Just inside the hotel lobby at R48, located off Rothschild Boulevard, a small dining room fills quietly in the early evening. There is no sense of urgency. Guests settle in knowing the night ahead will unfold course by course, guided entirely by the chef. The experience is as aesthetically pleasing as it is delicious.
This is R48 Chef’s Table, an intimate fine-dining experience led by chef Ohad Solomon. With just nine tables and 22 seats, it has become one of Tel Aviv’s most sought-after reservations, often booked weeks in advance by diners celebrating milestones or seeking a serious tasting-menu experience.
Indulging in the season
The current winter tasting menu at R48 Chef’s Table draws inspiration from across the Far East, exploring a range of techniques, aromas, and contrasts rather than adhering to a single tradition. The result is a 12-course progression that builds gradually, with the season expressed mainly through ingredients. The price is NIS 620 per person, including soft drinks.
The menu opens with a Lion’s Mane “Pie Tee”: an ultra-thin crisp shell filled with porcini cream, topped with seared lion’s mane mushroom, thin slices of king oyster mushroom, and mushroom powder. It’s served alongside a sake and lavender sphere, created using a technique that encapsulates the liquid into a bubble that bursts as you bite into it.
The Cheung Fun course is bright and aromatic: a broth infused with kaffir lime, galangal (a root from the ginger family), and lemongrass, poured over somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles) and zucchini noodles, accompanied by a black cod roll wrapped in rice paper. Ginger salsa and fresh herbs complete the dish.
Another standout plate features appam, a South Indian-style fermented rice bread that’s thin, airy, and lightly tangy. It’s paired with small parcels wrapped in pickled nori, filled with soybeans and pak boong (water spinach); finished off with thin slices of local sirloin.
For those who prefer a fish and dairy menu or avoid seafood altogether, the team is happy to accommodate.
The menu concludes with a new, show-stopping dessert: Rice & Koji, Jaggery Caramel, and Toasted Coconut. I was tempted to ask for another.
Beyond wine pairings
In addition to classic and premium wine pairing options, priced at NIS 250 and NIS 450 respectively, R48 Chef’s Table offers a cocktail-based spirits pairing that has become one of its signatures. In fact, it’s the only restaurant in the country offering a cocktail pairing alongside a tasting menu, and it’s a complete yes.
The beverage program is led by Nika, R48’s sommelier and head of beverages. Nearly everything in the cocktails, aside from the base spirits, is made in-house, including seasonal syrups and infusions developed specifically to match the menu. Standout pairings include a tequila-based cocktail and a rich cognac cocktail, both designed to mirror the flavors on the plate. I’m still thinking about both.
A non-alcoholic pairing is also available and crafted with the same attention to structure and progression, priced at NIS 280.
One chef, two experiences
It’s worth noting that R48 operates a dual culinary concept, with two restaurants serving distinct purposes. On Rothschild Boulevard, the R48 Brasserie is a street-facing Mediterranean restaurant built around à la carte dining, business lunches, and lively evenings. Inside the hotel, the Chef’s Table offers a focused, high-end tasting menu designed for guests who want to fully commit to the chef’s vision for the evening.
Together, the two restaurants allow R48 to operate across different moods and moments, while maintaining a consistent culinary identity thanks to Solomon, whose path to R48 is rooted in some of Tel Aviv’s most formative kitchens.
After completing stages in Italy, France, and London, Solomon returned to Israel to work at Toto, long regarded as one of the country’s most demanding culinary training grounds. He later joined the R2M group, spending nearly a decade as head chef of Coffee Bar. Three years ago, he left Coffee Bar to establish R48.
The Chef’s Table opened first as a tightly focused project, allowing him to explore the tasting-menu format without compromise. Nearly a year later, the Brasserie followed, expanding the concept into a more accessible, everyday setting.
At home, Solomon says he tends to cook simply. But dining out, in his view, should deliver something layered and unexpected. That mindset led him toward the cuisines of the Far East, which serve as the inspiration behind the Chef’s Table winter menu.
Justifying fine dining in Israel
Solomon sees the growing interest in chef-driven tasting menus as part of a broader shift in Israel’s dining culture. Diners are increasingly curious, well traveled, and open to committing time and attention to a meal.
“These menus offer a complete journey,” he says. “Guests let go, trust the chef, and step into something intentional.” But that trust comes with responsibility. “If you want to charge at a high level, the experience has to justify it every night.”
The winter menu will run through April, after which a spring-inspired version will be introduced. Take a seat at R48 Chef’s Table to see how a seasonal menu unfolds in the hands of a confident chef.
Lauren Gumport is an avid traveler, travel writer, and VP of communications at the travel tech start-up Faye Travel Insurance. Her travel tips have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, AFAR, USA Today, Fox News, ABC, and more. Follow her on Instagram @Gumport.
Address: Rothschild Blvd 48, Tel Aviv
Hours: Tuesday–Thursday evenings, one seating per night, reservations begin between 19:00–19:30
Phone: +973 03-556-0011
Instagram: @r48_chefs_table
The writer was a guest of the venue.