Eilat and the Negev Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Eilat and the Negev - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Cafe Lola

    $$

    This whimsically decorated café in the Old City is a breath of fresh air in every respect. Eclectic, funky decor with wooden tables and splashes of color are the backdrop for the tasty dishes served at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's a smashing Israeli breakfast for two featuring house-made bread, smoked salmon, and fresh-squeezed juices. Lunch is equally fetching, with a delicious haloumi (a firm Greek cheese) salad as a star choice. At night the vibe changes, and the small bar mixes up basic cocktails with flair to go with tapas-style dishes like bruschetta with juicy, thinly sliced steak and preserved lemon. Try one of the thick shakes, like an indulgent combination of dates, candied pecans, and coconut milk. There are nice choices for vegan diners as well, and you can hear live music Monday and Tuesday evenings.

    13 Smilansky St., Israel
    08-628–8937

    Known For

    • Lovely outdoor café
    • Israeli breakfast, haloumi salad at lunch, tapas at dinner
    • Interesting neighborhood

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
  • 2. Olla

    $$$

    One of the best tapas bars in Eilat has a relaxing atmosphere, thanks to leather-backed booths and tastefully subdued lighting. The bar, quite lively on weekends, offers some of the most accomplished bartenders in the city. As for the tapas, you can't go wrong with the goose liver and pears on brioche. You can also choose between your favorite cuts of meat, or opt for the locally raised lamb ribs or the foie gras marinated in a red wine sauce.

    7 Tarshish St., 88000, Israel
    08-632–5566

    Known For

    • Vegetarian and vegan friendly
    • Attentive service
    • Spanish-inspired menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Fri. No lunch Sat., Reservations essential
  • 3. Pastory

    $$$$

    At this authentic Italian restaurant, the flavors of Tuscany star on a menu offering fish, meat, seafood, and handmade pasta. The casual dining room and outdoor patio fill up fast, so it's best to call ahead for a table. Try the Trio (entrecôte, beef fillet, and goose liver in red wine sauce) or the spaghetti de mer with shrimp, calamari, and mussels in olive oil and white wine seasoned with sweet chili and herbs.

    7 Tarshish St., 88046, Israel
    08-634–5111

    Known For

    • Pasta dishes like spaghetti de mer
    • Friendly service
    • Innovative takes on old favorites

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. 5–6 pm
  • 4. Agadir

    $$

    The Eilat offshoot of the Tel Aviv chain is known for juicy burgers and a copious selection of beers on tap. In a small complex of bars and restaurants, Agadir's slightly off-the-beaten-track locale makes it feel more intimate than your average burger joint. The restaurant draws a lively nighttime crowd seeking solid food and drink, the main draw being good-quality beef (or veggie) patties topped with condiments ranging from goose breast to a sunny-side-up egg and caramelized onions. Appetizers include juicy merguez sausage and meat-filled Moroccan "cigars" that are made on the premises. You can also opt for Moroccan fish or meaty sirloin sandwiches.

    10 Kamen St., 88000, Israel
    08-633–3777

    Known For

    • Burgers
    • Relaxed atmosphere
    • Generous portions

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
  • 5. HaHavit

    $$

    The delicious dishes at this pub-restaurant, frequented by all ages, include a tasty onion soup, stuffed mushrooms, and juicy homemade burgers. There's also a generous selection of Israeli beers.

    10 Nakhal Tsikhor, 80600, Israel
    08-658–8226

    Known For

    • Considered a local institution
    • Kitschy, fun interior
    • Large portions

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. and Sat.
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  • 6. Kapara

    $$

    In a renovated Ottoman-era building on a tree-lined, Old City street, this rustic restaurant and tapas bar has high ceilings, arabesque tilework, an inner courtyard for alfresco dining, and an atmospheric balcony. Candles flicker from boxes on the walls, and padded chairs and beautifully set tables give the place a serene elegance. There's a separate dining room for families with kids, as well as a bar area. The chef and owner, Yariv Eitani, apprenticed in Provence before returning to his hometown. His creatively prepared tapas-style dishes don't disappoint: wild mushroom risotto, sirloin carpaccio, and seared fresh fish are among the standouts.

