Nanutchka
2 Lilenblum Street
Cuisines: European
About
This ethnic restaurant has taken off with Tel Avivians and tourists because it provides a lively mix of old and new plus very tasty, interesting food. Come at lunchtime, and you can watch elderly Georgian ladies from the former Soviet Union preparing the deep-fried and poached dumplings and dough pockets stuffed with beef and goose -- or with cheeses, mushrooms, and vegetables -- that are the heart of Nanutchka's popular appetizer and tapas menu. Main courses include hearty stews of lamb and casseroles of meat cooked in sauces laced with dried fruits, but there are also lighter dishes of exotically flavored fish and chicken stewed with onion, tamarind, and pomegranate. You'll also find Georgian/fusion dishes such as "Black Sea egg rolls" stuffed with crab and shrimp -- everything is scrumptious and worth trying. From noon through early dinner, Russian and Caucasian Mountain music plays softly in the background. By late evening, the dumpling ladies have vanished, and Nanutchka becomes a bar-bistro with a splendid mix of Russian and Western rock, plus traditional music, and people often dancing in the aisles.
