As first courses consider the seviche of drumfish with abundant coriander and red onion, a hint of chili pepper and a dash of olive oil or the veal sweetbreads that are fried in brown butter and served on toasted brioche slices, all with a well executed Hollandaise sauce. Among main courses that have pleased have been the pan fried sea bream fillets spooned over by an excellent crab sauce and the spareribs in a wine and brandy enriched brown sauce. For dessert consider the good cheesecake that comes with poached quince quarters. A good wine list and pleasant service add to the charm of the place. Open daily 12:00 - 16:00 and 17:00 - 23:30. Depending on your choice of dishes prices are moderate - high.

My most recent visit opend with a delightful amuse geule of a demi-tasse cup of a pesto and pistachio nut flavored tomato puree. Such mini courses will change from day to day, but when it comes to more formal first courses don't hesitate to start off with the ultimately French Provencal tarte of tomato confi that is made in the style of tarte Tatin, with peeled, seeded tomatoes laid on a thin, flavor-filled crust. Consider as well the excellent potato gnocchi and shrimps in a sauce of garlic, olive oil and herbs that might just as well be from Genoa as from Provence; the sweet potato soup that is made special by the use of Gewurztraminer wine in the stock and a swirl of crème fraiche that is added just before serving; or the wild rice tossed together with sautéed shallots and mushrooms. As main courses the lamb ossobuco is excellent, the meat just soft enough to be taken off the bone with no need for a knife and root vegetables maintaining a bit of crispness and full flavor; the excellent goose confit; or the seared white Spanish mackerel steaks that sit on a bed of creamed red peppers and a dollop of spinach. Desserts are splendid and among best bets are the Napoleon of crisply fried filo dough on a passiflora crème, the marquise of white and dark chocolate and the orange parfait.

The service is willing but still a bit naïve at this stage but the wine list is good and even high quality wine glasses are used. Nor will anyone object if you bring your own special bottle. Prices are moderate - expensive but well worth the investment.

Open with a portion of crisply deep fried mozzarella cheese fingers and then go on to the very good Mediterranean style fish and seafood soup which is based on a stock that contains oil, garlic, and hints of cumin and saffron, the soup was thick, rich and full of flavor, and is served with generous portions of crisp shrimps, fried and boiled shrimp. Be careful for even though the soup is listed as a first course it is served in a portion so generous that it made for a comfortable and filling main course. If you're in a playful mood go on to chef David Lazar's American-French take-off on the concept of tournedos Rossini in which slices of fried goose liver sit on a well made hamburger instead of the traditional tournedo steak. Served with excellent thick chips (believe me, better with mustard than with ketchup), the dish is a delight. As a dessert try a portion of the good American apple pie but tell the waitress
to skip the ice cream and whipped cream, both of which are too commercial.

The wine list here is truly poor but considering that Americans drink beer and not wine at most of their bars, that is a pardonable sin. There is, however an excellent selection of beers both in bottles and on tap, the best of which are probably the Leffe and Hoegaarden from Belgium and the yeasty, heady, and tasty beer that is made locally especially for the restaurant. Open Sunday - Friday 10:00
- 02:00 and on Saturdays from 12:00.

Another hint - be careful of how much you order as the portions here are huge, nearly all being quite enough to serve two. Among the best bets for first courses are the thick hunter's pate, a blend of goose and chicken livers wrapped in a thin slice of goose breast and served with an excellent sweet confiture of figs and onions and the buffalo wings (no, buffalos do not fly, these are just the American idiosyncratic way of referring to chicken wings) in a piquant barbecue sauce. As main courses you won't go at all wrong with the fillet or entrecote steaks or the excellent burgers (my personal favorite is for the 300 gram burger that is grilled and topped with fried onions and a fried egg). Whatever you order, consider a side dish of the thick French fried potatoes. Stay with the simple desserts - my own favorite is of the good vanilla ice cream spooned over with a confit of red and black berries. There is a very good selection of beers, but because the wine list is a bit weak, don't hesitate to phone ahead and let the restaurant know you are bringing your own good bottle. Prices are moderate. Open daily 12:00 - 02:30.

Gone in this attractive and relaxed atmosphere are the pretexts at "modern Moroccan cuisine" and in their place are often delicious and creative modern French-Italian and Mediterranean creations of chef Moshe Aviv. The house cocktail (anise, red grapefruit and mint) is excellent but that does not surprise as this is the home of the country's best barman! As first courses consider the split, grilled eggplant sprinkled over with shavings of well aged Parmesan cheese, the seviche of grouper with pickled lemon, and the champignon mushrooms treated to a rich brown sauce accompanied by a crisppastry filled with hot goats' cheese. Equally tempting are the fried calamari with white beans, the shwarma of mutton with thick, home-made humous and the fish soup. As main courses you won't go wrong with the lamb shops on a ratatouille like stew that contains humous beans, tomatoes and onions or the fillets of goatfish topped with fried, well seasoned bits of Portobello mushrooms.

