Israel

After weeks in Paris we flew over to sunny Tel Aviv. I have a special love for this country where the wonderful cuisine does not cease to amaze me. The abundance of spices, herbs and fresh vegetables can be seen everywhere. There is a new breed of restaurants that have sophisticated the farm to table Israeli approach with new and inventive dishes. I would say that Tel Aviv is now the Portland, Oregon of the Middle East. My Favorites on this last trip were:

Pastel: a very chic eatery next to the Tel Aviv Museum.

My all-time favorite is Café Noir which is very close to the new boutique hotel The Norman. A perfect place to stay…

Our Israeli friends also took us to a small neighborhood restaurant called Shine which is a must if you want to immerse in the local life style

The famous falafel of Hakosen draws a crowd every day. The line goes fast and it is worth the wait. I also loved the shwarma, it was lean and tasty.

Still very good for many years is Herbert Samuel with views of the ocean and a fantastic tomato salad!

If you want to eat fresh seafood looking out at the waves head to Mantaray perfectly situated on the sands of the Tel Aviv beach. The fresh fish came grilled to perfection but the star of the lunch were the many small plates which are called mezze. Each one was better than the other.