A few short blocks north of Shuk HaCarmel there is a pleasant courtyard surrounded by greenery that is an unexpected oasis of calm just steps away from busy Allenby Street. This serene setting is also where meals are served by Cafe Assemblage, of the boutique hotel by the same name.
The charm of the courtyard is matched only by its informality: it is the kind of place where visitors from the neighborhood feel free to bring their dogs. There are two kinds of seating: on couches for lounging with drinks, and at small tables with wooden chairs for eating. Floor air conditioners blow cool air, and presumably there will be heaters in winter.
The Hebrew and English food and drink menus, including the wine list, are equally casual, printed out on plain paper. The differences between the versions are minimal, but if there are any – after requesting that the most recent English one be printed – the staff speak enough English to answer any questions. (It is not advisable to rely on the online English menu, which was never updated since the more recent introduction of an evening service.)
The cafe is open from morning to night, and both the lunch and dinner menus feature inviting dishes, with plenty of vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free options. Lunch is primarily salads and sandwiches, but with enough artistry and variety to make things interesting.
There are specialty cocktails (NIS 36-59), which – like the evening food menu – might contain occasional specials. We enjoyed the gin-based Jasmine, with its tart finish, and the Piquant Mango, a fruity rum drink with extra kick from chili and ginger beer.
Cafe Assemblage’s new chef is Ofir Toati, who trained under celebrity chef Eyal Shani. In addition, the restaurant’s culinary consultant is Ran Pollak, formerly of the prestigious R2M Group.
The single-page food menu is not divided into categories, although it is easy enough to classify them: the house bread (NIS 24), main courses (NIS 40-64) and three salads (NIS 34-38). We had planned to peruse the menu while nibbling on the fresh-baked focaccia, but neither it nor any other house bread was available on the evening of our visit.
Our first order was the Calamari Massabha, fried calamari rings served with greens and red onion on a tehina-labaneh dressing. We were delightfully surprised to discover that the small, golden-brown battered calamari rings were perfect; in fact, as good as _ if not better than _ any you might find in a seafood restaurant. And the salad-like accompaniment was a refreshing change from the usual dips.
Our second order – Rump Steak – confirmed our impression that the dishes here are not like traditional main courses with sides, but rather intermediate-sized dishes more akin to tapas. The razor-thin, pink-centered slices of room-temperature beef, served with green leaves and spicy mustard, were absolutely delicious – and disappeared all too quickly.
The wine list also fits on just one page, yet it still manages to encompass an impressive variety of worldwide vintages. Fortunately, a few excellent choices are available by the glass as well (NIS 30-42).
When we inquired about desserts, we were initially taken aback to be told there were none – especially since we had noticed baked goods on the daytime menus. The waiter then quickly amended his earlier statement: there are no traditional desserts prepared in-house, but there is a selection of pastries and cookies brought in from an outside vendor.
We asked the manager to bring us his recommendations – and it turns out there is also talent involved in knowing which suppliers to choose. He brought us two examples: chocolate balls and carrot cake. The former were outstanding fudgy and minty dark chocolate confections – all the more astonishing for being both vegan and gluten-free – while the latter was an exceptionally moist and delectable carrot cake, enhanced with a thin layer of sweet white icing.
Cafe Assemblage. Not kosher. 48 Allenby Street, Tel Aviv. Tel. (077) 706-6760.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.