The brunch bunch

Tel Aviv’s 10 Idelson offers a classic English breakfast with a decadent twist.

By GABRIELLA TZVIA WEINIGER
The brunch bunch (photo credit: Courtesy)
The brunch bunch
(photo credit: Courtesy)
In true Tel Aviv style, my best friend and I met over brunch on Friday morning at 10 Idelson on Dizengoff to catch up over some iced coffee. Of course, there was a brief wait as with all popular cafés in the heart of the city, but the maître d’ was very attentive, even bringing us some water to ease the wait, a gesture I have learned not to expect.
My friend and I sat outside in an intimate but lively space and ordered our coffee while quietly taking in the very hip, very typical Tel Aviv atmosphere. I recall my father telling me that when I move to Tel Aviv, I must not spend all my time sipping coffee in Dizengoff Square. This image is the epitome of Idelson 10.
Ordering on the waiter’s recommendation and his rather acute observation that perhaps two breakfasts (NIS 51) would be too much for us, we took one Provençal breakfast, as well as a spinach and cream brioche with egg yolks (NIS 46). The coffee came as part of the deal.
As we waited for our meal, the waiter proceeded to bring us a basket of delicious fresh bread and croissants.
In the midst of the low buzz of lunching friends and families at the highly polished white tables, our food appeared, adding a burst of color and freshness.
The Provençal breakfast reminded me of a classic English breakfast with a decadent twist, and a side of Israeli salad. The sausages and salami were rich and delicious, accompanied by the staple dips of olives, cheeses and tuna. The brioche was tasty, though a little on the heavy side, stuffed with spinach cream and streaming golden egg yolk.
We couldn’t quite finish the breakfast. But even so, the waiter insisted (he didn’t have to try very hard) that we try the specialty baked goods that Idelson is famous for. The sumptuous selection of petit fours did not disappoint.
As regular coffee drinkers and café goers, 10 Idelson fitted the bill perfectly, and its prime location allowed for a leisurely browsing of the local antique market and artists’ stalls on the way home.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
10 Idelson Restaurant Not kosher 117 Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 529-9295 Sunday to Saturday 7.30 a.m. until midnight