Israeli Food: Secrets For Your Family To Enjoy This Delicious Cuisine Throughout The Country

Today marks one year since the unthinkable, brutal, horrific attacks on Israel. As everything unfolded we stood together with the Jewish community in horror, especially since we just experienced the most incredible Israeli Bat Mitzvah trip a few months prior.

This is the last post I wrote about our trip (that I held off posting until now) and it’s fitting that it’s about food. Food makes people happy and brings together friends and family. It also bridges cultures and communities. All of that is needed right now.

Much like all Jews across the world my heart has been broken for a year. My tears couldn’t, wouldn’t, and haven’t stopped. I’ve been thinking about our trip a lot. I’ve been thinking about how I asked my husband at the midpoint of our trip – in Tel Aviv – if he felt unsafe for one moment of our journey. He said no and as a first-time visitor, he was happy the media hype was not the reality.

Today I post my last article in honor of the hostages who haven’t come home yet and those who won’t return. I want to believe peaceful Israelis “will dance again” and families like ours will be able to take a trip like this again. Please read these posts with that in your heart. Please also click on the links to the experiences and vendors and follow their social media accounts. My goal is creating a list for you of the best Israel has to offer so it’s there when you’re ready.

As you can imagine tourism has plummeted since the attacks. Many of these incredible businesses have suffered not only personally but professionally. They need all the help and support they can get. Read about them, help them (if you’re so inclined), and most importantly – visit them in person when you can. With so many kind, amazing volunteers heading over right now my hope is they’ll have time to take a cooking class, visit the dolphins, or experience the magic of Dig For A Day.

Israeli Food

When traveling to a new country, food and cuisine is one of the most exciting things to try. Whereas I won’t spend a lot on accommodations, I’m happy to spend any amount on a good meal.

Since our days are usually non-stop this means a fast breakfast, a quick lunch, and then a big… fat… relaxing delicious dinner.

However, when a country is notorious for their incredible breakfasts I’m happy to make an exception (especially if it’s included!). Most days we ate so much our bellies were filled with tomatoes, cucumbers, pesto, chocolate spread, pita, and halva through lunch. Our itinerary was go go go so we grabbed some additional to-go treats and headed out for the day.

We ate at a combination of high and low restaurants skipping some we didn’t think would be as family-friendly as we needed. Finally, some of the tiny hole-in-the-wall places served us the best meals and had the best atmospheres so never turn your nose up to them.

And here we go…

Israeli Food in Jerusalem

When I think of everything wonderful that we experienced in Israel, I miss the food the most. Every meal was perfect and delicious. We tasted new spices, different vegetables, and anything someone put in front of us. We went to fancy restaurants and roadside lunch stops and ate fresh food in each place. Additionally, no matter what we ate – since the ingredients were so pure – we felt healthy and good the entire time. 

Piccolino

Our first taste of Israeli food – fresh off the plane from New York – was at the highly recommended restaurant Piccolino. In fact, throughout our whole trip there was a big debate on if it was actually the best meal of our trip. Every dish of each course was absolute perfection. Not only was the food delicious, but it was beautiful, the staff was friendly, and even the owner stopped by for a picture! From the heavenly beet gnocchi to the outrageous chocolate cake we couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off our adventure.

Hatzot

One of our absolute trip highlights was our meal at Hatzot. We arrived after a long day of touring, said we were starving, and asked our waitress for help. She suggested the meat tasting menu and what unfolded has since become a family joke. In short, it was so so so SO much food! Out came tons of little ramekins filled with the most delicious vegetables. Then, when it was time for the meat it arrived on a HUGE plank of wood that took two waitresses (!) to carry over. It was quite the site! Every bite of everything was incredible and the presentation was so unreal we’ve talked about this meal nonstop. When the bill arrived my kids eyes fell out of their heads. However, it was just a great opportunity to explain that having an outrageous meal with amazing service is worth every single dime. Not only would I return in a heartbeat but there was enough leftovers for lunch the next day! When I close my eyes I see this meat. OMG it was so good.

HaHummus Shel Tchina

We needed to counteract our meatstravaganza the night prior and asked our hotel where we could find the best hummus in Jerusalem. As you can imagine, this caused quite a stir amongst the staff. Eventually, they agreed and sent us to HaHummus Shel Tchina. Immediately, we could tell it was worthy of their praise. This restaurant was a great little local place filled with young, fun people. It was exactly what we wanted. The helpful staff suggested a cornucopia of hummus platters in all different colors. This plus the free refills of fresh lemonade made it the perfect utopian chickpea heaven. 

Mahana Yehuda Market

No trip to Jerusalem is complete without a walk (and taste) of the famous Mahana Yehuda Market. Filled with every food and flavor you could imagine, we had bites of everything from Khachapuri to burekas and olives to halva. We visited the market a few times over our five days in Jerusalem and its lively atmosphere and fun vibe was always the same.

Adom

Our friends were in Israel at the same time as us and we realized the day before we left that our path’s crossed for one night only in Jerusalem. We called Adom – where we knew they were eating that night – to set up the best international meet cute you could find. I’m pretty sure the staff was as excited as we were when they sat us next to our friend’s reserved table. Even better when they walked in, saw us, and dropped their jaws the Adom staff was taking pictures and cheering for us! It was awesome. While the food was super delicious, what sticks out most was their above and beyond attitudes making this moment so special.

