Shakshuka Zavitan

A view of Cafe Clara from the outside

Ambiance

The ambiance at Cafe Clara is simple, but quite pleasant. The are several seating areas that you can choose from. There is an area of booths which provide a bit more private dining experience and then there is the general seating area which spacious and bright.

Booth seating area

Seating area with regular chairs and tables

Cuisine

Cafe Clara offers a variety of dishes for breakfasts (eggs, bagels and more). For lunch and dinner there is a nice selection of Italian dishes, attractive and wholesome salads and sandwiches with different types of cheeses, salmon or tuna salad. You can see the complete menu below.

To get an impression of the dishes and their presentation, see the pictures below.

Clara’s Salad

Golan Salad

Mushroom tortellini

Beet ravioli

Restaurant details

Restaurant name: Cafe Clara
Address: Industrial Zone, Katzrin, Golan Heights
Phone: 04-832-9457
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00-22: 00 | Fri 9:00-14: 30
Kashrut: Katzrin Rabbinate Mehadrin
It is always recommended to check that the kashrut certificate has not changed and is valid

Directions

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See the map below showing the correct location of Cafe Clara. I want to note that at the time of publication the location marked on Google Maps is incorrect.

Location of Cafe Clara in Katzrin’s industrial area

The post Cafe Clara – Italian Restaurant in Katzrin (Mehadrin) appeared first on Mehadrin Restaurants in Israel.

In recent years, quite a few restaurants have opened up in the First Station, but until now there were only a few restaurants that were mehadrin. One of those restaurants, Lechem Basar, is one of the better mehadrin steakhouses in Jerusalem.

When I found out that Fiori had become mehadrin, and I decided to check it out because I have always liked the ambiance at the First Station.

My wife and I arrived in Talbieh around 7pm looking forward to a nice evening together and a fun culinary experience. Parking can be a real challenge unless you know about the parking lot hidden behind the First Station. The entrance is on Derech Hebron St. If you’re coming from David Remez Street, make the right on Derech Hebron, and you’ll see a small road that forks off to the right about 80 meters from the traffic light (note that this is a paid parking lot during the day).

The Ambiance

The First Station is an outdoor mall with a boardwalk. Fiori is surrounded by windows and is located smack in the middle of the boardwalk, providing a view of the historic train station and all the passers-by.

The dining area

Fiori’s dining area is not large, and the space between the tables is not so spacious, but we did not feel cramped. When we arrived, we found that the place was packed, but fortunately a table had just opened up.

Fiori’s open kitchen

We immediately noticed the kitchen which is open to the dining area. At the entrance to the kitchen is a deli-type refrigerator with a large assortment of cheeses that can be bought and taken home. A green chalkboard hangs from the ceiling with various messages and drawings on it. On the surrounding walls are shelves with a large selection of wines and liquors.

The Cuisine

Fiori’s menu has a nice selection of Italian dishes. All of the pastas are made by the house, and we found them to be superb.

For appetizers, we ordered the soup du jour, which was artichoke soup, and melanzane alla parmigiana, which is roasted eggplant in a tomato sauce with melted mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Both dishes arrived very hot, just as they should. The soup was creamy and delicious, and the melanzane alla parmigiana was quite awesome. The eggplant was tender and flavorful, the sauce was well seasoned, and there was plenty of cheese.

Artichoke soup was plenty hot and tasty

Melanzane alla parmigiana

For your main course you can either choose from the recommended dishes that include combinations of pastas and sauces, or you can decide on your own combination from the list of options. You choose the shape of the pasta (short pastas, long pastas, ravioli etc.), the type of pasta (regular, whole wheat, spinach) and then decide on the desired sauce (tomato, tomato & pesto, cream etc) and some of the available add-ons include, olives, mushrooms, eggplant, blue cheese and more).

We ordered the Primavera with spinach fettuccine. This dish is usually a bit spicy, but my wife doesn’t like spicy foods so we passed on that (funny that my wife comes from a Sephardic family and doesn’t like spicy foods, and I’m super Ashkenazic and I love spicy cuisine). We also ordered spinach fettuccine with truffle cream sauce.

Fettuccine Premavera

Spinach fettuccine with truffle cream sauce

The spinach pasta was truly excellent, both the texture and the flavor, and the sauces we chose were delicious. The main dishes also arrived piping hot, and of course this adds to the quality of the dish.

The Service

We found the service at Fiori to be outstanding. Our waitress was quick and very pleasant. All our dishes came at the right timing, and we had no problem getting the waitress’s attention when we needed something.

I spoke with the owner, who also manages the restaurant. He was very friendly and was happy to respond to our questions.

