4 Best Restaurants in Eilat and the Negev, Israel

This whimsically decorated café in the Old City is a breath of fresh air in every respect. Eclectic, funky decor with wooden tables and splashes of color are the backdrop for the tasty dishes served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's a smashing Israeli breakfast for two featuring house-made bread, smoked salmon, and fresh-squeezed juices. Lunch is equally fetching, with a delicious haloumi (a firm Greek cheese) salad as a star choice. At night the vibe changes, and the small bar mixes up basic cocktails with flair to go with tapas-style dishes like bruschetta with juicy, thinly sliced steak and preserved lemon. Try one of the thick shakes, like an indulgent combination of dates, candied pecans, and coconut milk. There are nice choices for vegan diners as well, and you can hear live music Monday and Tuesday evenings.

In a renovated Ottoman-era building on a tree-lined, Old City street, this rustic restaurant and tapas bar has high ceilings, arabesque tilework, an inner courtyard for alfresco dining, and an atmospheric balcony. Candles flicker from boxes on the walls, and padded chairs and beautifully set tables give the place a serene elegance. There's a separate dining room for families with kids, as well as a bar area. The chef and owner, Yariv Eitani, apprenticed in Provence before returning to his hometown. His creatively prepared tapas-style dishes don't disappoint: wild mushroom risotto, sirloin carpaccio, and seared fresh fish are among the standouts.

If you need a break from traditional Middle Eastern food, head to Grandpa Gepetto, tucked into an alleyway off a small shopping mall. The dark, cavelike room features gourmet sandwiches served on fresh focaccia bread, with fillings ranging from stir-fried goose breast to chicken breast with pesto. All of them have whimsical names like Mad Cow and Chicken Little. The restaurant offers English-language menus and an excellent beer selection. For an after-dinner drink, ask the hostess about Bar Basaba (Grandpa's Bar). She'll take you around the corner, unlock an unmarked door, and lead you into the coolest bar in Beersheva, hidden in the courtyard between office buildings. There you'll find local Negev beers on tap and, for the homesick, select American beers in bottles.

On a sleepy corner in the Old City, this classic Moroccan restaurant—decorated with traditional textiles, hammered metal, and ornate tilework—has been run by the same family since the 1960s. The food is exceedingly fresh, creative, and delicious—just say the word, and chef Bebe will order for you, starting with a house-made salad featuring seasonal ingredients like fennel, dates, and candied oranges and followed by a simmering tagine of tender meat and vegetables (even local specialties like kmehin, a tuberlike desert root). For dessert, a local baker prepares a host of delicate petits fours, delivered to the table on a tiered metal tower alongside steaming mint tea.