227 Best Restaurants in Israel

This is the best corral this side of the Israel--Syria disengagement zone. Saddle-shape stools at the bar and cattle hides on the walls contribute to the frontier atmosphere. But it's the food—specifically the hearty steaks and the house specialty, chicken breast stuffed with smoked meat—that packs them in at this place, known locally as HaBokrim. Advance reservations are required for the Friday night kosher buffet.

Sitting by the old port of Caesarea in Caesarea National Park, and with ample seating overlooking the bay, this cavernous restaurant is famous for its fresh seafood, caught right from the water below, though it also serves juicy steaks and kebabs. An excellent starter is the salad of grilled eggplant, hummus, and fried cauliflower. Crunchy pita rounds toasted with olive oil and local spices are served alongside. House specialties include baked red snapper topped with chopped vegetables and black mussels sautéed in garlic, butter, and wine. Still hungry? Creamy cheesecake or warm apple pie with ice cream will do the trick. This place is a favorite with tour groups.

This forested area beside the gurgling Dan River draws enthusiastic crowds, especially on the weekends for fresh river trout. This was the first restaurant in the region to specialize in the abundant fish from the river; you can also take a look at the trout ponds in a small installation on the grounds. The slightly outdated restaurant, opposite Kibbutz Hagoshrim, is tucked away behind the main road, but it's large and well signposted. The same management also runs a café next door serving vegetarian fare.

Inside a beautifully restored historic building, this bistro has a rarefied atmosphere and an on-the-premises bakery that turns out a luscious array of French-style pastries. The breakfast menu highlights some of the baked delights, including smoked-salmon croissants and the indulgent French toast sandwich with fruit, ricotta cheese, and maple syrup. An enclosed patio, with its wrought-iron tables and chairs, is a lovely place to enjoy a late-afternoon coffee among a mixed crowd of businesspeople, surfers, and families. The executive lunch is a good value while the dinner menu offers more extensive (and significantly higher-priced) fish and meat options.

Cholent is a dish that evolved from necessity: Jewish law forbids cooking on the Sabbath, and so observant Jews often start a stew on Friday that will be ready the following afternoon. Every Jewish community has its own recipe, but in Jerusalem the best place to try cholent is in the ultra-Orthodox quarter of Me'a She'arim, where on Thursday nights locals crowd into Deitsch for a plate straight out of Poland. You'll be served a rich brown stew with a few vegetables and a dumpling. Dress modestly, and expect to be the only patrons not wearing black and white.

Sun streams into this kosher restaurant, which is decorated with plants that are for sale and which has outdoor seating on a delightful, shaded patio. Breakfasts are colorful and generous; options for later in the day include the Beit Zayit salad featuring asparagus and mushrooms, fish kebabs in red-pepper-infused tomato sauce, a long list of pizzas and pastas, and several vegan dishes. The wine list features Israeli and foreign selections. Reservations are recommended.

Ranked among the region's best Arab restaurants, Diana doesn't fail to impress. Owner Duhul Safadi is most famous for his kebabs and lamb chops, but the fish and seafood dishes are all equally wonderful. The plant-filled terrace and sophisticated dining room would not be out of place in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv may be home to more than its fair share of Japanese eateries, but this outpost of a world-renowned Japanese brand stands out not only for its quality, but also for its impeccable service and stunning setting. The menu is a blend of traditional Izakaya and modern European cuisine, paired with sake, wine, or an impressive selection of cocktails. Offering both indoor and outdoor seating, few spots in Tel Aviv attract a more discerning crowd of gastronomes. Dinings is on the third floor of one of Israel's most exclusive hotels, The Norman. 

Hebrew for "Sea Dolphin," this lively eatery serves some of the city's best seafood. The decor is pleasant enough—pale yellow stucco walls, recessed wine racks, arched windows, and an outdoor patio—but the food is what draws the mixed clientele, including plenty of families. Start with appetizers like the excellent wild roasted eggplant with tahini and pine nuts, then move on to the shrimp in a mushroom-cream sauce or the drum fish in a tasty broth. You can also experiment with the generous seafood platter for two that includes crab, scallops, and calamari.

