Eat Well: Brasserie

This week, I revisited Brasserie and was reminded why this recurring favorite is always a mood lifter. Despite its location in the center of the city, just across from Rabin Square, the restaurant is faithful to its eponymous Parisian aesthetic, thus not only causing it to stand out, but also making a stop here feel like a mini vacation. Large mirrors, dark wood, french doors, lines of booths, and an ample bar create a stylishly subdued atmosphere for which the clientele is eager to dress up a bit. Upbeat music plays and excellent cocktails, from caipirinhas to martinis, help along the congenial atmosphere.

The menu, written in both Hebrew and French, is filled with classic dishes from the latter's cuisine: moules frites, roasted chicken, nicoise salad, and steak tartare all make an appearance, as do mouthwatering pomme frites (cleverly wrapped in a faux newspaper) and a decadent "American style" hamburger. Expect efficient service from waiters who are dressed the part and make sure you leave room for a rich dessert.

Image credited to Haaretz.com.

Imbibe Well: Hotel Montefiore

"The Best Two Hours in Town" is how Hotel Montefiore bills its happy hour, and it's not an overstatement. Where else can you get history (the building has been restored to its original 1920s glamour), elitism (this boutique hotel only contains twelve rooms, while its restaurant is known to be exclusive), an elegant aesthetic (the team behind Coffee Bar and Brasserie has brought their distinctly European look here as well) and ridiculously low-priced drinks (an entire menu under 30 NIS) all rolled into one?

If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't. Seven days a week, from 5-7 p.m, Hotel Montefiore shakes off its reputation for expensive taste and instead offers a list of excellently mixed cocktails, including Kir Royals, Mojitos, Lychee Martinis, and Vodka Sours, each for only 29 NIS, a price that would be low even for a corner cafe, much less an upscale institution. A single glass of red wine goes for 20 NIS, white for 18 NIS, and it gets better: no matter if you order one round or two, you'll receive complimentary potato chips and miniature sandwiches. All in all, the waitstaff is attentive, the clientele well-dressed, the mood serene, and the presentation immaculate, making the atmosphere perfect for an afternoon apertif.

Impressive style and delicious substance, for once without the hefty price tag attached. As deals like this are rare, and space is limited at both the bar and tables, it is recommended to call ahead for reservations.

36 Montefiore Street
+972 3 564 6100
www.hotelmontefiore.co.il

Image credited to the Hotel Montefiore website.

Eat Well: Charcuterie

Now is the time to enjoy the outdoors in Israel. The unbearable summer heat has yet to hit, but the weather is perfectly warm enough to enjoy an evening meal outside without needing to jostle for space next to an electrical heater.

Yaffo immediately comes to mind in such weather, because of its concentration of dining and nightlife options that are tucked away in HaShouk HaPishpishin. The streets of the old flea market which, during the day can be somewhat of a tourist trap, come alive with a diverse crowd at night, several hours after vendors' stalls have been closed.

One of the largest and, perhaps, best-dressed crowds can be found in front of Charcuterie, a restaurant that spills out of its tiny closet-like space to take over nearly an entire block with tables and a makeshift outside bar. The menu is decidedly simple, with several typical appetizers, pastas, salads and, of course, the tasty platters of charcuterie meat for which the place is named.

The music is loud and the drinking is heavy. Well-heeled Tel Avivians converse animatedly and the entire scene eventually assumes the look of a lively street party. Charcuterie's new extension, a similarly styled bar with a small selection of the restaurant's meats and appetizers, occupies a corner spot just a few doors down, thus increasing the block's traffic.

Reservations are essential, unless you're a small group happy to angle for a position at the outside bar, whose seats are kept open on a first-come-first-served basis. The whole menu can still be ordered here, making it a perfect option for those hopping back and forth along the flea market's alleys, shifting through the different scenes at Yaffo's plethora of new outdoor dining options.

3 Rabbi Hanina St.
Yaffo Flea Market
+972 03 682 8843

Sip Well: Arcaffe

There's no arguing the fact that, although this is a city filled with lively cafes, you should still be able to drink a great cup of coffee without ever having to leave your apartment. The instant brands that people are so fond of here just don't do it for me: their taste strikes me as a bit tinny, and the caffeine never seems to hit me in quite the right way. Filter coffee is just as easy to make, especially when you're using a standard, uncomplicated french press, and the key is only to find your perfect blend of beans.

While Tazzo d'Oro may serve up my favorite coffee in the city, it's a bit of a trek for days when we need a filter refill. Enter Arcaffe, another Italian coffee transplant, which has grown into one of Israel's largest coffee chains. A popular cafe in its own right (serving decadent pastries, juices, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc.), Arcaffe also sells excellent ground coffee beans for take-away. My personal favorite is their flavorful Roma blend, which works well for espresso, Turkish coffee, or filter, and is ideal for those who prefer a stronger taste. Also offered are Cafe Creme, Mocha Creme, Toscana, and the decaf Pianissimo, each of which is recommended for a particular preparation method or two. As the beans are ground upon your order, it's possible to purchase as much or as little as you like. Pick up a 250 gram bag (or more) and ask them to slice one of their fresh loafs of bread (they are excellent and less expensive than bread found in the grocery store). This is my weekly take-away ritual and, thus far, it has served me well on many a morning.


Tel Aviv Locations:
Dizengoff Center
Rehov Basel
Rehov HaArba'a
Sderot Rothschild

www.arcaffe.co.il

Images credited to the Arcaffe website.

