Southern comfort

An acclaimed restaurant in Eilat serves impressive, authentic Italian dishes in an elegant environment.

By JONATHAN GILAD
La Cucina 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
La Cucina 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
We were in Eilat for a music festival and although our ears were filled with wonderful music, our stomachs were craving something other than what was offered at our hotel’s restaurant. So on the last night of the festival we decided to take a break between two concerts and took a short drive to La Cucina, an Italian restaurant that we’d heard only wonderful things about.
Located on the North Beach Promenade under the Royal Beach Hotel, this elegant restaurant has soft lighting, smooth leather furniture, arched wooden windows, lovely Italian-looking paintings, a welcoming terrace complete with bougainvillea and even a fireplace for the cold night that might arise there once in a blue moon.
Decor aside, the main reason to come here is the excellent food.
Highlights include great foccacia bread, thin crust pizzas with various toppings (NIS 45-58), fresh pasta dishes with rich sauces (NIS 69-82), (the chef recommends the seafood pasta), garlic soup (NIS 34) and risotto with seafood (NIS 92).
We tasted two shrimp dishes – one cooked in white wine, garlic and olive oil and another in red spicy tomato-butter sauce. Both were excellent. The peppered filet of beef medallions in a cream and Gorgonzola sauce (NIS 110) was good (the meat in fact was very good), but the sauce was a little too overpowering, and there was too much of it. Next time we’ll ask for it on the side.
Another main dish was a filet of sea bream on a bed of beet leaves with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, white wine and lemon (NIS 82). It was perfect.
We had no time or room for dessert, but there are a few good options. The lemon grass consommé with passion fruit looked like a refreshing and tempting option. Chocolate lovers will love the tiramisu or the Tartuffo.
With an impressive wine list and a very attentive and efficient service, we tend to agree with those who claim that this is the best restaurant in Eilat.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
The Royal Beach Promenade, Eilat, 057-944-2736. Open Sun-Sat 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sat 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Not kosher. There is also a lovely private room if you go there there in a group.