After several days of eating my way through the city (Herbert Samuel, Orna and Ella), I realized that I may actually be gaining weight. That (and the craziness of local drivers) is one of the hazards of visiting this city. It’s a pity that most people do not associate Tel Aviv with good food because I have not had a bad meal here.

The other night I went to a restaurant called Orca, which is well known and has been on the “favorites” list of many people for years. The signature dish — ravioli filled with an egg yolk, crab meat and goat cheese — was truly memorable. The fish was very fresh and delicious. I did not make it to dessert, unfortunately, because I was stuffed. And it’s just as well because when I saw the desserts, they were immense and utterly decadent.

• Vibe: large, airy, stylish interior, tables far apart from each other so you can have private conversations, comfortable chairs; slightly older, more conservative crowd than at Herbert Samuel.

• Pros: excellent seafood and fresh pasta, good service, civilized dining experience (i.e. noise levels are low so you can enjoy real dinner conversations unlike in a lot of restaurants in San Francisco and Amsterdam).

• Cons: a bit expensive for Tel Aviv, but in line with what you’d pay in Amsterdam and Paris for the quality of the food.

Orca
57 Nachalat Binyamin
Tel Aviv
Tel: +972 3 566 5505