Q. Why would a nice Jewish lawyer leave his profession to open a wine bar/restaurant in Zichron Yaakov?
A. For love of good wine and gourmet food. Owner Ariel's love for food and wine is written all over the Nili Wine House and restaurant.
This is a restaurant with a calling - to increase wine awareness. And it works!
 Nili Wine House and restaurant is one of the more inviting restaurants on the midrachov - the central pedestrian mall of Zichron Yaakov.
The Hameyasdim pedestrian walkway is a charming outdoor mall with small shops and restaurants. Walking through this lovely area is a delightful way to spend a day or just an evening. And we are pleased to say that there are a good number of kosher restaurants that you can enjoy along the way. Nili Wine House is one of the best.
The interior of the Nili Wine House is quaint and charming. The decor is clean, modern and aesthetic. The walls are lined with an excellent display of attractive wines. The focus of the collection is the kosher boutique wineries. Here you will have a chance to become aquatinted with a wide variety of new wineries.
You won't be tasting the wines on an empty stomach. The restaurant has an excellent menu of unique and gourmet dairy and veggy dishes. There are pastries, unique appetizers, fresh pastas, fish, sandwiches, special salads, and desserts. We were most impressed by the stuffed and filled pastry dishes. Try the Empanadas for example - pastry pockets filled with mushrooms with spinach, corn and onion. There is also a variety of cheese pastries filled with herbs and vegetables. The secret of great food, says Ariel, is the quality of the ingredients. They use just the best ingredients at Nili Wine House. Smoked Forelle, for example, comes from Kibbutz Dan. Their gnocchi is filled with tomatoes. They add bran flour to the dough. And the pizza has an extra thin crust. The restaurant added parve choent and jachnun to their winter menu.
 Every dish is served with a complementary glass of wine. So at a single meal you can try several different wines. And with your dessert...... I don't even want to got here... you will be served an excellent dessert wine.
Aesthetics is the operative word. Wine is served in beautiful stemware. The elegant presentation of the foods, the lovely flatware and the dishes are all part of the enjoyable experience.
All of this - the wine, the food and the aesthetic, comes in at a surprisingly low cost. All the many wines on display are offered at discount prices. Wines purchased off the shelf can be served at your meal without a corking fee. - not at the usual inflated prices for wine at most restaurants. Our visit to Nili Wine House included a dish of stuffed mushrooms and two bottles of wine. The bill came to a surprisingly low nis 150.
Every month the Wine House hosts a different winery. There is a gourmet dinner including a variety of wines from the hosting winery. A representative of the winery offers a presentation and answers questions from the diners. Contact the restaurant for information on the next wine evening.
The restaurant is available for private functions. They have a private room, and a patio that overlooks the picturesque pedestrian mall. Breakfast fans will be glad to know that they can enjoy this restaurant from 8am. Breakfast at Nili Wine House includes gourmet coffee.
|