We went for 24 hours in Haifa. This time I came with my bestie, but of course you can also come with a partner. It works well in both formats. We arrived with an appetite for good food and a desire for a little culture and history.
Lunch: "Rasif 33" Restaurant
We started in the lower city, because if it's Haifa, then all the way. Rasif 33 is exactly what its name suggests, layers of history with a contemporary twist. The building, the street, and even the name are all connected to the port.
This is a culinary bar that doesn't try to be sophisticated, and that's actually its advantage. The menu is based on local Arab cuisine, one that understands that good raw ingredients do most of the work. Fresh fish, vegetables from Wadi Nisnas, spices that haven't been through a branding committee, and the result is precise.
We sat at the bar, which is basically an open kitchen with a stone table, the kind that makes you feel like you're part of the service. We ordered a seafood tartare with crumbled falafel (because why not), a kobe naya, and a shish kebab that manages to be both comforting and interesting. The bites were very good, which made us curious every time for the next dish.
Afternoon: Check-in at the "Colony" Hotel in Haifa
From the lower city we climbed to the German colony, straight to the Colony Hotel. This is another story, or rather, several stories.
We were welcomed by Mickey, the hotel's CEO, and we discovered that if you ask nicely, Mickey will give you a private history lesson and give you a tour of all parts of the hotel, which is all one big fascinating story.
The building was built in 1905 by the Knights Templar, served as a hotel and hosted British officers and even members of the Peel Commission. In short, if the walls here started talking, we'd have a whole season's worth of podcasts.
Beyond the beautiful design, there are wooden windows, painted tiles and furniture that feel like they were once upon a time. The hotel has cozy rooms that are properly equipped, without unnecessary frills. Some have balconies overlooking Ben Gurion Boulevard, which in the evening becomes a showplace for a more beautiful Haifa. Speaking of views, the hotel's roof offers a perfect angle to the Baha'i Gardens on one side and the harbor on the other.
The hotel recently opened its doors to outside guests, and with perfect timing, chef Andrei Buber joined the kitchen, taking the buffet up a notch without breaking tradition. In the historic dining room, which overlooks the German colony and once hosted British officers and Ottoman officials, you can imagine the meals that took place there in the hotel's previous incarnations.
Back to the menu, green shakshuka with leeks, peas, broccoli and spinach, alongside the red shakshuka that everyone knows. Cauliflower in green curry and coconut milk. Soft homemade syreniki made from semolina and Taborug cheese with raisins and sour cream, white matias spread with potatoes and fried onions that feels like a bite from yesteryear. There are also fresh pastries that go well with coffee and will make sure to close the sweet-and-savory corner of the morning.
Evening: "Rive West" Restaurant Bar
In the evening we returned to the downtown area, because it turns out that's the place to be when Haifa decides to open a button. Rib West started out as an idea for a pizzeria in Corona, but very quickly became a gastronomic bar with a clear character and a lot of confidence.
Chef Nabil Hanna simply cooks and does it well. The menu, not large but sharp, offers dishes that feel a bit Tel Aviv, a bit Europe, but with a personal twist.
We ordered everything that goes well with alcohol: beef tartare and sourdough bread with lots of butter, spareribs with a silane glaze that managed to be both decadent and precise, and a lettuce salad to feel like we had ticked the box for healthy.
The alcohol here is not just an accompaniment, it's part of the experience. Well-crafted cocktails, unexpected combinations, but everything is very tasty.
The atmosphere? Low lighting, just the right music, and people who look like they're exactly where they want to be. All of this, after the recent period, is not at all self-evident.
Morning: Guided tour of artists and crafts
After a night of sweet dreams and a mature decision not to overdo it with the cocktails, we started the morning with a guided tour of the Talpiot Market. Not just another market, but one that is undergoing a real transformation. It's not just vegetables and fish. It's artists, entrepreneurs, people who chose to stay in Haifa and build something new there.
A Makers Tour of Talpiot Market and the Hadar neighborhood in the city offers a behind-the-scenes look at the artisans, artists, and galleries who are renovating the market. The tour includes getting to know the people behind the creations, studio access, live demonstrations, and a visit to second-hand stores that showcase a combination of tradition and modern creation.
Before returning home: "Coffee Coco"
To close out 24 hours in Haifa properly, we left the sweet stuff for last. Cafe Coco feels like Paris with Haifa prices. This is a precise patisserie boulogne, the kind that lets the dough speak for itself. There's no way you'll go in for a coffee and leave without a sandwich or pastry.
I admit that when it comes to carbs, I'm stronger than you. "We had to taste almost everything" and found that it was not only beautiful, it was also very tasty. You'll find pretzel sandwiches and sourdough breads baked on site, with fillings of roast beef, pepperoni, Gouda, mozzarella and quesadilla.
There is also a lot of interest in the savory pastries section, hot caprese with mozzarella and béchamel, spinach pastry, savory bread pudding that proves that not everything that starts with bread ends with a sandwich. The big story here is the sweets. Pistachio patisserie, vanilla caramel crepe and an amazing tiramisu pastry that strikes a nice balance between coffee and cream.
In conclusion, I think that Haifa after Harry's roar doesn't try to pretend that everything is normal. There are still moments of the city trying to slowly raise its head. But alongside that, there is traffic, open restaurants, people going out, places that don't give up on themselves, and in the end, it's the most pleasant and convincing thing there is.
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