Turkish delight: A top-notch Israeli meal at Tel Aviv's Turkish Grill - review

ByGLORIA DEUTSCHOCTOBER 31, 2026 11:59

Growing up in England, where a salad meant lettuce, a few tomato and cucumber slices, and bottled dressing, the Israeli custom of starting a meal with several small dishes of different salads is a welcome change.

While not unique to Israel, the custom is popular across the Middle East. I, for one, think it an excellent start to a meal with healthy vegetables served in a distinctive variety of flavors.

A remarkable variety of vegetables and spices

At Turkish Grill, a meat restaurant on the outskirts of Tel Aviv that we visited recently, there are 12 such salads served with soft, fluffy laffas (Iraqi pitas) as a first course (NIS 30 per diner).

The variety was remarkable. Think of a vegetable and there it was, transformed into a salad: corn, avocado, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, beets, cabbage, and one non-vegetable, eggs, had all been turned into tasty starters.

Without describing each one, I can say that none were overly oily or spicy, except for one: the Turkish salad, which was peppery by any standards.

My favorite was the sweet potato. It was cut into small pieces, possibly fried, and then dipped in silan (date syrup). It was sweet and positively addictive.

I also liked the eggplant very much, which was roasted, and the inside turned into a spread with the familiar burnt flavor of what some call “aubergine caviar.” The corn salad had mushrooms and red pepper garnish, the avocado was very green and not too lemony, and the beetroot salad was sweet and acidic.

While enjoying the starters, a large salad arrived alongside a plate of hummus and tahini to share. Everything was very fresh and appealing.

For a main course, we received three massive skewers. One was pieces of entrecote steak, which were crisp on the outside and tender within, and tasted great. The second skewer had chunks of pargit (spring chicken), and the third held pieces of meat meant to simulate lamb, since they were dipped in lamb fat before cooking. Although not quite like the real thing, they were an acceptable substitute (skewers, NIS 42 and 63).

Good service, excellent food, and a friendly ambiance

The restaurant, which was crowded with families having an early supper, is situated in a largely Sephardi area. It was pleasant to see so many people enjoying the food and the surroundings.

They had several dessert options on the menu, but we declined and had a sweet green tea to round off the meal.

Though they didn’t have Turkish Delight, the dessert options they had were rotondo (decadent, multi-layered Italian pastry), creme brulee, chocolate soufflé, hot chocolate cake, creamino (inspired by cremino, a tri-layered chocolate confection from Italy’s Piedmont region), and handmade baklava (NIS 20-28).

It was a very enjoyable meal with good service, excellent food, and a friendly ambiance – everything a good meal out should be.

Turkish Grill
2 Ha’Avoda St., Or Yehuda
Call: 053 623 8221
Open: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-midnight; Fri. closed; Sat. after Shabbat-midnight.
Kashrut: Badatz Beit Yosef

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.

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