Top Italian restaurants in Israel

Toto ★ 4.5

Toto occupies the Museum Tower next to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, where chef Yaron Shalev runs an Italian and French menu built on oxtail tortellini.

TipA fixed-price lunch of starter and main runs at midday; the oxtail tortellini and chestnut gnocchi are the long-standing signatures.

Cicchetti ★ 4.1

Cicchetti on Yehuda HaLevi in Tel Aviv is a Venetian-style neighbourhood bar, where chef Michael Gartopsky's small plates pair with Avi Kashi's cocktails.

OrderA run of two or three small plates alongside a carafe of house wine.

TipWeekend brunch runs 11:00 to 15:00; Sunday to Thursday the 17:00 to 19:00 aperitivo takes 30 percent off.

Rustico Basel ★ 3.9

Rustico Basel runs a cozy Italian room of handmade pasta and pizza in the Basel quarter of Tel Aviv's Old North, with gluten-free and vegan-friendly options.

OrderA fresh pasta special off the daily menu, or a stone-oven pizza to share.

TipThe lunch menu runs 12:00 to 16:00 with a starter and a drink bundled into the main.

Berta ★ 3.9

Berta at Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv is chef Yossi Shitrit's kosher dairy Italian room, serving taboon pizza, spaghetti al limone and fish crudo.

OrderSpaghetti al limone with pistachio, a Neapolitan pizza from the taboon, or the charred cauliflower salad.

TipCertified Rabanut Tel Aviv at the Regila level; the dairy and fish kitchen has no meat, closed Friday and Saturday.