Zahav

We came here during restaurant week everything was booked up but we decided to go there anyway to see if anything would open up. There was a table that open up. When we sat down they brought out the hummus and sides. The hummus makes your freaking mouth water. I believe the bill came up to 135.00 with tip but it’s worth every penny just for that hummus.

This is truly one of the best dining experiences in Philadelphia. Unique delicious food with impeccable service. The hummus is to die for. The ambiance is beautiful. Go!

Amazing!!! We had the chefs tasting for $ 45. For that we probably got 10 – 15 small plates. Each one of them was amazing. My favorite was the hummus and the tomato salad. The staff was great and they didn’t rush us, which was nice. You could see Michael Solomonov coming out and speaking to everyone all night. When we left at 9:45 on a Tuesday night the place was still packed. Can’t wait to go back.

A couple of friends and I were fortunate enough to get a late reservation on Saturday evening for 3 of us and we had an amazing meal!
It’s an interesting location, as it’s not really ‘street-​visible’ and looks like you’re walking into a business park /​college campus. Nonetheless, don’t let the location deter you from this place because you’ll be missing out on a great meal.
As soon as we arrived, our hostess mentioned our table was already for us and escorted us to it. Our table was in the front, near the bar, so I didn’t get a chance to look at the rest of the place, but it looks large and has a very modern and dimly-​lit décor. Definitely a great spot for a date, a business meeting, or even an intimate gathering of friends. The place was certainly bustling on a Saturday night.
They have some unique drinks on their menu, including an extensive wine collection, and beers sourced from all over the world. We ended up getting a pitcher of the Lemonnana, their signature drink. It was nicely made, refreshing, and a little sweet (too sweet for me).
There’s an option to do a $ 45 tasting menu, but were weren’t too hungry, so opted for ordering dishes a la carte. Here’s what we devoured:
Hummus — Daily Topping (large portion): The pita bread that comes with the hummus is not pita bread, it’s crack. It is grilled to perfection, is warm and flaky, and melts in your mouth. You can taste the freshness in the hummus and it’s actually a deceivingly larger size than it looks. However, the large itself could easily be an appetizer for two people, and since the other dishes are relatively small, I’d definitely recommend getting the large portion over the small.
Fried Cauliflower: This was fantastic. I’ve been on a huge fried /​breaded /​buffalo cauliflower kick, and this one was no different. Lightly fried/​charred pieces of cauliflower with some labneh, sign me up.
Red Romaine Lettuce: As mentioned, the small plates, are small plates. Between the three of us, we each had maybe 1 – 2 bites of the salad and it was gone, but we all got a chance to taste the creation of lettuce, peppers, peas, and feta — which was light and surprisingly flavorful.
Spiced Eggplant: Unreal! This comes with three small smoky eggplants that are cooked to perfection with some walnuts and spices. This oozes with flavor and taste great when you mix it with the complimentary rice pilaf.
My friends also had their fish entrée (on the menu it’s Branzino, but they were out of it and the substitute was Black Sea Bass). They thoroughly enjoyed the fish too.
Overall a great dining experience. Everything from the service to the ambiance to the food. They get patrons in and out really quickly, since the food is served in small plates/​tapas style, but you don’t feel rushed. I’ll definitely be back again.

Been on the wish list for awhile but the desire to dine here jumped into overdrive after a screening of «In Search of Israeli Cuisine» during the Seattle Jewish Film Festival. We had a trip to Baltimore and it seemed a lost opportunity not to divert to Philly for Zahav; so happy that we did. Dining room is intimate but high energy (a combo of hip hop/​funk that really didn’t seem to go with the ambiance but you’ll be so happy with the food that by the end, you’ll be dancing along). Service was very knowledgeable, confident, and gracious, however, bussers were a bit quick to clear a plate. We both got the Tayim and shared the most creamy and flavor focused hummus (accolades well deserved) plus six salads all distinct and delicious. Four mezzes turned to five with a surprise crudo from the kitchen. We both enjoyed the kibbe and cauliflower while he enjoyed the haloumi with fruit compote. Grape leaves were flavor packed but the accompanying sauce was a bit too spicy. Sirloin shislik and grilled mushrooms were both delicious with the kitchen sending out another comp, tender chicken shislik with crispy skin. After so much rich and delicious food, we didn’t know if we could enjoy dessert. Zahav showed its culinary prowess here by sending out an amazing strawberry sorbet with cucumber ice and fresh mint. Flavor packed yet so light and refreshing. Overall, a unique culinary exploration of modern Israeli cuisine.

