"Chef Gal Ben-Moshe's Israeli-Levantine brasserie sits inside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, a 50 Best Discovery table over the sculpture garden."
About Pastel
Pastel is the modern Israeli-Levantine brasserie set inside the Herta and Paul Amir Building of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Tel Aviv. Chef Gal Ben-Moshe, who earned a Michelin star at Prism in Berlin, leads a kitchen that reinterprets dishes from across the Levant, and the room looks onto the museum's sculpture garden. It is a 50 Best Discovery listing and one of the more polished tables in the city.
This is refined Levantine cooking in a fine-dining register. For more of the city's best tables, compare the Mediterranean cooking at Claro, Eyal Shani's theatre at HaSalon and the contemporary plates at Messa. For a marker night, see our anniversary dining guide.
The Kitchen
Ben-Moshe's cooking takes the flavours of the Levant - Syria, Lebanon and the Galilee - and reworks them with technique and a light, playful hand. The signature is the Lulu chicken with maftoul, grapes, gremolata and ras el hanout; around it sit handmade pasta and fresh gnocchi, prime ribs and lamb, the day's fresh fish, and dishes such as red tuna with watermelon, sesame and ponzu, or fruit with charcoaled cheese and black tahini. The chef's tasting menu, around 395 shekels, is one of the city's best, course after course of small surprises; a weekday business lunch of an appetiser and a main runs about 135 shekels. The wine list is a strength, and the kitchen rewards the tasting menu over a single plate.
The Room
The restaurant occupies a corner of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and the setting carries the meal: a main room of cherry-wood furniture and natural light, an outdoor patio looking over the museum's sculpture garden, and a hidden bar known as the cocoon for a drink before or after. It is calm and grown-up, the art and the garden doing as much for the mood as the design, and it suits a long lunch as much as a special dinner. Service is polished and well-paced. It sits at 27 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard in the HaQirya district; because it draws museum-goers and a loyal local following, booking ahead is wise, and the patio is the seat to request on a fine evening.
Not for
Not for a quick, casual bite or a tight budget - this is a polished museum brasserie built around a tasting menu and a planned occasion, not a drop-in meal.
Frequently Asked
What is Pastel known for?
Pastel is known for chef Gal Ben-Moshe's modern Israeli-Levantine cooking and for its setting inside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, looking onto the sculpture garden. Its signature Lulu chicken with maftoul and a creative chef's tasting menu anchor a 50 Best Discovery table.
Who is the chef at Pastel?
Gal Ben-Moshe leads the kitchen at Pastel. He earned a Michelin star at his restaurant Prism in Berlin, and at Pastel he reinterprets the flavours of the Levant - Syria, Lebanon and the Galilee - with refined technique and a playful hand.
How much does Pastel cost?
The chef's tasting menu runs around 395 shekels per person, while a weekday business lunch of an appetiser and a main is about 135 shekels. With a strong wine list on top, a full dinner places Pastel among the city's higher-end tables.
Where is Pastel in Tel Aviv?
Pastel is inside the Herta and Paul Amir Building of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art at 27 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, in the HaQirya district. The dining room and patio look onto the museum's sculpture garden.
Do you need a reservation at Pastel?
Yes, booking ahead is wise. Pastel draws museum-goers and a loyal local following across lunch and dinner, so tables go quickly, and it is worth requesting the garden patio for a fine evening over the sculpture garden.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Pastel
Booking ahead is wise; Pastel is inside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art at 27 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard - request the patio over the sculpture garden on a fine evening.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
AddressTel Aviv Museum of Art, 27 Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, Tel Aviv, Israel
NeighbourhoodHaQirya, Tel Aviv Museum of Art
CuisineLevantine
PriceChef's tasting ~395 shekels; business lunch ~135 shekels
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingMuseum dining room, garden patio and hidden bar
ReservationRecommended
