Sunset at Tel Aviv – Fitzroy

Often, we are been asked for recommendation on a good restaurant in Tel Aviv by our acquaintances, looking for a good place to celebrate personal events. Often, we recommend about one of our favorite places – Kalamata. When we heard that the owners have opened a new place in front of Tel Aviv’s boardwalk we knew this is a place we must try.

The location is a bit confusing. It is so good you can easily fall in to the “over-priced-tourist-spot-next-to-the-beach” cliché. After all, this location have introduced some tourist restaurants in the past. Gladly, we have found another great place that does not compromise on quality nor originality.

Sunset in Tel Aviv

With no “special occasion” we have decided to be spontaneous and check the sunset from Fitzroy’s balcony. We have decided to escort this sunset with their special cocktails – Shahar took “Flor de Sangrìa” Peach, Pineapple, Pear, Jasmine, Hazel nuts and Sparkling White Wine. I took “English Garden Cup” which is Celery infused Gin, Orange Liqueur, Rosata Vermouth, Citrus, Tarragon and Spicy Ginger ale. Both of them were very special cocktails you will not find easily in another place.

Black Gnocchi and Calamari

We have started with one of the specials – Black Gnocchi and Calamari. Needless to say that the Gnocchi melted in our mouth and the calamari were perfectly cooked on the grill. What we should actually mention is the amazing sauce that the Gnocchi and Calamri were “sitting” on. It was some kind of Crab Bisque, I would even say one of the best that we have ever tasted. I have considered to change the main course to a fish one just because I suspected that it will be there too. The waitress cancelled my thoughts when she said she is not sure it will be the same Bisque.

Raw Fish Slice

Our “Originality Award” in this meals goes to our second starter of Raw Fish Slice that was simply described as “Crispy pastry, Drum fish, Tomatoes, Red peppers, Parmesan, Olives, Basil”. Nothing could prepare us to the way it was severed – scale model of pizza in a delivery box with Tabasco. But instead of pizza we got a crispy pastry topped with fish covered with “pizza-like” topping. Except for its look and feel it was also tasty, though quite small (coming from the “Bar Snacks” menu).

Sirloin and Fillet of Lamb

We have shared a main course of Sirloin and Fillet of Lamb – Bourbon lamb stock, Potatoes and Spinach crème. The dish was very geometric as the meat and the potatoes were cut very accurately. The sauce once again was a winner and Shahar even said that it was probably one of the best lamb dishes he ate since “Jaffa Tel-Aviv”.

Porcini Brule

For desert we chose something that can easy sound as another main dish – Porcini Brule – a regular Brule topped with chestnut cream (that was there to replace the burned sugar layer). Served with Porcini ice cream and passion fruit twill that was there to replace the regular crispiness of a Brule.

This was definitely one of the most creative meals that we have ate lately. Nevertheless it did not impact the level of flavors or quality.  This definitely goes in to our “recommended list”.

The check please (2 people)

Pepsi – 12NIS
Soda water – 11NIS
Flor de Sangrìa – 40 NIS
English Garden Cup – 42NIS
Raw Fish Slice – 28NIS
Black Gnocchi and Calamari – 39NIS
Sirloin and Fillet of Lamb – 132NIS
Porcini Brule – 38NIS

All in all 342 NIS

Summary:

Food: Mediterranean
Price: Very expensive
Location: Tel Aviv Boardwalk

The Cizer Kobrinsky scale: 

4.5 Forks

Contact details: Fitzroy
136 Hayarkon st. Tel Aviv | +972-3-520-6100

An Eye of a Tiger – Tiger Lilly

Authentic Thai. The immediate reaction of such a statement is of contempt. Real authentic Asian flavors are really rare to find west of the South Pacific. In most cases, you would find an adoption of local flavors that remind, in one way or another, the original one. In the past we have written about the only true Thai restaurant in town, Thai House. Now, along with the renaissance of the Asian cuisine that flooded the streets lately (Taizu, Popina, Vong, Ang Sue and others), Tiger Lilly aims to rise as a fierce competitor in this field.

Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)

Yum Kong (Thai Shrimp Salad with Mint Leaves and Onions)

As other Thai restaurants around town are really just a mix of noodles and rice dishes, you would be pleasantly surprised immediately as you glance at the menu. Classic Thai salads are really the favorites here. The classic Som Tam (Spicy Green Papaya Salad) is superb (Though Thai House’s is better), the Yum Kong (Thai Shrimp Salad with Mint Leaves and Onions) is spot on with flavors, the Larb Gai (Chopped Chicken Salad with Mint Leaves, Cilantro and Chili) will make you demand some sticky rice to soak what is left of the amazing sauce, but the salad which was our favorite is definitely the spicy Nam Tok Salad. The thin slices of beef along with the spicy Chili and Mint leaves were nothing but perfect.

Beef Massaman Curry

Pad See Ew (Rice Noodles with Chicken, Broccoli and Bok Choy)

After the starters that brought us back to the hot and humid Islands of Thailand, the main dishes mission was a hard one. Even though, they made it as well. Though the salads were the real highlight, the main courses still provided quite good Thai experience. Beef Massaman Curry dish had very good tastes but was a little undersized in our opinion. Pad See Ew (Rice Noodles with Chicken, Broccoli and Bok Choy) was again, very good.

Tapioca

The dessert reminded us our weakness for Tapioca, which along with the Tel Aviv heat, is probably the most refreshing dessert you can find (don’t miss it here). The Banana Loti was just OK, maybe it was the condensed milk that was just missing a little bit to resemble the street Loti. Maybe it was just its high price.

Banana Loti

The check please (4 people)
Som Tam – 32 NIS
Yum Kong – 39 NIS
Larb Gai – 32 NIS
Nam Tok – 43 NIS
Massaman Curry – 64 NIS
Pad See Ew – 58 NIS
Tapioca – 31 NIS
Banana Loti – 35 NIS

All in all – 334 NIS

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale:

4 Forks

Forks

Contact Details: Tiget Lilly
32 Habarzel St, Ramat HaChayal,  Tel Aviv | 1700707097 | Sun – Sat 12:00 – 00:00 | http://tigerlily.co.il/index.htm

Friday Night in Jerusalem – Muna

Recently we have celebrated our second anniversary. We have decided to celebrate it a short weekend at Emek HaElah (Valley of Elah) including sleep in Ein Kerem at Montana Boutique hotel.

When we go on vacation we love to plan it in advanced, searching the internet for the best hotel, the most successful restaurants and exciting places to visit. When we have planned this short trip we knew that eating in this area on Friday night will be challenging as most of the places in Jerusalem are closed due to kosher limitations. We booked in advanced a table for two for the hottest spot (and almost the only place open) in town – Muna.

Muna is a well-known institute in Jerusalem that lately was handover to a new ownership by the people of Machneyuda. While the Machneyuda restaurant have the market vibe, Muna is the older respectful sister among the two. We were offered seven portion tasting meal that was served one by one with long breaks. A dinner in the full sense of the word.

And now for the excuses section in this post – it have been a while since we ate there and not all the courses that were served appear on the menu. The chef is creating the dinner for you according to what you love or hate, so we decided to show you all the portion without too much explanation about each and every dish. We will just say that we have enjoyed every portion, some we liked more and some less but overall all of them were tasty and original for us.

The Check please – 630NIS

Summary

Food: Chef Restaurant
Price: Very expensive
Location:  Jerusalem

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale

4 Forks

Contact Details:

Shmuel Hanagid 12, Jerusalem | +972-2-6222283 | http://monarest.co.il/mona/en/

A True Stark – Aria

A while ago I was looking for a nice restaurant for some quality time with my husband, after I didn’t see him for a week while I was in Romania.  The decision was made to Aria, a new restaurant that has been on our “to-do” list for a while. Aria is located in a beautiful reconstructed building that contains 2 floors. The first floor serves as a cocktail bar and the second floor is a classic European restaurant of the promising chef Guy Gamzo. As expected, we choose the restaurant.

Aria Gin and Tonic

Since they have a cocktail bar on the floor below, I decided to start with “Aria Gin and Tonic” that contained (in addition to the basics) cucumber, spring onion, coriander dill & orange that made this cocktail very special and refreshing.

Coquilles St. Jacques

We decided to share three starts and one main dish. For starters we took Coquilles St. Jacques, Porcini mushrooms & Tortellini Raghu. The Coquilles St. Jacques were served in white almond cream and lobster foam that was amazing and we both really liked it. The flavors were fantastic and we had to fight for the leftovers.