I had an opportunity to try Zahav again, and it was a phenomenal experience for the tastebuds.
Unlike first time the dishes were less overpowered with salt and vinegar,
we were pleased with the flavors that came out
there was real synergy in many of the dishes, toasted pine nuts with the carrots, mint garnish in the beets, spiced and toasted almond slices with the chicken grape leaves, cucumber shaved ice with strawberry sorbet (was amazing), decadent coffee mousse with caramelized whipped cream topping decorated with pecans and a maple sauce.
Unfortunately they were out of the lamb shoulder, we will have to save that for a special occasion. My wife and I will be coming back
since the food and the service was on point, one comment, I think the wine display above the entrance could use some backlight, i think it would do wonders to the décor, I also think a small amount of acoustic absorbers would also be nice.

Amazing place. Service was excellent. Food very tasty and prepared by an amazing chef. Five course meals were presented upon the completion of the last. Very attentive servers who made sure your needs were met (wish I remembered their names to give them a personal thumbs up). Ambiance was second to none. Just a caution, you could satisfy you appetite on the Hummus alone– Out of this world taste.
Only problem not being from the area was finding St. James Pl and the restaurant which is hidden cozily off the main path.

Truly an amazing 5 star restaurant in every sense of the word! Outstanding food, service, ambience! Well over a dozen small plates and absolute excellence in every one! Special thanks to John, the maitre de, for the tour and conversation! All six in our party agreed it was worth every minute of the 2 hour drive to eat here!

I don’t want to overdo it, but this was a life-​changing meal for me. Most meals lie somewhere on a spectrum between terrible and awesome. But some are so far beyond expectations with respect to quality and uniqueness that they break the spectrum. I’ve had exactly 4 meals like that. This was number 5.
First off, if you can’t get a reservation, there are at least 10 people waiting for the open-​seating bar or chef’s table at all times beginning about 10 minutes before they open. If you don’t want a significant wait, get here at 4:45 and start the line. Definitely worth it.
We did the Mesibah, which is a smattering of dishes, mostly chosen daily based on how the chef is feeling. Please come hungry and do this. It’s not cheap, but honestly, for what you get, they could be charging a lot more.
Every single thing was a highlight. All six little salad plates, the labneh, the hummus, the halumi, the duck hearts, the lamb. Every single dish was amazing. Simpler than I expected, but absolutely perfect. Just above them all was the falafel with black garlic purée. I’m scared now to go back to all my other falafel places and be a little bit sad that they’re not making this stuff.
Desserts were super creative and amazingly delicious. We got a strawberry sorbet (with lots else going on) and a coffee mousse (with lots else going on). It was a perfect amount, and a perfect pair of flavors to finish the night.
All night we sipped on the Z&T cocktail. Delicious, and a wonderful balance of familiar and new.
On top of the ridiculously amazing food, the service is fantastic. Our main waitress was a perfect balance of friendly and staying-​out-​of-​your-​way. At some point my wife’s napkin fell to the floor, and by the time I could pick it up, a guy who hadn’t done anything at all for us yet was ready with a clean napkin. That’s good service.
Michael Solomonov is now on my short list of chefs that I have a chef crush on. Please excuse me while I fan-​boy over everything the Internet can tell me about this guy and how he cooks.

