restaurant review: raphael in tel aviv

For a country that is mostly a desert, Israel offers top notch produce and seafood. So, I was looking forward to my first fine dining meal. That distinction went to Raphael (also spelled Refael). 

The Scene

We had a hard time finding the restaurant but finally figured out that it was located in the same building as the Dan Hotel in the lower floor (we had to go downstairs). Once inside, the place quickly filled up with diners. There were families, couples on dates and hipster friends out for a good time before painting the town red.

The dining room.

The Service 

The host and servers seemed nice but when we ordered two sodas, they brought bottles but only one glass. A bit bizarre.


The Food 

• The Egg Noodles were served al dente with tender blue crabs and squid in butter. 

Egg noodles.

• The Mackerel with Sour Cream was sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil. The fish was firm.

Mackerel.

• The Mashed Potatoes was whipped with butter and it was smooth.

Mashed Potatoes.

• The Lamb Chops, sadly, was a bit overcooked.

Lamb chops.

• The Liver was peppery and served perfectly pink.

Liver.

• The Chocolate with Hazelnut and Vanilla Ice Cream dessert was dense and rich, and tasty.

Dessert.

The Price

It wasn't cheap. Without booze, and with tip, it was just under $200. 

Menu.

The Verdict

We later learned from friends we met that the chef was kind of a big deal in Tel Aviv. It was a nice meal but it was unremarkable.  


What is your favorite fine dining restaurant you've tried during your travels?