For nearly a year, it was known that chef Jonathan Roshfeld was about to open a new restaurant in Tel Aviv. This stirred a lot of interest, since Roshfeld, one of Israel's top chefs, has been absent from the dining scene for quite a few years, after retiring from his restaurants Bistro Roshfeld and Jonathan Roshfeld. Now he is back with a new restaurant, Herbert Samuel.

Located in Beit Gibor, the facade and entrance are about as plain and undistinguished as could be, the large, clouded glass front giving not even the vaguest hint of what might be inside. The only clue is a small sign placed so high above eye level that one is likely to miss it. Such facades have become fashionable lately, especially at designer shops in New York City, but to me it represents a kind of snobbishness, and in this case, the design works against the obvious target of this establishment, which is meant to attract a far larger clientele then Roshfeld?s previous restaurants.

Once inside, however, the first thing one sees is the large, dominating bar, with its display of antipasti, including a large ham, and its back wall filled with wine bottles. The small space around the bar is divided into two separate dining areas, a smoking section and a non-smoking section, both with simple tables topped by dark Formica and separated from the bar by high wood shutters. Some of the shutters are left open, but I am not sure whether this element contributes to the division of the space or burdens it.

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It does not take very long to understand that Roshfeld was not aiming for a restaurant that, like his previous restaurants, would call out classicism or luxury, but was aiming for what he and his designers considered a somewhat laid-back atmosphere. On the second floor, above the bar, stands the ultra-modern kitchen, surrounded by glass walls, where you can see Roshfeld and his assistants busy cooking. Behind the kitchen is another dining area primarily for groups. Whether one finds the design appealing or a bit disappointing is very much a question of personal taste, but what is definitely attractive, if not a bit amusing, are the dish towels in place of the usual linen napkins. I was tempted (but did not yield to this temptation) to tuck the towel into my shirt collar.

Less pretentious, less fussy

Even now, when the running-in period has just ended, the restaurant is packed with diners and has a comfortable buzz. Once one gets to dining, one cannot miss the fact that the food here, although often splendid, offers us a very different Jonathan Roshfeld - less pretentious, less fussy, less complex and more friendly to young clients who are not looking for gourmet food. In keeping with the latest trend, the menu is not divided according to appetizers and main dishes, but rather offers different categories of food: fish and seafood - the restaurant's specialty - vegetables, pasta and meat. The dishes are not generous and many are offered also as tapas. In addition, the restaurant offers daily specials.

The freshly baked bread, which arrived in a small basket containing delicious anise-flavored rolls with raisins and crusty French baguette-style slices, was accompanied by three different tempting tapenades of black, green and brown olives, flavorful butter, and flakes of sea salt blackened over citrus wood charcoal. In order to conduct a broad tasting, we asked for tapas-sized dishes whenever possible. I started with two antipasti: pickled jalapeno peppers, which were soft, with just a bare touch of heat, and pickled lightly so their flavor could still be felt; and a mini-portion of lunga spessa, thin slices of garlic-rich Italian pork sausage, which were perfect on the French bread spread generously with butter. We went on to taste a creamy soup of Jerusalem artichokes, which contained chunks of chestnuts and was topped with a truffle mousse and a light grating of black truffles. The soup was excellent and reminded me of Roshfeld's haute cuisine of the past. We also tasted a carpaccio of raw amberjack fish, which was cut into rather thick chunks, sprinkled with a lemon-rich marinade and laid on a bed of pureed eggplant, along with thinly sliced radishes, and beet and rocket sprouts. The fish was fresh and rewarding, and the somewhat bitter eggplant puree enriched its flavor.
The next dish we were served was an octopus salad. The octopus, whose flesh and tentacles were just tender enough, was tossed with grilled onions, small chunks of potato and olive oil, much in the Greek fashion, and was given a local touch through a za'atar seasoning. As fine as those dishes were, a miniature leek tartlet was even better: Its crust was soft and flavorful, and the leeks were topped with goat's cheese, bits of porcini mushrooms and, tucked into the cheese, a poached quail egg that burst, as it should, adding flavor to the entire concoction. A bit of eggplant cream decorating the plate went well with the other flavors and textures.

After a short break, we continued with two tapas. The first included two large ravioli filled with ricotta and sage, the pasta sheets precisely al dente, the ingredients bursting with freshness and the accompanying red wine sauce contained just the right hint of sweetness. The second dish, succulent slices of veal tongue served with a fennel and herb salad, was also very good. From here, we continued by sampling several full-sized dishes. We started with two of the specials of the day, the first a thinly-sliced pork rotisserie, prepared medium-rare as it should be. Its splendid flavor was enriched by lentils and a bit of bacon in a red wine sauce. The second was a crab risotto served in a personal casserole dish. The rice was soft and moist, and the rich flavor of the crab meat was complemented nicely by bits of grilled tomatoes. It was a good and satisfying dish that demonstrated once again Roshfeld's deep understanding of Mediterranean cuisine. Finally, I sampled one of Roshfeld's flagship dishes, grilled lamb chops, with just the right amount of fat left intact, served with an onion filled with a stew of finely shredded lamb cooked for seven hours. This dish also reminded me of temps perdu.

Alongside the good espresso, we sampled three desserts. The spooma, which combines a light, tart yogurt mousse with a sorbet of yogurt and fresh fruit, was a refreshing and successful version of a well-known Italian dessert; the mille-feuille, which contained a ball of poppy seed ice cream on creme patissiere with almond crunch, was good, albeit too sweet; and the chocolate Marsala with mascarpone and chocolate with cookies dipped in Marsala wine and topped with chocolate truffles was rich, but a bit overburdened. The chocolate and mascarpone might have been better on their own.

Throughout our meal, the service was efficient yet not too formal. Our food bill came to NIS 560, which, considering we had consumed enough food for four diners, was quite reasonable. A bottle of the 2005 Chablis of Louis Latour added NIS 190 to the bill. One can, of course, build a much cheaper meal of tapas, and indeed this is one of the better restaurants offering good food for a very reasonable price. The wine list is a good one, with many wines quite reasonably priced and some offered in 375-cl. carafes or by the glass. All in all, Roshfeld's new place seems to join the trend of well thought-out establishments that offer good and interesting food but do not pretend to be super-gourmet. Along with the quality ingredients and the careful execution, what truly matters in such places is the ability and experience of the supervising chef. In the case of Herbert Samuel, the fine result is credited to Jonathan Roshfeld.

Herbert Samuel: In Beit Gibor, 6 Koifman Street, Tel Aviv. Tel.: (03) 516-6516. Open for dinner 19:00-24:00, and after that for light meals at the bar.