Eggs & mushrooms

The porcini mushrooms was actually a dish of two minute egg on wild porcini mushrooms & smoked duck. Although I have weakness for soft eggs, this dish did not meet our expectations. It was served in a very special plate but the plate was not made to contain the yolk liquid that spilled over the plate’s socket.

Tortellini Raghu

The Tortellini Raghu contained generous amount of meat and had the feeling of a beef that was cooked on a low heat for quite a while. The sauce was also quite good and we wiped it with the complimentary bread we were served.

Duck breast

For the main dish we shared the blush duck breast in its broth along with strawberry coulis. Usually we don’t have a lot of opportunities to eat duck. This was a fantastic opportunity as the dish was absolutely amazing. The duck breast was cooked to the right measure and it was pink and soft.  The puree that was served with it was smooth and suited the dish perfectly. A true hit.

Lemon tart

For dessert we took the open Lemon Tart and Italian meringue with a zest of raspberry jelly. That was only a nice dessert, nothing more. But it did sign a very good meal of European flavors. We would definitely come back.

Summary

Food: Cocktail Bar & Bistro
Price: Expensive
Location: Nachlat Binyamin

The check please (2 people)
Aria Gin and Tonic – 47NIS
Coquilles St. Jacques – 65NIS
Eggs & mushrooms – 48NIS
Tortellini Raghu – 65NIS
Duck breast – 98NIS
Lemon tart – 42NIS
Sparkling water – 11NIS
2 X Espresso – 20NIS
San Miguel – 25NIS

All in all – 421 NIS

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale:

4.5 Forks

Contact Details: Aria
Address:  66 Nachlat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv | 03-5296054 | http://ariatlv.co.il/

Best of the Best? Mul Yam

When it comes to true fine dining, Tel Aviv doesn’t offer many options. It might be the endless summer dictating the dress code in the city, or it might be that the Israeli cuisine is simply less formal than the European one. Nonetheless, Tel Aviv still possesses one of the most famous seafood fine-dine restaurant in the world – Mul Yam. Mentioned in Les Grandes Tables Du Monde, Mul Yam is arguably the best restaurant in Israel, presenting fish and seafood from all around the world. Matching the price to its products, you will be best to do as we did, and try to go for its Business lunch, available on weekends too.

Arriving a little early for lunch, at about 12:00, we were the first table for the day, and the place looked a bit like a museum, where the white table cloths and the silverware were all still in their exact spot. Even though, and despite the fact the outside windows makes it feel a bit like an aquarium, we were treated very nice by the waitress and haven’t got the feeling of strangers eating in an exclusive Oligarch place.

Looking at the business lunch menu, it seems a 170 NIS is indeed a fair price to pay for such products (at least once in a special occasion). Half a dozen Normandy Oysters, Coquille St. Jacques, Blue Crab and Canadian Lobster will make any seafood enthusiast to drool even before the food comes in. But it did have lot to prove making us say it is the best restaurant in the land of milk and honey.

The bread

After very good bread as an appetizer, we received two starters: Salmon Sashimi, Japanese Style, of a premium Norwegian Salmon, and Scallop Cassoulet, with lentils and smoked Eggplant sauce. The Salmon was amazing and quite different than the “simple” Sashimi Salmon you would normally get anywhere. The minimalism of the Japanese escorts (Ginger, Wassabi and Soy sauce) were a good idea to keep focus on the brilliant salmon. On the other hand, the Scallop dish rather lacked minimalism. Though the Scallops were seared perfectly, the lentils weren’t that good and the sauce simply took over, which was a shame as the scallop taste got lost there.

Salmon Sashimi

Scallop Cassoulet

Off to the main dishes, we took seafood again: Grilled Langoustine with Lobster sauce and root vegetables, and “Popeye’s” Shrimp, with Turkish spinach, Feta cheese and poached egg. The Langoustine was simply amazing, filled with a lot meat, and juicy from the fabulous sauce – couldn’t get any better. The Shrimp dish was very unique, but it suites a real spinach lover, as it controlled the dish. But again, the Shrimp itself was excellent.

