We booked a visit to Margo restaurant in Petah Tikva after reading about it online. When we got there, we discovered that the name is spelled “Margaux.”
Apart from that slight anomaly, we found it to be a very warm and welcoming restaurant, with owner Shai Movdov proving to be an excellent host who seems to be everywhere at the same time – in the kitchen (visible from the dining area), helping to wait at tables, and receiving patrons as they enter.
The restaurant has been open for just over a year and is already very popular with the locals. The menu is still only in Hebrew, but plans are afoot to produce an English version very soon.
Aesthetically pleasing dishes
For starters, I chose the roasted eggplant with tehina (NIS 57), and my companion opted for the carpaccio of beef (NIS 72). Both dishes arrived quickly and were aesthetically presented.
The eggplant was very smoky and garlicky, as it should be, and included a vinaigrette that had toasted pine nuts lurking in it, adding a really luxurious touch to a dish that has become something of a cliché lately.
The very thinly sliced carpaccio was accompanied by roasted garlic, cashew cream, and reduced balsamic. We agreed that the starters could not be faulted.
My choice for the main course was salmon steak with potato puree (NIS 120), which turned out to be a very large slice of fresh fish, lightly fried to just the right point. It was perfectly cooked, and the potato puree was creamy, soft, and complemented the salmon.
My companion’s steak entrecote came cooked to medium, exactly as requested. Additions included pesto, dark green al dente runner beans, and puree topped with chopped chives (NIS 199).
We drank a glass of ice-cold red wine, which seems to be a common mistake in Israeli restaurants. It is so much more palatable at room temperature.
By this time, we were both so full that even looking at the dessert options proved difficult, and eating one would have been impossible.
So we just thanked Shai for his excellent hospitality and exited Margo, or Margaux, quite delighted with the meal we had enjoyed.
Margaux22 Shaham Street Petah TikvaPhone: 073-321-9620Sunday-Thursday, 6:30 p.m.-midnight. Friday – closed. Saturday, 8:30 p.m.-midnightKashrut: Petah Tikva Rabbinate
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.