Italian happy hour comes to Tel Aviv’s White Villa Hotel
The White Villa offers special aperitivo evenings in May and June.
By SHAWN RODGERSCaprese Taqueri from Tel Aviv's White Villa(photo credit: AFIK GABAY PHOTOGRAPHY)
“Aperitivo” comes from the Latin word meaning “to open” and that’s the idea behind the Italian aperitivo, a little something to encourage you to feel hungry, to get the juices flowing, if you will, so you can fully enjoy your upcoming meal. During the months of May and June, Israelis can enjoy the concept of aperitivo at the trendy bar area situated in The White Villa, one of Tel Aviv’s luxury boutique hotels.For Italians, aperitivo is a glorious couple of hours – generally between 7p.m. and 9 p.m. – when they can relax post-work over a glass of wine or cocktail and some snacks. The White Villa’s bar-tendering duo of Omer Gazith Shalev and Ray White, together with chef Oren Askio, have organized special aperitivo evenings (between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m) consisting of two Martini-based cocktails as well as unlimited Italian snacks for the special price of NIS 120. One can also enjoy some live Italian music.Some of the special cocktails on offer include Caprese Taqueri (Bacardi, yellow cherry tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar, lemon, and BBQ salt), The Last Supper (oregano induced Bombay, Martini Bianco with rosemary leaves, and a home-made orange-ginger jelly), and Torino Fizz (Martini Russo, strawberry sorbet, Martini Esti and lemon). In addition, when a guest orders a Negroni cocktail, they will receive a special ingredient menu with 256 variations and will be asked to mark the ingredients they want in the cocktail. Guests can also enjoy special food such as fish crudo (cauliflower salad, dill, cucumber cream), Arenichi (risotto balls fried with tomatoes and baby mozzarella) and creamy polenta (with asparagus, mushrooms, truffle and olive dust).Part of the White Villa’s attraction is its prime location: around the corner from the Habima Theater and the Charles Bronfman Auditorium, home of the Israel Philharmonic, but also just a 12-minute walk from the beach.Aperitivo evenings begin this Thursday (May 18) and continue every second weekend (June 1, June 15 and June 29).The White Villa25 Ben Tsiyon BlvdTel AvivPhone: (03) 602-8868