Unlike my husband, some of my readers may have forgotten about the recent holiday of Tu B’av, a holiday mentioned in the Mishnah that has become Valentine’s Day in Israel. If that’s the case, the best way to make it up to your partner is to take them to Sphera Kitchen and Bar in Rehovot. After one bite, they won’t be able to stay mad at you.
Sphera has been a regular feature on my foodie Facebook page since it opened three years ago, so when I got the chance to try it out, I decided to leave my air-conditioned bubble in Jerusalem and head to Rehovot, along with my husband, who just needed a few reminders of Tu B’av this year.
“People thought we were crazy to open a chef-run restaurant in Rehovot,” chef Beni Madar told me. “But we knew we could do it. You should see our waiting list – we have hundreds of people who can’t get a seat.”
The restaurant is very large and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. There is even a private gazebo for VIPs. The interior design is beautiful, the tables are spaced far apart, the walls are dark and the armchairs are cozy. Chef Beni told me that the plates are made in a factory in Portugal according to a design he created and that he is personally involved in all aesthetic decisions.
“We like to think outside the box,” he said. “We offer fine dining with Mizrahi flavors.”
Before we even looked at the menu, Liran – the man in charge of the wine program and a winemaker himself – came over and offered us (and all the guests) a taste of two wines being served that evening – the Tura Rose and the Yarden Syrah. As a budding wine geek, I know both wines, but I couldn’t say no to a taste of the latter, which is lovely.
The restaurant also hosts wine tasting evenings every few weeks and the wine list would be a hit for wine connoisseurs.
BUT my husband and I opted for cocktails instead of wine, as a cocktail somehow makes the whole evening special. Since it was still the week of Tu B’av, there were two special cocktails served with a small appetizer (85 NIS).
The restaurant also partners with Beluga vodka, so my drink was a little sweet and was served with a shot of Beluga, so you could make it as strong as you wanted. The small appetizer was also quite nice: a large cracker with tuna tartare. My husband took the house mojito (72 NIS) and said it was delicious. Definitely a promising start to the meal.
For starters, he chose tuna sashimi (NIS 88) and I went for the liver pate (NIS 82). Both plates looked like paintings and it was almost a shame to dig in. The sashimi was incredibly fresh and served with a homemade cashew cream that you could hardly believe was dairy-free, and the smooth pate was served with cherries and nuts, and the toasted brioche was just lovely.
Chef Beni took me outside to show me the beautiful outdoor area, and when we returned, several other appetizers had mysteriously appeared on the table. Among them was one of my favorites – sweetbreads (NIS 172) served on a bed of polenta with king forest mushrooms. The sweetbread itself was chewy, salty and delicious.
There was also a unique appetizer of tuna tartare rolled in kohlrabi and garnished with kosher caviar. Cliff took this one all to himself as I have only one aversion to raw onions and this dish had a lot of them. But overall the appetizers were unique and delicious.
There are several salads and also vegan options.
FOR the main course, Cliff ordered lamb chops (NIS 269), a lovely portion of four – and he even agreed to share the smallest one with me!! They were cooked to perfection and served with a side of chard with lamb and rice, which I had never tried before.
There’s prime rib on the bone (NIS 75 per 100 grams), but most pieces weigh around 900 grams, so it’s clearly suited to sharing between two or three people, and Cliff had fallen in love with lamb chops. I went for the 300-gram, 40-day-aged entrecôte (NIS 246) and it was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time.
When you leave, be sure to leave room for dessert
I was too full for dessert, but Cliff loved his warm chocolate cake (71 NIS).
The service was simply excellent. I often get very good service because the restaurant knows that I write for The Jerusalem Postbut I observed other tables getting the same service as us. Our waitress Tal knew the menu well and helped us choose. She checked on us frequently without being too intrusive. There was a lot of staff walking around purposefully with tablets and earbuds. They all checked on the guests and made sure everything was going well. Chef Beni said they stagger the guests and only allow 40 people in every half hour so it never feels too crowded.
I saw many family groups celebrating birthdays or other events. There were also many couples enjoying an evening together. Overall, Sphera offers you a special evening and is highly recommended for a special occasion.
Sphera Kitchen and Bar
Hamada 18, Rehovot
Opening hours: Sunday-Thursday 6:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.
Phone: 072-392-2755 (reservation required)
Kashrut: Rabbanut Rehovot
The author was a guest of the restaurant.
