Rozalin Italian Cafe Bar

January 2017
You may have passed Rozalin Restaurant across from the Dan Accadia Hotel and wondered whether this was a kosher restaurant. For years it was not kosher and open on Shabbat. Close to the beach, Rozalin captured the Shabbat traffic and traffic from the Herzlia city which at one time had a minimal kosher presence. Years later new owners took over the restaurant and reassessed. With its location across from the Accadia Hotel, if they became kosher and closed on shabbat the restaurant would lose the Shabbat business but would gain the kosher diners from the hotel and the other hotels on the strip. They would also gain the ever-growing number of kosher diners who live and visit the area. Kosher for only a few months, Rozalin is testing this concept. Visit Rozalin and support another kosher restaurant, one of the few in this location.

We visited Rozalin for an early dinner in the middle of the week on a rainy winter evening. Perhaps this is not the best time to evaluate a restaurant, but so be it. Though we did not have to share the attention of the staff with too many other diners, we did get their full attention. The waitress was polite and charming and the food came out at a very good pace. The seating was comfortable. The room was well heated to the point that we lingered after our meals, reluctant to go back out into the weather.

About The Rozalin Menu

The Rozalin menu is clear and easy to read (Hebrew only at the time of this writing). My companion and I chose one starter and two main courses. Our strategy at dairy restaurants is to choose one high-end main course, usually a fish dish, and one pasta dish. We can share the two main courses, each having a taste of the others. We were hoping that the restaurant would have our Italian favorite, lasagna, and we were planning it as we drove to the restaurant. Perusing the menu, we were disappointed that lasagna does not appear.

We started with a mushroom dish as a starter to share, Called Mushrooms Duxelle, this dish is a mixture of mushrooms, onion and basil sauteed in olive oil and white wine, topped with Parmesan cheese. We both enjoyed the dish, tasty and nicely presented. Not too heavy, it was a great way to start our meal. The portion was properly sized for one diner, so as we were sharing we each only had a taste of the dish. We were ok with this, as main courses would follow.

"We do not offer lasagna" we were told, "but our Canneloni is a close second." We have seen a lot of different Canneloni in our day, and we have learned that you cannot be sure what to expect when you choose this. Sometimes Canneloni is served as a very large boureka, crusty on the outside and filled with vegetables and/or cheese. In that case there is usually a sauce on the side.

At Rozalin, the Canneloni was a blintz-style pasta dish stuffed with ricotta cheese and a touch of spinach, covered in a yummy cheesy sauce. The dish was served piping hot, in the baking pan. The effect was similar though not exactly like lasagna, but it satisfied the lasagna craving, and was a good lead. Though a little runny and difficult to share, we did both enjoy this dish.

For our high-end dish, we chose the grilled salmon. The salmon was expertly prepared and delicious. it was served with roasted sweet and white potatoes and a mustard sauce. One or two of those potatoes is all that is necessary. We shared the fish and both of us agreed on the quality of the dish. Our main courses came out promptly, hot, and were satisfying. Note: the items mentioned above are not pictured here. The pizza and the risotto shown here are other menu items.

It is a shame, but lovely creamy Italian desserts are wasted on us. We had eaten our fill and were quite satisfied. Dallying over a cuppa, my companion decided to have his drink with an almond croissant. Out came a generous pastry, fresh and crispy on the outside and warm and buttery in the inside. It must have been warmed in an oven, because the outside did not lose its crispiness,

We had just a taste of the very nice dishes at Rozalin offers. In addition to the above enjoy a Rozalin breakfast every day till 1:00pm. There are also breakfasts served all day such as Belgian Waffles, pancakes and French toast. In addition to very nice foods, Rozalin has a bar with whiskeys, vodkas and cocktails. There is a separate booze menu. .

The votes are in. Rozalin is a delightful restaurant. All the foods that we tried were delicious, including the croissant.

From the Menu: Starters:Italian focaccia with with dips NIS 14. Focaccia sticks with olive oil and garlic.NIS 19. Mushrooms Duxelle NIS 19. Roasted eggplant, olive oil, tahini, onion, tomato NIS 32. Pizza NIS 44 - 49 with additional toppings NIS 4 - 8. Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni NIS 54. Salmon Fillet NIS 89. Breakfast till 1:00pm NIS 50 average. Breakfast all day: Belgian waffles, pancakes, French toast, NIS 40 average.