Restaurant Details

Restaurant Name: Fiori
Address: The First Station, David Remez 4, Jerusalem
Phone: 02-587-4486
Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-11:30pm
Thursday: 11am until the last customer leaves
Friday: 10:30am – an hour before Shabbat begins
Saturday night: An hour after the end of Shabbat until the last customer leaves
Kashrut: Jerusalem Rabbinate Mehadrin
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate is still valid

Directions

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The post Fiori – An Excellent Mehadrin Italian Restaurant in Jerusalem appeared first on Mehadrin Restaurants in Israel.

Fillet salmon in lemon grass, ginger and orange sauce

Muscat is under the strict kosher supervision of Rabbi Rubin which is mehadrin and is considered one of the top supervision agencies.

The ambiance at Muscat is very comfortable and pleasant. Seating is indoors and fairly spacious.

Muscat is one of Jerusalem’s veteran restaurants, being in business for over 25 years, and thus it seems to offer the cuisine and service that people are looking for.

Muscat also has a separate dining area for private celebrations or happenings that can seat up to 50 people.

The Cuisine

Tortilla filled with eggplant, mushrooms and cheese

Fettuccine Alfredo with sweet potato

Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Muscat
Address: 24 Kanfei Nesharim St, Jerusalem
Telephone: 02-652-4414
Hours: Sun-Thurs 8AM-11PM | Fri 9AM-2PM | Motzei Shabbat
Kashrut: Rabbi Rubin
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Muscat’s Menu:

Muscat’s Breakfast Menu

Appetizers

Salads

Muscat’s Italian courses

Fish, pizza and quiches

Sandwiches & toasts

Directions:

Navigate with Waze

The post Muscat – Italian Dairy Restaurant in Jerusalem – Mehadrin appeared first on Mehadrin Restaurants in Israel.

Its breakfast menu offers a typical “Israeli breakfast” (eggs, cheeses, salad and a choice of bread), as well as pancakes, meals with various varieties of eggs, shakshoukas and more.

Salad offerings include a warm Asian salad, Grilled Fish, Italian salad and New Californian Roquefort.

For fish and Italian food lovers, Cafe Rimon has a nice selection of pastas (canneloni, four cheese lasagne, calzone to name a few) and fish dishes include baked whole Bream, Salmon filet, Mullet filet and even fish and chips.

Cafe Rimon is under the strictly kosher mehadrin supervision of Rabbi Machpud.

See the contact details, menu, and directions below.

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Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Cafe Rimon
Address: 4 Lunz St, Jerusalem
Telephone: 02-624-3712
Hours: Sun-Thurs 8AM-11PM | Fri 8AM-12PM
Kashrut: Machpud & Jerusalem Rabbinate Mehadrin
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Cafe Rimon’s Menu:

Cafe Rimon’s Breakfast Menu

Cafe Rimon’s Appetizers

Cafe Rimon’s Salad Menu

Cafe Rimon’s Pasta Selection

Cafe Rimon’s Fish Menu

Directions:

Navigate with Waze

See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem

The post Cafe Rimon – Dairy, Italian & Fish Restaurant in Downtown Jerusalem appeared first on Mehadrin Restaurants in Israel.

Piping hot lasagne

Piccolino’s Ambiance

Piccolino is located in downtown Jerusalem in the Nechalat Shiva neighborhood, not far from Zion Square. It wasn’t always located there though. Previously it was known as Ticho House, a venerable and delightful restaurant which was located in a charming courtyard setting belonging to the Ticho House museum on Rav Kook St., not far from its present location.

Piccolino’s entrance from Yoel Moshe Salomon St.

Often times the relocation of a restaurant is a death knell for it. The challenges of finding a new, pristine location and of notifying existing customers about the new location are significant.

Outdoor seating

The owners of Ticho House renamed the restaurant Piccolino and found a delightful sight that like the previous spot offers both indoor and outdoor dining. The new location’s ambiance is classy and tasteful beginning with the rounded arches of the doorways, the Jerusalem stone on the inside walls, the little touches like flowers in vases on the tables and even the hand washing area which is quite charming with its straw baskets with real hand towels.

Classy washroom area

There are evenings when Piccolino engages musicians to play live music which can include a pianist or a small band.

Outdoor seating in the uncovered courtyard

Piccolino’s Cuisine

There are a large variety of dishes one can order as a starter before the main course. Two very delicious dishes that one shouldn’t pass up on are the foccacia with assorted dips (pesto, matbucha, tahini, olive tapenade — all of which were lovely) and the Borata salad which does not appear on the menu but is worth every bite. It is a spring green salad tossed with a tasty vinaigrette crowned with a luscious ball of soft mozzarella cheese filled with an amazing cream. A real treat!

Foccacia with colorful and tasty sauces

Borata salad with cheese crown

The Eggplant Parmesan is made with sliced, un-breaded eggplant cooked in a savory tomato sauce with plenty of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses served piping hot. The best word to describe this dish is — yummy.

Eggplant parmesan

Another mouth-watering dish is the spinach cannelloni which are tubes of pasta filled with spinach, cheeses and double cream. It also came out really hot and it is well worth the calories.   

