Manta Ray, Tel Aviv

A few years ago, after reading glowing reviews, I made a dinner reservation at Manta Ray. Two days before our dinner, while strolling on the beach, we walked by the restaurant, saw the stunning view from the beachfront terrace and decided to change the reservation to lunch. We have been lunching at Manta Ray ever since with each visit to Tel Aviv.

The atmosphere at Manta Ray is very lively and relaxed, the crashing waves add a wonderful soundtrack and the smell of the sea fills the air.

The view from the restaurant is beautiful and if it wasn't really windy, we would have been sitting outside.

I believe this was a potato leek soup with carrot chips.

We tried not to overdo it with the delicious mezze; needed to save room for the main course. Each year we promise ourselves that we will order all of the mezze with the bread and nothing else, maybe next time.

We chose shrimp with spinach, beets with cheese balls, chickpea, and my favorite: salmon chunks with parsley.

The Balkan bread always comes piping hot and delicious, and it includes coarse salt and olive oil and vinegar.

My son, being a growing teenager, ordered this chunk of beef in red wine sauce, artichoke hearts, and champignon mushrooms tossed in butter.

My husband loved his filleted blue bream with organic red rice, pineapple and chili butter.

I ordered my usual, filleted sea bass with gnocchi, eggplant, cashews in cured lemon butter.
As always, it was fantastic, perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Feeling completely full, but in need of something sweet, we decided to share two desserts.

Creme brulee with filo pastry leaves. This was very good but I usually prefer my creme brulee warm and this was cold, especially in the center.

Delightfully rich vanilla parfait topped with mango and passion fruit caramel, and crumbles of coconut cookies. We chose this as the winner in the dessert category.

As I said, we have been enjoying our visits to Manta Ray for a few years now. The service has been wonderful in the past, but not this time. My strong affection for the restaurant makes it easy to forgive the disinterested and half-hearted service we received. I will undoubtedly return to give them another chance; the restaurant is worth it.

Manta Ray
703 Yehezkel Kaufman Street
open daily 9-midnight

Joanna

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