Akotika: A seaside escape blending authentic charm and gourmet kosher cuisine

Akotika has a lot of things going for it. It is in the Old City of Acre; it is right on the sea; and no children are allowed. I mean, we all love our kids, but it’s nice to get a break sometimes.

Another unique feature is that the 18 rooms are scattered throughout the Old City, meaning you feel like you are staying in a neighborhood instead of in a hotel. The rooms are large and beautiful with balconies or views of the sea. The bathroom was stunning – the shower had two large rain-shower heads, and was tiled in white marble. It was one of the nicest bathrooms I’ve ever seen.

One thing to keep in mind: Akotika is not accessible at all. My room was up 45 steep steps that made me glad I skipped my workout that morning. But the view from the top was worth it.

“We try to be very authentic,” David, the manager, said. “We live among our neighbors in the Old City.”

The walls of the hotel room were exposed stone, and the bedding on the comfortable bed was all white. There was a TV and a mini-bar that was supposed to be free, but it was empty. We were more than happy with the Nespresso and coffee capsules.

A place of respite for Israelis

On the weekend, the hotel is mostly booked with Israelis, although it’s quite empty during the week. I met two women, friends whose husbands had just returned from reserve duty. They said that after solo parenting for more than a month, they were ready for a break.

Like most places in Israel, tourism from both outside Israel and among Israelis has been almost nonexistent in Acre since October 7. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that Acre is in northern Israel, where there is fear of Hezbollah rockets. In truth, there have been far fewer rockets in Acre than in Tel Aviv.

I spent a lovely afternoon wandering around the Old City, eating hummus at the famous Hummus Said, which is all vegetarian although open on Shabbat, and I was the only person walking through the Templar Tunnel, a tunnel from the Crusader period that connected the main palace of the Templars to the port of Acre.

About an hour before sunset, my husband joined me at the port, where, we had heard, you could take short cruises around the walls of the city. The boats hold 15- 20 people and usually cost 20 shekels per person. Imad, one of the captains, said he’d take us on the 20-minute ride for 70 shekels. I agreed, if he let me drive, which he did. Once we returned, we watched the sunset from a bench at the port.

BY NOW, we were quite hungry, so we went back to the hotel for dinner at Liwa, a dairy and fish restaurant on the rooftop of Akotika run by Bilal Wakid, who is a CPA in his day job.

“The concept is Arab, Akko-ese, authentic kosher food,” Bilal said. “And we did it.” The kashrut certification is from the Tzohar rabbinical organization.

Liwa, by the way, is what fishermen yell in Arabic as they pull in their nets, which are hopefully full of fresh fish. The menu is based on fresh fish and vegetables and has some dishes that aren’t found in any other kosher restaurant. For example, I’ve long wanted to try shishbarak, which are dumplings usually filled with meat abd served in a yogurt sauce. Liwa’s shishbarak are stuffed with fish and served on tahini yogurt. We tried several raw fish dishes, including a raw fish tabuleh with parsley, bulgur, onions, mint, and raw fish that my husband loved, and a ceviche that I really enjoyed. The spices included lemon and sumac, and the dishes were unique. We shared a main course of a sea bass filet that was incredibly fresh.

A fresh experience 

“Was this fish in the sea this morning?” I asked Bilal.

“Not this morning, this afternoon!” he answered, smiling. The fish was served with a side dish called “mubathara,” which was similar to mujadara but made with rice and black lentils.

We sat on the rooftop terrace listening to the sea below us while sipping a kosher Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, and the war seemed far away.

The next morning, breakfast for hotel guests was served in the same restaurant. We had a beautiful view of the sea and enjoyed the breeze. Bilal brought us an array of salads, including a delicious, freshly made hummus that was special along with a smoked eggplant salad that I can’t stop thinking about. The breads were freshly baked and included pita with zaatar.

After the salads, you order one main dish. I went with Bilal’s suggestion of shakshuka that had just a little kick, and I really enjoyed it. My husband chose the raw fish bruschetta, which was also delicious.

After breakfast and a quick stop at a local grocery store for zaatar and olive oil, we headed back to the holy city, feeling like we just had a mini-vacation abroad.

Akotika offers special rates during the week and discounts for security forces personnel, including police and firefighters.

Akotika (https://akotika.co.il/en/home-page/)

Reception: 04-6511663  |  052-333-9772

Liwa Restaurant