When they make aliyah, many French immigrants choose to settle in Netanya, and coming to Chez William must make them feel really at home. The menu is in Hebrew and French, and there is not a word of English in sight.
Nevertheless the food served is universally popular to all diners, no matter what their ethnic background. It’s basic Israeli fare, a selection of salads for starters, and grilled fish and meats with fries for the main course.
The restaurant is situated in downtown Netanya, in Independence Square, which is lined with eateries, shops of all kinds, and several synagogues. It’s a great place to sit and people-watch, an Israeli custom that never loses its appeal.
The meal began with a selection of salads, served on small plates, with fresh baguette which could have been baked on the Boulevard Saint-Michel rather than in Israel. There were two kinds of eggplant salad, beetroot, red pepper, harissa, which is a spicy chili paste, pickled vegetables, Israeli salad (chopped tomatoes and cucumbers), carrot salad, and a dish of large green olives. All were very fresh and not over-spiced.
Our helpful waitress explained that the salads are free if one eats a main course, but if not the cost is NIS 30.
The main course was a mixed grill served with fries. It consisted of merguez, steak, and pargit (deboned chicken thighs), all grilled to perfection. The merguez, a spicy sausage, was especially good, being very meaty and substantial. The platter also included a generous amount of tender grilled steak and crispy pargit, all delicious and far too much (NIS 200 for two).
Accompanying the meat was a plate of french fries, fairly standard but nicely hot and far too many for even the most gargantuan appetites.
The restaurant does not serve desserts
We were fortunate not to be tempted to end our meal with something sweet, as the restaurant does not serve desserts. Perhaps some time in the future, according to Tsuri, the hands-on proprietor, who was born in Netanya and lived there all his life except for several years in France in his youth.
And the name? William is the name of a previous owner, many years before, also French, and Tsuri decided to keep it, out of respect for his predecessor and Netanya history.
Chez William
10 Independence SquareNetanyaTel: (09) 884-3912Open: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.Kashrut: Netanya RabbinateMeat: Glatt Beit YosefWheelchair accessibleThe writer was a guest of the restaurant.
