"Sharon Cohen's marine kitchen on Montefiore — book Shila for shrimp carpaccio, crudo and the freshest catch."
Shila is the long-running chef's restaurant of Sharon Cohen, a Tel Aviv institution that moved to 9 Montefiore Street after two decades on Ben Yehuda. Cohen cooks a Mediterranean kitchen enriched with Asian touches and classic French technique, but the heart of it is fish and seafood — raw, grilled or à la plancha — with a Catalan accent. It is one of Israel's most original tables, listed as a World's 50 Best Discovery, and the move has kept the energy young and busy.
Chef Sharon Cohen hones in on the day's catch. The signature is a shrimp carpaccio with smashed tomatoes, za'atar and almonds, alongside crudo, grilled whole fish and plancha-seared shellfish that change with what comes in. At the centre stands a bar with an open crudo kitchen, flanked by a wine room of hundreds of labels and aquariums that keep the seafood at its freshest. A full dinner with wine sits in the top ($$$$) bracket, around ₪400 to ₪450 per person.
The room is the show: a central bar with the open crudo kitchen, the wine room alongside and the aquariums in view, with a mood that stays relaxed, trendy and warm rather than formal. Service is confident and the energy high, especially later in the evening. It opens for dinner into the small hours and books up, so reserve ahead and ask for a seat at the bar if you want to watch Cohen and his team work the catch.
For an anniversary, a dinner to impress visiting clients or a buzzy first date, Shila delivers: the crudo bar puts on a show, the wine room runs deep and the seafood is as fresh as it gets in Tel Aviv. A memorable anniversary table, a confident room to impress clients, and a lively first date.
Not for a quiet, budget meal or committed vegetarians — Shila is a busy, higher-end seafood kitchen built around the day's catch.
Shila is at 9 Montefiore Street in Tel Aviv-Yafo, having relocated from Ben Yehuda Street after two decades.
Chef Sharon Cohen, whose marine kitchen blends Catalan and Mediterranean flavours with classic French technique.
The shrimp carpaccio with smashed tomatoes, za'atar and almonds is the signature, alongside crudo and the day's grilled catch.
A full dinner with wine runs roughly ₪400 to ₪450 per person, placing it in the higher bracket for Tel Aviv.
Shila is listed as a World's 50 Best Discovery, recognised among Tel Aviv's most original seafood tables.
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