One of the great questions any businessman visiting a foreign city has always been is: "where can I find great food and atmosphere to entertain and also enjoy by myself?"

I did a quick search on the Net for business entertainment in Israel. I was very disappointed with what I found. The listings were either incomplete, not updated or highly subjective. Only one site deserves some credit and even there one can see that this site was created for the tourist - not the visiting businessman!

Leyden has created this page, as a free service, for the International businessman or woman seeking a fine watering hole before or after signing the contract. Leyden does not receive payment of any kind from any of the restaurants listed below - this is a totally objective list!

We have even included McDonald's, Burger King and Nathan's - for as being a former New Yorker, I too can enjoy tea at the Plaza Hotel, breakfast at Windows on the World, brunch at Tavern on the Green, Dinner at the 21 Club with an occasional Big Mac when on the run ;>

All restaurants which are highlighted in blue - are your very best bet for the tastiest food, best wines and smokes in Israel.

TAYAVON or as we say in English - Good Appetite!

Tel-Aviv

ALADDIN Restaurant - Jaffa Old Harbor - Spectacular view of Tel Aviv

ALEXANDER Restaurant Tel: 972-3-6058910

AMERICA Tel: 972-3-6950721 Truly Excellent

Appropo - (upper quality restaurant chain)

AZTECA MEXICAN RESTAURANT Tel: 972-3-5173638

Ba Li Dag - Continental Fish & Sea Food 256 Ben Yehuda Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5465030

Babushka 20 Yirmiyahu St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-453668

Baubab 43 Ahad Haam St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5663331

Burger King (every 500 meters - can't miss it)

Burger Ranch

CACTUS Restaurant Tel: 972-3-5105969

Casa Mia - Italian Restaurant Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5239856

Casba - Oriental Restaurant 32 Yirmiyahu St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-6042617

CHICAGO PIZZA PIE FACTORY Tel: 972-3-5177505

China Lee - Chinese Restaurant 102 Hayarkon St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5243141

Dixie - American style crusine - 120 Igal Alon Street, Tel Aviv Tel: 972-3-696-6123 Truly Excellent Food and business atmosphere - open 24 hours

EL GAUCHO Restaurant03-5283788

Fronto - Italian Restaurant 26 Nachmani St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5660915

Gamaleial - Restaurant 38 Hakovshim St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-658779

Habima Cafe - Restaurant situated next to Israel's National Theater

Hippoptam - French Restaurant 12 YIRMIYAHU ST. TEL AVIV, Tel: 972-3-5468907

INCA CIGAR BAR - David Inter-Continental Hotel Tel: 972-3-795-1111 Truly Excellent

Jasmin Garden - Chinese Restaurant 54 Yirmiyahu St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5244268

Jerusalem Beach Restaurant - on the beach with good food and drink.

Little Tel-Aviv - Continental Restaurant 300 Hayarkon St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-6055539

LOTUS Chinese Restaurant Tel: 972-3-6494203 Truly Excellent

Maccao - Chinese & Thai Restaurant 7 Yirmiyahu St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5464311

MASH 03-6051007 - A landmark for hamburgers which has outsurvived the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood.

McDonalds (every 500 feet! - can't miss it)

MONGOLIA BARBECUE Tel: 972-3-5465913 Truly Excellent All you can eat - dangerous!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK Restaurant- Ibn Givrol Street, Tel Aviv Tel: 972-3-6951541 Truly Excellent

Olympia - Oriental Restaurant 41 Karlibach St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5613312

Pekin - Chinese Restaurant 54 Moshe Sne Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-453423

Pekin - Chinese Restaurant 265 Dizengoff St. Tel-Aviv,Tel: 972-3-5462033

Pizza Fino - Italian Restaurant 169 Ben Yehuda St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-6417674

PICASSO RestaurantTel: 972-3-5102784 Hayarkon St. Tel-Aviv Great view of the T.A beach

Raffis - Israeli Restaurant 1 Yoredei Hasira Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-450083

Red Chinese - Chinese & Thai Restaurant 326 Dizengoff St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5466347

Shangrilla - Thai Restaurant 105 Hayarkon St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5234763

Shaul's Inn - Oriental Yemenite Restaurant 11 Elyashiv Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-657619

Shipudai Hatikva - Oriental Restaurant 37 Etzel St. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-6878014

Smokey Restaurant - Azerrelli Center, Tel Aviv - Excellent and perhaps the only NYC style pastrami sandwich in the Middle-East!

Taj Ma`ahal - Indian Restaurant 12 Kdumim Sq. Jaffa, Tel: 972-3-6821002

Tanduri Restaurant - Indian Restaurant Dizengoff Sq. Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-6296605 206 - Israeli Restaurant Tel-Aviv, Tel: 972-3-5226555 Truly Excellent

TNUVA SHELANU Tel: 972-3-5220297

WHITE HALL STEAK HOUSE Tel: 972-3-5249282

ZANZIBAR Tel: 972-3-6859840

Crusader City, Caesarea

Herzliya

Columbus Restaurant - American Bistro, Hagalim Blvd. Herzelia Pituach Tel: 972-9-958-9880 Truly Excellent

CROCODILE - Tel: 972-9-9570762

SEAFOOD BAR - Tel: 972-9-511219

New York, New York Restaurant - 5 Maskit Street Tel: 972-9-954-6496

Erez - 13 Maskit Street Tel: 972-9-955-9892

Shogun Japanese - Maskit Street

Tandori Indian Restaurant - Maskit Street, Tel: 972-9-954-6702 Truly Excellent

Herzliya Marina

Farida - Fish and Seafood Tel: 972-9-958-7775 Truly Excellent

Food Cafe - Tel: 972-9-951-4488 Very Good

Medzzo Grill - Tel: 972-9-951-0077

Caesarea

Crusaders Restaurant - Old City - Fish, Seafood and Middle Eastern Tel. 972-6-636-1931
Food here is very good. Atmosphere perhaps the most romantic in Israel. Dazzling sunsets.

