EL AL | Atmosphere

Lifestyle I Food

From a culinary hotspot in a beautiful kibbutz to a New York-style bagel spot in the heart of Tel Aviv, through to an innovative food atelier, and a boutique food truck and bakery in the Jerusalem foothills – here are five female-led Israeli eateries you need to know about / By Sharon Ben-David From the heart: 5 of our favorite Israeli women chefs and restaurateurs

Photos: (food) Noam Prisman, (Alfi) Meital Hadad

Narkis Alfi | Beina At just 38, chef Narkis Alfi has already worked in some of Tel Aviv’s most prestigious restaurants, including as sous-chef at Eyal Shani’s North Abraxas. She also spent time in Amsterdam, working at chef Moshik Roth’s “&Samhoud Places”, before returning to Israel three years ago when she founded “Beina”, with a menu that effortlessly glides between fine and casual dining, drawing inspiration from the many great chefs she worked with and learned from. Alfi’s dishes beautifully combine European refinement and technique with local flavors and ingredients. During the war with Iran, the blast of an Iranian missile shattered all of the restaurant’s windows; but Alfi picked up the pieces, both literally and figuratively, and is now working on opening another locale, a pizzeria, set to open its doors very soon. beina.tlv

Photos: Vera Bello

Shirel Berger | OPA

Though entirely plant-based, chef Shirel Berger (35) refuses to label her menu at OPA as vegan – or even to define her place as a restaurant. To her, it is a culinary atelier, a space devoted to celebrating the fruits of the earth. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and working in some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York, Berger returned to Tel Aviv and made the

choice to work solely with fruit and vegetables, creating original dishes that are at once minimalistic and ultra sophisticated. OPA quickly drew in crowds of customers, vegans and curious foodies alike, going on to win the 50Best Restaurants Guide “One to Watch” Award three years ago, gloriously crowning Berger’s impassioned exploration of farm-to table fine dining. opatlv.co.il

30 ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2026