Spinach cannelloni

Piccolini’s lasagne is a true culinary experience with its abundance of creamy cheeses, rich tomato sauce and well-orchestrated spices. It is a healthy portion as are the rest of the offerings.

For a creamy mushroom pasta dish, try the Mushroom Pappardelle which has various types of mushrooms with a rich sauce made of olive oil, garlic, butter, parmesan cheese and lemon.

Mushroom Pappardelle

Other delicious dishes include various types of fish like citrus or roquefort salmon, or sea bream straight out of the mediterranean. For people with lighter appetites there are a number of distinctive salads with lovely combinations of vegetables, olives, cheeses and seasonings. It is worth mentioning the attention paid to the details of each dish with small artistic touches and beautiful variety of colors making the offerings pleasing to the eye as well as to the taste buds.

A review of Piccolino would not be complete without mentioning their sinfully delicious desserts. The oreo cake, which does not appear on the menu but can be requested, consists of two layers of “chocolate heaven” sandwiching a mouthwatering cream filling. This yummy “edifice” is topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce adorned with chocolate lattice work.

Yummy Oreo Cake

The house cheesecake is one of best tasting I’ve tasted in years. It is rich and light at the same time. It is artfully presented with a garnish of sliced nectarines and raspberry fluff.

Rich, delicious cheese cake

Service

The waiters were helpful, knowledgeable about the menu and very quick. I have not seen another restaurant where the entire staff was engaged in full-steam-ahead customer service and attention to details like at Piccolino; that included the waiters, the bar man and even the manager who was actively serving customers. Around 7:30pm, the restaurant began to fill up and soon after that it was packed to full capacity. There was a clear feeling in the air that everyone was enjoying the dining experience.

Restaurant Details:

Telephone: (02) 624-4186
Address: 12 Yoel Moshe Salomon St., Jerusalem
Hours: Sun-Thurs 10am-Midnight | Fri 9am-3pm
Kashrut: Jerusalem Rabbinate Mehadrin
It’s always recommended to verify that a restaurant’s kashrut certificate hasn’t been changed
Piccolino’s Website: www.piccolino.co.il

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Directions

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Parking: Your best bet to find parking is somewhere on Hillel St.

See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem

The post Piccolino – An Incredible Italian Restaurant in Jerusalem appeared first on Mehadrin Restaurants in Israel.

Fettuccine with mushroom sauce

Outside, Caffit has plenty of beautiful, blossoming flowers adjacent to the seating areas, which include either open-air with umbrella shades or a covered tent which provides more protection on a windy day.

Inside, the ground floor has a stylish, coffee shop feel to it, while the upstairs area is more quiet and secluded.

I found Caffit’s service to be excellent. The waiters were extremely pleasant and prompt and everything arrived with a smile.

I ordered the Fettuccine with mushroom sauce which was delivered nice and hot, the way good food should be. It was a nice sized portion and was very tasty.

Caffit entrance

They have a very robust menu with a large variety of options. Their breakfast menu includes the expected meals built around eggs like the Caffit Breakfast.

The Caffit Breakfast is a very nice basic meal which includes your choice of eggs, they’ll add herbs, mushrooms or cheese if you’d like, together with a selection of cheeses, a vegetable salad, bread, fresh fruit and granola parfait and a hot and cold drink (59 NIS).

Another section on the menu includes toasted bagels with various cheeses, smoked salmon and sauces like olive oil and za’atar (49-54 NIS).

If you’re in the mood for pancakes, Caffit has that too. It comes with maple syrup, fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Caffit also offers an exotic selection of pizzas to choose from. Here are two of the more interesting ones:

• Fungi pizza: has tomatoe sauce, portobello and champignon mushrooms, roasted peppers basil and mozzarella cheese.

• The Galilean pizza: covered with labaneh, olive oil and za’atar, goat cheese, roasted peppers seared eggplant, red onions, grilled tomatoes and kalamata olives.

Their afternoon/evening menu has a wide variety of choices ranging from pastas, grilled salmon and fish & chips to a selection stir-fried vegetarian meals and really interesting looking salads (see below).

If you’re looking for a dairy restaurant with excellent food and a really relaxing, pleasant atmosphere, Caffit is a place worth visiting.

It’s best to arrive by public transportation because parking downtown can be a pain, but you can park on Hillel Street and Caffit is a minute away from there.

Details:
Address: 18 Queen Shlomziyon St, Jerusalem
Tel: 053-942-4592
Kashrut: Mahadrin, Rabanut Yerushalayim
Highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

My Ratings:
Food: 4+
Service: 4+
Aesthetics & cleanliness: 4+

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If you’re looking for another really excellent dairy restaurant that specializes in kosher mehadrin Italian food try out Piccolino, not far from Caffit.

Seating outside in the sun

Outside in the tent

Ground floor seating

At the counter

Upstairs seating

Open in Waze

Directions

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