3 Best Restaurants in Haifa and the Northern Coast, Israel

Justly known far and wide for its excellent seafood, this Akko institution is near the lighthouse in an old Turkish building, where one room is furnished with sofas, copper dishes, and nargillas (water pipes). Everything on the menu is seasonal, and the fresh fish is steamed, baked, or grilled; delicious seafood soup is another fixture. Gravlax and Thai-style fish are also specialties, or try the baby calamari with kumquats and pink grapefruit or the Creole shrimp with five spices. Allow time to linger here—it's not your everyday fish fry. 

A Greek family business that's been passed from father to son since 1948, this popular waterfront seafood restaurant stands at one of the original 18th-century gates built by Pasha Ahmed el-Jazzar when he fortified the city after defeating Napoléon. Enjoy earthy hummus with pine nuts or eggplant salad spiced with sumac, as well as fish, shellfish, and grilled meats or beef Stroganoff. Here, the daily catch—often grouper, red snapper, or sea bass—is prepared simply, either grilled or deep-fried.

In the souk, duck into this café and enjoy a coffee, some hummus, or a kebab in the courtyard of the 16th-century Khan al-Faranj, or Franks' Inn. Note the 18th-century Franciscan monastery and tower to your left.