Grab your passports. If you are hungry and wanting to try out every Middle-Eastern salad imaginable, The Old Man and The Sea, a seaside restaurant, is the place for you. The restaurant, located on the Mediterranean Sea in Jaffa, Israel is more of an event than a single meal.
My friends and I had heard about the restaurant from a few locals. Mark Bobritsky, an IDF solider we had met while traveling, shared with us that the restaurant was known for "great salads, great service and had a very good money value." We couldn't argue with that!
Locals also bragged that the local establishment was a perfect way to spend a few hours by the sea. Go hungry, they warned.
After spending ten days wandering around Israel stuffing ourselves to the brim with the cuisine, we knew that this restaurant was the perfect place to enjoy the last of our days in the country. It was no time to slow down and enjoy just one plate of salad. No, 23 different salads seemed like the perfect amount.
Themed after the nautical book by Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea boasts a location right on the Jaffa marina with seats up to 700 diners. Since the sun was shining bright, we opted to sit outside on the patio to enjoy our lunch.
The sun was strong so we recommend wearing your sunglasses and applying some sunscreen if you plan on spending a lot of time on the patio.
Before we had even settled in our seats a waiter was dropping bowls onto the table one after another. Then more. And another tray filled with plates and bowls. In total there were 23 different salad plates and bowls on the table. Impressive? You betcha.
Each salad consists of a few bites but even with the five of us, we barely put a dent in the salads, especially since they kept bringing them out if any of the dishes started to look low. Each salad is made fresh from the kitchen staff daily and the salads change with the seasons. On this day particularly we got to try salads filled with fried cauliflower, roasted beets, roasted eggplant, cucumbers. We feasted on tabbouleh, baba ganoush, falafel, hummus, egg salad, dips of peppers, bowls of coleslaw and mountains of pita.
While you can dine on just the salads alone, the restaurant also offers main dishes like half-roasted chicken and a whole baked fish. It's almost impossible to walk away from this place remotely hungry.
The salads themselves run 50 NIS per person, about $14.50 USD, but are included in the price if you order a main meal. The main meals range from 84 - 114 NIS which is about $24 to $33. Each meal also includes coffee, tea and some sweets to end the meal.
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Overall if you are looking to taste many different kinds of salads in a beautiful environment, The Old Man and the Sea is at the top of the list. We recommend visiting about an hour before the sun sets so you can enjoy the beautiful view over the harbor.
Find It Here:
Address: Hanger 1, Jaffa port, Jaffa.
Phone: 053-8094346
Email: [email protected]
Open Hours: Sunday - Saturday 11:00 - 24:00
