Herbert Samuel in Tel Aviv Restaurant Recommendation

Herbert Samuel Tel Aviv restaurant is perfect for those vacation lunches: long, boozy affairs with many dishes, perfect natural light and the best company.

A plated gourmet dish with microgreens, sauces, and a fork on a napkin in the background.

A giant bowl of olives greeted us as soon as we walked into Herbert Samuel. Conveniently located on the boardwalk in Tel Aviv, steps away from Dan Panorama (though its address is on Koiffman Street). Nestled in one of the most elaborate bars I've ever seen, I knew those olives had one goal - to decorate a dirty martini - and I felt like we came to the right place.

A bowl of assorted marinated olives with lemon slices and a serving spoon.

Cocktail Orders At Herbert Samuel Restaurant Coming Up!

Assorted liquor bottles on a bar counter with a large vase of white flowers in the background.

Two colorful cocktails on a wooden table, with blurred people and restaurant background.

Two women smiling and enjoying red cocktails together in a bright, casual setting.

Despite the promise of martinis, the three of us ordered slightly more exotic cocktails!

My mother went with something with berries and lychee. I asked for the least sweet thing in the house, and Yana wanted a pink thing.

All were excellent, and all had us laughing hysterically within the 15 minutes upon arrival. The markings of a good, stiff cocktail in my books.

Woman with sunglasses on her head sips a red cocktail at a restaurant, wearing a floral dress.

A tall iced drink with a lime wedge and two straws sits on a napkin on a wooden table.

For our starters, we ordered the famous "Herbert Samuel" Tomatoes Salad, the Tuna & Yellowtail carpaccio with "Gunkan" Daykon & Wasabi, and the beef Santa Fe Tartare. The tomatoes salad was perfectly seasoned and colourful. A little bite of freshness in a country whose tomatoes are some of the best you'll ever have.

Though I could not taste the beef tartare, my mother claimed it was the best dish of the lot!

My tuna carpaccio was a feast on the eyes. The combination of colours, the presentation, and the little bites of wasabi were incredible. It came together to present a cohesive vision for a meal that would incorporate many Asian flavours. It celebrate the fruits of the sea and artfully tread the line between refined and hoity-toity.

Next Up, Lunch

A hand with pink nail polish holds a fork over a bowl of tomato salad next to a pink cocktail.

We ordered the lunchtime menu, a steal at 88 Israeli shekels (about $27 USD, or $36 CAD). That included a magnificent bread bowl of homemade breads and extremely cold freshly churned butter, which was gone very quickly. Again, the markings of a job well done for the cocktails, which needed some soaking up.

Herbert Samuel's and Food Sensitivities

It's important to note, at this point, that the staff at Herbert Samuel was incredibly kind, thoughtful and accommodating about my food sensitivities!

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Elegant plated appetizer with two rounds topped with greens, dotted with green and beige sauces on a gray plate.

After a discussion with the kitchen, only the appropriate dishes were recommended, and adjustments were made when I was really set on trying something that came with a butter or soy sauce.

This immediately set a good tone for the meal. It made me feel much more relaxed about eating and not worrying about cross-contamination.

Two women sitting at a restaurant table, smiling and clinking glasses with colorful drinks.

What We Ordered: From Seafood to Stake

As we were located on the seashore of the Mediterranean, it only made sense that our meal would focus on fish cuisine.

The Grey Mullet with Leeks

Person cutting cooked fish with crispy skin and sauce in a metal pan, garnished with herbs.

After the excellent starter, both my mother and I ordered more fish course. Her, the Grey Mullet with Leeks, one of her favourite fish that came soaked in butter on a skillet straight to the table. The flavour here was pure perfection! Grilled well on the skin side, and plump and juicy on the flesh side. The leeks themselves were a study in French cooking: almost fawning over with their own succulence and buttery sauce.

The Salmon

Grilled salmon fillet on a bed of greens and mushrooms in a brown sauce, served on a green plate.

My main was the Salmon with the Red Cashew Glaze & Bok Choy a-la Plancha. Though the sauce contained a small amount of soy, it was omitted from the final presentation. I knew I could tolerate that little amount. And I am ever glad I did! The red cashew glaze was completely unique, and the salmon tasted earthy and fresh. Though the dish lacked the refinement of my mother's grey mullet, it was still one for the books.

The Sirloin Steak

Yana, as per her usual, ordered the most meaty dish on the menu - the sirloin steak on the bone. I guess it was great as she inhaled it (sorry, meat eaters! Really not sure what to tell ya).

Stuffed and perfectly content with one of the best meals I've had this year, we left Herbert Samuel with huge smiles on our faces. We were so content, in fact, that I left my prized cardigan in the cab back... Another sign of a boozy lunch well done.

Two women smiling at a table in a bright, busy restaurant, one wearing a floral dress, the other in stripes.

Herbert Samuel Tel Aviv, 6 Koifman St, Tel Aviv, 03-5166516

More International Restaurant Recommendations

If you are looking for something fancy and magical, and don't mind losing the purse strings just a tad, check out my Ristorante Beatrice in Montreal review! Also, check out my Orlando restaurant recommendations and the best restaurants in Toronto!

Also read about my restaurant recommendation

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