Wine has become the beverage of choice at hundreds of good restaurants throughout the country, so much in fact that many people forget that there are foods that simply do not go well with wine. Ordering a full bodied Bordeaux wine or a heavy Brunello di Montalcino with Japanese food is an act of madness (the combination destroys the taste of both the wine and the food); and going for a pleasant Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc can destroy the pleasure of Irish, Jewish, Romanian or many other ethnic foods. All of which poses no problem to the intelligent diner however, for beer can be an ideal match to many foods. Following is a list of restaurants, all recommended, at which beer will add enormously to weekend dining pleasure.

Molly Bloom's 32 Mendele, Tel Aviv. (03) 522-1558. Daily 16:00 - 02:00. A hyper-real imitation of an Irish Pub that turns out to fun (if not great) food. Shepherd's pie, fish 'n chips, roast beef are all good matches to the Guinness and Kilkenny Harp draught beers. Reasonable.

Thai House (Thai) 8 Bograshov, Tel Aviv. (03) 517-8568. Daily 12:00 - 23:00. Simple setting with good dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables, shrimps with mushrooms and chili peppers, stir-fried vegetables. Reasonable.

Yakimono Rothschild 19 Rothschild, Tel Aviv. (03) 517-5171. Daily 12:30 - 24:00. Beauty and luxury in an elegant home of Japanese cuisine that hints of the best of French cookery methods and ingredients. Inventive sushi, some with far from traditional sauces; excellent soups (including the ghawan mushi in which steamed eggs add a custard like consistency); tepanyaki dishes. Expensive.

Elimelech 35 Wolfson, Tel Aviv. (03) 5182478. Daily 09:00 - 01:00. A casual and sometimes noisy Tel Aviv institution serving up excellent bean soup and cold borscht, chopped chicken liver, cholent and kishke and baked beans. Great carrot tzimmis and coleslaw. Beer is the de rigueur beverage.

Fink 2 Hahistradrut, Jerusalem. (02) 623-4523. Sat - Thurs 17:30 - 00:00. Fink's bar is to Jerusalem as Harry's is to Venice. No one ever said the food here was great but you won't go wrong with the tafelspitz (Austrian style baked beef with horseradish sauce) or beef Strogonoff. Moderate.

Ma'ayan Habira 4 Natanson, Haifa. (04) 862-3193. Daily 10:00 - 17:00. An ultimately simple and not spotlessly clean Balkan eatery at which the food often has godlike qualities. Splendid eggplant dishes, chopped liver, and ikra (taramasalata) as starters. As main courses beef ribs, pastrami and, when available, grilled suckling pig. Moderate.

Misedit Hakevas (Druse Cuisine) main street of Daliat al Karmel. (04) 839-3510. Daily 10:00 - 22:00. Start with stuffed vine leaves, tabbouleh and other salads and then continue with to kebabs, mutton stew, or a delicious lamb and bean tagine. Reasonable.

© Daniel Rogov