinski Hotel, 51 Hayarkon St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (074) 766-2710.
Telem
Ambiance: This intimate restaurant is situated in a compact suburban shopping mall in the heart of an upscale residential neighborhood. The venue features al fresco patio seating surrounded by green shrubbery, as well as indoor seating at low tables and the bar. The dark wood furnishings are handsome, and the seats are padded for extra comfort. A pleasant instrumental soundtrack plays at an unobtrusive sound level.
Drinks: The full bar serves seven specialty cocktails, each infused with local herbs, plus digestifs and apertifs. There is a carefully curated international wine list consisting of six sections, with limited availability by the glass. There are two brands of beer, one imported and one domestic craft, both bottled. Every guest is treated to a shot of liquor (“chaser”).
Menu: The food menu is very similar in concept to Chef Aner Ben Refael Furman’s other restaurant Treysar, reviewed previously on these pages. Both establishments focus on fresh local ingredients, with all of Telem’s vegetables (and even fruit) grown on a largely organic farm that is the restaurant’s exclusive supplier. The dinner menu comprises four sections: Dough, Vegetables, Fish & Seafood and Meat (which notably does not include poultry). There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options. Delicious desserts often highlight luscious natural fruits.
Recommended: Pink Lady (cocktail); Fatayer (savory pastry turnover); small corn sausage; sea fish tataki, linguine bottarga, tuna tartare; veal sweetbreads; date cake with ice cream and fresh figs.
Telem. Not kosher. 19 Meir Ya’ari St. (G City Mall), Tel Aviv. Tel. (077) 880-1760.
The Grill Room
Ambiance: Located in the premises adjacent to the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv that previously housed the highly acclaimed Animar restaurant, The Grill Room TLV is the non-kosher version of one of the best kosher steakhouses in Jerusalem, The Grill Room in the iconic King David Hotel. The decor is understated elegance, with white tablecloths and all the trappings of fine dining, including impeccable service.
Drinks: The full bar serves both specialty and classic cocktails, plus a separate list of cocktails served at the weekly brunch. The extensive international wine list, curated by a dedicated sommelier, extends over four pages of wine by available by the glass, and no fewer than 13 pages of vintages in bottles. The Grill Room TLV recently opened a new bar called The Back Room, featuring nine over-the-top signature cocktails. There is limited availability of beer in bottles.
Menu: The one-page dinner menu of this self-styled “New York steakhouse” comprises six sections, not including Oysters and Caviar, which are featured by themselves. The showcase section of the menu is The Grill House Cut – four cuts of prime beef priced by weight. Other sections are Entrées, Raw Bar, Appetizers, House Salads and Sides. There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options. A separate dessert menu lists tempting final courses characteristic of the gourmet offerings of a fine dining restaurant, including digestifs. A sumptuous à la carte brunch is served Saturdays, 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
Recommended: Caviar (served on shaved ice with all the trimmings); New York steak; mussels in a vermouth sauce; creamed spinach; crêpes suzettes (flambéed tableside).
The Grill Room. Not kosher. 87 HaYarkon St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 520-2427.
Innovative veteran restaurants
BBB – Burgos Burger Bar
Ambiance: The venerable nationwide burger chain BBB – which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year by introducing a new summer menu – belongs to a restaurant group that includes Moses Shop, Ràpidos, and the kosher Burgerim and BBB By The Way. The country’s 26 BBB branches have the atmosphere of American diners, with comfortable seating at booths and a long bar. Most also have separate rooms for private events.
Drinks: The bar serves both specialty and frozen cocktails, as well as shots (chasers). There are only two house wines (one red and one white), plus three draft beers. The list of soft drinks is more extensive than in most restaurants.
Menu: There are actually multiple menus in BBB – besides the regular menu, the new summer menu, value lunches, kids menu, and late-night menu. The regular menu comprises no fewer than seven sections: Starters, Salads, Not Only Burgers, Sandwiches and Tortillas, Hamburgers, Toppings and Sides, and Without Meat. There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options. The separate dessert menu offers plenty of choice, from normal to extreme. BBB Club members enjoy discounts and special deals.
Recommended: The king (cocktail); crispy cauliflower, chicken nuggets, tres tacos beef; Brooklyn sandwich; The Corrupt Burger; onion rings; bread pudding à la mode.
BBB. Kosher (3) and Not kosher (23). Outlets in the North, Center and South (but not Jerusalem). Tel. *9022.
