Sikh
Following a successful skewer pop-up, the four young chefs behind Sikh decided to find a permanent home for their venture. A few weeks ago, they opened a restaurant that is not exactly a traditional skewer joint, but rather a foraging-focused establishment with a clear commitment to live-fire cooking and local ingredients. How local? The menu has featured wild greens foraged from Park HaMesila, not far from the restaurant.
Some of the partners previously worked with celebrity chef Eyal Shani, and his distinctive culinary voice comes through even in the playful names of the dishes. The menu includes beef tartare wrapped in grape leaves like a hand roll (22 shekels), freekeh and herb salad (52 shekels), sea fish with za'atar butter (88 shekels) and the real surprise: boneless chicken-tail skewers (58 shekels). This cut is rarely seen on restaurant menus, but here it has become a delicious and popular dish despite the associations its name might evoke.
Address: 5 HaMaon Street, Florentin Quartet, Tel Aviv
Cala Vera
A new, spacious dining complex has opened right on the waterfront at the southern end of the Bat Yam promenade, at Tayo Beach. At its center is Cala Vera, a Mediterranean restaurant with 250 seats and a menu created by chef Ohad Levi, who opened Lili in Eilat about a year ago. Levi previously worked at restaurants including Herbert Samuel, Catit, Social Club and Cicchetti in Tel Aviv, and headed the kitchen at MAMO in Eilat.
The menu draws on Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine, combining raw fish dishes with grilled fish and vegetables cooked over charcoal and in a Josper oven, alongside sharing plates served in the center of the table. Among the dishes are sea fish sashimi with yuzu sauce, nectarine salsa and red chili; crispy fish cigars with cilantro and harissa, served with harissa-lemon aioli; charcoal-grilled meagre fish skewers with charred white corn salad, chili, lime and fish sauce; and entrecôte skewers with charred Magi tomato cream, fire-roasted vegetables, tahini and fries.
Address: 60 David Ben-Gurion Road, Bat Yam Promenade
House of Delray
A new kosher restaurant has opened on the ground floor of an eight-room boutique hotel in Tel Aviv's Yemenite Quarter. The property also includes an event and party space and a charming hidden courtyard. The menu is closely connected to the nearby Carmel Market and the fresh produce available there.
The concept is Mediterranean market cuisine, with Carmel Market effectively serving as an enormous pantry stocked with almost every ingredient imaginable. Dishes include Greek yogurt with green chili, eggplant with miso and sour cream, and a whole fish designed to be pulled apart by hand. The restaurant's chef is Maayan Simcha, while chef Yuval Ben-Neria serves as culinary consultant.
Address: 8 Hillel Hazaken Street, Tel Aviv
Simo Grill
First, a clarification: This is not a new branch of Simo and Dovi in Givat Olga. It is a new kosher grill restaurant called simply Simo, occupying a vast space in the former home of the legendary Yotvata restaurant on Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade. The restaurant spans three floors and offers unobstructed sea views.
The menu features an assortment of opening salads, fresh laffa flatbreads from the taboon oven and skewers straight from the grill. Starters include eggplant with tahini (45 shekels), veal cigars (48 shekels), sweet potato steak (41 shekels) and whole-chickpea hummus (33 shekels). Meat options include kebabs (46 shekels), grilled chicken thighs (46 shekels), veal sweetbreads (110 shekels) and grilled steak cuts such as picanha, sirloin and entrecôte.
Address: 78 Herbert Samuel Street, Tel Aviv
Duda Ice Cream
A new ice cream shop has opened in a space previously occupied by a café, from the owners of Café Boka. Alongside familiar flavors such as chocolate and vanilla, the menu includes unusual creations such as chocolate chip cookie ice cream made with Café Boka's own cookies, black sesame, whisky ice cream made with 12-year-old Glenfiddich, chai masala, skordalia with crumble, sheep's milk yogurt and sour cream ice cream. There are also vegan coconut and strawberry options.
The ice cream is served in small metal cups, with a small portion priced at 22 shekels and a large one at 28 shekels. The menu also includes ice cream-based desserts such as affogato, coconut ice cream with fruit salad and Belgian waffles topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream (48 shekels).
Address: 40 Yehuda HaMaccabi Street, Tel Aviv
Moon Sushi Bar
Moon, the restaurant that first opened on Bograshov Street 23 years ago and has since grown into a successful chain, has launched its fourth location. The new Herzliya restaurant marks Moon's second incarnation in the city, this time in a larger venue with two floors, an expansive terrace and a DJ lounge designed to create a lively nightlife atmosphere.
The menu features Japanese yakitori skewers with meat, fish and vegetables, alongside dishes such as chicken wings (18 shekels), fish in Japanese butter (28 shekels), Gouda cheese wrapped in beef carpaccio and udon noodles with an Italian carbonara twist (64 shekels). There is also an extensive selection of sushi and sashimi, hand rolls, nigiri and specialty rolls. Until 6 p.m., the restaurant offers a business-lunch deal with a 15% discount on the regular menu.
Address: 9 Aryeh Shenkar Street, Herzliya
Moon Sushi Bar
(Photo: Anatoly Mikhaylov)
Café Lalush
A kosher Italian-style brasserie has opened on the Ashdod promenade, marking the ninth location of the Café Lalush chain in Israel. The menu offers breakfasts for two (159 shekels) and brunch overlooking the sea, alongside pizzas baked in a taboon oven.