If you can't read the restaurant's sign in Hebrew, just follow the tantalizing aroma up the steps of this wooden building on the town square: Rosa's grandsons, Uri and Doron, import meat and special charcoal from Argentina and roast the food in the true Argentinean style. The bar is decorated with a drawing of a hefty cow that illustrates each cut of meat. Highlights include grilled pork spareribs; seafood simmered with fragrant yellow rice; and asado: delicious, chunky ribs (available only on Saturday). There's beer and Chilean and Argentinean wine, too.

Inside this old German Templer building with a pleasant outdoor terrace, a huge metal lamp studded with colored glass casts lacy designs on the walls, lending to the Middle Eastern design. The food, much of it prepared by the owner's mother, is an eclectic combination of French and local Arabic cuisines. Her specialty is kubbeh, deep-fried torpedoes of cracked wheat kneaded with minced beef, pine nuts, onions, and exotic spices. A variation on the dish is sfeeha, puff pastry topped with delicately minced beef, onions, and pine nuts. For dessert, try the mouhalabieh, a delicious Middle Eastern custard topped by dried fruits.

This Jaffa institution has been serving shakshuka, a mouthwatering Israeli breakfast specialty, for decades, but it soared to fame in 2018 after appearing on the Tel Aviv episode of "Somebody Feed Phil." The show tells the story of how the "Doctor" did time in prison, where he perfected the art of cooking shakshuka for the other inmates. A free man again, he opened a restaurant in Jaffa, gave it his prison nickname, and the rest is history. The spot attracts more than its fair share of tourists but the shakshuka is as good as it gets, making it well worth a visit. You can order your shakshuka hot or mild, in one of several versions, including traditional, vegan, with mushrooms, with eggplant or with merguez sausage.

A few minutes' walk along the trail leading to the Banias Waterfall is the ancient flour mill and a stall where Druze villagers make their traditional pita bread (bigger and flatter than the commercial version). It's not only baked on the premises but also milled here. Pull up a rock, and for a few shekels you'll be served a large rolled-up pita with labaneh (yogurt cheese) and Turkish coffee.

It's hard not to wolf down these pita sandwiches stuffed with seared entrecote, osso buco, or fried red mullet, and there's crispy cauliflower too. Shots of arak are available as well, on the house.

Part coffee shop, part bookstore, this spot has an endless trove of literature exploring the Arab-Israeli conflict from a Palestinian perspective. Take a volume upstairs and peruse it over a lunch of a savory manaqeesh bread topped with thyme and olive oil, freshly made labaneh cheese, or salmon sandwiches. Turkish coffee is brewed fresh on an orange camping stove. Ask about upcoming lectures and movie screenings.

At lunchtime this popular establishment on the eastern shore bustles with tour groups, but it's a fine dinner option, too. Famous for St. Peter's fish, it has added sea bream, trout, and gray mullet to the menu, as well as entrées such as quiche, pizza, pasta, and salads. In fine weather, sit on the large outdoor terrace, and take in the view across the lake to Tiberias. Watch for the signs for "Kibbutz Inn Ein Gev."

At the edge of the gas station by Neve Ilan, this American-style diner has the largest collection of Elvis memorabilia this side of Graceland, including 1,700 photos, two statues that tower outside, and three inside. Grab some classic American food like burgers and fries, or stay local and order hummus. Serious fans should come on the anniversary of his birth (January 8) or death (August 16), when Israel's aging Elvis impersonators come to get all shook up.

Passed down from father to son, this local landmark has been serving some of the best falafel for more than 50 years. For a few shekels, you'll get a pita filled with plentiful, perfectly prepared falafel balls, fried potatoes (called "chips" here), and just the right amount of salad. Sit on the outdoor bench or stand and enjoy this classic Israeli street food done right.

At this attractive restaurant--bar at the foot of the Baha'i Gardens, olive trees hung with blue and green lights set the tone for the elaborate interior, which contains several intimate rooms. One is a "cave" with Arabic script on the walls, low banquettes, wooden stools, and filigree lamps; another is modern with leather seats, embroidered cushions, and a changing art exhibit set against burnt orange walls. The eponymous Fattoush Salad is a favorite, consisting of a generous helping of chopped tomato, cucumber, onion, and mint and sprinkled with crisp toasted pita pieces. You might follow it with emsakhan, roast chicken topped with sumac and served on oven-baked pita.