If dining is your major goal, go relatively early in the evening, for after 23:00 the scene is one of the beautiful people who come to drink, see and be seen. Open daily 19:00 - 01:00

Go on to good, fatty and just spincy enough chorizo sausages served with a rich potato puree and garnished with thin, crisp slivers of deep fried pumpkin or, for a more western touch the grilled T-bone steak served with a well made hot and sweet barbecue sauce with red wine and Cognac. Have no fear, a Latin connection to the steak is made by a well made multi-layered creation of polenta slices and eggplant. With our good closing espresso coffees consider the chocolate and coffee concoction that although labeled as a granache could as easily been called a cake, a marquise or a terrine. Depending on your choices, prices are moderate - high. Daily 12:00 - 17:00 and 19:30 - 02:00.

As main courses don't expect anything innovative but do anticipate good and fresh fried or grilled fish and seafood dishes. Especially good are the perfectly cooked jumbo shrimps (truly jumbo!) in butter, white wine and garlic; the deep fried calamari rings and, when available, the whole baby grouper that is quite enough for two. To maintain the tavernna atmosphere, start with a glass of Arak and then continue with ice cold beer. Open daily 12:30 - 24:30.

Boccaccio
Rehov Hayarkon 106, Tel Aviv. Tel (03) 524-6837

The opening bruschetti and mini-foccaccia with paper thin slices of zucchini, more-or-less Mexican guacamole and sweet pumpkin are good but not special. Of other meze offerings, the best are the grouper carpaccio and fresh anchovies with chopped onion. Other vegetable dishes in the meze were acceptable but fail to excite. On the other hand, an intermediate course, of fettuccini with a sweet tomato and eggplant based sauce is worthy of special note. The baked sea bass with a lightly herbed tomato-seeded vinaigrette sauce is good but again, not all that special and the entrecote steak, although tender is too salty because of the koshering pricess. The desserts are also best described as acceptable.
Stay with the fixed price menu and the bill will be reasonable. Order the daily specials and you may find that

Order a la carte if you will but take a critic's advice and ask for half-portions of appetizers and main courses so that you can sample broadly of the charms that are offered. As first courses order the Burgundy-style roasted pear with a slice of blue cheese; the seviche of cooked shrimps; the ultimatley Mediterranean grilled eggplant with feta cheese, oil and garlic; and the coriander and parsley salad with cashew nuts. If you are truly brave of culinary heart, continue with grilled baby calamaris that are perfumed lightly with fresh thyme and citrus. As to main courses, which can also be offered in half-portions, do not miss the delightful potato gnocchi in a sauce of cream and porcini mushrooms; the bas fillets in an oregano rich tomato sauce; the black mussels in garlic and white wine sauce; and the skewers of lamb grilled on charcoals and served with a variety of crisp vegetables. Nor should you miss the desserts here, among the best I have sampled being the lemon cream, the pear and plum pie and the tarte of red and black raspberries. Because the menu changes often here, don't expect to find all of the above dishes in presence at all times. Have no fear though, for I have dined here on a dozen or more other dishes, nearly every one of which has made me sigh for pleasure.

The prices are definitely right, the physical setting, like the service, is warm and welcoming and the food is excellent.. Open Sun - Fri 09:00 - 12:00 for breakfast and 12:00 - 23:00 for lunch and dinner; Saturday 13:00 - 23:00.

Among the very best first courses are the compact but gentle and flavorfilled fish kebabs, the duck liver which is almost singed on the exterior but pink inside that is served on a toasted brioche with a caramel sauce and anise sorbet and the trio of tuna tartare, slices of seared red tuna served with wassabi, and a seviche of coquilles St. Jacques with vanilla oil. Main courses not to be missed include the mousseline of coquilles St. Jacques, the mousseline made by blending sweet cream, eggs and finely pureed seafood into a completely smooth mould and the ballotine of bass that had been made by sandwiching sauteed, coarsely chopped mushrooms, shallots and pine nuts between two bass fillets. Finished under a hot grill and served with two well executed sauces, the first a red butter sauce and the second a cream sauce, one on either side of the fish, the dish was a lovely modern adaptation of another classic French creation. Nor will you find fault with the intentionally coarse and country-style flavor-filled risotto on which sat half a boiled lobster, the sweetness of the lobster meat coming together perfectly with the delicate herbs that had been used with the risotto. A good wine list, very good service and excellent cuisine come together in ways that are hard to beat. Daily 12:00 - 24:00. Moderate - Expensive.