Other dishes include shakshuka (71 shekels), French toast (69 shekels), salmon tartare (75 shekels), Caesar salad (75 shekels), salmon with vegetables (139 shekels) and pasta dishes such as sweet potato and chestnut ravioli (76 shekels). The owners also plan to open a beach club next to the café in the near future.
Address: Lido Beach, Ashdod Promenade
Happy hour at Café Lalush
(Photo: Studio Yotzer)
Pizza 194, Ness Ziona
Brothers Dor and Yuval Cohen, the owners of Terry Brasserie in Rehovot, have opened a new New York-style pizzeria in Ness Ziona. The slices here are enormous, priced at 24–27 shekels each, and every pizza emerging from the oven is topped with a generous mountain of freshly grated Parmesan.
The toppings are particularly inventive, including leek confit and lamb bacon, goose breast with brown butter and jam, asparagus pizza with spinach and white wine, and polenta pizza. For dessert, there is nostalgic American-style soft-serve ice cream with a variety of toppings, while a wine list rounds out the experience. This is less a place to grab a slice on the go and more somewhere to spend a leisurely hour at the bar with a glass of wine and some delicious carbohydrates.
Address: 1 Moshe Lerer Street, Ness Ziona
Baked
An unexpected new bakery has opened in a quiet, pleasant neighborhood in Mazkeret Batya. It belongs to pastry chef Dvora Weiss, who grew up in Normandy, France, lived in Australia and has brought to Israel the experience she gained working in various pastry shops over the years.
Through a large glass window, customers can watch the pastries being made, from kneading and piping to the intricate folding of dough. The selection includes classic breakfast pastries such as croissants and brioche (16–20 shekels), toasted sandwiches (18–42 shekels), tartlets and cakes.
Address: 2 Golda Meir Street, Mazkeret Batya
Vin Wine Bar
A new wine bar has opened in central Herzliya, offering wines from Israel and around the world alongside a food menu of small dishes designed to accompany a glass or bottle. The venue has quickly become popular with local diners and aims to deliver a high standard of hospitality and service.
The menu includes a small sirloin skewer with crispy potatoes (88 shekels), Caesar salad (52 shekels), a cheese platter (58 shekels), hamburgers, beef tartare bruschetta (58 shekels), tuna sashimi (68 shekels), cheese croquettes (52 shekels) and pasta dishes (64–68 shekels). The second floor includes a gallery space for private events.
Address: 22 Ben-Gurion Boulevard, Herzliya
Kai
A new Thai restaurant has opened in Zichron Yaakov, offering an intriguing combination of traditional Thai cooking techniques, culinary precision and a contemporary urban atmosphere. The kitchen is led by Thai chef Kai Arunsuk, who brings extensive traditional knowledge and expertise in Asian cuisine.
The menu includes laap pla, a sea fish tartare with toasted rice, cucumber, shallots, Thai chili and coconut-basil vinaigrette (68 shekels); pad krapao, made with entrecôte, chicken or tofu, Thai holy basil, vegetables, steamed rice and a fried egg (81 shekels); and panang curry, a red curry coconut milk stew with Thai pumpkin, zucchini, Thai chili and basil leaves, served with steamed rice (72 shekels).
Another option is pla koo, a grilled fresh fish fillet served over mushrooms and pak boong, or water spinach, with toasted cashews in oyster butter and chili oil, accompanied by steamed rice (136 shekels).
Address: Mul Zichron shopping complex, Zichron Yaakov
Dan Dan noodles at Kai
(Photo: Courtesy of Kai)
Sanilevich Wine Bar
Sanilevich, a new wine bar that also serves as the official tasting room of the family-owned Sanilevich Winery, has recently opened in Hod Hasharon. The winery itself is located in the nearby moshav of Neve Yarak. The venue brings together the family's agricultural and winemaking heritage with a menu created by chef Nitzan Raz, combining Mediterranean dishes with Asian influences.
To start, diners can choose a cheese platter with cherry tomato jam (68 shekels) or smoked fish with a soft-boiled egg (66 shekels). Starters include kingfish sashimi with yuzu ponzu and jalapeño (72 shekels), tuna tartare with crispy tacos, avocado, wasabi aioli and tobiko (74 shekels), and Swiss chard arancini with crème fraîche and lime (46 shekels).
Main courses include gnocchi in porcini sauce with chestnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano (78 shekels), white pizza with mixed cheeses, potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and truffles (62 shekels), miso salmon with aromatic greens (72 shekels) and sea bass in Provençal sauce with artichokes alla Romana, olives and tomatoes (78 shekels).
Address: 8 HaNagar Street, Neve Ne'eman complex, Hod Hasharon
Liver pâté at Passage
(Photo: Assaf Karla)
Passage
A new bistro from the team behind Raviva & Celia has opened in northern Tel Aviv. Passage occupies a circular public building dating back to the 1950s, surrounded by a green courtyard, and brings together food, wine, music and hospitality in an inviting setting.
The menu is based on French, Spanish and Italian classics with contemporary local interpretations. Rather than dividing dishes into starters and main courses, it offers snacks and plates in various sizes, allowing diners to build a meal according to their preferences.
The menu was developed by Shai Monteg, culinary director of Raviva & Celia. Among the offerings are ham and cheese (72 shekels), red brioche (54 shekels) and a Comté cheese pretzel (62 shekels).
Address: 71 Tzahal Street, Tel Aviv