“Popeye’s” Shrimp

Grilled Langoustine

On the dessert section, though we knew there are better ones, we couldn’t help taking the famous “Faberge Egg”, which is basically sugar-made egg, filled with Chestnut ice cream, vanilla cream and caramelized almonds. Though it looks like a real museum piece, you really better off choosing another dessert other than this dull one.

Faberge Egg

Wow, how can you summarize such a meal in the one of the most famous places in Tel Aviv? Yes, when you expect the best of the best, you might get a little disappointed, we can’t say we loved every piece in that lunch. Even though, comparing to other restaurants around, it definitely presents a very unique set of products, which you probably know only from the best restaurants around the world. All in all, for 170 NIS for a business lunch it is well worth the experience.

Us

The Check Please (2 people)

Business Lunch X2 – 340 NIS
Fabrege Egg – 70 NIS
Soda Water – 12 NIS
Orange Juice – 13 NIS

All in all: 435 NIS

Summary:

Food: Seafood Chef Restaurant
Price: Very Expensive
Location: Tel Aviv Port

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

4.5 Forks

Contact Details: Mul Yam
Address:  Hanger #23, Tel Aviv Port, Tel Aviv | Phone: 035469920
Opening Hours: Daily 12:30-15:30, 19:30-22:30
http://www.mulyam.com/indexEn.html

Spring is coming – Popina

Popina

The spring of 2013 is probably one of the more exciting times to be a restaurant lover in Tel-Aviv. Restaurants are opening up in such a rate even we cannot follow. One after the other, like mushrooms after the rain, promising restaurants such as Hannoi, Taizu, Tiger Lili open up and give us the great opportunities eating some fabulous food. It is definitely the Asian cuisine that having its renaissance around town. Popina, on the other hand, a brand new Chef restaurant, is trying to give a different, unique experience. Oh and it does.

The setting, inside a beautiful classic old building, is combining well with early 20’s century village-like Neve Tzedek atmosphere with its exposed stone walls and interesting wine cellar. Nevertheless, its setting is probably the only “classic” or “old” around. Popina is a modern chef restaurant, focusing on innovative kitchen full of techniques and presentations. And it seems like they really know what they’re doing.

Shrimp “Burger”

Starters were somewhat Asian, and probably some of the best we ever had. A Shrimp Burger which came inside steamed bun with aioli sauce was a delicate, perfect dish, and was the star of the dinner. Goose spring rolls in steamed rice rolls and demi glaze weren’t any worse actually and kept a cohesive line of fabulous delicacy. Two other starters of Grilled Calamari with Root vegetables as well as Gin and Tonic Tartar made us feel we are having a really unique and original dinner.

Goose Spring Rolls

Grilled Calamari

The two main courses that came after were really exceptional. Braised Veal Check, a dish rarely seen in chef restaurants, was extremely tender and full of deep tastes, while Sea Drum and Scallop Cannelloni did not disappoint at all.

Braised Veal Cheek

Sea Drum

As it seemed the chef sat right by us on the bar, he noticed we are taking pictures. After asking us what we thought about the food, he did promise a surprising dessert. He actually added two desserts for the two we already ordered, and they were all really wonderful. Strawberries soup with tapioca, tiny lemon tarts, steamed mascarpone cake with berry foam and white chocolate with truffle (!) mushrooms ice cream were all amazing, no other word.

Strawberries soup with tapioca

White Chocolate & Truffles Ice Cream

So yes, we did get two free desserts and no, none of these praises are because of that. Popina is a truly unique place, an oasis of original food at a chef level. Yes, it is expensive for the size of the dishes, but sometimes it is just worth it.

Popina

The Check Please (4 people)

Gin & Tonic Tartar – 64 NIS
Grilled Calamari – 56 NIS
Shrimp Burger – 48 NIS
Goose Spring Rolls – 58 NIS
Braised Veal Cheek – 98 NIS
Sea Drum and Scallop Cannelloni – 115 NIS
Alaska – 44 NIS
Lemon Tart – 42 NIS
White Chocolate & Truffles – 0
Steamed Mascarpone Cake – 0
Coke – 12 NIS
Soda Water – 12 NIS
Tonic – 12 NIS
Water – 12 NIS
Coke X2 – 24 NIS

All in all: 585 NIS

Summary:

Food: Chef Restaurant
Price: Expensive
Location: Neve Tzedek

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

5 Forks

Contact Details: Popina

Address:  3 Achad Ha’am, Tel Aviv | Phone: 035757477
Opening Hours: Daily 18:00-01:00
http://www.rol.co.il/images/sites/popina/menu/english.html

Scallops and Calamari on a Plancha

This lunch was inspired by Tiv Taam (Ramat HaHayal) seafood counter. We know we wanted some calamari for our lunch but when we saw the scallop on the display we could not resist the temptation.

