Italian Restaurants Around Israel Well Worth a Taste

The Land of the Boot's long coastline has contributed to the Italian tradition of seafront restaurants. Some are right on the waterfront, others overlook the sea from high above. Whatever the case, the sea has a presence in all of them, in the menu, the atmosphere and the salty fragrance that permeates the air. Italiano de la Costa is the closest thing there is in Israel to these genuine spots, located over a bustling seaside promenade with an endless view of blue. Since its opening three years ago, the restaurant has been drawing inspiration from southern Italy, an area drenched in sun, with fertile soil olive trees and groves. The south Italian atmosphere can be felt upon entering: Wooden floors, country-style furniture, shelves loaded with packages of Italian products, bags of coffee beans, fresh vegetables and decorative items all contribute to the feeling that you're in a warm and welcoming Italian home. Like every Italian home, the kitchen is the heart of all activity; an open space where you can watch food being prepared, all the way from kneading the dough until the pizzas and focaccias are taken out of the tabun oven. The meal opens with carpaccio, risotto, arancini and classical first courses, continuing in Italian fashion with salads, pizza and pasta (agnolotti, ravioli and other stuffed pastas) and mains based on meat, fish and seafood.

Chef Hamudi Okla, a familiar face from the Chef Games reality show, has poured a little of the Arab-Galilee cuisine he grew up with into the menu. The results are surprising: Shisbrak - tortellini filled with lamb in a sauce of yogurt, lamb ragout served as siniya, and other dishes showing the close relationship of cuisines from different parts of the Mediterranean area. 

HaAliya HaShniya St 96, Haifa. eataliano.rest.co.il

One evening not so long ago, the ambassador of Italy in Israel came to the restaurant to present its owners with a framed certificate. The award, from the Italian Food Academy in Milan, is accompanied by the opinion of the public, which keeps on coming to enjoy the precisely made Italian food here: classic salads and first courses and wonderful hand-made pastas and pizza. The latter emerge from the oven steaming hot and crispy, covered with tomato sauce or pizza bianca, some of them suitable for vegans and people who avoid glutens. The beverage menu includes wines produced by members of the owners' family, and the atmosphere is young and light and the service is courteous - all contributing to the enchanting Italian atmosphere. Nono's little sister Mimi is adjacent to Nono - a bakery offering a treasure chest of sweets, desserts and breads - perfect things to pick up and take home after finishing your meal.

Jabotinski St 2, Hod Hasharon. nonorest.com

Guests at Pomo are greeted by a designer hall with a high ceiling, an interior bar and tables that flow outside to an elevated terrace overlooking the street. Behind the open kitchen's bar, Chef Shahar Barnea and his team expertly assemble elite dishes in the style of southern Italy: Raw fish, carpaccio and buratta to start, salads incorporating cheeses and fruits, rich pasta dishes with cheeses, seafood and meats and charcoal grilled mains. Sophisticated thin-crusted, crispy pizzas are adorned with everything that typifies the Mediterranean region: truffles, mozzarella, anchovies, chorizo, mushrooms and kalamata olives. Delicately sweet tiramisu and other elegant desserts leave a sweet taste in the mouth that lasts till the next visit.

HaBarzel St 11, Tel Aviv-Yafo. pomo-italiano.co.il

A small gem that attracts diners from all over Israel, this spot is hidden away in a small shopping center in the middle of Tivon. Tanti Baci is the life's project of Michal and Muli Yovel-Or, a chef and former waitress who met at work, fell in love and established a home and a small family restaurant. Just as in Italian cinema, everything at Tanti Baci is done by hand - pasta, pizza baked in a stone oven, salads and soups, vegan dishes and desserts, of course. A special children's meal made up of pasta or pizza, natural lemonade and a scoop of ice cream is offered, while infants get a baked sweet potato free of charge. The decor is ordinary and simple, the style of the 1940s in Italy, so that the delicious food is the spotlight.

Tiv'on, HaShkedim St 35, Kiryat Tiv'on. tantibaci.co.il

Quite possibly one of the most charming restaurants in Tel Aviv is this sweet little spot, on the corner of an unassuming street off of Allenby, home to a minimalist, one-room dining room fit with a handful of tables, white doily tablecloths and glistening wine glasses. Chef Tamar Cohen Tzedek has been churning out Italian classics for three years now out of this humble, yet sophisticated eatery, but she has been a consistent go-to on the Tel Aviv restaurant scene for 15 years with previous restaurants like Vince & Tamar and Cucina Tamar. Her hallmark dishes include the Budino Parmesan, a delicate veal scallopine in white wine, lemon and sage, and a Forest Mushroom Risotto

Northern Italian cuisine and handmade pasta are Tamar's signature passions, and after years working in Michelin-starred restaurants alongside rural eateries, we are lucky to have her pristine taste and skill in Israel. This special restaurant is open for three evenings a week, from Tuesday to Thursday.

4 Hess Street, Tel Aviv. facebook.com/Hess4TLV

Most of the menu at the small, farm-to-table Roberta Vinci, is created by Ido Feiner in cooperation with Kaima Beerotaim, a socio-agricultural farm that employs young people. The agricultural produce arrives at the restaurant, surrounded by fruit trees and growing herbs located on a small hill, where it's turned into freestyle Italian food: panzanzella salad and papa al pomodoro soup of bread and cheese, grilled polenta with mushrooms, pumpkin and oregano risotto and, of course, pizza and home-made pastas. The menu is seasonal, so there are always pleasant surprises.

Ahuza St 43, Pardes Hanna-Karkur. robertavinci.co.il

It's gratifying to see a restaurant that's been following the same steady line for 15 years and only wants to improve. Ronimotti was founded by Roni Belfer and Motti Sofer as a kind of embassy of Italian cuisine in Israel, and as such it continues to excel in representing the different faces of cuisine in the Land of the Boot. Fresh, local ingredients and ingredients grown on a farm belonging to the restaurant provide the base for a seasonal menu that's loyal to the original without substitutes or compromises. Sweet polenta from fresh corn with Parmeggano, cheese ravioli and juicy cherry tomatoes, crispy pizza with buffalo mozzarella and home-made pastas straight out of a dream are served daily, with the same level of precision and internal logic typical of the Italian kitchen from north to south. The kitchen recently started producing ice creams in various flavors, which are also sold as take-away because gelato is an inseparable part of Italian culture, no less than pizza or pasta.

Maze St 3, Tel Aviv-Yafo. larepubblica.co.il