603904 Sun Mar 15 07:37:36 -0700 2009 8 53 Middle East and Africa 0 4506374 We're coming to Israel in May this year. My fiancee and I are foodies but, when traveling, we like to stick to a tighter budget. We were looking for suggestions for incredibly tasty foods in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and in the Galil/Golan. In TA, I'm definitely hitting Itzik HaGadol. that kind of food/experience is totally what we're after. Exceptional falafel would be great. The best rogelach or food in Shuq Machaneh Yehudah would also be great to hear about. Any little tidbits, like the best street vendor for freshly-squeezed orange juice, or a great place to buy spices, or perhaps the best Ethiopian resto in Israel (i personally like the place on Yaffo st in Jerusalem near the old city) are great things I'd love to hear. The more down to earth, the happier we will be. and please, nothing touristy. Look forward to your replies Sun Mar 15 07:37:36 -0700 2009 120740 atomeyes 1 4535916 Can't help you as much with Tel Aviv and the Galil (though personally I'm dying to try this place called the Milk Man and the Witches Caldron in the Golon - can't say if it's good or bad though at this point, it's really close to Nimrod), but I think I have some good Jerusalem recommendations. In the Machaneh, the best restaurant is called Azure and is located in the Iraqi Market. If the shuk is divided into too main streets, the Iraqi market is in a side loop furthest away from the Old City and closert to Jaffo than Agrippas. Azure is mentioned in Lonely Planet and totally worth it, best kube soup and they only make the part of the their menu for the ingredients they can get super fresh. Best ruggelah from the shuk (according to just about anyone here) is from Marzipan which is located inbetween a liquor and candy store outside the shuk on Agrippas going towards the Ben Yehuda area. Best falafel is one of those things that vary based on your preference of either the falafel balls vs the toppings. However, the falafel place at the end of the main road furthest away from the Old City on Agrippas across from Aroma says they have the best and if you go during the day, definitely has the freshest. Shalom Falafel on Bezalel also gets good reviews (my personal favorite is located by Hebrew University near French Hill and isn't really worth the trip unless you happen to be staying in the Hyatt). Best street food is to be found near the Damascus gate on Friday and Saturday afternoons. Personally my favorite kebab vendor is the second guy away from the Damascus gate across the street. There's a guy who does kebabs and some kinda offal looking thing I've never had the nerve to ask about and then the guy after him - though in all fairness the stuff looks pretty similar. There's also a guy around the Damascus gate who makes something that looks an awful lot like churros. Those kebabs should never be more than 10 sheckles and you should get two kebabs of meat in your pita. Also by the Damascus gate is the Jerusalem Hotel which possibly has one of the nicest "middle eastern" dining experiences at pretty fair prices. Friday night is the best there cause they have live music, but for then you need reservations but it's really worth it. You can easily do a couple drinks, a meal, and a shisha for less than 100 sheckles a person. There's another Middle Eastern restaurant in the Old City in the Arab Market. From Damascus gate, if you take the road that takes you away from the Dome of the Rock and Western Wall, it's the second restaurant you'll see on your right. My roommate claims it's the best Shish Tawook she's ever had in her life. The Ethiopian restaurant you mentioned on Jaffa is still the best Ethiopian restaurant that I'm aware of, and also near there there's this soup place - where the name and the street are escaping me, but if you ask at your hotel for the restaurant that just has soup - they should know what it is. In terms of Jerusalem "finer dining", admittedly when I do that I usually seek out food from home that I can't get here often (esp. sushi) - and it's hardly amazing. Cafe Rimon is a better taste of Jerusalem tourist dining (nice representation of Israeli cuisine) - but it is straight up tourist. However, most restaurants in Jerusalem, Arab or Israeli, are going to have English menus - so all of them do slightly cater to tourists, but some are just more worth it than others. For buying spices I personally haven't found one amazing place, though there is a store on Aggrippas that's pretty good. In