We have decided to sear the calamari on the plancha and serve it on top of toasted bread, yogurt and spicy tomato salad.

We cut the bread to thick slices and toasted them on a Stripes Pan which is also kind of a plancha.

Bread

The calamari was  seared on the plancha. We seared it in a few rounds of small portions in order to keep the pan hot all the time.

We bought only 4 Scallops and we fried them with a bit of olive oil, coarse sea salt and pepper on a hot pan.

Scallops

When arranging our plates we spreaded the yogurt over the toast bread and placed above a small portion of the tomato salad and calamari. Next to it we served two scallops each with few drops of lemon.

The plate

And the final result:

Lunch

The Disappointed Tourist – Herbert Samuel

Tel Aviv from the City Lookout Point of Azrieli

This year, birthday came early. As Inbar headed off to Spain for a business trip (wait for the post…) she decided to celebrate my birthday by doing a touristic tour in the wonderful city of Tel Aviv. Starting off at the city lookout point of Azrieli Towers, we had some great views of Tel Aviv, the neighboring cities and the sea. A bicycle ride throughout the Tel Aviv boardwalk led to the mystic Montifiore graveyard where all the famous Tel Aviv founders are rested. The final spot at that Friday morning was the chef restaurant of Yonathan Rushfeld – Herbert Samuel.

Famous chef Rushfeld, is the head chef of three different restaurants across Tel Aviv (Tapas Echad Haam, Yavne Montifiore and Herbert Samuel) and also appears as a judge in the Master Chef TV show. While we visited the other two restaurants, Herbert Samuel is considered as Rushfeld’s flagship, one of Tel Aviv best restaurants and a tourist favorite. That in mind, you can understand what were our expectations from the Friday birthday lunch.

Olive oil with balsamic vinegar

Though you can hardly have a view of the sea, the large glass font window allows nice lighting around the place, especially at the fabulous large bar facing the front. Arriving on Friday noon, we knew there’s a good option of an affordable fixed price lunch. The set menu named “Discover Herbert Samuel” includes five courses which we took along with a “regular” Friday lunch set menu.

Eggplant and Tulum Cheese

Throughout the lunch we felt the food was good. We can’t say anything bad about it, really. It’s just that there was very little special about it and most of the food can be found at the same quality in a handful of places around town.

Chopped Raw Grouper and Tuna

Take the eggplant and Tulum cheese starter for example. Yes, Tulum cheese gives a nice kick to a light starter. Even though, the Baladi Eggplant is such a boring starter that every restaurant in Tel Aviv serves that event the cheese couldn’t wow us in any way. The other starter, chopped raw Grouper and Tuna fish on top of eggplant cream, was better and had very delicate flavors, but again it was nothing special.

Soup of Jerusalem Artichoke, Chestnuts and Truffles

Things became way better when a foamy soup of Jerusalem Artichoke, chestnuts and Truffles arrived to the table. The surprisingly large dish was exactly what you would expect from a chef restaurant – original, bold and simply excellent, and emphasized the disappointment of the rest of the lunch.

“Torn” Pasta with Crystal Shrimps

Seared Grouper Fish

A “torn” pasta with Crystal Shrimps had some nice fresh zucchinis and tomatoes but was a little blend and didn’t exposed the quality of the Shrimps, which was a shame. Together came a seared Grouper fish that was cooked great, but was accompanied with a zucchini and garlic paste which lacked flavors and didn’t suit the fish at all.

Lamb Chops

The next two dishes came as we started to feel a bit full yet still looking for some fine courses. Again, it was just lacked a bit. A course of Lamb chops was OK but way (way) below the great Lamb Chops at Haim Cohen, while what was labeled as “Chopped Rib-Eye Steak” turned out to be just a burger. Luckily this burger was very good and was accompanied with a very tasty red wine sauce.

