In the heart of the Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv, tucked between spice stalls, there’s a small restaurant with tables covered with white tablecloths – a refreshing contrast to the surrounding market.
Welcome to HaKatan, the perfect place for a small bite out.
When it first opened two and a half years ago, the market eatery consisted of a couple of outdoor tables and a scrappy two-seater bar right in front of chef Ido Kablan. We gravitated toward the casual setting, happily taking shots while being served plates of fresh sashimi and vegetables.
To my delight, HaKatan recently caught my eye once again. It has since expanded, with a larger space that’s hard not to pop into, thanks to its intimate, candlelit bar that’s buzzing.
Dig in, drink up
From the tiny kitchen, Kablan serves what he describes as new Israeli cuisine, crafting an entirely different menu every week that offers a fresh, intriguing interpretation of Israeli food in all its diversity, drawing on influences from home cooking, street food, and, above all, what tastes good.
The dishes are primarily vegetable- and fish-based, served cold or from the tabun (clay oven), celebrating raw ingredients as both centerpieces and seasoning. The result is maximum flavor with minimal waste.
We started off our meal with the appetizers of focaccia paired with miso butter and fermented chili (NIS 32), and then the sea fish tartare on a Yemeni latke with burnt eggplant and crème fraîche (NIS 31). We also sampled the tasty sashimi paired with black lentils (NIS 75) and the pickled fish (NIS 64).
When were were ready to move on to the mains, we ordered the roasted white Spanish onion made in the tabun, adorned with local cheese and crispy shallots (NIS 68), and the steamed sea fish fillet, with mushrooms in caper butter (NIS 108).
Alongside the food is a rotating wine list and a curated cocktail menu that features homemade infusions and spirits from HaKatan’s own lab. Try the Sakura, which consists of Sakura vermouth, Calvados (a type of brandy), and tonic. Or the Alexandros, which constitutes ouzo, almond syrup, rosewater, and smoked whisky. Each costs NIS 52 a pop.
For dessert, you can tuck into the dark chocolate magic bean cake or the vanilla flan with macadamia crumble (each NIS 46).
What’s next
The atmosphere at HaKatan is relaxed, unpretentious, and approachable. The staff and the chef are noticeably warm and friendly. And though the space itself may be small, with the restaurant’s name translating to “the little one,” rest assured, the flavors are big. To keep an eye on the dishes being served up weekly, follow @hakatan__tlv and chef @Ido20 on Instagram.
As for what’s next, the team is looking into a nearby space for the next venture – more to come on that soon.
HaKatan46 Levinsky Street Tel AvivPhone: 055-919-1985Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed SaturdayNot kosher
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
Lauren Gumport is an avid traveler, travel writer, and VP of communications at Faye Travel Insurance, a travel tech start-up. Her travel tips have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, BuzzFeed, and more. Follow her on Instagram @Gumport.