An appealing cafe-bar on a fairly busy junction in the heart of Tel Aviv, Belle &
Antoine is housed in a distinctive red building with an outside terrace enclosed by a
row of pot plants. The menu is fairly simple, but the food is fresh and
competently-prepared. For a starter, the sardines and parmesan
bruschetta is a good bet, but there isn't quite as much flavour as you might
expect. For a main course, the very creamy gnocchi is excellent - if you are
hungry, be sure to order some bread to mop up the sauce. But many of Belle &
Antoine's punters seem more interested in the wine than the food - the bar keeps a decent selection from Israeli
vineyards. And they seem to be consistently good, unlike some of those served
in the more grungy parts of Tel Aviv. If you prefer hops to grapes,
you can order a strong Paulaner wheat beer in a 330ml bottle. And if your party
spends enough, one of the statuesque waitresses, which look like moonlighting
models, may bring you a complimentary shot glass of limoncello each. 7/10