general the Macheneh or the suk in the Old City (no where they sell spices in the Market leading from Jaffo, that's clearly a tourist market) have fairly similar quality. And anyone who tries to sell you saffron totally worth running far far away from. Wed Mar 25 01:57:32 -0700 2009 4506374 180127 cresyd 2 4537447 The soup place you are referring to is Marakiya and is located on Coresh St. Wed Mar 25 12:15:53 -0700 2009 4535916 40917 JudgeMaven 1 4569914 Best rugelach definitely Marzipan in Machaneh Yehuda. Friday morning is a madhouse, but loads of fun. We've taken them back to the states (Marzipan provides plastic boxes for travelers) and they were even great frozen then defrosted. Food - try Darna, on Horkenos just off Jaffa Road (tiptoeing over the construction craters). Amazing Moroccan food, beautiful restaurant...strange waitresses... Enjoy! Sun Apr 05 16:50:11 -0700 2009 4506374 274827 DebbyT 2 4570433 I second Marzipan for rugelach! I especially liked the cinnamon version. Ooey and gooey! :) Sun Apr 05 20:31:10 -0700 2009 4569914 17067 junglekitte 1 4603532 Hello! My husband and I just returned from Israel and I've been all over the world but Israel has the best food i've ever eaten. There's an incerdibly good italian-mediterranian restaurant in tel aviv called Boccaccio. Web address is www.boccaccio.co.il. I had the fettuccini marinara (creamy) with seafood and the chocolate cake...the chocolate cake was the best ever. It was near the beach and very down to earth. It was obviously family owned and run. There are two hotels in the old city in jerusalem that had good food: the Legacy and the American Colony. The hotels have tourists but don't seem touirsty because everyone is visitng form different countries and speaking different languages. Try the St. Peters fish grilled or baked (they serve it at many restaraunts.) It's really good. Have a safe trip! Fri Apr 17 02:36:57 -0700 2009 4506374 283400 cherietownsend 2 4617192 I'll second the recommendation for Boccacio. It's on Hayarkon across the street from the Dan Tel Aviv, and has extremely fresh pasta and several great veal dishes (we particularly liked the Egel Boccaccio with the Port Wine reduction). A couple of other restaurants worth trying in Tel Aviv/Jaffa if you want to get something off the beaten track, but still relatively fine dining, would be Nanotchka on Lillenblum (a Georgian bistro/bar) and Poyke in Jaffa, which is a South African steakhouse. Also, a good reference for dining in Israel, particularly Tel Aviv, is the Haaretz Friday Magazine, which is in English. Tue Apr 21 22:54:06 -0700 2009 4603532 285070 sdrucker 3 5066101 The reviewer is David Rogov. I have eaten along his trail because of a lack of choice- don't speak Hebrew- and I can tell you that it is a trail of broken dreams. Tue Sep 29 04:24:36 -0700 2009 4617192 16181 Vinnie Vidimangi 4 5185410 that sounds very sad :) went to Israel in May 2009. forgot about my post, so i thought i would follow up with the restos i ate at. by the way, just a warning to you all: had our car broken into in Caesaria. jerks stole everythings. but anyways... Tel Aviv: Agenda, near Dizzingoff Mall. Excellent shwarma. and i normally wouldn't rave about shwarma, but its excellent there. Itzik HaGadol - kind of touristy, but i still think all the salads plus the shishlik you get it excellent and worth it. go there hungry. Abu Hassan - their humus and masabacha is unbelievable. their ful was ok. worth the visit. Jerusalem: Marzipan - rugelach are unreal. In Shuk Machaneh Yehudah, just off of Aggripas, there's an alleyway near the entrance. there's a small cafe in that alleyway across from the butchershop. they have excellent shakshuka and great pancakes and make a nice latte. in the Galil/Golan: we stayed in Rosh Pina. the food itself in Rosh Pina was not amazing except there was a good falafel/humus restaurant at the foot of the city near the first traffic circle. it has a large patio. its known for its humus. the best restaurant was a shishlik grill on Rte 90 5 minutes south of Rosh Pina in a Paz gas station on the east side of the highway. very good food and salads. otherwise, we ate at Julia's in Rosh Pina and it was probably our most mediocre meal while in Israel. Rosh HaNiqra - there is a really cool Golan Brewpub in the park. when i say "cool", i mean that its nice to be able to get Israeli beer other than Goldstar or Maccabi. and Golan beer is pretty good. the food was good/above average. the view was spectacular. Mon Nov 16 08:54:57 -0800 2009 5066101 120740 atomeyes