The offerings here vary from day to day depending on what the cook has decided to prepare on any given morning and on what is left-over from the day before. Nor should you expect everything offered on the menu to be available on any given day. Very good appetizers are the cold Hungarian noodle and cabbage salad and the eggplant pancakes in piquant tomato sauce. The pea soup is simple but tasty and is presented in a portion that is best described as huge, and the beef stew I recently tried was set on a bed of mashed potatoes and contained generous amounts of beef cooked to the point where it fell apart to the touch of a fork, with lots of peppery gravy, this was yet another example of tasty home cooking and, if the truth be told, hard to resist. Nothing fancy but a good haunt for the locals or when you are passing by and featuring prices so low you will think your waiter erred in adding up your bill. Sun - Thurs 12:00 - 01:00; Fri afternoon, Sat from close of Shabbat.

Not so much fusion cuisine here but a comfortable blend between Oriental and American influences on modern cuisine as reflected in New York, Boston and Atlanta. The spring rolls are served with American lettuce, grated carrots and leaves of fresh Mediterranean herbs, the idea bieng to wrap the crisp fried egg rolls with these before dipping the package into the sweet and hot sauce that is served. Try it, you'll like it! Go on to what will amuse you by being the most Far-Eastern version of bouillabaisse that you have ever tried. Not to worry, for although French it is not, delicious it is. Consider as well the rewarding shrimps or coquilles St. Jacques on skewers, both in a well made tempura style and the coquilles with black mushrooms. If you're in a truly American mood go for the hamburger which will amuse by its shape (square) and by being served on a square roll. What gives the good beef a fun twist is that instead of the usual ketchup, you will be offered a Philippine banana sauce for your burger. This self declared bar-kitchen-lounge has a comfortable and sensual atmosphere. Go early for dining, later for socializing, but whenever, it's all great fun. Open daily 19:00 - 02:00 or later.

Ernesto,
Rehov Ben Yehuda 90, Tel Aviv. Tel (03) 527-3394

Start off with the appealing antipasto platter of breadcrumb coated broccoli and cauliflower, fried zucchini and eggplant, a salad of mozzarella and tomatoes, and marinated mushrooms, all of which are standard but surprisingly tasty, each dish having just the right dosage of herbs, spices and olive oil. Go on to cheese and spinach raviolis in a sauce taken directly from the 1960's - lots of sweet cream that had been heated, whipped together with grated cheese and pepper or, as a main course crisp and tasty shrimps that are been coated nicely with seasoned breadcrumbs before being deep-fried. Ignore the primitive Thousand Island sauce (ketchup and mayonnaise) that is served with the shrimps and ask for lemon wedges. For dessert the good tiramisu. A simple wine list, but no one will object if you bring your own bottle, and do try the home made limoncello that is placed on the table, compliments of the house, at the end of your meal. Open daily 12:00 - 01:00.

Among good options are the chicken wings, fried so that the skin is crisp and the inner meat just soft enough, all served in a hot and sweet sauce based on caramel, oranges and ginger and the coquilles St. Jacques wrapped in bacon before being placed on wooden skewers, grilled and then served with sauce beurre blanc. Those in the mood for more casual dining will find the hamburgers and ribs here excellent. Desserts are good, the very best being the vanilla ice cream that is served. The service is warm and responsive. The wine list is broad but lacks sophistication but no-one will object if you bring your own special bottle to dinner. Open 10:00 - 01:00. Prices are moderate.

Among good options for starting courses are the fish soup that has a welcome touch of piquancy to add to its rich flavors, the "tartaron" of finely chopped perfectly aged raw beef fillet and the creamy-smooth and rich terrine of goose liver with just the right hints of juniper berries and Cognac. Equally tempting are the flaky pastry concoction that is filled with spinach and Bulgarian cheese with a good Roquefort cheese sauce. As main courses, keep in mind that Gilly's true specialty is aged beef so give serious consideration to the fine steaks (the entrecote is splendiferous). If fish or seafood beckon good choices will be the grilled shrimps, or the fillets of young sea bream that are pan fried and served with a chunky, lightly hot tomato sauce. Desserts are acceptable but not special

The service is warm and responsive, the wine list is acceptable and no one will object if you bring your own special bottle to dinner. This is not the restaurant for those seeking wildly creative or innovative cuisine, but it is definitely a place to visit for meat lovers and others who are in search of a comfortable atmosphere with a bustling crowd of people who have come to enjoy well prepared, generous portions, largely of meat but with other options as well. Prices are moderate - expensive.

