Vin et Viande: 100% Israeli despite the French name - review

Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first. Petah Tikva’s Vin et Viande, in spite of its French name, is 100% Israeli. It looks like a cafeteria from the 1970s, with overhead lighting which makes even beautiful young women look haggard; an abstract patterned floor reminiscent of 1950s linoleum; and an array of artificial flowers and plants which are dreadful but help slightly to relieve the gloom.

The bare wooden tables and canvas chairs did nothing to improve the look. Halfway through our visit, the lights were dimmed a little, and that improved the situation. 

The restaurant is the brainchild of Ran Dor Hai, who is behind the popular Whiskey Bar at Sarona, and active in the running of the Azrieli mall’s DNA dining section.

What's on the menu?

For our starters, I chose aubergine and tehina (NIS 58), while my companion picked the pâté de foie (NIS 58). Both were very satisfactory examples of the genre.

The pâté had a strong liver taste, as it should have, and was remarkably creamy. The assorted jams on the side provided the necessary sweet contrast, and a cashew nut cream brought another interesting flavor to the dish. My dish of roasted eggplant was dressed with tehina, chopped skinned fresh tomatoes, and a spicy pesto. Both starters were excellent.

For mains, my companion had wanted the lamb, but when it was explained to him that it is served in pita, he changed his mind and selected the sirloin steak instead (NIS 56 per 100 grams). I chose one of the two fish offerings – lavrak or sea bass (NIS 138).

The steak arrived as ordered, medium to well done, and lived up to expectations, being very tender and rare but nicely browned. Besides the roasted sweet potato, an added bonus was a marrow bone, attractively served in a silver dish with a tiny spoon to extract the delicious if somewhat cholesterol-laden innards.

My dish consisted of two fillets of fish, covered in crumbs and oven-baked with various colored roasted carrots on the side.

We shared a dessert – Chocolate Bomb – which lived up to its name with brownies, chocolate mousse, chocolate sauce, and walnut ice cream making up the dish.

We drank a glass of Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, which was very good, and served at the right temperature, but seemed, at NIS 58 a glass, very expensive for a few gulps.

The staff members were all young and very friendly, as was the manager, who came over to say hello.

If there were hiccups – like no mirrors in the ladies’ restroom – one could put it down to teething troubles, as the place had opened only two weeks before we arrived. During the course of the evening, many of the tables were filled.

The place has a fully stocked wine shop attached, which will no doubt prove to be an attraction in itself.

We felt that in time, the restaurant would overcome the opening problems and become a very desirable place for an evening out.

• Vin et Viande
• BSR Tower, C Building
• 1 Shaham Street, Petah Tikva
• Open: Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-late.
• Kashrut: Petah Tikva Rabbinate

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.