There is no Israeli who has not met a traditional Greek tavern during his visits to the Hellenistic island nation, there is no one who has not sat in some Turkish hamara in Istanbul and had a bite to eat, and yet the culinary culture of the taverns did not really catch on in Tel Aviv except for the golden age of Shimon Ferns in the nineties. And it’s a shame because small, simple and tasty dishes from fresh products alongside inexpensive alcohol is exactly what we need right now. The good news is that you can start and carefully mark the formation of a certain tavern trend that is starting to roll out around the city, with three new places that have opened in the last few months with a lot of authentic flavors and a precise atmosphere. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for them.
Lewinsky Corner Ceremonies: Mst
Levinsky pedestrian street was waiting for such a place: Mest is a popular and fun Turkish tavern that quietly opened in the middle of summer and has been gaining momentum ever since. When we visited there we found out that the Turkish taverns are called “Meyhana”, and what’s more, we discovered a place with real joy of life and happy food on plates. The menu consists of words that you will probably have a hard time pronouncing, describing small cold mazats and large hot mazats that are recommended for sharing. The dishes contain familiar ingredients from Mediterranean cuisine in interesting and intriguing combinations and at a reasonable price, such as lavna tzatziki with celery root and apple (NIS 42), tomato salad with pomegranates (NIS 38), vine leaves in sweet and sour cherry sauce (NIS 46) , Kadaif stuffed with salty Tulum cheese (70 NIS), or bureks stuffed with vegetables and sardines (62 NIS). Grab a glass of raki, close your eyes and let Mest fly you to Istanbul. Lewinsky 39
Simple, delicious, authentic. Mast (Photo: Noam Ron)
Piraeus Now: Greek Salon
Chef Guy Peretz opened his upgraded tavern, “Greek Salon”, just before the corona virus. The plague temporarily closed the invested place that opened in the West boutique hotel in the north-north-north of the city, sent Peretz to reorganize and at the beginning of August the tavern, which aims high with dishes such as a casserole of locust meatballs with burnt tomatoes, was solemnly and officially opened. Peretz defines the place as a “chef’s tavern” that only operates in the evenings with only one service – they start with a meal and as the hours go by the atmosphere changes. A bouzouki player and a singer set the tone and the restaurant turns into a Greek party, including dancing on the tables. “This is an experience that does not exist in Israel,” Peretz told us at the opening, “There are clubs and there are Greek restaurants with good food, but a good connection between them does not exist.” Well, now it exists. dance Rosenblum 12
The lights of Piraeus. Greek living room (photo by Shlomi Alfasi)
Rambatiko in the market in Bezalel: the Greek
The Hamara from the Carmel market, “Hivaniya”, is known by those who need to know and loses those who need to lose. Its little brother, “The Greek”, opened at the beginning of the summer in the renewed Bezalel market and listed an accurate menu with reasonable plus pricing and a fairly authentic reproduction of the taverna vibe. “I do almost everything by myself like abroad, when the owner of the house is the one who takes orders, serves and cleans tables,” the owner Asher Habibi told us, andFirst tastings we held on the spot They proved that even in the culinary angle, everything is the same as abroad. The menu was inspired by Habibi’s family, his grandmother is from Spain and his father is of Greek-Turkish origin, so that alongside classic Greek mezats you can also find Mediterranean tapas dishes such as padron peppers, fisherman’s ceviche and fried fish. The only thing What is missing is a sea in the background, but the pleasant breeze in the evening is adequate compensation. Bethlehem 5
Yasu market in Bezalel. The Greek (photo by Asher Habibi)