Chopped Rib-Eye Steak

The dessert was a joy to the eyes and the palate. A Pistachio ice-cream and fresh chopped tropical fruits accompanied with Mascarpone sauce filled Baklavas and Pistachio was a very cheerful and refreshing dish.

A Pistachio ice-cream and fresh chopped tropical fruits

Herbert Samuel might be the tourist culinary showcase of Tel Aviv and Israel. The food is good, we can’t say it isn’t. Even though, as a gourmet dining choice it is definitely not the best one.

Note: only days later we discovered the restaurant billed us for a bread basket brought to the table while it was never mentioned nor they asked us if we would like it.

The Check Please (2 people)

Bread – 19 NIS
Friday Set Lunch – 88 NIS
Discover Herbert Samuel – 160 NIS
Pepsi X2 – 24 NIS
Soda Water X2 – 20 NIS
Pistachio Dessert – 42 NIS

All in all: 420 NIS

Summary

Food: Chef Restaurant

Price: Very Expensive (though an affordable Friday Lunch)
Location: Hayarkon Boardwalk

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale

3 Forks

 

Contact details: Herbert Samuel

Address: 6 Koifman st. Tel Aviv | Phone: 035166516

Copycats – Fleamarket

We might have mentioned this before, but as tourists in Tel Aviv, you must not miss a night (a day as well, but nevertheless) in Jaffa Flea Market. The restaurant and bar scene at the “authentic” location not far away from Jaffa Port is becoming trendier as the time passes. Dozens of locations spread along the market area making it livelier at night than at day, and a great reason to visit. It is no surprising that the oh-so-2011 market-restaurants will arrive to the flea market. The name didn’t surprise as well – the Fleamarket.

Jaffa Flea Market @ Night

Well, unsurprising is probably what you’ll think all along your dinner (at least if you had some dinners in Tel Aviv). Yes, the location is great – the vibe coming from this area is quite laid back, almost like visiting the beach towns of Turkey or Greece. The vast amount of street tables is really fun and gives you the feeling of the old market coming to life. With that sort of pre-conditions, you would expect the food to match.

Andalusian Gazpacho soup

But it was so predictable. The same owners of the La Shuk restaurant from Dizingoff (which is itself a copy of Machne Yehuda restaurant from Jerusalem) brought to the Fleamarket the exact same type of food, with the same paper-menus-retro-metal-chairs, well, you get the point.

Tuna fish Nicoise Salad

And it wasn’t that the food was bad – a dish of Andalusian Gazpacho soup was OK, though not thrilling. Another starter of fresh Tuna fish Nicoise Salad was also not bad at all – it had some very classic taste achieved by a nice sauce. Even though, its pricing was somewhat high.

Black & White Grilled Calamari

The main courses kept the same spirit – tasty yet boring. The black & white grilled Calamari with goat yogurt was well executed, but we had the same dish in more than a dozen restaurants around town. The now-so-popular grilled sweetbreads had also some classic tastes in it, and it was rather the grilled Artichokes, Fennel and Beet that gave the bit-more-special variety to the dish.

Grilled Sweetbreads

Along with some Cabarne Franc white wine that was recommended to us, we have decided that market restaurants have finally lost their excitement in Tel Aviv restaurant scene. Though it doesn’t mean it will be easy for you to find a table in the Fleamarket, don’t expect it to surprise you in any way.

The Check Please (2 people)

Red Tuna Nicoise – 69 NIS
Andalusian Gazpacho – 28 NIS
Sweetbreads – 69 NIS
Black & White Calamari – 49 NIS
Cabarne Franc (by the glass) X2 – 78 NIS

All in all: 283 NIS

Summary

Food: Market Food
Price: Medium-Expensive
Location: Jaffa Flea Market

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale

3 Forks

 

Contact details: Fleamarket

Address: 8 Rabbi Yohanan St. Jaffa | Phone: 036202262

The hottest spot in Tel Aviv – Café Europe

This week we had a date with Yael and Yoni at the (currently) trendiest place in Tel Aviv – Café Europe. In Tel Aviv, where new restaurants open on a daily bases, every new restaurant has its 15 minutes of fame and since their lifetime is so short one should use it wisely. If last summer it was the Mizlala, this year (not very far away by the way), on the trendy Rothschild Street, it is Café Europe turn.

