Delicious Israel’s Top “Picks” - Restaurants Highlighting Seasonal Produce

In our last post, we laid out a guide to knowing what Israeli produce is in season this summer. Now you know what you’ll find in our bustling, open-air markets - but what about when you go out to eat?

While our local fruits and veggies are truly delicious on their own (we’ve been known to finish a box of cherries before they even make it to our homes!) we also want to highlight a selection of Tel Aviv restaurants who are taking these seasonal goodies to new heights in unique dishes. Tel Aviv’s restaurant scene is constantly changing, and we love watching the magic happen!

The following restaurants change their menus frequently (even daily!) based on what is in peak freshness at the local markets, so get them while you can.

L28

Delightful peach burrata - courtesy of L28.

L28 is not messing around when they say locally sourced foods. Their stunning rooftop garden, where vegetables and herbs are grown, means your dishes are truly ‘garden-to-table’. L28 is not only a restaurant, but also a “Culinary Platform” where chefs rotate alongside the produce they use. Lucky for diners, peaches are in season right now, and so is Chef Gabriel Israel. This season’s chef offers his take on burrata with a sweet and savory dish featuring local peaches, and we’re pretty keen on it.

Lilienblum St 28, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Opa

Opa’s innovative menu includes this plum dish featuring black mustard compote, almonds, and dill.

Opa, one of the newest additions to the thriving Levinsky Market area, is an entirely plant-based restaurant, devoted to “celebrating the beauty of the plant kingdom”. A welcome addition to Tel Aviv’s vibrant vegan scene, Opa emphasizes the fresh tastes that seasonal ingredients bring, rather than providing meat substitutes or alternatives.

In addition to showcasing fruits and vegetables from Israel’s fields, they are committed to sustainability and ethical eating.

Ha-Khalutzim St 8, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Habasta

Located at the edges of the Carmel Market and getting its name from the Hebrew word for ‘market stall’, this market restaurant only uses fresh and obviously local ingredients. Habasta is a higher-end joint, known for its great atmosphere and creative twists on local favorites (think crab burekas) - but local produce is the star of the show on this ever-changing menu. Enjoy perfectly sweet (but not too sweet) local Israeli cherries in the peak of their season, magically transformed into “Lali’s cherry salad” - they won’t be around forever!

HaShomer St 4, Tel Aviv-Yafo