Compared to other kosher hotel restaurants like Devora, Manara, or West Side, Sereia came onto the kosher scene with more of a whisper than a shout. It wasn’t promoted as the new hit kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv. And it actually took a while for us to hear about it.
But that’s exactly what makes it feel different. Walking in, we noticed there was no unnecessarily dim lighting, no DJ or loud music, no shouting from the kitchen. Just a large, well lit, and beautifully decorated room, with tables generously spaced apart. While Tel Aviv kosher restaurants like Qumran are becoming quasi-clubs, Sereia keeps it low-key and serious.
Situated in the lobby of the new, elegant David Kempinski Hotel, Sereia overlooks the Tel Aviv boardwalk and sea – perfect for a fish restaurant.
In the middle of the room sits what can only be described as a bathtub-like basin of ice, with fresh, raw fish on full display.
For all the best reasons (arriving b’h late July), we weren’t able to order alcoholic drinks or raw fish dishes, but that didn’t stop us from having an incredible meal.
Despite the bread and butter staring at us from across the room, we kept our wits about us and skipped the bread, moving straight to the grilled cabbage and the freekeh risotto we had ordered for starters.
Although we thought it could have probably used a touch more salt, the grilled cabbage salad was surprisingly delicious for such a “simple” dish.
In case you haven’t heard about it, freekeh is a type of roasted wheat, and it’s all the rage in Israeli cooking these days. It has a nutty and slightly smoky flavor that is ideal for risotto. The freekeh was cooked to perfection and was finished with Israeli Pecorino cheese which added a tangy and slightly salty flavor that balanced out the dish perfectly. The fried collard greens provided a crispy and savory contrast to the creamy risotto, and the sweet potato and zucchini added a subtle sweetness that complemented the dish nicely.
We absolutely loved this dish and could easily have eaten another bowl of it.
While waiting for our mains, the grouper souvlaki and wild sea bass, Joella asked the waitress if she could take a quick video of the kitchen. Menashe, the head chef, was there to show her around, but he also let us know that he was making us a special dish – on the house.
A few minutes later, he personally delivered what can only be described as a beautiful plate of handmade pasta with truffle sauce to our table. On top, truffle shavings, which both Joella and I had never had before. Looking back at the menu now, we realized that this dish isn’t even on it. Menache really did make it special for us.
This was easily the best pasta we’ve ever had. Period.
The souvlaki at Sereia seems to be an Israeli take on a Greek dish, combining souvlaki-esque spiced fish with Israeli elements like charred pita and hummus. Putting them all together in the pita creates a great “bis”.
And finally, we ended our meal with sea bass. Not surprisingly, this fish was excellent and the delicious cauliflower cream it sat on was a fitting sidekick. And if my memory serves me right, the dish also came with gnocchi, which provided a different, gummier texture to the dish.
Unfortunately, most of the desserts were not pregnancy friendly, so we didn’t end up getting any.
But we will absolutely be back soon to try all the raw fish, cocktails, and desserts Sereia can serve us.
Sereia at a glance
| Type | Dairy, Fish |
| Best Dish | Truffle Pasta |
| Overall Score | 9.1 |
| Cost | ₪₪₪ |
| Website | Sereia |
