How we got there
We arrived at Café Ella by chance. A canceled appointment had left me and my wife in the area of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, lunchtime was slowly turning into late afternoon, and we still hadn’t eaten anything. So, following a previous suggestion from my editor, we decided to check out Café Ella, an intriguing little place that we’d driven past and wondered about but never had the opportunity to visit until now.
The ambiance
A charming spot, Café Ella offers both indoor and covered, heated outdoor seating with a homey atmosphere.
We chose to sit outdoors, enjoying the coziness of the heaters on a chilly winter day as we looked over the menu and decided on what to order.
Café Ella’s kind and attentive staff made sure that once we did decide what we wanted, we were able to order right away and didn’t have to wait long for our food to arrive.
What we ate
To start our meal, we ordered the Chimichurri Tuna (NIS 48) and the Polenta (NIS 48).
The Chimichurri Tuna, which is lightly seared and is served in a chimichurri and olive oil sauce with a side of bread, was absolutely delicious. This is a unique dish that can’t be found just anywhere in Israel, especially not in places that don’t specialize in fish. It was possible to see (and taste) the attention to detail in this dish, with the chimichurri wonderfully complementing the tuna, adding a sour twist that added a strong flavor while somehow still enhancing the taste of the fish. This dish is very delicate, giving you the feeling that you’re dining in a very fancy place, yet still suitable for a casual, spontaneous lunch on the go.
The Polenta is a classic simple dish that delivers. Café Ella puts an interesting flavor profile to this dish, serving the polenta with mushrooms and asparagus, topped with Parmesan cheese. The mushrooms bring a nice earthy flavor, and the asparagus adds a pleasant freshness and crispness to the dish, contrasting well with the Parmesan topping and the corn-based polenta.
For main courses, we went for the Gorgonzola Salad (NIS 64) and the Anchovy Tortellini (NIS 68).
The Gorgonzola Salad, which consists of arugula, persimmon, candied pecans, roasted beets, pickled beets, balsamic vinaigrette, honey, and Gorgonzola cheese (of course), was exactly what we wanted in a salad. The arugula added a refreshing freshness and just a tiny bit of bitterness, the persimmon brought a wonderful fruitiness, the pecans added a crunch, the roasted and pickled beets provided an earthy sweetness and pleasant sourness, respectively, and the Gorgonzola brought the whole thing together.
In general, salads as a main course can be tricky: some are so light that you finish them feeling underwhelmed and still hungry, while others are so overdressed that you walk away wondering why you feel nauseous after eating what was supposed to be mostly just vegetables.
Café Ella, however, finds the perfect balance, presenting a dish that’s fresh and delicate yet flavorful and filling, with a delicious combination of tastes.
The Anchovy Tortellini was maybe the most interesting dish of the day. The tortellini, filled with cheese and served with anchovy butter, are a unique, strong combination of flavors. This is a special dish, not your standard tortellini, with very aromatic, strong tastes and a lot of presence. If you like fish and anchovy flavor (like I do), then this is the dish for you. It pairs well with salad or with something else delicate and fresh.
Will we return?
On the whole, we had a very pleasant experience at Café Ella. The wonderful staff made sure we had everything we needed, that all the food was to our liking, and that we were comfortable. The food was flavorful, fresh, and creative, and the atmosphere was great.
One last note: Although we didn’t get to sample it on this visit, Café Ella also offers a salmon gravlax dish, which looks delicious and which my wife and I, as huge bagel and lox fans, would very much like to try.
The café also offers a selection of delectable desserts, such as lemon meringue pie, and apple pie with ice cream.
Definitely worth stopping by!■
- Name: Café Ella
- Location: 69 Harav Herzog St.
- Open: Sunday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday: 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
- Kashrut: Rabbanut Ragil
- Price: Reasonable
- Web: www.cafeella.net