If Tel Aviv is a foodie destination, then George & John is a must-experience. Located on a small, tucked-away street between ancient Jaffa and the sprawling city of Tel Aviv, it is the jewel of the Drisco, one of my favorite luxury boutique hotels.
Not resting on its laurels, the restaurant is pushing its new chef, Yaron Fishniak, who took over from Tomer Tal. Fishniak, 27, was Tal’s sous chef and was handpicked to rule the kitchen.
The restaurant immediately sets the scene, with its décor of the bygone bon vivant colonial era. Five ceiling fans whirl above. A small lamp lights up each table, and low-key indie jazz whispers out of concealed speakers.
Of course, I ordered the Vieux Carré cocktail (NIS 68), a mixture of rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, reminding me of my native New Orleans. My dining companion opted for the frothy Clover Club (NIS 56), also mixed in style at the elegant bar.
We started our meal with a basket of the house bread (NIS 34), which came with three types of butter, which we devoured in the short wait for our appetizers. I chose the steak tartare (NIS 88) served with port vinaigrette and included gorgeous, finger-sized toasted Casten bread. My only disappointment was that there were only two pieces, which didn’t hold all of the tartare (a good thing that we had ordered bread).
My companion’s yellowtail tartare (NIS 84) came wrapped in slices of kohlrabi. They were swimming in clementine and Persian lemon vinaigrette, mixed with green papaya and topped with finger lime pearls. There were only three in the serving, but they exploded with a tart flavor.
We decided to complement our main course with wine. George & John has an extensive wine list with about 250 labels, mostly European wines. We opted for Israeli wine. I had a glass of the Lahat white, a limited-edition blend with a nutty flavor (NIS 68). My companion chose the rose from the Vitkin Winery (NIS 39).
The main menu
The main menu comprises three sections: intermediate dishes (NIS 98-NIS 128); main courses (NIS 148-NIS 178); and three premium specials – lamb spare ribs (NIS 172), 40-day sirloin (NIS 182), and prime rib, priced by weight (NIS 74 per 100 gr.).
Curiously, there was no “chef’s favorite” main course, which I found lacking, since this was a review of the new chef.
My companion chose the grouper (NIS 138). Served in a small white bowl, a hefty hunk of fillet, its skin perfectly crispy, was surrounded by Jerusalem artichoke cream, topped with acorn squash tempura and charred leek. Tasty, but a bit bland. Certainly not as fishy-flavored as the folks at the next table sharing the sea bass found their dish. The butterfly-cut sea bass was cooked in butter and chili, and came with charred asparagus (NIS 178).
All the seafood comes straight from Tel Aviv’s Carmel market.
I chose the crab linguine (NIS 128) and was pleased I did. (It’s hard to find good crab meals in Israel, even in Tel Aviv.) Chunks of pure white crab meat were dribbled around a bed of linguine, smothered with crab bisque, brown butter, and brioche crumble. It was a hurricane of flavor that I didn’t want to end.
But it did, and we moved on to desserts. Our waitress suggested the semolina pumpkin cake with yogurt ice cream (NIS 58). My companion was dying for chocolate and was rewarded with a dark chocolate and hazelnut cake, accompanied by coffee dolce, chocolate sable, and sorbet (NIS 58).
My advice: Don’t fill up with the freshly baked breads and save room for dessert.
The restaurant was filled with couples, families in celebration, and tourists, and the bar was full. The mirror wall makes the place seem larger than it actually is.
The food was expertly prepared. The staff was very attentive, and the vibe was cool and trendy in a classical sense. Like many restaurants in Tel Aviv, the portions at George & John were small but elegant. The prices were on the upward scale. Our bill, with included coffee, came to NIS 851.
While guests at the Drisco Hotel are granted seating preference, it’s best to book ahead, since George & John, after all, has been rated one of the 50 best restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa – and rightly so.
George & John
4 Auerbach St.
Tel Aviv
Hours: Sun-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
Tel: (03) 726-9309
Not kosher
Website: gandj.co.il