Pop in to Pappardelle

Pappardelle offers authentic Italian food in the heart of Tel Aviv, without breaking the bank.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Pappardelle offers authentic Italian food (photo credit: VI TZFIRA)
Pappardelle offers authentic Italian food
(photo credit: VI TZFIRA)
Pasta is so popular around the world that sometimes it seems like it’s not an Italian food anymore. You can find penne or ravioli in almost any of the chain cafes in any mall in Israel.
Still, if you want something more than the standard varieties and sauces, you have to find the real thing – a restaurant where everything from the menu to the choice of ingredients to the cooking methods is rooted in Italian tradition.
Pappardelle, a new kosher Italian restaurant on Tel Aviv’s bustling Ibn Gvirol Street, is just that, with pasta made on the spot from Italian flour.
But pasta isn’t all they offer. My dining partner and I started out with some wine from Pappardelle’s bar, which has a wide variety of microbrewed beers but a limited selection of white wines for a restaurant serving dairy dishes.
The antipasti (NIS 27) met the standard for the traditional Italian – and that’s not a bad thing. It wasn’t unique, but why mess with the classic recipe appetizer of vegetables roasted in olive oil and balsamic vinegar? Next came Papparedelle’s health salad (NIS 42), with vegetables so fresh you could taste it. The salad consisted of lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, sprouts and nuts drizzled with a light vinaigrette, and my dining partner, a big fan of sprouts, enthusiastically finished the dish.
For the main course, we ordered one of each of Papperdelle’s specialties – pasta and focaccia – which came in surprisingly large portions that could definitely be shared.
The spinach ravioli with salmon and cream sauce (NIS 58) was absolutely exquisite. The cream, spinach and ravioli were perfectly complemented by white wine and nutmeg to create a palate-pleasing combination and a dish I highly recommend.
The white focaccia (NIS 46) was a great take on a classic. The dough was thin and crunchy, the cheese was pungent, and it was all topped with fresh, delicious spices.
Pappardelle also has some less authentically Italian options for its Israeli clientele, such as a Tunisian focaccia (NIS 48), which takes the ingredients of a Tunisian sandwich (hard-boiled egg, harissa, tuna, black olives, tomato sauce) and puts them on the crispy Italian bread.
The desserts at Pappardelle aren’t classic Italian ones either, but that doesn’t make them any less tasty.
Their Belgian waffles (NIS 48) are made on the spot when you order them, making it unnecessary to head over to the waffle joint down the block (there are at least two on Ibn Gvirol) for dessert. Their crème brulee (NIS 34) is excellent as well.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the excellent service at Pappardelle.
The wait staff was cheerful and worked quickly.
If you’re looking for a mostly authentic Italian experience in Tel Aviv, with some seriously good pasta without breaking the bank, Pappardelle is definitely the way to go.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
Pappardelle Kosher 22 Ibn Gvirol St., Tel Aviv (03) 609-9911 Mon-Thurs. 11 a.m. – midnight. Friday 9 a.m – one hour before Shabbat. Saturday one hour after Shabbat – midnight