Messa

More than a restaurant with impeccable haute cuisine, Messa has a magical quality that raises the restaurant experience to a new level. The centrepiece of the white-on-white dining hall is an elongated table, where strangers are placed together to mix and mingle over their seafood casseroles, zucchini flowers and crème brûlée. Around the edge are small alcoves where others disappear into enormous black cushions so soft they nearly induce sleep.

The servers appear frequently to announce options for the next course, and everything is made from scratch by chef Aviv Moshe, who blends his Kurdish heritage with French and Mediterranean cooking. Following your meal, spare time for a drink in the stunning jet-black bar; where the oversized lamp shades appear suspended in the void of darkness. Dress is casual but Messa remains one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city - a popular dinner spot for celebrities, the prime minister and VIPs visiting from abroad.