Haifa

Abu Yosef - Continental Restaurant 29 El Zisan-Paris Sq. Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8537138

Abu Ramzei - Continental Restaurant Daliyat El Carmel Bagel Nash 2/44 Hapalmach St. Kiryat Bialik, Tel: 972-4-8730911

Carmel Forest Spa Resort, Tel. 972-4-830-7888 - This is the only Hotel exception made here - Deep inside the Carmel Forest - perhaps the Best Food in Israel! (and we say that with a full stomach! ;> )

Chin Lung - Chinese Restaurant 126 Hanasi Blv. Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8381308 Dolphin - Fish Restaurant 13 Bat Galim Av. Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8523837 Haifa Pancake - American Restaurant 186 Jaffa Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8538642

La Tratoria - Continental Restaurant 119 Hanasi Blv. Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8379020

Misadag - Fish Restaurant 29 Pinchas Margoli Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8524441 Neptune - Continental Restaurant 19 Nargulin Dock Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8522654

Popolo - Italian Restaurant Romema Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8345378

Salach Brothers - Oriental Restaurant 5 Hameginim Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8640763 Sin Sin - Chinese Restaurant 28 Jaffa Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8642223

The Well - Continental Restaurant Zichron Yaakov, Tel: 972-6-6398018

Viola - French Restaurant 21 Nordau Haifa, Tel: 972-4-8664529

Jerusalem

Akkari - Italian Restaurant 3 Lounz St.Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6256655

Alno - Dairy Restaurant 15 Ben-Yehuda St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6223821

ATARA - Continental Restaurant 7 Ben-Yehuda St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6250141

Ben and Jerry's - Dairy Ice Cream 5 Hilel St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6242767

Cardo - Culinaria Restaurant 21 Habad St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6264155

Citadel - Chinese Restaurant 14 Havitat Jerushalain Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6285300

Da-La-Thien - Chinese Restaurant 34 Beit Lehem Rd. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6732432

El-Marrakesh - Oriental Continental Restaurant 4 King David St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6251208

Europa - Hungarian Restaurant 42 Jaffa St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6258953

El Gaucho - South American Restaurant 22 Rivlin St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6256665

Habira - Oriental Restaurant 222 Jaffa St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-5380322

La Gondola - Italian Restaurant 14 King George St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6225944

Le Tshriff - Continental Restaurant 5 Horkanus St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6242478

Monitin - Oriental Restaurant 2 Moriah Corner Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-5380761 Navah - Fish Restaurant 44 Jaffa Rd. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6222861

Nathan's - King George Street - the best Hot Dogs in the States were in Jerusalem! (Sorry - just closed!)

Norman's Steak'n Burger 27 Emek Refaim, German Colony, Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-566-6603

O Sahara - Marrocan Restaurant 17 Jaffa St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6254239 Ramsis - Oriental Restaurant 31 David St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6280194 Rondo - Oriental Grill Restaurant 41 King George St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6232223

Shtark - Self Service Givat Ram Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6584858,

Tavlin - Dairy Vegetarian Restaurant 16 Yoel Solomon St. Jerusalem, Tel: 972-2-6243847

Tielet - Spectacular view overlooking the Old City - food is average!

Ra'anana

Oklahoma Restaurant - Kanion Renanim - Tel: 972-9-741-8766

Kapulski - Ra'anana Park

Coffee Bean - Canyon Renanim - Best coffee in Israel!

The Wine Road - Kanion Renanim - Tel: 972-9-746-0408 - Great wine and Cigars at reasonable prices

Dunkin Donuts - Ahuza Street - The American Donut and Sandwich chain with excellent coffee

H & H Bagels Gals Bagels Cafe - 96 Ahuza Street, Tel: 972-9-744-500 Excellent brunch

Apropo - Kanion Renanim Shopping Center

Eilat

Au Bistro - Restaurant, Eilot St. Eilat, Tel: 972-7-374333

El Marocco - Oriental Restaurant New Tourism Center Eilat, Tel: 972-7--371296 Halleluya - Continental Restaurant New Tourism Center Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6375752

Lotus - Chinese Restaurant, Caesar Hotel Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6376389 Truly Excellent

Maman Beach - Restaurant North Beach Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6371958

Pago Pago - Restaurant North Shore Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6372526

Pagoda - Chinese & Thai Restaurant Shulamit Gardens Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6333750

Panoram - Continental Restaurant New Tourism Center Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6371965

Pikansin - Kosher Restaurant 7 Haarava Rd. Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6372155

Pizza Hut Lagoona Hotel Eilat, Tel: 972-7-378197

Tanduri - Indian Restaurant Kings Wharf Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6333666 Truly Excellent

Teddy's Pub - Continental Restaurant Park Offira Eilat, Tel: 972-7-6373949

Jericho

OASIS Hotel Casino - Casino Gaming and truly excellent food! (Presently closed)