Mashya, Tel Aviv

"What is your favorite restaurant in Tel Aviv?", a friend asked me recently.  I always found the word "favorite" a little tricky and limiting.   There are plenty of restaurants in Tel Aviv that offer something very specific that would deem it my favorite, like the decor, setting, their appetizers,  desserts, or a fun atmosphere that I keep returning for over and over.  I find it very difficult to pick that one special place, BUT, if I absolutely had to, it would be Mashya at the Mendeli Hotel.

Why Mashya?  At first, the seemingly non-traditional setting, in the lobby of a boutique hotel, might appear as an odd location for a spectacular restaurant, but the beautiful wall of lush living greenery, the ceiling of skylights and panels that look like paper cutouts,  the open kitchen, and the inviting wooden bar with plenty of seating; all help to create a lovely dining experience.

And the food, well, it is outstanding.  Mashya's specialty is Mediterranean cuisine with Moroccan influences, and everything is prepared with great care using the highest quality ingredients.

I loved this restaurant so much that after a wonderful lunch experience, I booked it for a birthday dinner for my husband, and we chose the Mendeli Hotel as a place to stay in between Airbnb apartments.  The perk of staying at the Mendli Hotel is the Mashya breakfast, which is excellent.

We began our lunch with black olive financier and labaneh.  This was a nice amuse bouche, and even though I don't care for olives, their flavor was not as pronounced.

The bread at Mashya is baked on a tree branch and comes with labaneh and a spectacular bean dip.

How cool is this bread?

Our son chose this Pumpkin "Asado" with honey and Moroccan paprika glaze, and creme fraiche.

My appetizer - shrimp, spinach, wild mushrooms, and corn foam, became the dish to beat on this vacation.  This was so delightful, so packed with wonderful flavors and textures, that I kept ordering it each time I visited Mashya.

At first glance, my husband's appetizer of arugula, labaneh, fresh figs, avocado honey and pomegranate, seemed a bit dull, but the dish really popped once he mixed all the ingredients together.

Moroccan grouper cakes, fillet, Swiss chard, chickpeas and pickled lemon - light and lovely.

My Supreme chicken, dried carrots, roasted onions, and brown chicken broth.

The chicken was tender and the carrots were just outstanding.  These dried carrots had such a high concentration of flavor, that I really wanted to savor each bite.

Our son, a meat guy, loved his prime veal fillet, with smoked beef broth.

This was a side that came with one of our dishes.  It tasted like barley, which I usually love, but this one was not my favorite.

We were seated near the open kitchen and got a chance to observe the chefs put together most of the dishes.

We debated for a bit when we were handed the dessert menu.  My husband was fully satiated after the great meal, but said that he could have a "bite or two" if I got a dessert.  I wanted to see if Mashya would deliver as strongly when it came to the sweet stuff, so we decided on two desserts that we would just taste, not finish.

So, the two desserts that we finished to the last morsel were:

Baked lemon cream, pastry, sunflower seeds, citrus, yogurt mousse & Yuzo.

and chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream, nougat and sesame crunch.

The delicious and innovative food, very professional, and helpful service, and the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, make Mashya a real gem in the bustling food scene of Tel Aviv.

Another thing that really impressed me was the phone call I received the day after we dined at Mashya.  Someone from the restaurant called to ask whether we enjoyed out meal, and if everything was to our satisfaction.  This, apparently standard practice at Mashya, was my first ever call from a restaurant to inquire about my satisfaction.

Mashya is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Mashya
Mendeli Hotel
5 Mendeli Street
Tel Aviv

Joanna