I so wanted to love this place. I visited Philly in part just to come here. And then… the hummus was salty. I wanted to ask them if something was wrong, if they were having an off night or if it was just a bad batch, but I hate complaining in restaurants and returning food, so I just took it as is. It wasn’t inedible, but it wasn’t good. We also split a tasting menu, which was fun and complex and full of imaginative takes on Israeli and Arab food, but… overall, it was hit-​and-​miss. For all that complexity and fanciness, it ended up not being much better than the simple versions of the dishes you might get at any take-​out Lebanese place.
And yet! I’m giving Zahav four stars. Why? I’m not even sure. I kind of just liked the place.
We sat at the bar and service was terrific. And while the hummus was off, the salatim (a suite of little salad plates) were delicious, and the tasting menu, though hit-​n-​miss, was nevertheless fun to eat, and came with a few amuse-​bouches from the kitchen. Overall it was a good experience. I’d go back.
Note, the tasting menu might be too much for one person. They don’t allow splitting, at a table, but they do allow it at the bar.
Lastly, Michal Solomonov, the chef, has a terrific interview on Fresh Air, where he speaks compellingly about Israeli cuisine and what he thinks makes it unique. The link:
Lastly again, some random tasting notes:
— Labneh custard sounds swell, but was kinda meh – less than the sum of its parts.
— Breaded and fried cauliflower, similarly swell sounding, similarly meh.
— Cobia crudo (basically, sashimi) was excellent!
— Sable (a sort of fish) on challah w egg in the middle was also excellent!

One of the best meals I’ve had this year. We chose to eat family style (mesibah) with a group of 5. Too many highlights to mention. The mezze selection was too notch. Crispy fish was wonderful and of course the lamb shoulder was amazing. Duck hearts on crispy onion rings and a marmalade phyllo dough dessert were amongst the highlights. One thing to mention. We had reservations at 5:30 which I thought was EARLY. Glad someone else made the reservations because by 5:50 they had sold out of the mesibah for the night. Get there early!

Absolutely LOVE this place. Five star service, great food with a lot of interesting flavors, and at a reasonable price as well! They make vegetables taste SO good, taking on meaty textures and complex flavors that are so unexpectedly rich.
Booked a table for 5 two months in advance, and still did not get the time I wanted — maybe I was just unlucky, but damn reservations here are hard to get… the experience was totally worth it though! Our server, Peter, was extremely attentive and gave a helpful introduction to the restaurant — basically modern Israeli cuisine served in tapas portions, family style. We got the tasting menu ($ 45 each), which is a steal considering the sheer amount of food we got, with a total of four courses and so many small plates we ran out of space at the table! It ended up being a 2+ hour meal for us since there were so many courses, so do make time and enjoy the full experience. Also, coming here in a party of 4 – 5 is the move, since that allows you to basically taste everything on the menu if you go with the tasting menu. We also got champagne on the house because we were celebrating a special occasion, and it was such a wonderful surprise!
FOOD (no photos of food because was way too busy tackling the endless dishes coming to our table)
/​/​Salatim and hummus /​/​
Basically an assortment of appetizers, pita and hummus. My favorites are the eggplant (this wonderfully smokey mush) and beans (herbs and spices gave it so much flavor) and of course the hummus (best I’ve had).
/​/​Mezze (small plates) /​/​
We got one of everything, and honestly I could not remember all of it, but I think the standouts for me are:
— Haloumi: cheese that takes on a wonderful smokey flavor that is dense and has a meaty texture
— Duck hearts: it was surprisingly tender
— Fried cauliflower: one of the most popular items here; it really brings out the rich taste of the vegetable and makes you really appreciate it
/​/​Al Ha’esh /​/​
We were so stuffed at this point in the meal, but dug deep and somehow summoned the ability to finish off all the dishes — they’re again small plates, and are grilled items. I would highly recommend the mushroom — again, super meaty and delicious.
/​/​Dessert /​/​
Chocolate Konafi is wonderfully complex in taste and texture — it’s basically a pastry-​like thing that’s crispy on the outside, served with ice cream. Not too sweet, and has interesting flavors. Also note that it’s a dessert for 2.

The reputation of this restaurant is absolutely through the roof. I was told by several different people that it is the best in Philadelphia. I enjoyed a solo dinner at the bar. I found the food very good but I wasn’t blown away. Service at the bar was friendly and attentive.
Trying to find parking nearby was really painful. Good luck finding something on the street. I ended up going to a pay garage several blocks away.

