Honestly, I didn’t expect the food in Israel to be so good and fresh! Here are my 3 favorite restaurants in Israel! When we arrived, we drove to Caesarea and after seeing this fascinating Roman historical site, we were hungry. Aren’t I always hungry?
We sat down and had the most delicious fresh seafood, langoustine, branzino, and grilled calamari at Helena, a restaurant right on the water.
Grilled Lanoustine
Warm Flatbread
Grilled calamari with Hummus
Grilled Branzino with Yogurt Sauce
It was all simply prepared but full of flavors…..just the way I like it, and we devoured the warm bread fresh out of the oven. Then we found some very good gelato!
I was thinking that if the food was this good on our entire trip, then this foodie would be ecstatic.
I have to tell you about the breakfasts in Israel. They are unlike any breakfasts I have had in any country I have ever visited. Every morning we were greeted by a huge buffet overflowing with fresh vegetables, gorgeous greens, cheeses of all kinds, yogurts and labne, fruits (dried & fresh), nuts, eggs of all kinds including omelets and shakshuka, spreads like hummus and baba ganoush, myriads of olives, freshly baked breads, pastries and the sweetest fresh orange and grapefruit juice I have ever tasted!
It was difficult not to overindulge!
A few of our favorite restaurants were:
Mona in Jerusalem. This lively place is bustling with young chef energy and enthusiasm. The food was excellent and very beautifully presented, as you can see.
Red Tuna Sashimi, Chili Oil, Labane, Oregano
Soft Polenta, mushroom ragout, asparagus, Parmigiana Reggiano
I loved my buttered chicken with a rich potato gratin and and the chocolate mousse with cardamom ice cream was perfect.
Chocolate Mousse with Cardomom Ice Cream
Chef Itamar Navon
Although I would not necessarily recommend the rooms at this hotel, the food was outstanding at Herods Dead Sea Spa. The dinner buffet and the breakfast buffets we’re crazy with dishes too numerous to mention but I guarantee that no one came away hungry!
Our favorite meal was in Tel Aviv at North Abraxas. From appetizers to entrees, everything was served on butcher paper. This was simple food but at it’s freshest. Sweet potatoes in their skins, whole cauliflower, whole grilled fish, and chocolate mousse for dessert.
Our servers were young beautiful girls, the music was loud and fun and we all ended up dancing with the chefs in the kitchen after we devoured our dessert.
