Israel for Beginners

Where else but in the Yemenite Quarter can you hear the person who serves you a cappucino at a trendy coffee bar sing traditional sefardic shabbat songs? Most tourists visit Neve Tzedek or the Port when visiting Tel Aviv but for true authentic insight into the ethnic side of Tel Aviv, a tour of the Yemenite Quarter is a must. Once again, the tour (in Hebrew) by the excellent Doron Ozer and sponsored by the Tel Aviv Municipality hits all the the beaten tracks of this area of Tel Aviv that has not yet been gentrified and is rich in tradition. And the eating stops along the way (chumus/pita/Yemenite bread) were great! Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Tours - for a list of tours and times go to www.telaviv.gov.il or call 03-516-6188

Gzuztra is one of those places to take visitors when you want to wow them. Gzuztra is a concept restaurant - the concept being that portions are small so that each diner is expected to order two or three dishes and to share among the table. But that is not what will impress your tourist friends. What will impress them is the full wall of glass facing the ocean. Even at night, the restaurant gives an impressive feel; I can only imagine that during the day or at sunset the effect is stunning. As for the food, it was actually quite good. The sushi (served only at dinner) was terrific. My husband thought the fish and chips were fabulous. And I very much enjoyed the Asian chicken salad. The only cautionary note is that because the dishes are small, you tend to order many reasonably priced items but ending up with a high bill. Gzuztra - 100 Ramot Yam Street (on the sea near Accadia Hotel), Herzlia - 09-954-8806 Reservations highly recommended

This restaurant so disappointed on every level that I wasn't even sure I should bother writing about it. Located one block in from the Tel Aviv beach, Prime Grill bills itself as "meat at its best". Prime Grill in New York (no connection) truly fits that description but the meats of Prime Grill in Tel Aviv were completely mediocre. The service was poor. And to top it all off, the prices were high. Not worth a visit. Prime Grill - 60 Herbert Samuel, Tel Aviv - 03-510-0266