New winter menus to check out across Israel

Hotel de Ville, the new gastro bar at the heart of Dizengoff Street, has expanded its business hours and now offers an intriguing winter brunch. The special menu, which is served on Friday and Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00, consists of classic French dishes with a personal touch from chef Yogev Yaros. Yaros complements his brioche with a lobster bisque, his omelette with avocado and bacon, and even his croissants are filled with bacon and flavorful chicken breast. There is also a hedonistic version of the classic French Toast (Pain Perdu) a fluffy battered bread topped with chantilly cream and strawberries. The new morning is also accompanied by a rich selection of cocktails by mixologist master Ariel Leizgold, in addition to French wines.

At the height of the winter, Beit Kandinof offers a delicious winter menu influenced by Mediterranean and Jaffan cuisine combined with the latest techniques and contemporary raw materials that are available during the colder months. The menu was crafted with the abundance of cultures in Jaffa and combines dishes based on various kitchens that bring Jaffa's flavors and seasonal ingredients from nearby markets. These are mixed into creative, warm and comforting dishes that provide a haven for the cool winter days. Among the main courses: Masabha lime-cream with ground cumin seeds, salsa shifka, bagels with sides, including plates of pickled Balkan matias fish, ikra, sardines, roasted challah; a tagliatelle of asado beef and lamb, root vegetables, red wine, parmesan, and so much more.

Chef Barak Aharoni hosts "The Queen of Shabbat" (Shabbat Malka) at Norman Hotel's Alena restaurant. Lunch is served every Saturday from 12:30-15:00 and is based on an abundance of first courses for the center of the table and a main course that expresses Aharoni's interpretation of traditional ethnic dishes from his parents' home and similar regional kitchens. The beginning of the meal is a variety of seasonal salads of local winter produce and Mediterranean influences, served with "naan barbari," a traditional Persian bread rich in turmeric and cinnamon. After that, Aharoni offers a selection of main dishes that represent a contemporary interpretation of Persian cuisine. This kitchen is rich in raw materials like meat and chicken, rice, vegetables and herbs, dried fruits and spices like sumac, hel and Persian lemon. Among the main courses, there is a slow-roasted beef cheek with Moroccan paprika, coriander and chickpeas; chicken balls and chickpeas with onion, turmeric and Persian lemon; lamb patties and rice balls with cilantro and parsley cooked with root vegetables and potatoes in a mixture of spices along with handmade couscous and vegetable soup.

Situated in a blooming green space at the entrance to Kibbutz Mishmarot, Elhanan offers a seasonal and changing evening menu based on local, fresh ingredients that harbor close ties with local farmers, fishermen and regional boutique producers. The menu was built by chef, baker and owner, Eldad Shmueli, who wanted to build a creative local experience. Among the dishes on the menu that change on a daily basis are the antipasti of roasted cauliflower in a stone oven with yogurt, butter and mint; carrots glazed with thyme, honey and garlic, labane and burnt hyssop; roasted lettuce on coals with cream and parmesan leaves; and fresh, roasted tomatoes with local feta and oregano. Pizzas from the bread oven include pizza margarita; white pizza with creme fresh, spinach, garlic and parmesan; thin white pizza with potatoes, sage, black pepper, berries and parmesan cheese; and pizza Matbucha with anchovies, spicy green sauce and an egg.

Grinberg Bistro serves gourmet cuisine with classic French flavors served every Sunday. The new menu brings the intoxicating aromas of French cuisine to the foreground with dishes served throughout the day. From the kitchens of the world, France is considered one of the culinary pillars by which many kitchens draw their inspiration. From the sunny southern provence to Normandy in the cool north, the extensive culinary and historical knowledge French cuisine has brought to the gastronomical world is paramount. At Grinberg, the menu changes every Sunday and offers options like Darphin potato pancakes & creme fresh; Tart Tartin d 'Endive with caramelized endive and thyme; Gratin de Crabe et Poireaux, a gratin of crabs and leeks; Ragout de Veau, a veal dish combined with red wine and vegetables with puff pastry; and a dessert of almond pudding, praline cream and hazelnuts.

Grinberg Bistro, every Sunday, 25 Uri Tsvi Grinberg St, Azorei Chen, Tel Aviv

Izhar Sahar and Hila Ronen Sahar, the couple and owner of Rotenberg restaurant in Emek HaMaayanot, have launched a new winter menu inspired by their research in the Archeology Museum of Sha'ar HaGolan and as a collaboration with Shelly and Netzer Luria, (also locals who live in Emek HaYarden) whose pottery works are used for all of the dishes. On the menu, patrons will find warm winter stews, which were slow cooked in clay pots built for the restaurant by the pair of ceramicists. The Pottery menu includes dishes such as a beef casserole with dates and anise; a duck market casserole with lemon and cinnamon bark; lamb shoulder with chickpeas and onions; a casserole of roots (kohlrabi, radish, Jerusalem artichoke, onions, garlic, fennel) in white wine, butter and hyssop; a beef casserole with red wine and winter roots veggies; and casserole of blue crabs with strips of banana flowers and pickled lemon.