The trendiest place in Tel Aviv – Café Europe

When I say trendy I mean that anyone who is “someone”, should find himself drinking wine on their bar. It also means that three days before our meeting, when Yael called to make reservations the hostess “did us a favor” and “pushed” us between 21:15 to 23:15 (Gee, thanks). And it basically means that they can over-charge for anything (scroll down to the menu or stay tuned). Oh and yes, they don’t have an online menu so you won’t know that in advance.

Lamb Tortellini

The menu is divided to 3 sections. One would expect that the graphical division will hint for the difference between the dishes size (Or their role in the dinner) – appetizer, starters and main courses. But it didn’t. Café Europe does not have any real “large” size courses. All of them are between tiny and medium (if you are lucky) and I’m saying it while taking the dish price under consideration. Take the Lamb tortellini with dry fruits “main course” for example that contains five tortellinis and cost 69 NIS. It was a good dish but way too small to share. But first things firsts, let’s go back to the starters.

Tomatoes salad that every restaurant in Tel- Aviv must have

Dreams about Thailand – Shrimps Cutlet

The tomatoes-salad-that-every-restaurant-in-Tel-Aviv-must-have was executed as expected – several types of tomatoes, some grilled and some fresh, with a lot of garlic and goat cheese. It was good as the opening dish. Another dish we took was described on the menu as “Shrimps Cutlet, coconut milk and dreams about Thailand”. Well, they were right. In 3 weeks from now we will leave on a jet plane for a short vacation in the land of shakes and Pad Thai.  Until now, the longing was repressed. After eating this dish (and the Seafood plate later) – we cannot wait anymore. Thailand, here we come!

Polenta

Back to the table in the humid Tel Aviv – We took to additional starters that were on the specials board –“Polenta with asparagus” and “Labneh, Matbuha and Red Mullets”. Both of them were good and tasty.  The Polenta was yet another very little dish. The Fish were fried and had a deep “sea” taste which Yoni didn’t like but we found as good.

Labneh, Matbuha and Red Mullets

Hanger steak

While we were still eating the fish Yael mentioned she was pleased with the timing of the dished arrived to our table. At that exact moment, Shahar’s main dish had arrived to the table, too early to its time in the game. The waitress accused the kitchen for the mistake but took no responsibility for the failure. Shahar took the Hanger steak and while he was eating his dish we were towards the end of the starts. The Hanger Steak itself was very nicely cooked, medium-rare in the inside while still burned and crunchy on the outside.

Seafood Plate

For the so-called-main-course I took the seafood plate that I have already mentioned. I think it was the most surprising dish in the dinner. I wasn’t expecting to have more Thai tastes in this meal and this was a good surprise alongside with a crab that I managed to eat without making a mess on my shirt. Yael took that tiny tortellini dish and Yoni took Meatballs in Pita Bread. According to Yoni, the Pita wasn’t fresh and contained too much onion.  Judging according to the leftovers, it wasn’t as good as he expected.

Meatballs in Pita

We ended our dinner with Savarin cake (Rum baba) which was nice and a bit retro in my opinion.

Savarin cake

When we got the bill we thought it was a good dinner but it did not justify the price. On our previous post was about Elba, we had pretty much the same amount of dishes and paid equal price to the one at Café Europe. However, we could not escape the feeling the Elba was much more value for money, in the dish size perspective as well as taste. Nevertheless, at the end of the day we are all fashion victims. We meet at Café Europe because we wanted to know what everyone is talking about. Café Europe is just using their 15 minutes of fame.

The Check Please (4 people)

Bread – 13 NIS
Red Mullets with Matbuha – 45 NIS
Polenta – 32 NIS
Tomatoes salad – 43 NIS
Shrimps Cutlet – 42NIS
Seafood plate – 89 NIS
Hanger steak – 85NIS
Lamb Tortellini – 69 NIS
Meatballs Pita – 49NIS
Savarin cake – 32NIS
Coke – 12 NI
Diet Coke – 12 NIS
Traminer Wine – 168 NIS
Stela – 26NIS

All in all: 743 NIS

Summary

Food: Mediterranean (Were was Europe during this dinner?)
Price: Very expensive
Location: Rotchield street

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale

3.5 Forks

 

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