Worth the nearly three month wait, Zahav delivers with bold Israeli flavors and a one-​of-​a-​kind dining experience.
It’s not as impossible to get a reservation at Zahav as one might think, as long as you’re okay eating dinner at 5PM or 9PM, with nothing in-​between. I booked a 7pm table through Open Table nearly three months in advance. With all of the high praise and hype, I felt privileged to be walking through the doors of the smaller-​than-​it-​looks inside. Zahav is nothing to look at from the exterior, but the interior is cozy and small, with soft lighting at the tables contrasted with the bright lights from the open kitchen. The service at Zahav is some of the best in Philly, so be sure to tip well.
Since it was myself and my girlfriend’s first time, we opted to try the Tayim «taste of Zahav» ($ 45 per person), which includes Salatim & Hummus with Laffa, two mezze, one Al Ha’esh, and a dessert. Don’t let the steep price discourage you, as the sheer variety of flavors and good amount of food is sight to behold. The Salatim & Hummus included a bunch of different salads, from a beet to chickpea to a bunch of other flavors I can’t remember. The Turkish Hummus, with butter and warm grilled garlic, was the best hummus I’ve ever tasted — creamy and perfectly balanced. Next out was the Mezzes, with my favorites were the smoked eggplant (which tasted almost like a marshmallow toasted over a campfire), and the very filling fried cheese, which we couldn’t finish because we were so full. The Al Ha’esh (entrees) are only a little bigger than the Mezzes, but you won’t mind with these flavors, especially the succulent lamb I had. We ended the meal with grapefruit sorbet (light and super tart) and the Pistachio cake, my favorite of the two. We also paired our meal with the Israeli/​Palestinian wine tasting, from the Aegean and West Bank. The wines are more muted than French/​Italian/​California wines, but paired well with the bold food.
So with such a great experience, what possible nitpick could I possibly have? Well let me ask you, dear reader, a question — is it possible for food to be too flavorful? Every dish is so heavily spiced with so many competing flavors, it overwhelmed my taste buds. I walked out of Zahav absolutely invigorated and downright exhausted by what I tasted. I really needed a palate cleanser at some point just reset. But overall, Zahav is worth the wait and money, and you should look into booking now if you want any chance of getting in before fall.

Zahav’s Kanafi is so good that I ended up in a car accident a couple of years ago attempting to get it. I had asked my husband to drive out of the way to Zahav for dessert as I was craving it, and a guy hit us and drove off right by the restaurant while we attempting to park. We refer to that as the konafi accident.
If you’ve never had konafi, it’s almost worth getting in a car accident for. There are layers of shredded phyllo dough that are crisp on the outside and flavored with honey. Inside is a cheese, I believe Zahav uses marscapone. Zahav takes it to another level by adding fillings and toppings. Last night during our visit there was dark chocolate inside. The konafi was topped with a lebnah ice cream which has tartness that balances out the sweetness of the dish. Strawberries and pistachios were added to the top for texture. I used to teach Saudi Arabian students who have brought me several versions of konafi and the one at Zahav still reigns supreme. If you love a combination of textures and flavors in your dessert, you have to try this!
Last night’s impromptu visit began with a craving for konafi and ended with a excellent full meal at the bar. After going to the Olde Bar to find it completely closed for a private event and then being completely ignored at nearby Sassafras Bar, we wandered over to Zahav. The place was packed to the gills, but the receptionist was welcoming and said we could wait for a seat at the bar, but it would be a minimum of 30 minutes. The would come take drink orders while we waited. I got a lemonada, in which the mint was nicely muddled and it had just the right balance of sweetness and tartness.
After a little over an hour, we were seated at the bar. We ordered a la carte instead of opting for the course menu since we weren’t that hungry. The salatim is a must! The dishes change as they are seasonal. My favorite was the eggplant and the wax beans. We didn’t order the famous hummus because we get it all the time at Dizengoff. The brought us some of the piping hot homemade bread anyway.
The best savory dish of the night was a dish with ramps, English peas, feta, and an egg. The egg was cooked perfectly and combined with the creamy cheese to coat the ramps in a heavenly sauce. The crispy potatoes were almost as tasty with peppers, cheese, and anchovies to add a little umami flavor.
The Bronzino was our main. It was the least impressive dish, but I did enjoy the crispy rice with almonds that was served along side it alone with the pickled ramps and fennel.
Service was prompt and friendly. I asked the bartender a question about a liquor on the shelf. It tuned out to be a rose hip liqueur. He was kind enough to let me sample it. It tasted similar to Japanese umeshu, but more floral.
We came in thinking just a drink and some konafi and left stuffed and happy. I will have to put Zahav back on my radar for dinner. Just make sure to book in advance because they seem to stay packed!

