May 2025
So I am thinking this is going to be yet another pizza/pasta restaurant. Aren't there enough of these in Rehavia?

Maimon Place may have started out as a pizza/pasta restaurant but today it is nothing like any other. Recently Mater chef Chani Piro has taken charge of the kitchen. Her creative ideas and her delicious dishes are unique. See below. Owner Alon knows when to step back and let the chef do her thing. Not just the food, Chani is putting her stamp on the concept of the restaurant, on the menu, and on the dining experience. This is a restaurant in development. Watch it, as it evolves. From time to time, as Chani is inspired, there will be a new menu.

Much has been said about the restaurant owner Alon Asraf. This is a guy who doesn't do anything half way. You may recognize his name from his days as a well known soccer player. About ten years ago Alon became Shomer Mitzvot, gave up the game and began to learn Torah. He continues to this day, learning in a kolel for several hours in the middle of the working day. Torah is his only distraction from his business. Otherwise you can find him at the restaurant from early morning till late at night.

The restaurant is located at the traffic circle on Ben Maimon St. where it meets Azza St. This prime space lay derelict for several years. Alon and his group changed all that, turning a deserted place into a lovely restaurant.


The restaurant has a semi-open kitchen, comfortable seating indoor and outdoor, a taboun oven with a rotating turntable.

The original concept of the restaurant was just another pizza pata place, good, but not outstanding. Then came master chef Chani Piro, who is turning the menu upside down and creating a new concept for the restaurant. The restaurant offers a modern take on the classic Middle Eastern and Italian kitchen. You're gonna love this.


"Come out Chani!" Alon called the chef out of her kitchen. "I want you to meet the people from eLuna." And we had the great pleasure of meeting the charming and vivacious chef. This came with the added pleasure of tasting some of her delicious foods.

Top of the chart for me was the fresh salad that they call by the misleading name "Watermelon Salad." This is an amazing combination of fresh crunchy vegetables and cubed watermelon, topped with grated cheese. A smear of cream cheese around the side of the dish is garnished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It looks more like a dessert than a salad. I was not alone in my enthusiasm for this dish. Another diner at Maimon Place apparently ordered the same salad. She loved it so much, she talked it up to other diners as they mulled over the menu.

Chani specializes in dishes you've never seen before at other restaurants. One of her specialties is fish Arais. Arais is a classic Middle Eastern dish that has made its way into the Israeli kitchen. It starts with a roasted, crispy pita with a smoked aroma filled with well-spiced, juicy, ground meat or fish. This classic dish is popular in Morocco and is street food in some Arab countries. Classic Arais is made with meat but it also works well with fish. Chani's modern version of Arais is filled with ground fish, flavored with fresh herbs. The filled pita takes a spin in the Taboun oven, and is then served on green techina with a side salad. This is a flavorful exotic dish that is unique at Maimon Place.

Maimon Place invites you to visit the restaurant with a 20% discount from 12 noon to 5pm. Take a 10% discount with your eLuna coupon valid from 5pm to 7pm.

From the Menu: Salads approximately NIS 75 Pizza NIS 60 - 80 Pasta approximately NIS 80