Israeli Food South of Jerusalem

From Jerusalem, we headed south to explore Israel’s Central and Southern Regions. Of course, filling our bellies was a big part of this too!

Land of Tents, Negev Desert

It was not easy finding an authentic Bedouin experience (especially in the winter). However, after months of searching I found Land of Tents in the Negev Desert. Land of Tents is an NGO whose mission is keeping the authentic Bedouin culture alive through unique home visit experiences.

Our Bedouin host – Salem – of the Wadi Hava community invited us into his home for the ultimate evening of Bedouin hospitality. Here my children immediately fell in love with the famed Bedouin tea. Next, we enjoyed a starter of hummus followed by a fantastic family-style dinner of chicken, rice, and vegetables. With the help of our Land of Tents guide and translator, we had a very honest talk with Salem about his life and what it’s like to live in the middle of the desert. Speaking of middle of the desert, finding Salem was part of the evening’s adventure. His village is located on a path with no lights or signs. It felt like we were on a treasure hunt to find him, it was so cool. It was the exact authentic experience I hoped for and I loved every second of it.

Varkada, Eilat

Our southern most day in Israel was spent exploring the beautiful seaside city of Eilat. After a long day of walking and activities we were excited to finally sit down for a delicious meal. Since there were so many good choices on the menu, we just said bring whatever you think we should eat. Thus began a parade of delicious platters. Varkada’s atmosphere and location were perfect and the staff was super nice. 

Israeli Food In Tel Aviv

As a cosmopolitan city you can imagine how many restaurants exist in Tel Aviv. With that said some restaurants are closed on Shabbat so make sure to check in advance. Additionally, some fill up quickly so if you have a specific one in mind try to make a reservation.

Alma Beach

We spent our first Shabbat in Jerusalem at one cousin’s house, and our second Shabbat in Tel Aviv with another cousin at Alma Beach. I could not have asked for a better place to spend the day than this beautiful oceanfront outdoor café. While we ate and drank our day away, our kids ran on the beach and played in the sand. As our bellies filled and the sun began to set the DJ came out, turning this piece of heaven into an outdoor club. We went from the ocean to the dance floor and back, questioning why anyone would ever leave. Adding in a dose of family we haven’t seen in decades made this one of the most special and memorable days of our whole trip.

HaShomer

Several people recommended this casual restaurant with outdoor seating right outside the Carmel Market. From the moment we sat down at HaShomer, we knew this meal would be special. Their sandwiches were incredible, their meat platters were delicious, and their drinks were amazing. Add in a super fun and friendly atmosphere and it made for the perfect night. This was a place where you feel like a local and feel like you’re eating like a local. It was such a great find. 

Israeli Food In The North

Next, we headed up the coast to Northern Israel, the Galilee, and the Golan Heights. This leg brought us not only delicious food but a fun cooking class where we worked together as a family to prepare a Druze meal with our wonderful hosts.

Brisket Bar

After visiting Caesarea, we headed to lunch stopping at the unassuming yet very delicious (and apparently famous) restaurant Brisket Bar. The food was plentiful and incredible. This restaurant felt like a big deal and definitely delivered up to its reputation. Plus, you had me at brisket.

Lahuhe Original Yemenite Food

We arrived in Tzvat hungry and ready to go! It was late and not many places were open. We texted our friend in New York who suggested we find a Yemenite restaurant called Lahuhe Original Yemenite Food. Even though they were closed, the very kind and generous man behind the counter insisted on giving us whatever was left to eat. Additionally, he refused to take our money and instead asked us to put it in his tzedakah box. Not only was the food delicious but the experience was one to remember.

GalilEat

While it was super cool to take in the sites of Northern Israel it was even cooler to visit a Druze woman in her home and learn how to cook a meal with her! Since Israel is a country filled with many different cultures I wanted to experience as many as I could… through their food. With that said, GalilEat was the perfect find! Upon arrival, we sat with Paul (the founder of GalilEat) and our hostess Pnina in her parlor learning about Druze culture and family. Then we rolled up our sleeves and cooked a traditional Galilean meal together. This was a fantastic way for my kids to experience the culture and a really fun thing to do together.

The ingredients were so fresh and the dishes ranged from simple to complex. Everything was delicious. Once the meal was ready we sat together around her table overlooking the landscape of Northern Israel while eating and enjoying each other’s company. This was such a fantastic thing to do, I highly recommend it.

Israeli Food Conclusion

I hope this Israeli food post helps you plan the perfect family-friendly Israel trip. But there’s so much more! Please look at our full Israel itinerary and other Israel posts: Know Before You Go, Jerusalem, Israel’s Central and South Regions, Tel Aviv, North Israel and The Golan Heights, and Israeli Accommodations. Each post aims to help mesh history, culture, nature, adventure, education, and fun into the ideal Israel tour. So, start packing your bags and get ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime!

_{*I put together our Israel itinerary and then reached out to business owners to work together. All opinions above are my own. No compensation was received for my opinions. In some cases, a discount or hosted experience was provided in exchange for my honest review.*}

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