    23 Smilansky St., 84100, Israel
    08-665–4854

    Known For

    • Shakshuka
    • Creative tapas-style dishes
    • Fun atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 7. Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm

    $$

    After you watch the adorable goats on the farm, sample the superb (and often quite pungent) cheeses at this charming spot. Perched on a beautiful desert hillside, the wooden restaurant offers indoor or outdoor seating and a menu that includes goat-cheese pizza, bruschetta, and calzones—there's even a tender goat-cheese cheesecake lavished in fruit sauce.

    Rte. 40, 80600, Israel
    08-655–5140

    Known For

    • Rustic setting
    • High-quality, handcrafted cheeses
    • Inventive menu options

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 8. Lalo

    $$$

    A longtime favorite in Eilat, this kosher lunch place is a top-drawer example of Moroccan-Israeli cooking, all of it by an accomplished mother-and-son team. When you arrive at this simple dining room, five different salads (including cauliflower, tahini, eggplant, and hot peppers) are quickly placed in front of you, and the menu further rewards you with adventuresome entrée choices. Consider such delicacies as beef cooked with hummus (a house specialty), calves' brains served with Moroccan spices, or succulent couscous with vegetables, chickpeas, and tender chicken. No fancy pitas here—just plain bread. Dessert is specially prepared fruit, such as oranges or plums cooked until thick and soft, accompanied by fresh mint tea.

    259 Horev St., 88000, Israel
    08-633–0578

    Known For

    • Homemade food
    • Moroccan delicacies like beef cooked with hummus
    • Lunch menu only

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. and Sat. No dinner, Reservations not accepted
  • 9. Last Refuge

    $$$$

    Locals hold this fish and seafood restaurant (known in Hebrew as Hamiflat Ha'acharon) in high regard and take their guests from "up north" here as a real treat. The dining room, with dark paneling and nautical motifs like ships' wheels, spills out onto a spacious balcony where diners eat beside the water, looking at Jordan across the way. Presented with a flourish are fish or crab soups, freshly caught charcoal-grilled Red Sea fish, and creamed seafood served in a seashell. A specialty here is stir-fried sea crabs, prepared with a bit of spice in olive oil and garlic. Weekends tend to be extra busy, so it's smart to reserve several days ahead (and to ask for balcony seating).

    Rte. 90, 88000, Israel
    08-637–3627

    Known For

    • Fish dishes
    • Knockout scenery
    • Stir-fried sea crabs

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 10. Les Sardines

    $$$

    This chic bar and upscale fish restaurant overlooks the harbor at the Eilat promenade, offering white-tablecloth dining indoors and out. Recommended starters are gravlax and seafood carpaccio. Steaks are a choice entrée, but innovative, attractive fish presentations are the star of the show; portions are generous. The friendly, attentive staff can recommend a nice pairing from the extensive wine and beer menu.

    3 HaMayim St., 88000, Israel
    08-676–7488

    Known For

    • Great views
    • Fresh fish
    • Location at the edge of the marina
  • 11. Menta

    $

    Just off Route 40, at a gas station south of the entrance to Ben-Gurion's Desert Home in Kibbutz Sde Boker, this small café is open around the clock and offers tasty cappuccino, espresso, muffins, and sandwiches.

    Rte. 40, 84993, Israel
    08-657–9938

    Known For

    • Great pit stop
    • Fresh pastries with your coffee
    • Stretch your legs
  • 12. Pago Pago Restaurant

    $$$$

    This crowd-pleaser began serving in 1986 from a boat in the marina before occupying a striking, nautical-looking building (it resembles a ship) with walls of windows overlooking the water. The fusion of South American, Asian, and Mediterranean influences creates interesting menu options. Seafood soup or seaweed salad makes a good starter, and seafood main courses include Brazilian moqueca, a fish stew made with coconut milk, and shrimp and calamari gratin with artichokes and garlic. Steak and sushi lovers have good options, too. Pair your meal with a bottle from the impressive list of regional wines.

    99 HaMayim Rd., 88000, Israel
    08-637–6660

    Known For

    • Dramatic dining on a "boat"
    • Sophisticated presentation of seafood and pasta
    • Great views
  • 13. Pola's Café

    $

    This café and gift shop is a pleasant, clean place for a break before or after a tour of the Ben-Gurion Desert Home complex. It's convenient for coffee and pastries or a soft drink and a slice of pizza. The shop features wine and olive oil from the Sde Boker Winery and also sells locally produced skin-care items and cosmetics from Faran, made with minerals from the Ramon Crater area. If you have time, ask to see a screening of the short documentary Dreaming—A Love Story, about the establishment of Kibbutz Sde Boker.

