Magdalena

Magdalena is quietly revolutionizing Israeli gourmet cuisine, tucked at a drab traffic circle in Tiberias, above a generic grocery and facing a tourist-heavy stretch of the Sea of Galilee. The restaurant, which is located near the Migdal intersection, is exquisite, polished, and completely unexpected. This 'chef's restaurant,' which received a great New York Times review in 2016, serves unique 'Galilean Arab' cuisine that combines ingredients and recipes learnt from chef Zuzu Hanna's mother — in the Upper Galilee hamlet of Rameh – with current gourmet techniques like sous vide.

The menu of Chef Youssef Hana combines home-cooked specialities from Galilee kitchens. Hana was raised in a home that was influenced by Lebanon and the Mediterranean. Its vast, gleaming facility is popular with large families, and meals are frequently served with a side of loud acoustics, but its most important feature – its cuisine – is an exercise in simplicity and restraint. The shishbarak (goat-stuffed dumplings) are flavorful, the zahara (fried cauliflower with tehina and sour amba) is a delightfully refined take on a typical street-food classic, and the standout is the succulent steak topped with bone marrow, foie gras, and thick artichoke cream. Make sure to save space for dessert: their airy semolina cigars filled with creamy ricotta, honey, and pistachio are sheer delight.

Rate: 4.5/5.0, 2405 Google reviews

Address: Migdal, Israel

Website: https://magdalena.co.il/