BIGA Bakery and Kitchen
Ambiance: This chain of 34 nationwide restaurants concentrates on locations in shopping malls, and generally combines a seating area with a shop that sells bakery items and coffee. (For example, the branch in the Ofer Mall in Petah Tikva is situated on an elevated section of the main corridor, and consists of booth seating plus a few tables, in front of the bakery storefront.) While BIGA has been in business since 1999, it is included in this list by virtue of a new, limited-edition wellness menu designed by Shahar Hauon, a well-known model and social media influencer, with more than half a million followers.
Drinks: The new beverages on the wellness menu include two healthful smoothies – one yogurt-based and the other dairy-free – a coffee-cinnamon granita, and two infused waters, one with fruit and the other with vegetables. Biga does not sell any alcoholic beverages.
Menu: The regular food menu is kosher-dairy and quite extensive, comprising no fewer than nine sections: Breakfast, Starters, Sandwiches, Salads, Main Course, Fish, Pasta, Pizza and Desserts. The special wellness menu consists of a sum total of five dishes – two are gluten-free, two are pescatarian, and only one is vegan/vegetarian.
Recommended: All of the wellness dishes – Stuffed Nicoise leaves, Salmon poke bowl, Tuna-avocado panini, Avocado bruschetta, and a Chia-granola bowl with fresh fruit.
Biga. Kosher (31) and not kosher (3). Outlets in the North, Center and South (but not Jerusalem). Tel. Unpublished.
NONO
Ambiance: NONO Italian restaurants – together with MIMI, its sister chain of coffee shops-cum-bakeries/patisseries, often found in shared premises – are the core of the NONO Group, one of the most dynamic culinary entities in Israel today, constantly expanding and even acquiring other restaurant chains, notably Giraffe (Asian cuisine). NONO restaurants are known to be very family-friendly, although there are usually also romantic corners, generally in the expansive al fresco seating areas. Pleasant background music plays at just the right volume.
Drinks: The full bars serve both classic and specialty cocktails, plus shots (chasers), aperitifs and digestifs. There is a reasonably extensive international wine list – featuring also the house winery, Lewinsohn (the restaurant offers free tastes of its house wines) – with availability by the bottle and the glass. There are imported and domestic beers, on tap and in bottles.
Menu: NONO is being featured here because it has recently taken a big leap in revising its menu, recruiting award-winning chef Hillel Tavakoli – of the [now closed] Animar and [kosher] Darya fine dining restaurants – to create new, gourmet dishes. The upgraded menu comprises seven sections: Starters and Salads, Pizza (red and white), Pasta, Main Courses (chicken, beef, fish and seafood), Kids’ Meals, Sides and Desserts. There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options, including when it comes to pizza and pasta. Desserts are a strong point here, as they are the specialty of MIMI, which offers even gluten-free and/or sugar-free gelato and pastry options.
Recommended: Summer tomatoes, sea fish sashimi, labaneh vegetables from the taboun, seared tuna bruschetta; mushroom and truffle pizza; seafood skillet; pistachio crack pie.
Nono. Not kosher. 10 branches in Central Israel. Tel. *3067.
Yulia
Ambiance: Yulia is a veteran waterfront restaurant located at the southern end of Namal Tel Aviv, bordering Metzitzim Beach. Seating is al fresco – on an expansive beachfront deck, complete with an outdoor bar – as well as indoors in air-conditioned comfort. The outdoor seating is characterized by colorful wicker chairs. A classic rock soundtrack plays at mellow volume.
Drinks: The full bar serves eight original cocktails and lists 12 classics, plus shots (chasers), aperitifs and digestifs. The international wine list encompasses six sections, including one devoted entirely to vintages available by the glass. There are imported and domestic beers, on tap and in bottles.
Menu: The food menu, which has always specialized in Israel’s bounty from the sea, has been revamped significantly to introduce original seafood dishes – hence, Yulia’s inclusion in this list. The lunch-dinner menu (the restaurant is also open for breakfast) comprises seven sections: First Courses, Small Plates, Salads, Pasta, Main Courses, Children’s Meals and Side Dishes. There are ample vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free options, including when it comes to the separate Desserts menu.
Recommended: JerusaleMule (cocktail); cured fish, sashimi, ceviche; bluefin tuna skewer, seafood tortellini; affogato (dessert).
Yulia. Not kosher. Hangar 2, TLV Port. Tel. (077) 231-1871.
First published: 06:26, 09.08.25