After 32 glorious years, the old Barbonia restaurant announces the closing of its doors. The restaurant, opened by the late couple Ezra and Mazel Marmelstein on Ben Yehuda Street, introduced a different standard of fish to Tel Aviv and was a bohemian stronghold at the time. It operated for over three decades that are coming to an end these days, after the building at Ben Yehuda 163, where the restaurant is located, was approved for demolition In the coming weeks, after many years of postponements and delays, this will happen soon and add to the cluster of ruins on a street that has undoubtedly seen better days (Not to mention the small shops in it, which face the excavations of the light rail).
will continue to operate. Barbonia Bar (Photo: Sefi Krupsky)
However, Barbonia’s life’s work continues: you can eat the whole grilled fish in the small bar across the street (AKA Little Barbonia, Bar Barbonia, the funnest bar in Israel), as well as the shrimp and squid species (the large Barbonia restaurant has indeed adopted a surprising kosher incarnation in the last year, But the little one was and will remain not kosher), andMatch them with ouzo or chilled beer in the best Tel Aviv tradition.
However, the loyal diners who are regular guests at the Barbonia establishment and have turned the place into an iconic symbol of a Tel Aviv restaurant of the past, lament the evil of the cut and these days already frequent the little Barbonia and support the hands of Mazal and her family members, who all work there and help with the transition. Mazal Marmelstein, aptly nicknamed Mazola, is currently busy moving the goods and equipment to the place across the street, which is a little too small to accommodate all the diners, but she doesn’t say desperate – and is already looking for another, bigger place (we don’t yet know about the kosher style it will adopt, if it opens).
>> Hilik Gorfinkel said goodbye to the late Ezra Mermelstein upon his death in 2017
Little Barbonia continues to operate at 192 Ben Yehuda, Sunday-Saturday 12:00-24:00