Bagel Café: Try it – you won’t be disappointed - review

What do you do when you make aliyah from Mexico and are the scion of a family that has been in the baking business for four generations?

Obviously, you open a Bagel Café branch. That is what Bernardo Goldaper did, choosing the Ir Yamim mall for his business venture.

The Bagel Café is conveniently situated on the 2nd floor of what is one of the most attractive and cleanest shopping malls in Netanya.

The café is open all day, and contrary to what you might think from the name, it serves many other items besides bagels, such as make-it-yourself salads and filled buns.

Eating at the Bagel Café

The coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, is excellent, and there is a wide variety of choices for both hot and cold beverages.

We visited the café one recent early evening and were impressed by the large variety of menu choices, the aesthetic presentation of all the food on display, and the cleanliness. Unexpectedly, there was even a small sink (basin) incorporated into the structure for ritual hand-washing before eating bread.

My choice of fare was a salad, and I selected the ingredients from a large array of vegetables – the usual ones and some more exotic, like artichoke hearts and truffle mushrooms.

You can choose from several dressings plus sprinkles such as croutons, raisins, nuts, and seeds. I chose a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, which added just the right amount of extra flavor (NIS 45).

My companion greatly enjoyed his choice – a bagel filled with truffle cream cheese and portobello mushrooms. When he discovered that Bernardo also spoke fluent Yiddish, they chatted away in mamma loshen (mother tongue) for ages.

We inquired about dessert, and Bernado produced a slice of delicious cheesecake for us to share (NIS 35). Several other mouth-watering choices include lemon meringue pie and chocolate soufflé, supplied by a local dessert expert.

Bernardo and his wife, Eliezra, a health coach, have three children – two sons who were lone soldiers in the IDF, and a daughter who is a student.

The café opened only three weeks ago and has already become a popular venue for light lunches and suppers – not just among shoppers but also for people who come specifically to eat Bagel Café food. The young staff are friendly and helpful, and polyglot Bernardo loves interacting with the customers. He is there from early morning until late at night and shows no signs of fatigue.

Try it – you won’t be disappointed.

• Bagel Café
• Ir Yamim Mall, 2nd floor,
• (near Fox store), Netanya
• Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 7 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Friday: 7 a.m.-2 p.m..
• Saturday: One hour after Shabbat until 9:30 p.m..
• Kashrut: Netanya Rabbinate

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.