Brothers Aviram and Shlomi Ohana's tiny fish-and-chips emporium in the heart of the Machaneh Yehuda market offers fresh selections direct from their father Haim's seafood stall down the alley. Everything is garnished with a range of tasty dressings and accompanied by great fries. Try classic British-style battered cod, or a range of interesting dishes including tuna, salmon, or whatever today's fresh catch happens to be. There are also good beers on tap. They had to triple the seating area because of the huge demand, so there's plenty of space.

One of the city's few restaurants to flout Passover restrictions on eating leavened dough, this popular haunt has been baking fluffy focaccias for over 20 years. There are many toppings (don't miss the black-olive spread), and some tasty starters (try the mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese or the fried calamari). The chicken livers stir-fried with shallots and fried onions are delicious. There are generous sandwich options, including the sirloin strips. Reserve a table on weekends when families fill the rustic restaurant where most of the seating is in the enclosed outdoor area.

This kosher cousin of the popular Downtown restaurant welcomes you with a large display of fresh vegetables and an open taboon oven where the focaccias are baked. The inventive menu offers eight different focaccias, including an excellent roast beef variety. For starters, try the Peruvian-style chicken strips blanched with mint and seasoned with lime and cilantro, or the beef carpaccio with arugula. Other good choices include the veal bruschetta served with rib-eye skewers, sweetbreads, and grilled portobello mushrooms; or the fish fillet baked with a crust of panko bread crumbs. The menu has several vegetarian options as well.

The setting, a charming stone house with both indoor and outdoor seating, lends great atmosphere to this family-run eatery set above the Old City and taking in the view of Mount Meron (the restaurant's name means "paradise"). Gan Eden is best known for its fish, especially fillets of sea bass and sea bream. What they call calzones are actually dumplings stuffed with salty Tzfat cheese and served with a delicious salad of lettuce, cranberries, and walnuts. The place is kosher for dairy, meaning no meat is served.

Here you'll find a welcome combination of jolly atmosphere and casual pan-Asian cuisine. It's sort of a New York lounge–style hangout, with a stainless-steel open kitchen; black tables, chairs, bar, and stools; silver photography-studio ceiling lights; and a staff in bright white T-shirts, jeans, and long black aprons. Noodles are the specialty, and most dishes are prepared in a wok. You might start with a crispy Thai salad in peanut sauce; then feast on spicy egg noodles with chicken, coconut milk, and red Thai curry; or try your luck with black egg noodles (dyed with squid ink) with calamari and green onions.

Over the shabby doorway, a crooked sign announces that the fish is "fresh every day." That's all you need to know about this bare-bones, old-time favorite seafood restaurant. Take a seat at one of the 16 tables, each covered with rough white paper, and be treated to lots of what Israelis call salatim, or little dishes of roasted eggplant, fish roe, and homemade hummus. There's no menu in English, and no need for one, as only three dishes are offered: shrimp, calamari, and deep-fried fish. There's no dessert, just jangling-strong espresso.

With a name that literally means "the cabin," HaBikta evokes the smoked meats for which it's best known. The chicken and steaks, smoked over cherrywood and grapevines, come with access to the generous salad buffet. Try the whole chickpeas coated in cumin and green onions, or the coriander tossed with slivered almonds and lentils.

This modern kosher bistro serves burgers, grilled meats, and Mediterranean-inspired dishes in an airy, spacious indoor dining area, as well as at tables outside offering sweeping desert views. The taboun oven produces fresh bread as well as succulent roasted vegetables, and the wine list is extensive; there's also a good selection of locally inspired cocktails. Children can enjoy chicken schnitzel, or chicken hotdogs served with sliced veggies. The restaurant is also the base for Canaan Tours, which offers Jeep excursions, ATV treks, rappelling, and other activities. 

The delicious dishes at this pub-restaurant, frequented by all ages, include a tasty onion soup, stuffed mushrooms, and juicy homemade burgers. There's also a generous selection of Israeli beers.

At this storefront eatery, brothers Fouad and Ahmad Halabi greet you with a handshake and a "Hello, my cousin!" The delicious falafel and shawarma are wrapped in thin, lightly browned, Druze-style pitas—a nice change from the fluffy ones served at most other places in the country—and a refreshing splash of lemon tops the salads. Watch everything being prepared in the glass-front kitchen that opens onto a series of tile-floor dining rooms. The adjoining gift shop, also run by the siblings, displays locally woven tablecloths and pillowcases.