While it’s hard to get a reservation here, the food and the dining experience are absolutely fantastic.
My friend suffers from severe nut allergies, and when we informed the waiter of this he quite literally went through the menu line item by line item and said what dishes were «safe» in their unaltered state and which could be done without nuts without compromising the dish. The staff was very friendly and professional throughout the dining experience. The tables had a rustic butcher block feel and were close together but the noise was fairly diffuse as tables were generally smaller parties.
We went with the $ 54 tasting menu which featured a beautiful spread of hummus, laffa with butter and za’atar spice, and salatim which included crispy chickpeas with red onion and green peppers, a twice cooked eggplant dish marinated in sherry, beats in a light crème fraîche with horseradish, roasted carrots tossed in a variety of spices, a potato salad with english peas and a variety of spices, and a classic middle eastern tabouli. All of these dishes were delicious and unique and big enough to get enough big bites of each without feeling like a beached whale. I was so excited for the next courses.
The following course included the kugel with ricotta cheese, sunflower seeds and apricots that was a nice sweet and crispy balanced bite, and the ramp and feta over a sunny side up egg with zaatar spice and english peas that was buttery, creamy, and unlike most dishes I’ve ever seen (although eerily reminiscent of the egg dish at Farm and Fisherman!), and the branzino, beautifully presented over tzatziki and pickled green tomatoes.
The main course featured just their signature roasted lamb shoulder. The lamb is brined before being smoked for 48 hours and finally marinated in pomegranate juice and roasted. The flavor profile was strongly smoky, tart, sweet, rich, and fruity in the same meaty bite. The dish was served with a basmati rice and dried currants that complimented the slightly acidic lamb with buttery notes. Unbelievable dish, one of the best things I have ever eaten.
The desserts featured a coffee custard with arak marshmallow and dates that was quite creamy and good; the dish normally comes with walnuts for added texture but they were considerate of the allergies at the table. They also served a grapefruit sorbet which was somewhere between a sorbet and a granita with arak and rhubarb that to be honest I didn’t like very much.
Overall it was a great meal and a great experience with respect to its food, service, and ambiance. The pre fixe is a great value, but you can also do the $ 45/​person pre fixe or a la carte selections and be very very satisfied at a great price point. Great for a special occasion, trying something new, or a nice date night.

