Take me to the most beautiful restaurant in Tel Aviv. These are tough times. I want to be in a beautiful space. I want to be taken care of, fussed over, and served great food. I know it’s going to cost, but I am worth it.
In a fit of “I’m worth it,” we chose to dine at 2C Restaurant on the 49th floor of the Azrieli round tower in Tel Aviv. This is a truly beautiful space, high above the city, where life is tranquil, the Mediterranean glistens, and the clear light pouring through the windows is optimistic.
The business lunch at 2C is the best deal in town. For the price of a good meat meal at any fine restaurant in Tel Aviv, you get the works. The space, the fine dining atmosphere, the pampering service, and the very delicious and elegantly presented food. The lunch menu has a nice selection of starters, fish, and meat dishes.
This budget-conscious writer usually opts for the risotto main course. But on this occasion my companion and I were guests of the restaurant.
What's there to eat at 2C?
The evening meal is available from 5 p.m. In the evening, the restaurant ramps up the menu with several superior and unique dishes. But when you are worth it, you are worth it.
My companion started his meal with the Burik Asado. This is an impressive dish that illustrates the aesthetics, elegance, and the special flavors at 2C. The slow-cooked beef is served in a cup of filo dough molded to a glass serving bowl. The look is very impressive, and the taste does not pale. The combination of meat on the sweet dough is unusual and pleasant, and goes very nicely with a glass of house red wine.
The Asian Som Tam salad with a sweet and sour Vietnamese dressing is the recommended vegetarian starter. This salad originates in Thailand, and is served at 2C from the Sefora menu, another restaurant in the Bados group. This salad has the texture of coleslaw but with papaya and onions, and is topped with cashews.
For his main course, my companion was served the Tornados Rossini, the top-of-the line flagship dish of the 2C dinner menu. This is an architectural wonder that should be on every meat-lover’s bucket list. A slice of goose liver sits atop a thick piece of filet steak. The whole dish is covered in beef gravy. The meat is served with creamy mashed potatoes flavored with truffles and a single spear of asparagus.
Both the presentation of this dish and the flavors are memorable. The impressive layers of meat and the wave of mashed potatoes are a sight. At NIS 283, this is a real specialty dish. But without a doubt, my companion is worth it.
I was very impressed with my choice of the salmon fillet. The fish was seared on the top and well done on the inside. The fish was very nicely presented on a plate with bok choy and a wave of sweet potato spread. This is a very colorful dish of pink salmon, green root vegetable, and a smear of orange sweet potato.
I don’t remember the last time I finished the whole piece of fish. But we both wiped our plates clean.
As we finished our main courses, the waitress brought out a tray with a teapot, and performed a charming ritual where she poured hot water over some white balls, which puffed into wipes. How cool is that?
And what will you have for dessert? More food? We shared one piece of cheesecake, mostly to taste the parve version of the real thing. It was topped with crumbs, berries, and berry jam, and was a close second to the dairy version.
THE RESTAURANT opened with the Azrieli Center 25 years ago. Despite its amazing atmosphere and high-end feel, this is very much a down-home family restaurant. Abba was the founder of the restaurant. Mom brought the culture of hospitality from her home to the restaurant. Merav manages the restaurant with professional acumen. Her brother contributes the aesthetics and the design. Every dish, wine glass, and hand wipe is in a class of its own.
Merav relishes the family atmosphere of the restaurant. Every night when they pack it up, the staff sits down together for food and company. The atmosphere is of friends and family. That’s why it was so devastating when four of the 2C employees who went to the Re’im Supernova music festival together on October 7 didn’t return. Along with so many others, the restaurant remained closed for weeks till, with trepidation, they finally reopened. We will never forget, but for just a few hours we can step out of ourselves and relish the good life. Because we are worth it.
Getting there: Park in the underground car park under the Azrieli Center. Take the elevator to the third floor and then another elevator to the 49th floor.
- 2C Restaurant
- Azrieli Mall, 49th floor
- 132 Begin Road, Tel Aviv
- Tel: (03) 608-1990
- Kashrut: Tel Aviv Rabbinate
- Open: Sunday-Thursday, 12 noon – 11 p.m. Closed Friday, Shabbat
The author is the founder and CEO of eLuna.com the premier English-language website for kosher restaurants in Israel.