Good news, foodies: Israel has decided to advance the entry of the Michelin Guide to the country, meaning that your next meal in Tel Aviv could be very starry indeed.
The Tourism Ministry gave the green light to advance in the direction of signing an agreement with the world-famous restaurant guide and is set to work on the deal with the Tel Aviv Municipality.
Michelin, the ministry noted, currently sees feasibility for awarding stars and creating a recommended list only in Tel Aviv, but its staff will work with Michelin toward broadening coverage to other areas in Israel.
Israeli media has so far floated possible candidates for the exclusive guide.
These include OCD by Chef Raz Rahav; HIBA by Chef Yossi Shitrit; Chef Yuval Ben-Neriah’s new ‘a’ restaurant; and Chef Tomer Tal’s George & John restaurant in the Drisco Hotel.
All four restaurants are famous throughout the country for their amazing food and lengthy waiting lists, which will probably grow even longer with the addition of a Michelin star or two.
If Michelin does land in Tel Aviv, it will not be its first Middle Eastern destination – last year, it was announced that the restaurant guide will make its first venture into the area in Dubai, which hosts an impressive array of international restaurants.
Tel Aviv, meanwhile, was recently recognized for its buzzing food scene at San Pellegrino’s Middle East and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, which included OCD, ‘a’ and George & John as well as other famous establishments such as chef Shirel Berger’s celebrated vegan fine-dining establishment, Opa.