Nahmani provides relaxed Italian meals all day long
By JONATHAN GILAD
There are so many good eateries in Tel Aviv, that it’s hard to choose. But local cafés are something of a habit for the residents of this city, and everyone swears by their favorite place. Just try to convince someone to meet at another place, and you’ll see how hard it is to set an appointment.But a lunch place, that’s different. Tel Avivians are known for their endless quest for the new and the trendy.However, there are the exceptions. Café Noir, for instance, is where people go regularly, some of them every day, for the always perfect schnitzel and exquisite French-influenced menu.The owners of Café Noir recently opened a next-door café-bistro called Nahmani, on the corner of Nahmani and Ahad Ha’am streets.It serves as a café for the locals who love to have their leisurely morning coffee there and as a bistro that offers mainly classic Italian dishes. Opened only seven months ago, the place already has a loyal clientele, who appreciate the relaxed atmosphere, straightforward cuisine and great location. In fact, sitting on the corner at a small table outside, it felt a lot like sitting in one of the lovely small piazzas of Rome, watching the passers-by and enjoying the midday breeze.In that mode, we decided to begin our meal with an aperitivo, which arrived with two bruschettas. A great start for a very relaxed lunch.The lunch menu includes a large selection of antipasti, fresh pasta made on the premises, meat and fish dishes, pizzas baked in a stone oven and a rich dessert menu baked at the restaurant’s bakery.We started with a selection of antipasti: cauliflower (NIS 32); a dish of burnt eggplant with mozzarella, Kalamata olives, roasted tomatoes and oregano (NIS 38); and from the salad menu, a tasty quinoa salad with beets and pistachios (NIS 44).The pizzas looked great but we skipped them, feeling quite full already, and had a pasta dish with salmon and primavera sauce, asparagus and broccoli (NIS 66) and a plate of ricotta and spinach tortellini (NIS 62).All the dishes were prepared beautifully and were fresh and flavorful – exactly what one would expect at an unassuming Italian place. With a couple of glasses of Italian white wine, it was a very satisfying meal indeed.
We decided to resist the temptation to have two desserts and chose just one – the mini tiramisu and two espressos.Perfect.Nahmani also has a business lunch menu, offering a focaccia with dips with every meal, and a salad with every order of pizza or pasta, as well as a NIS 15 dessert.If you feel like having a quick drink and something to munch on in the afternoon, Nahmani offers an alcoholic beverage and brochette for the price of the drink from Sunday to Thursday between 4:30 and 7 p.m. It also offers a full breakfast menu between 8 a.m. and noon.The writer was a guest of the restaurant.Nahmani Not kosher 26 Nahmani, Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 566-3331