Eat Well: Cafe Sonia

Just a few posts ago, I was writing about scouring the shouk for knee-high socks to wear in the rain. Now that we've spent the last week enduring a heatwave, however, I'm turning my attention to one of my favorite "sunny day" spots, Cafe Sonia Getzel Shapira.

Cafe Sonia inhabits a hidden courtyard on a tiny, dead-end alley off of King George, and its calm atmosphere couldn't be further form the hustle and bustle of the nearby shouk. Leafy trees, a humming fountain, and pebble-covered ground all add to the relaxed, organic aura of the restaurant, which is decorated with brightly colored mosaic tables and a rainbow array of chairs.

A green glass bottle, full of icy water, is quickly brought to the table, along with menus covered in childlike drawings, its sections whimsically titled: Toasty Fairytales, Pamper Yourself Breakfasts. The back page lays out an intriguing story about how the cafe, and the street it's on, got their shared name.

The menu especially distinguishes itself in its wide selection of shakshuka, Sonia's version of which I consider to be far and away the best I've found in Tel Aviv. A traditional option is available: egg, tomato, and onion cooked with spices and served in a hot frying pan. More elaborate variations include goat cheese, mozarella and mushrooms, red meat, and a delicious creamy spinach version that is furthest from the norm. Served with a small side salad and a delicious, addictive loaf of homemade, Moroccan-style bread (cooked over stones and sprinkled with sea salt), this is an Israeli staple not to be missed.


At night, the scene at Sonia turns towards the romantic, with candles and hanging lanterns illuminating the area. But stay away on cold and rainy ones: the courtyard remains uncovered throughout the Winter and there are no heat lamps to speak of. Only about three small tables sit in-doors.

Cafe Sonia Getzel Shapira
Sunday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight
1 Simta Almonit
+972 57 944 2801
www.soniagetzelshapira.rest-e.co.il

Shakshuka image credited to the Cafe Sonia website.

Sip Well: Caffe Tazzo d'Oro

Since my personal vision of heaven is a place where you can arrive for your caffeine fix in the morning and then stay long enough to drink a glass of dry white wine with your late lunch, Caffe Tazzo d'Oro has become a staple in my cafe rounds. The tiled floors, the wicker chairs, the cheerily sunny light yellow walls, the plethora of electrical outlets...everything here is pleasant, comfortable, easy.

Try one of their incredible breakfasts. Or indulge in a business lunch. I like to start with the eggplant and goat cheese before moving onto their chopped cucumber, tomato, and sliced schnitzel salad with lemony tehina dressing. Ask for extra focaccia bread - it's like nothing else I've found in this city. And, being a cupcake lover in a rather cupcake-less land here, I often top off my meals with one of their little white-chocolate praline balls, which are almost too-sweet to handle, but taste just like a little glob of frosting.

And about that namesake coffee. When my boyfriend and I were in Rome last Fall, we stalked a Tazza d'Oro coffee shop near the Pantheon, literally walking day after day in the opposite direction of our intended destination just to get a ahold of one, two, three tiny cups of espresso and then a capuccino for the road. It's just that good.

Bonus: The cafe hosts live jazz on Friday afternoons around 2:30. Come early. It fills up fast.

Tazzo d'Oro
6 Ahad Ha'am
Neve Tzedek

Eat Well: Joz ve Loz

There was never any question of how to start this blog...Joz ve Loz was the very first restaurant I dined at in Tel Aviv and nowhere else in the city has since trumped it.

There's something magical about this place. The tucked-away, nondescript, signless entrance. The colored lights hanging above the patio and the love poems written on every menu. The mismatched furniture. The rumored story of the place being started by a lesbian couple who have now broken off (I can't verify this one, but the place does bleed romance). The feeling of being snuggled between the highrises in a secret garden. The hum of the air conditioning system. The bikes and broken pots in the corner.

The selection changes daily, based on whatever fresh ingredients the restaurant picked up at the market that day. What never changes, however, is the fanciful, distinctly Mediterranean kick that is applied to these crisp market findings. Unexpected mixes of flavors and textures is what characterizeds almost all of the dishes.

On a recent night, there was an Asian salad with lychees, nuts, greens, and herbs. Grilled octopus on slices of toasted bread. Delicate ceviche drizzled in olive oil, with crunchy nuggets of salt, pomegranate seeds, and basil slivers. Lamb chops atop a burghul and tomato salad. Homemade pasta and gnocchi with asparagus, celery, spices and parmesan. A large, yet simple, entrecote with roasted potatoes. Small white fish encrusted with herbs, to be dipped in yogurt. Lamb roasted in the oven for six hours, served with tehina and lentils.

I usually like to drown my meals here with their house wine, a South African red. But they do have a full bar and bottled beer. One beer is served on tap: Tibe, from the Palestinian village of the same name. It's light in color, somewhat sweet in flavor. A nice option.

Dessert here is simple. Perhaps malabe, or flourless chocolate cake. Make sure to get some of their strong Arabic coffee or at least black tea with mint to gird yourself for the rest of the evening's festivities...

One caveat: The menu here is only in Hebrew, so if you can't read, you will have to smile a lot and thank your waiter for taking the time to translate. It is not an easy task to find the English words for many of their more obscure ingredients and cooking techniques.

51 Yehuda Halevi
+972 3 560 6385