Old North's Modern Thai
Tel Aviv's Old North sits north of the city's central restaurant strip — a residential neighbourhood with one of the city's more carefully-considered restaurant clusters. OlaThai is one of the rooms that has helped that quieter strip earn a serious dining reputation.
The cooking is modern Thai with a confident regional sourcing thesis: proper heat profiles, considered curries, fresh herbs, the kind of cooking that respects the cuisine rather than softening it.
What to Order
Tom yum at the proper heat level; green curry with the right balance of heat and aromatics; pad krapao with proper holy basil. The wine list handles Israeli and broader Mediterranean producers.
The Format
The room is small, modern, and unfussy. The lighting is warm; the staff are direct; the regulars dominate the dining room.
Best Occasion: First Date
OlaThai is one of Tel Aviv's quiet first-date wins. The room is intimate; the cuisine provides natural conversation; the price point allows a return visit. The Old North address handles a post-dinner walk along the neighbourhood streets.