Looking for suggestions for restaurants in Tel Aviv & Jerusalem. Doesn't have to be kosher-- just good!

It is not easy to find Israel restaurant information. I am planning my own trip there this spring. A couple of good sources are www.stratsplace.com/rogov (Mr. Rogov is the wine and food critic for the Israel version of International Herald Tribune). There should be links from that site to his different restaurant reviews by geographical area in Israel. Also try www.jpost.com, the online edition of the English language Jerusalem Post. It has a restaurants section at the bottom of the arts & culture page (from home page scroll down on the left to arts & culture, click there to go to page, restaurants are near the bottom of that page, the click there for a full archive) it covers Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and maybe other places as well. If you are there before mid-May be sure to post back here with your favorites!

The only Jerusalem restaurant that I'd make a point to revisit when I return to Jerusalem is Abu Shukri, with the best hummus I have ever had. I ate some other good meals in Jerusalem, but none particularly memorable.

And in Tel Aviv, I sought out old-style Jewish cuisine, which I found at Batya (the kind of stuff my grandmother used to make).

Laurie Ann, Thanks for the websites. I saw your post earlier about Avissar House in Jersusalem. We're going to be staying there too for a few nights beginning May 31. Would love to get your report on how you like it & any good restaurants you discover since it sounds like you will be there before we go. I've heard good things about Darna restaurant in Jerusalem. Anyone been there?

Jerusalem restaurants:
Darna was very good.
Avoid the Moroccan restaurant across the street from the King David Hotel-it was overpriced and the food was mediocre.
On King George St, underneath Lev Yerushalayim is a very casual restaurant called Marvad Haksamim that has great Yemenite soup, bread,salad and meats.
If you want steak, Norman's (on Emek Refaim).
Be sure to get a falafel or shwarma from the stand on Ben Yehuda.
If you need a place to eat on a Saturday, the Y on King David St serves a good "BBQ" buffet.

Thanks. Any recommendations for Tel Aviv?

When is your trip? I'll know more about Tel Aviv restaurants mid-June.

We'll be in Israel last week of May/first week of June.

It is very easy to find info about restaurants, including the menu, prices, map and opinion. Please check www.rest.co.il. Then select a location, a restaurant type (of all).

There are many good restaurants, different types. What do you preffer?

Thanks, Valtor. Unfortunately my Hebrew is not good enough for the site you suggested.

Sorry CFW, I was sure that there is also an option to switch to English! I tried to find for you a similar site in English, but without results.

If you tell me what kind of restaurant do you like, I can look in the hebrew site, and send you the details of some restaurants (address, phone, range of prices, etc).

Valtor,

Can I trouble you to check that website or otherwise recommend restaurants in the Yemin Moshe area or nearby? As you will see in my post above we are staying at Avissar house in that area for a week in May. We know about famous "windmill" restaurant but we prefer more modest restaurants where we can enjoy the local atmosphere.

Some restaurants in Jerusalem, near your hotel:

1868 – french & international cuisine – in a beautiful old building (first stone building built in Jerusalem)

Rh. Melech David 10, tel. 02-6222312
main courses ~ 20 $

Rozmarin
Fish, Italian, light meals
In a beautiful garden with fountain and fishes.
Rh. Melech David 28, tel. 02-6258157

Montefiori
Italian, Fish
Yemin Moshe

On King David Str (Rh. Melech David) there are a lot of restaurants, oriental and european.

Where you will stay in Tel Aviv? Do you need also there recommendation?