A List of Kosher Restaurants Serving Hametz the Night before Pesach 2024. Under normal circumstances, if a kosher restaurant is not open for Pesach, it is safe to assume that it will be open the day before Pesach serving Hametz. This year, there are fewer than normal kosher restaurants open for Pesach. This is due to a number of factors – the ongoing war, lack of tourism, and the way Pesach falls with Shabbat in the middle of Chol Hamoed. Many hotel restaurants that have been closed since October are not reopening until after Pesach. For once, there will be a large choice of kosher restaurants ..read more

A Summary of Kosher Pesach Restaurants Around Israel for 2024. On seder night, we ask why this night is different from all other nights; We do not need to ask why this Pesach is different from all other Pesachs. Several restaurants around Israel have only just reopened as many army reservists have returned to work, and many hotel restaurants remain closed until after Pesach. Although some tourists will be here for Pesach, it will be a fraction of the amount that normally is. In addition, there are only a few nights of Chol Hamoed for eating out, so it is not worthwhile for many restaurants to ..read more

Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for April. Spring is in the air and with it comes more new openings in the Israel restaurant scene. Kosher openings include Liwa fish restaurant on the roof of Akotika Hotel in Akko, Moses Air burger restaurant in Terminal 3 of Ben Gurion and Tulum Beach meat restaurant on the beach in Eilat. Non-kosher restaurant openings this month include Gia Japanese Izakaya restaurant on Rothschild Boulevard, Pizza by Chakra in Jerusalem, and Sumac Galilean Druze restaurant in the Zichron Yaakov Mall. Other news highlights this month include the Ramat H ..read more

A Visit to the King’s Court in the Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem Hotel Brings a Taste of Home and Nostalgia. Growing up in London, it was always a special treat to be taken to a central London hotel for afternoon tea. It wasn’t just the food itself, but the elegance and ceremony of the occasion. I am a regular customer at Kumkum Tea House in Baka, where you can have a delicious afternoon tea in an English garden setting, and often have a scone and jam without all the other dishes. But there is something about the grandeur of sitting in a hotel, especially one as beautiful as the Waldorf Astoria, a ..read more

Israel Restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 Awards. The 2024 ranking of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants was announced on 13th February 2024 including the announcement of the Best Restaurant in Israel. Due to the war in Gaza, the organization decided to cancel the award ceremony and associated events which are normally hosted in the UAE and attended by Israeli chefs. The list was created by an influential group of 250 leaders in the restaurant industry across the region, each selected for their expert opinion of the Middle East and ..read more

Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for February. There is nothing normal right now about life in Israel, but we are trying to find a routine and cling to moments of happiness and normality.  Some form of tourism has returned, more soldiers have been released from miluim, and most restaurants have reopened.  That does not mean we should forget that many people still have loved ones on the front lines and there is still a lack of staff in the Israeli restaurant industry. Kosher highlights this month include Onami Japanese restaurant opening in the Hilton Tel Aviv, a cafe and ba ..read more

List of My Best Israeli Restaurants for 2023 I was fortunate to enjoy several great Israeli restaurants this past year and rather than focus on my favorite dishes, I decided to create a round-up of the best restaurants. Eating in restaurants is not only one of my favorite hobbies, but I also get to do it regularly as part of my work, often with people visiting from abroad. This provides a great insight into what tourists and business travelers enjoy during their trips to Israel. Hopefully, this will provide some ideas for those who are visiting now to show support for Israel, and then many who ..read more

A Guide to Buying Israeli Gifts and Support Israel. Whether you have a birthday, bar mitzvah, or wedding coming up, by ordering Israeli gifts for your friends and family, you can support Israeli businesses that have been severely affected since the tragic events of 7th October, and get unique gifts, it is a win-win scenario. Please also consider buying a gift for evacuated children, Blankets for Babies, and Toys for Displaced Israeli Families I have put together a selection of Israeli companies selling gifts for all the family. All the companies have English websites and offer worldwide s ..read more

Israel Restaurant Openings and Foodie News for December. Life in Israel has not gone back to “normal”, however, people have generally accepted that we need to find some sort of balance. Most businesses are open as normal and more and more tourists are coming on solidarity missions to volunteer and support the Israeli economy. As a result, most restaurants in Israel are back open, and there are some new Israeli restaurant openings to report. I am also happy to share that there are no restaurant closings to report this month. I would still like to remind everyone that we need to give restaurants ..read more

Thank You For Supporting the Hanukkah Toy Drive It is hard to believe that we are now in the third month of the war on Gaza and thousands of Israeli families are still unable to return to their homes in the towns around Gaza and on the Lebanese border. Thanks to the incredible support of so many people worldwide, including many readers of this blog,  I raised over 25,000 shekels for Hanukkah toys,  blankets, and warm clothes for babies in Jerusalem. Hanukkah Gifts for Displaced Families Over 200 toys for babies and toddlers were delivered in huge cardboard boxes which were then wrapp ..read more