K is for Kalamata and Kikar Kedumim

A Greek bistro in Old Jaffa has a great view and an authentic menu.

By JONATHAN GILAD
Kalamata restaurant Jaffa 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Kalamata restaurant Jaffa 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
With its churches, winding alleyways and sea views, something about Jaffa is reminiscent of Greece. Some say the ancient port city takes its name from a transliteration of the Greek Jopa, the daughter of Aeolus the god of wind. Others link it to Iopeia, the Greek for Cassiopeia, the mother of Andromeda, the princess tied to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster, while Japeth, one of the sons of Noah, also has a strong claim.
Regardless of the true etymology, Jaffa has recently deepened its connection with its Hellenistic roots with Kalamata, a Greek bistro that sits at the highest point of Old Jaffa with fantastic views of Tel Aviv and the sea.
After a long day, we started out with a couple of the house cocktails.
I took the Turkish – anise with honey and home-made lemonade, while my partner took the Jaffa Breeze – gin with hibiscus liqueur, raspberry syrup and red grapefruit juice.
Not overly famished, we asked our waiter to bring out a selection of first courses, which came with a deliciously fresh house bread wrapped in a Greek newspaper and served, of course, with Kalamata olives and a dip of roquette, eggplant and chili. My favorite was definitely the salted cod served with dill. We also had grilled beets, a mozzarella salad and grilled eggplant with feta.
Our appetites whetted, we moved on to the main course and shared a lamb souvlaki and a plate of calamari filled with bulgur.
With Greek music playing in the background and stunning views, Kalamata definitely makes for a pleasant night out.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.

Kalamata, 10 Kikar Kedumim, Old Jaffa, (03) 681-9998. Not kosher