While everyone is always extremely excited to try local food during a trip abroad, after some time, we all get to the point where we want to have some more familiar and comforting food, that will remind us of home, or at least provide more diversity for the culinary aspect of the trip. As by far the city with the best international culinary scene in Israel, Tel Aviv is without a doubt the ultimate place to try out some fine-dining restaurants, offering some of the best food you will find in the whole world. Here is our guide for the best Tel Aviv international restaurants, that will give you an epic experience to remember for a long.
Italian Tel Aviv restaurants
Ernesto 90
Since 1997, Ernesto 90 Restaurant has been a tremendously successful restaurant on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv. This is a dining establishment full of superlatives and one where you can always find an Italian meal par excellence, without shortcuts and not at an exorbitant price.
You will find a variety of amazing Italian food here, including Caprese salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, olive oil, and basil; artichoke a la Romana with steamed mint leaves; Focaccia Melanzana with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil; lasagna ragu with mozzarella and parmesan; Ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach; and Milanese veal schnitzel.
Kuchina Hess 4
The Italian restaurant of Kuchina Hess is one of the most magical places in Tel Aviv. A tiny place that serves great professional food, and a lot of love and admiration for Italian cuisine, which is one of the most popular cuisines in Tel Aviv. On the menu, you will find here a classic lasagna; veal cheek in red wine; pistachio and artichoke pasta; Budino di Parmigiano; and chocolate mousse with Amarena cherries.
Chiccheti
This great Italian food bar is one of the hottest places in the center of Tel Aviv at any given moment. Whether for a pre-sunset drink alongside a good snack (what Italians like to call an aperitivo) or for a full and excellent dinner, which can be eaten in a sexy and fun atmosphere. The menu here includes many dishes that go well with alcohol, served in medium size so they will be easily shared: excellent polenta, arancini, a tasting plate with varying cheeses and sausages, burrata on spinach, artichokes and pine nuts, and more.
Tel Aviv best Asian restaurants
Taizu
Time after time, year after year, the favorite Asian restaurant of Taizu finds itself in all lists of the best restaurants in Israel, and usually in the first place. The menu here is constantly being upgraded and includes, for example, red tuna sashimi with lemon grass; Chinese greens and oysters in mushroom sauce; dumplings with veal cheek and meat soup; A bowl of red tuna and pickled lemon; and Massaman curry.
Nam
Nam is one of the busiest Asian restaurants in Tel Aviv. The restaurant, located right next to Dizengoff center, is decorated in a Thai style and is always full of diners, and the menu includes all the hits of the popular Thai cuisine, such as Massaman curry with chicken, beef, or seafood; Pad Kra Pao with chopped chicken in oyster sauce and kra pao leaves with Thai beans; Popiah – egg roll filled with chopped chicken and shiitake mushrooms; And grilled fish in red curry sauce with coconut milk.
Thai House
It is impossible to make a list of recommended restaurants in Tel Aviv or Israel without including the Thai House, the epic authentic restaurant that has developed its own standard for one of the most favorite cuisines among Israelis. Everyone has a different dish here that they are addicted to, from the excellent papaya salad and the curry dishes to the great Pad Thai. One of the places that is a sure bet for a good meal, no matter when.
Onami
Onami, located next to Sarona, is one of the oldest sushi restaurants in Tel Aviv and to some extent responsible for much of what we see in the field of Asian restaurants today in the city, which ranks third in the world in the number of sushi places per capita after Tokyo and New York.
Even after many incarnations and many years of activity, Onami has managed to stay 100% true to its Japanese tradition, and the menu is full of great options such as mullet sashimi in hot sesame oil and yuzu with soy and ginger; chicken skewers with green onions; Agedashi tofu which is one of the best served in Israel; Sake mix roll with chopped raw salmon, green onion, and chili oil; Or tempura asparagus, avocado, pickled radish, green onion, sesame, grilled almonds, and teriyaki.
Unique Theme Restaurants in Tel Aviv
Gluteria
Gluteria is one of the few restaurants in Israel that offers an entirely gluten-free kitchen. Chef Eran Zino makes great efforts here to produce intelligent and meticulous food based on healthy flour, and there are a variety of options here for those who avoid gluten for any reason, but also for those who do not avoid dessert and just want to eat a good meal. On the menu you will find schnitzel and mashed potatoes; pizza with artichoke and mozzarella; endive and pear salad in wine; and toffee fudge with sea salt and hazelnuts.
HIBA
A luxury restaurant that is one of the few restaurants in Israel that only serves a tasting meal, so you come here for a long and complete evening that includes a wide selection of dishes. The menu in HIBA changes every few months so there is no way to know exactly what you are going to eat, but there is an option to let the chef know about any sensitivity or dislike for a certain food you have so that the meal will be tailored to you specifically. Among the dishes here, you will find nigiri on bulgur in Cuban style with smoked olive oil; chicken tacos and tahini; And fish and avocado tartare in lemon vinaigrette.
85/15
Chef Eli Stein’s fun food bar is exactly the kind of place that is a perfect combination between food and a young, vibrant atmosphere. This is a lively place located near Rabin Square, which looks like any standard bar from the outside but offers tremendously meticulous and creative food options.
The food at 85/15 goes well with alcohol and includes, among other things, classics such as egg salad or roasted potato on skordalia and sheitel tartare with baguette, alongside more creative options such as pierogi filled with cabbage and carrots or slider rolls filled with spicy fish kebab.
Tel Aviv’s best Kosher restaurants
Darya
This popular Kosher restaurant is chosen time and time again as the best Kosher restaurant in Israel. The restaurant manages to slip elegantly over the limitations of kosher food, and offer an excellent quality menu. In Darya, located right next to the famous Hilton Beach, you will find dishes such as lamb kebab in pita bread; Beef fillet skewer with sals, kale, and Jerusalem artichoke; And marinated beef tongue with zaatar aioli, sumac onion, and herbs.
West Side
A great kosher chef restaurant located at the Royal Beach Hotel right on the Tel Aviv Beach is one of the favorites of the kosher-keeping visitors in Tel Aviv. This is an elegant meat restaurant that offers meat and fish dishes and includes options such as beef carpaccio with balsamic and garlic confit; Cigar filled with fish with pickled lemon; And sirloin with Jerusalem artichoke and almond cream.
Other great Tel Aviv restaurants
Tschernihovsky 6 – Portugese
The humble bistro on Tchernihovski Street 6 is serving Portuguese food and wines for years, offering options such as octopus salad with white wine vinegar; Dumplings stuffed with shrimp and Béchamel with peri peri cream; beef croquettes on tomato salsa; and Portuguese-style beef stew in red wine with chickpeas and crispy potatoes.
Olympus – Balkan
Olympus restaurant is an immortal Balkan classic, which is one of the finest dining establishments that have been operating in Tel Aviv for decades. The great food served here, modestly, meticulously, and with long-standing love includes dishes such as zucchini stuffed with rice and raisins; Prasa meatballs; stuffed grape leaves; Kebab Olympus; and a dessert of Bavarian cream.
Ewa Safi – Moroccan
A kosher Moroccan restaurant that is known for its food as much as for its lively atmosphere. The menu at Ewa Safi includes everything that lovers of Moroccan cuisine can ask for and everything that those who don’t really know this cuisine must taste. On the menu, you will find, among other things, Moroccan fish with red paprika, garlic, and coriander; Pastels filled with fish and herbs; Fish patties with a sweet bun; and vegetarian couscous with root vegetables or meat with veal cheek.