Although one can come here primarily to drink, the food is splendiferous and great fun. Among the best dishes I have samped are the Vietnamese style egg roll, the fried piquant calamari, the deep fried eggplant coated with a sweet-miso sauce, the seafood filled samosas with yoghurt and sumac sauce, and the not to be missed quesadillas filled with chicken and sauteed mushrooms. Even the desserts are fun (try especially the coconut and cardamom flavored rice pudding). Great fun!!! Keep in mind that Gorky is a private club, so to receive an initial invitation and application form telephone before wandering in. Open daily 20:00 - 04:00.

As appealing to the eye as to the palate, and with friendly and responsive service, this is one of the city's justifiably "in" hangouts these days. Have no fear though, you will feel welcome here even if you are not one of the regulars. Give serious attention to waiving the temptation to order of a bottle of wine and try instead a different glass of wine matched to each of the courses that you order. As good a choice for dinner or a late night snack and several glasses of wine. Mon - Thurs 18:00 - 01:00, Fri 12:30 - 01:00, Sat 17:00 - 01:00. Moderate.

Young chef Maya Darin is doing fun things in this laid-back and notably attractive Provencal restaurant. A lovely garden, an interior with a wainscot of deep maroon, gold trim, a single mirror and flowers as decor all come together in eye-catching ways. Even the long bar with its polished wood surface and intentional industrial stainless steel face make you smile. Among the first courses I have most enjoyed here are the grilled calamari and eggplant in a sauce of tomatoes and hyssop; fried shrimps that were set in a miniature "bowl" made of philo pastry that had been filled with a just sweet and sour enough salad of cucumbers; and what the restaurant lists as a pate but is more an individual terrine of goose and chicken livers that is soft, thick and creamy.

For main courses try the playful version of "latkes" that contain a fine, dense blend of sweet potatoes and chicken meat; the glazed, grilled sweetbreads; and the really good lamb ossobuco seasoned with rosemary and served with root vegetables. As desserts consider ice cream filled tartlet with sugared citrus peel and the Napolitan chocolate flavored mascarpone cheese. Efficient and friendly but not familiar service and a short but well thought out wine list add to the pleasures of dining here (if you want a wine that will match every dish on the menu, go for the delicious South African Pinotage of Beyers Truter). If you were not young when you came in here to dine, the atmosphere will make you feel at least ten years younger. Call it post-modern bistro cuisine or, if you prefer, call it playful. By whatever name, its great fun and definitely worth multiple visits. Open Sunday - Thursday 19:00 - 01:00 or later and on Friday and Saturday 12:00 - about 03:00.

The restaurant itself is nicely designed, with high ceilings, the option of sitting at the curved bar or at one of the tables alongside one of the sets of moveable belts and the service, although a bit careless (the misu soup we ordered never made it to our table despite two reminders) is pleasant. Don't expect anything exciting or innovative here but a good bet for a quick meal of sushi if you're in the neighborhood. Prices are reasonable - moderate. Open daily 12:00 - 01:00.

For a light main course consider the mixed cheese and salad platter. For heavier main courses the well made beef Strogonov, the veal scallops with Marsala wine or the choucroute garni, made in the Italian style with fillet of pork given a slightly sweet touch by the use of what I believe was a berry jam, a just fatty enough spare rib, a boneless cutlet, several slices of bacon and a fat white Italian style sausage, each packed with flavor . On the fish side, try the salmon steak with remoulade sauce and for dessert the creme caramel, the Grand Marnier chocolate dessert or the marscapone concoction set on a bed of cake and topped with a cherry glaze.Good service and although some of the better wines on the wine list are rather dear, there is a good selection at reasonable prices. Open daily 12:30 - 24:00.

When it first opened in 1993, Lilith was Keren Hendler-Kremmerman's venture into a distinctly California style restaurant that happened to find itself in the heart of Tel Aviv. Everything about the restaurant, from the interior design to the dishes served, was special. The Pakistani and Indian furniture, the heavy, hand-crafted Thai silverware and the abundance of remarkably attractive serving plates came together in ways that could not help but please. For a variety of reasons, some personal and some economic, the restaurant closed its doors in 1999. In March, 2000 , however, the restaurant re-opened under a new format and the restaurant is now also a culinary school. In Lyon, New York and San Francisco, there is nothing new about the concept of restaurants that are associated with cooking schools. What is new is that because graduates of the training courses at Lilith are guaranteed jobs in the kitchens of Israeli hotels, they are learning to prepare exclusively kosher meals. What this means, in part is that although the place remains remarkably attractive, the menu is now restricted to fish and dairy offerings.

