אל על | אטמוספירה

Bella BaEmek A delightful Italian-style meal Bella BaEmek is an absolute favorite among locals. It’s where people come to celebrate birthdays and family events or meet friends for a spontaneous bite to eat and a glass of wine. This Italo-Mediterranean inspired eatery has been serving fish dishes for thirteen years now, as well as pizza, pasta, salads, and more. The owner, Lior Golan, and chef Idan Lifshitz, earned their stripes in various Tel Aviv restaurants, eventually returning home to run a place of their own. The dining room is spacious, pleasant, and simple in its design, the perfect setting for a joyful meal just like in Italy, with beef carpaccio, Yizraeli Caesar salad, fluffy truffle and chestnut gnocchi, pappardelle al ragù, etc. The service is professional, warm, and generous, with the quality of the ingredients shining through in each dish. Open Monday to Saturday. On Friday mornings, the restaurant hosts private events. bellabaemek.co.il

Café Kirshner A delicious spot in Beit Lehem Haglilit The beautiful village of Beit Lehem Haglilit (in English, Bethlehem of Galilee), is one of the most visited parts of the region. On Saturdays, people flock over to admire the ancient Templar sites and explore the village’s beautiful wide streets and many artists’ studios. When hunger strikes, everybody makes their way to the coffee truck in Kirshner farm, a 150-year-old family homestead which serves as a B&B run by Etty Kirshner. Two years ago, her son opened a coffee truck, Café Kirshner, selling coffee, pastries, sandwiches, cakes, and salads – all made by Etty herself. Everything is delicious, especially when savored onsite, surrounded by the gorgeous Emek views, or for the more adventurous, in hidden corners across the valley fields, which Etty will gladly direct you to. @kirshner_cafe

Photo: Nitzan Zohar

Golda Bahazer, Kibbutz Merhavia

A bucolic café imbued with nostalgia Located in what once was Kibbutz Merhavia’s children’s home, the family-owned Golda Bahazer café has become a favorite among locals and visitors, what with its pastoral atmosphere and excellent food. Established by two women born and raised in the kibbutz, the café offers a dairy-based menu with a large selection of breakfast dishes, baked delights (the kubaneh is an absolute must), sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, served against the backdrop of the majestic kibbutz trees. After your meal, do take the time to visit the kibbutz itself, which was one of Israel’s first cooperative agricultural communities, founded in 1929. Guided tours are available, offering a chance to discover the rich history of the early Zionist settlements through the eyes of Golda Meir and other major figures of the time, while visiting current-day artisans’ studios, such as the “Nacca” handmade

cosmetics laboratory. golda-bahazer.com

Photo: David Moyal

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ATMOSPHERE FEBRUARY 2025