Chefs, friends, Unilocalers, food writer acquaintances, cousins, clowns… all of them have been telling me for years that I need to eat a meal at Zahav, as it is ostensibly the best restaurant in all of Philadelphia. Granted, that is a fairly low bar (seeing as how this is just a sad little town* filled with Phillies fans and worse, Eagles fans), but Zahav easily met and obliterated the outsized expectations.
There were eight of us, and we decided to spring for the Taste of Zahav. With 16 mezze and 8 al ha’esh (skewers) to choose from, we quite literally ate everything the menu had to offer, and a few things that it didn’t.** And I loved every single bite.
From the colorful and gorgeous Salatim plates (think the Israeli version of banchan) through the surprisingly fantastic and varied desserts, Zahav maintains a level of quality that is astonishing. I’m not going to lead you through each item, but just call out a few of my favorite things:
1. The warm, Turkish hummus paired with their impossibly fluffy laffa was the best of the hummus. Not just their hummus. I mean it is the best of all the hummuses (hummusi?) in the world.
2. The fried cauliflower is as good as any vegetable has any right to be.
3. Anything where beets is involved.
4. Of course, the grilled haloumi. As with all haloumi, eat it quickly. And rejoice.
5. The wine pairing. Not just perfect pairings, but an incredible value as well. I would certainly choose this over cocktails on a return trip.
6. The sirloin shishlik. It will make a believer out of vegetarians, and it will make the meal for anyone hesitant about eating things they’ve never heard of (it’s a steak skewer, people).
7. The lamb tartare in lettuce wraps is ridiculous. Order this.
Speaking of lamb tartare, Zahav has an uncanny ability to take dishes that may sound unappetizing to your average diner, and turn your preconceived notions on your head. Duck hearts, lamb tongue… even if you’re a little hesitant, give them a shot and you’ll realize that this kitchen could make anything taste delicious.
And therein lies my only issue with the meal I had at Zahav: I wanted to taste everything, and everything tasted fantastic.
I realize that this doesn’t sound like a problem, but prior to our meal, we spent the balance of the day drinking and eating (as usual). However, the Taste of Zahav is surprisingly affordable, so we assumed that it wouldn’t be too large a meal and that we could handle it. This was a serious miscalculation. By the time dessert rolled around, I was simultaneously doing my best to take at least one bite of everything, and also trying not to die. My stomach just quit on me.
About twelve hours after we ate dessert, I finally felt like I could take another bite of food. And please believe that the first thing I did that morning was pull our leftovers out of the hotel fridge and desperately inhale them them with a pair of coffee stirrer chopsticks.
What I’m trying to say is that this was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory.
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*Just kidding, everyone in Philly except Eagles fans.
**The incredibly hospitable staff knew we were celebrating, and brought us a few dishes on the house.

So incredible ! First the staff– I tried to get a reservation and they offered to call me back if they got a better time-(more convenient) which they did ! They were also able to accommodate an additional friend .
Going to a restaurant and finding it packed Oma Monday night is quite surprising
The ambiance was cool yet warm, the service was professional yet friendly and welcoming.
We did the tasting menu with the wine pairing which I highly recommend. Some highlights the fried cauliflower, grape leaves, assorted salads with the incredible warm generous bread. My party loved the duck hearts and the duck, chicken fish was amazing. The deserts were fabulous This is one of the best restaurants I have been at in so many years. I consider it a memorable fun event and you will too!

I have been waiting to go to Zahav since I first found out I was moving to Philadelphia 7 months ago and it lived up to the hype. I went for my anniversary and was greeted by name and Happy Anniversary when I arrived. My fiancé and I were given complimentary glasses of champagne and were even moved to a larger table since we were «celebrating.» Before even tasting one bite of food, I could tell this would be an incredible experience. We decided to do the «Taste of Zahav» tasting menu. $ 45 pp and worth every penny, you get a TON of food.
It started with salads and hummus and pita. I’ve been eating pita since I was born and even lived in Israel and let me tell you, this is probably the best pita and hummus I’ve ever had. I felt like I was eating a cloud! And the salads– WOW. Every one was better than the last. My favorites were the cabbage and the beets. How could such average veggies be favorites? The beets were minced and whipped with tahini and the cabbage was pickled with fresh dill. There was nothing average about them. IT took every ounce of self restraint to not fill up on them.
For small plates, we had the crispy grape leaves. Grape leaves are typically a favorite of mine but these were quite different than the Greek staple. We also had the himachi crudo (unreal) and their version of a lamb tar tar. Everything was delicious.
Next came the main dishes, we opted for the sirloin and the branzino. Both were the delicious but I do have to say that the sirloin kebab was a stand out of steak dishes across the city.
My fiancé enjoyed the specialty desserts, the coffee mouse and pistachio tart. I’m not a big dessert fan but they were unique and clearly handmade.
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Zahav. This was one of those restaurants that I couldn’t wait to call up friends and family and tell about. I can’t wait until we go back!!!

Desert Rose
Lemonana
Tayim
Turkish Hummus
Salt Baked Kohlrabi
Roasted Potatoes
Fried Cauliflower
Royal Trumpet Mushrooms
Spiced Eggplant
Konagi
You were amazing… I’ll never forget you!