The restaurant has gone through a few ups and downs but now seems to be on an even keel and is heartily recommended. Consider opening with the rich fish soup that comes with an excellent Marseilles style rouille or, if you prefer the green salad that contains three different kinds of crisply fresh red and green lettuce, arugula, mustard greens and a gentle but excellent vinaigrette sauce that come together very nicely. Among other main courses, consider the blackened salmon, a dish made by generously coating a thick slice of salmon fillet with a mixture of sweet and hot paprika, garlic and onion powder, black and white pepper, thyme and oregano or, if pasta is your passion, the spinach filled raviolis served in sage flavored butter. Desserts here are excellent (my own partiality is to the chocolate terrine and the creme brulet). This is one of the most pleasant places in the city for lunch. I cannot help but feel, however, that the dinner crowd will be composed largely of people to whom kashrut is of major importance. Open Sunday - Thursday, 12:00 - 24:00, Friday 10:00 - 17:00 and Saturday evenings until 02:00. Kosher.

Start off with some of the smaller first courses, all of which have their roots in French-Mediterranean culinary traditions. The seared red peppers topped with feta with a light lemon-oil marinade is lovely as are the eggplant rolladas in which thin slices of eggplant are marinated and sprinkled over with herbs before being rolled and then served with a just sour, just rich enough yoghurt and dill sauce. Another good opening bet is the salad in which baby calamaris and calamari rings are sprinkled over with a garlic, herb and lemon rich sauce, the calamaris not at all rubbery and full of natural flavor. As main courses consider the beef tongue - boiled until tender with onions, carrots, celery, parsley and whole peppercorns and then trimmed and served with a caper and mustard sauce or the shrimps in a creamy garlic sauce in which you will feel touches of tomato puree and cumin. Not to be missed if it is offered on the day of your visit is the "goulash" of goose liver in which the liver is fried, cubed and served with a ratatouille-like combination of vegetables in butter. Absolutely lovely! Desserts, especially the lemon parfait with fruited Calvados sauce, are very good, the wine list is excellent, the service is warm, friendly and responsive and prices are surprisingly moderate. Daily 12:00 - 24:00. Reservations recommended.

To add to the charms of the place, there is a small but good wine list that includes a reasonable number of wines that can be ordered by the half bottle or by the glass. The service is warm and friendly but remarkably naïve, the silver sometimes being set one way, sometimes another, and the waitresses showing an almost complete ignorance of the wines being offered. Keeping in mind that the crowd that comes here gets younger and the volume and funkiness of the music increase with the hour, the best time to come here primarily for dining will be between eight and ten in the evening. Open daily 20:00 - 03:00.

The wine list includes samples of the wines from at least ten different regions within Italy as well as a good selection of Israeli wines. Many of those wines are of very high quality and some are offered at surprisingly reasonable price and, in addition to ordering by the bottle, one can also select from any of the fourteen wines that are served by the glass. The sommelier at the bar is knowledgeable and is delighted to explain to various customers the intricacies of the wines he was offering. The pasta dishes are acceptable but not exciting (I hope for improvement in the future), but the pleasure here lies in coming to sample of the many wines. Don't forget to close our your meal or tasting session with the good tiramisu and espresso that is offered. Despite the failings in the cookery, a place I rather like and recommend. Open Sun - Thurs 18:30 - 24:00 and on Friday from 11:00 - 24:00. Prices are reasonable - moderate.

From the time the pub opens until about eight in the evening the noise level is lively but still quiet enough that one can hold a civilized discussion. As the evening goes on, however, expect the crowd to intensify and the noise level to rise. As to the service, as in real Irish pubs, expect the waitresses to be polite, responsive, smiling and even somewhat flirtatious, but do not anticipate them to be truly professional. Considering that nearly everyone here seems to be enjoying themselves thoroughly, all of that is acceptable. Better yet, based on the dishes I sampled, a shared dessert, and half liters of either Guiness or Kilkenny draught (my own choice was for a mixture of half-and-half), the bill for three will come to a very reasonable NIS 212 and at that price you just can't go wrong. Open daily 16:00 - 02:00.

Among best bets as starters are the dill rich gravadlax and the juniper and brandy laded confit of goose liver. As main courses you won't go wrong with the entrecote or other steaks (my own choice of "sauce" here is invariably for maitre d'hotel butter) and the various shrimp and calamari dishes that are offered. A good option for dessert is the rosewater mahlabi with sprinkled almonds and a red berry sauce. A bit expensive but worth it for the occasional outing. Open daily 12:00 - 02:00 or later.