Nazareth Restaurants

  1. Diana

    Mention to anyone that you are heading to Nazareth, they will invariably know little about the town, except that you must eat at Diana. Behind a rather unassuming façade, Arab chef Dokhol Safadi presents an incredible range of more than a dozen mezze dishes. Try and save room for the house speciality - spicy handmade kebabs with pine nuts - one dish will definitely suffice for a couple. Hugely popular with visiting Israelis, it's best to book ahead, especially on weekends.

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  2. El-Reda

    The weekend papers love to rave about this restaurant in a restored 120-year-old Arab mansion, and for once it's justified. The views of the basilica (stunning from the rooftop terrace), the food (friendly owner Daher Zeidani makes only what he likes and that's traditional Nazareth dishes with a Mediterranean twist) and the atmosphere (occasional live music and poetry) make this one of the better restaurants in the north of Israel.

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  3. Garden

    If the Garden had as good a PR machine as Diana, it too would be knocking back customers. The rocket and tabbouleh salads are so fresh they look like they could wander off the plate, while the labneh (thick yoghurt flavoured with garlic) is delicately spiced and competes for attention with deliciously fragrant meats grilled on cinnamon sticks, and it's all washed down with fresh lemonade. The food here is second to none.

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  4. Mahroum's Sweets

    Locals say this is the best place in town for baklava and all other honey-soaked delicacies; others raise their eyebrows at the sacrilege of making sugar-free halvah. Several places have the same name, but the original is the one on the corner of Paul IV and El-Bishara Sts nearest to the basilica.

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  5. Tishreen

    Named after the month it was opened in 2004 ( tishreen is Arabic for October) this sophisticated restaurant has an autumnal atmosphere with its straw-encrusted walls lined with antiques and wine bottles. Locals enjoying long lunches and late dinners order Mediterranean-inspired dishes from the mosaic-tiled wood oven which turns out 'aborigine (aubergine) stuffed with pesto and cheese' as well as excellent muhammar , an Arabic pizza topped with chicken and onion slices.

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