    Israel
    08-656–0479

    Known For

    • Convenience
    • Pastries
    • Often hosts local vendors
  • 14. Ranch House

    $$$$

    Accessed directly from the promenade, this kosher steak house distinguishes itself from the pack with service as solicitous as its steaks are juicy. Wooden tables and comfy chairs set the stage for a meal that will have you begging for a doggy bag. Appetizers are named after American states: "Texas" is a serving of crispy, honey-barbecued chicken wings. Steaks, including a copious rib eye, are cooked to order and arrive with a tangle of crispy fried onions and a side of spinach that isn't quite creamed, but is delicious nonetheless. The wine list is diverse and offers several reasonably priced selections.

    3 Shvil Hayam, 88000, Israel
    08-636–8989

    Known For

    • Attentive service
    • Rib eye
    • Seaside terrace dining

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch. No dinner Fri., Reservations essential
  • 15. Saba Gepetto

    $$

    If you need a break from traditional Middle Eastern food, head to Grandpa Gepetto, tucked into an alleyway off a small shopping mall. The dark, cavelike room features gourmet sandwiches served on fresh focaccia bread, with fillings ranging from stir-fried goose breast to chicken breast with pesto. All of them have whimsical names like Mad Cow and Chicken Little. The restaurant offers English-language menus and an excellent beer selection. For an after-dinner drink, ask the hostess about Bar Basaba (Grandpa's Bar). She'll take you around the corner, unlock an unmarked door, and lead you into the coolest bar in Beersheva, hidden in the courtyard between office buildings. There you'll find local Negev beers on tap and, for the homesick, select American beers in bottles.

    109 Rasco St., Israel
    08-627–2829

    Known For

    • Sandwiches
    • Being a hidden gem
    • Beer on tap at the unmarked bar

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Sat.
  • 16. Whale

    $$$$

    The husband-and-wife chef--owners of Whale draw foodies from all over the country to what has become one of Israel's top seafood restaurants. Salt-baked beetroot salad or zucchini blossoms makes a nice starter; for a main course, try the shrimpburger, and, for dessert, don't miss the salted-caramel tart with ice cream. Browse the cookbooks on the shelves while you wait for your order. 

    6 HaYam St., 88103, Israel
    08-920–9393

    Known For

    • Creative seafood dishes
    • The shrimpburger
    • Elegant, sophisticated atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sat.
  • 17. Yakota

    $$$$

    On a sleepy corner in the Old City, this classic Moroccan restaurant—decorated with traditional textiles, hammered metal, and ornate tilework—has been run by the same family since the 1960s. The food is exceedingly fresh, creative, and delicious—just say the word, and chef Bebe will order for you, starting with a house-made salad featuring seasonal ingredients like fennel, dates, and candied oranges and followed by a simmering tagine of tender meat and vegetables (even local specialties like kmehin, a tuberlike desert root). For dessert, a local baker prepares a host of delicate petits fours, delivered to the table on a tiered metal tower alongside steaming mint tea.

    27 Mordai Hagettaíot St., 84100, Israel
    08-623–2689

    Known For

    • Neighborhood institution
    • Moroccan tagine and mint tea
    • Bebe, the host with the most

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch Sat.
  • 18. Yotvata Inn

    $

    If you're looking for fantastic kibbutz-made ice cream, stop by this inn—an Israeli institution—next to a gas station on Route 90 between the Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve and Timna Park, 40 km (25 miles) north of Eilat. The kibbutz of the same name is across the way, and its dairy products are much loved by locals. (Check out the chocolate-milk fountain!) Hot chicken or beef dishes are available as well. It's open 24 hours (though closed Saturday night), but the late-night food menu is more limited.

    Rte. 90 (Dead Sea–Eilat Rd.), Israel
    08-635–7449

    Known For

    • Unique ice cream flavors like tmarim (date)
    • Welcome rest stop on way to or from Eilat
    • Souvenirs

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