The Palomar

Had been meaning to visit this restaurant for a while now to try a new type of cuisine from the heart of Jerusalem and I have to say I'm very glad to have done so . It's a small but very friendly place as you walk in they have a walk in service where you can sit at the counter and watch the chefs work but we were lead through to the dining area at the back which was very nice & cozy. Our waitress Olge was excellent asking us if we'd been before then took us through the menu advising us of how many courses from each section we should order . We started with the RIP & Dip section where we had the most amazing Bread & dips along with Fish Falafel. We then had the special of the day which was a lovely dish that included White Crab Meat just stunning then onto the larger of the sharing menu dishes to which we had the amazing Octo-Hummus and the fantastic Jerusalem Mix with a side order of Josperised Aubergine plus a Fattoush Salad all the dishes have this delicate charcoal,nutty and slightly creamy texture but taste delicious Now on to my favourite course of any meal Dessert and we weren't let down in anyway we decided to go for the sharing dessert called a Jerusalem Mess which was fantastic but me being me I couldn't settle for that and when I saw they had a Chocolate Fondue with Peanut Brittle I couldn't resist and I'm so glad I didn't it was gorgeous Definitely looking forward to returning soon and I would highly recommend this restaurant #food #restaurant #hospitality

I went for dinner with a friend on Saturday night. Very pleasantly surprised. Wave after wave of dishes arrived that ticked the box for being very fresh and simply prepared, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. In the mix was a Seafood Pasta dish on the specials menu that was simply amazing and as good as anything I've had in Italy. The cocktails were surprising and the simple wine list was brief and well judged. Had a very delicious and drinkable Pecorino. The perfectly judged service was informal and very friendly. My only reservation was the slightly loud in the mix popular music selection, but to be completely honest it's churlish to mention that when everything else was simply delightful and fun.

On yet another miserable rainy August evening in London, we escaped from frenetic Leicester Square to soak in some of the beauty of The Palomar. The vibe is warm and welcoming with friendly staff and funky tunes. The restaurant starts with a buzzing bar area and in the back are a handful of cosy tables which can be pre- booked. Most of Soho now is all about the beating of the queues and no reservations, so being able to book a restaurant was a welcome novelty to me. We dined with another foodie couple, who had been 4 times before, always a good sign. Plus, they knew all the right dishes to order, so for once I just sat back and devoured a feast to top all feasts. The combinations and spices were all new and exciting for me. I have never been to Tel Aviv, but apparently this is the closest we in London will get to, to the quality of cuisine and throbbing nightlife in Israel's hot city. To start we had a soft challah loaf which was torn apart and shared with yummy tomato dips. Then came a beef tartar like no other, spicy, soft and melting away with burnt aubergine and artichoke, a mouthful to behold. The deconstructed kebab was plate of delicious mince and spices. Buttermilk corn fed chicken had that warm cosy posh kfc feeling. Then a humungous cauliflower arrived with spices and almonds and all things nice, turning boring old cauliflower to a blooming taste sensation. Prices were as expected for Soho, but not ridiculous. I was waiting for the bar shots and the staff dancing on the bar that I had read about, but maybe it was a quiet night. Ah well all the more reason to go again.

As a seasoned London restaurant-goer, it is relatively rare, but nonetheless highly pleasurable, that when leaving an establishment after eating I was smiling from ear-to-ear, struggling to find enough superlatives to praise the place and thinking that I needed to make my next reservation as soon as possible. Yet this was the case with the Palomar. Perhaps similar to Yossarian at the start of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22, it really felt like ‘love at first sight’. Every aspect of the experience was close to being flawless, especially if you like exceptional food at a decent price in an informal but trendy setting. Diners enter through a curtain and are confronted with a choice of bar seats in front of the working chefs or a relatively small, yet intimate dining room at the back, perhaps not dissimilar to at Bocca di Lupo. We were seated in the latter part, and although only three tables were occupied when we arrived at 12.30, on leaving, the place was packed. Despite the busy and buzzy atmosphere, nothing seemed too much trouble for the waiting staff, who enthusiastically took time to explain the menu, regularly (but not intrusively) topped up our glasses and brought each dish with a smile. The food itself is notionally modelled on the famous Machneyuda restaurant in Jerusalem, but takes its influences from across the Mediterranean and North Africa and also includes a range of non-kosher pork and shellfish options for those so inclined. As is the current fashion, diners are encouraged to share. And why not, since that way a broader range of dishes can be sampled? My comrade and I began with ‘kubaneh’, a Yemeni pot-baked bread served with tahini and tomatoes. The presentation was superb, with the bread brought in its own mini-loaf tin and the tomato dip was wonderfully unctuous, almost velvety. The bread undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the meal. We followed this up with ‘the daily six’, a selection of six mini mezze pots (and a bargain at £12). The freshness and intensity of the flavours was amazing and my comrade observed, for example, that he never knew beetroot could taste quite so nice. Our other cold dish of octopus also pleased, with the fish integrating superbly with the spinach and chickpeas, with just a touch of chilli pervading. We noted how rare it was for not a single dish to ‘fail’ and the high standard set at this stage continued with our mains: the chicken liver special of the day was as tender as one could wish for; the deconstructed kebab amazing; and the ‘Jerusalem style’ polenta (with asparagus, mushroom, parmesan and truffle oil) every bit as good as we had been led to believe. Beyond the food, the small touches also are memorable: we liked the presentation of a sardine special at a neighbouring table in an authentic tin; the mismatched crockery kind of works; and we were brought two dishes (a starter and a dessert) on the house and unprompted. The drinks list also deserves mention: great cocktails and good wines at sensible prices. We enjoyed a decent enough Californian Pinot Noir, but it was also pleasing to note four Israeli wines (two white, two red) on the list. I would be hard-pressed to find fault and my simple advice would be to go now, before it becomes impossible to get a table.

I found the listing on Sm. I was meeting a friend we both eat low carbs and lots of veggies.Blow me away. Walked in the place was a buzz. We got a seat at the bar in front of head chef Tomer. Let the show begin. Great cocktails then the daily 6. A mezze with lots of yummy treats. The polenta with truffle oozes with tasty dark melange of truffles mushroom Unami. two Diners next to us we're enjoying their meal so much they ordered 3 Of everything. The pork belly looks amazing but alas after daily 6, oysters homemade bread we ran out of room. We will be back. I'm sure word of mouth will spread about palomar and sadly no reservations at the bar will result in a long queue.