How Were Israel’s Most Popular Restaurants Selected?
The Ontopo Index is based on analysis of millions of digital and phone reservations, alongside complementary data that allows us to understand not only where the most reservations were made, but also where consistent demand was recorded throughout the year.
Among the data factored in: number of reservations, actual number of diners, standby requests, walk-in diners, restaurant size, daily occupancy rate, searches on the Ontopo site, and entries from Google.
The combination of all these metrics allows us to identify the restaurants that generated the highest public interest, maintained strong occupancy, and became sought-after destinations for diners throughout the year.
2025 in Restaurants: Sharp Drop in June, Peak Reservations in August
One of the standout stories of the year occurred in the summer. During two weeks of fighting with Iran in June, there was a sharp drop in diner traffic. Reservations were canceled, streets emptied, and many restaurants suffered significant damage.
But just two months later, in August, an impressive recovery was recorded. It was the strongest month of the year, with nearly twice as many reservations compared to June. The peak number of restaurant guests was recorded in week 34, with an increase of 27.4% above the annual average.
The 30 Most Popular Restaurants in Israel for 2025
The list of Israel’s most popular restaurants for 2025 includes veteran and familiar names alongside young restaurants that made the list in a remarkably short time. Tel Aviv continues to lead the local culinary scene, but the north and south also have representation this year, with On the river at the Kinneret and Pastory in Eilat.
Two particularly young restaurants, Fifty and One and Studio Gursha, made the list before celebrating a year of operation. This is a testament to the curiosity of the Israeli public, and also to the pace at which new places can become talked about and sought after.
Israel’s Most Popular Restaurants 2025, in alphabetical order:
- Thai House, Tel Aviv
- Hudson, Tel Aviv
- Helena Wine Bar, Tel Aviv
- Vermuteria, Tel Aviv
- Taizu, Tel Aviv
- Limousine, Ramat Yishai
- Machneyuda, Jerusalem
- Malka, Tel Aviv
- Naifa, Tel Aviv
- Nam, Tel Aviv
- Soho, Rishon LeZion
- Studio Gursha, Tel Aviv
- On the river, Kinneret
- Pitmaster, Petah Tikva
- Pastory, Eilat
- Chacoli, Tel Aviv
- Cicchetti, Tel Aviv
- Kab Kem, Tel Aviv
- claro, Tel Aviv
- Cafe Europa, Tel Aviv
- Roberta Vinci, Pardes Hanna-Karkur
- Shila, Tel Aviv
- Restaurant a, Tel Aviv
- A.K.A, Tel Aviv
- Fifty and One, Tel Aviv
- Loulou 47, Tel Aviv
- &Moshik, Tel Aviv
- OCD, Tel Aviv
- POUPÉE, Tel Aviv
- TYO, Tel Aviv
How Do Israelis Book Restaurant Tables?
- According to Ontopo data, digital booking continues to lead: 64% of restaurant reservations in Israel were made online, compared to 36% made by phone.
- Booking timing also tells an interesting story about entertainment habits in Israel. 29.8% of reservations are made on the same day, 15.3% one day in advance, 32.8% up to a week in advance, and 22% more than a week in advance.
- February was the peak month for advance reservations, mainly around Valentine’s Day on February 14. August, on the other hand, was the overall peak month in number of reservations.
- The average table size in Israel is 3 diners, rising to 3.2 diners on weekends.
Tel Aviv Leads, Rishon LeZion Most Spontaneous
- Tel Aviv continues to be the central reservation hub in Israel: 47% of all restaurant reservations in the country were made for restaurants in the city. The rate of online reservations in Tel Aviv is also higher than the national average: 72% of reservations in the city were made online, compared to 64% nationally.
- At the other end, Eilat leads in phone reservations: 60% of all restaurant reservations in the city were made by phone.
- In terms of timing, Tel Aviv-Jaffa maintains a relatively planned pattern: only 22.9% of reservations are made on the same day, and 27.5% are booked a week or more in advance. Rishon LeZion, however, emerges as Israel’s most spontaneous city: nearly 44% of its reservations are made on the same day, and only 10% more than a week in advance.
What Does the Ontopo Index Teach Us About Restaurants in Israel?
The 2025 data shows an industry living within a complex reality, but never stopping. Veteran restaurants continue to draw crowds, new places manage to break through quickly, and Israeli diners return to booking, going out, and discovering new places even after periods of sharp decline.
Between Tel Aviv and Eilat, between spontaneous reservations and meals planned a week in advance, the Ontopo Index points to one clear thing: Israelis still want to go out to restaurants, and demand for good places remains high.
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