It was our last night in Israel, living a #Travelife, and we were set to paint the town red by having dinner at Yaffo Tel Aviv, one of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv, Israel.

We’d driven from the Crammim Resort & Spa just in the hills outside Jerusalem, considered among Israel’s best R&R destinations, where we’d enjoyed three days of spa and relaxation.

I’ve been to almost every top restaurant in Israel, and Yaffo Tel Aviv is still one of my favorite restaurants for many reasons.

HOLIDAY IN ISRAEL

It was difficult to leave this beautiful country of Israel, of course, especially after such a wonderful holiday in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Unfortunately, reality awaited in the form of jobs and responsibilities, so we were set to fly out of Israel the following evening.

So for our last dinner, I put on my favorite black dress and we booked a table at Yaffo Tel Aviv, reportedly the best restaurant in Tel Aviv. It was everything we wanted and more. It had stylish surroundings, a star chef in the kitchen, and a sommelier who brought us some rare finds. It also had hip but efficient waitstaff.

THE KITCHEN COUNTER OF YAFFO TEL AVIV

Initially we were given a table in the center of the room of Yaffo Tel Aviv, which offered an excellent view of the comings and goings around us. But then suddenly we were inspired to sit instead on bar stools and eat right on the stainless steel counters that bordered the open kitchen so we could watch Haim Cohen – perhaps Israel’s best-known chef – and his team in action.

MEMORIES OF A WONDERFUL MEAL

What a happy meal this was. We ordered and shared everything that caught our fancy, and downed these all with a lovely bottle of local red from a boutique winery in Israel that apparently grew its grapes on the rooftops of houses.

Fortunately, this wine that we chose simply because of its interesting provenance was delicious as well. Then the long-awaited rains of Israel started dropping in regular tiny beats just as soon as we had returned to our hotel, growing increasingly intense and aggressive with each minute.

RAIN IN ISRAEL

In all my visits to Israel, living a #Travelife, I’d never seen the rains pour in this manner. Soon, a lively shower had turned into a storm with strong gusts of wind blowing across the sands and waters, worthy more of a Pacific typhoon than a long-awaited rainy evening in Tel Aviv.

The rains continued all night and all the way into the morning as well, although we slept unbothered by the howling outside. Most appropriately, it was the last day of a wonderful holiday in Israel – 14 days of complete sunshine – and so it seemed that even the heavens were sad we were leaving.

VIEWS OF THE BEACH IN TEL AVIV

Interestingly, we were in the most ideal location in Tel Aviv to experience the ferocity of the rains. On a whim and an inspiration weeks before our arrival, you see, we had chosen a charming and well-rated contemporary boutique hotel with the best beachfront location in Tel Aviv, imagining that we would take a last long walk along the Tel Aviv promenade before heading to the airport. And I’d wanted a full-on view at all costs so we’d booked a room with a terrace that directly overlooked Tel Aviv’s famous beach and promenade.

BREAKFAST IN TEL AVIV

For what we got, the hotel room was quite pricey. So you might say that I indeed got what I wanted. Small but impeccably furnished and spotlessly clean, we were tight with my mountain of luggage but happy. At least until the early morning, when the winds blew open the French windows that led to the terrace overlooking the beach.

The winds dragged the room’s long curtains outside in some kind of mad dance while bringing so much water in. The rains made half of our closet of a room wet.

HAPPY LAST MEMORIES OF ISRAEL

This should’ve been a disaster, especially as there was no housekeeper on call to clean up the mess in this 10-room hotel in Tel Aviv. In fact, the only dry space on the bed was about the size of a towel.

But instead we laughed about it. That’s all we’d been doing in Israel, really. Then we arranged the remaining dry pillows into some kind of seating area. Instead of going back to sleep, we talked until morning, exchanging ideas and inspirations on where our next Travelife might take us.

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On a trip to Spain, I decided to try my luck for a table at El Celler de Can Roca, one of the best restaurants in the world. I won’t bore you with the logistical details of making and securing a restaurant reservation there, except to say that it typically has a 15–month waiting list. Yes, getting a reservation here is a little like winning a lottery.

 JUST LIKE WINNING THE LOTTERY

What a marvelous feeling it is, to win one of the most coveted lottery prizes in the foodie world. The confirmation that I had the best table in the house, for four persons, arrived by email just as I was about to switch off my mobile phone on the runway of an airport and fly to Europe.

Lucky me. The restaurant booking they gave was on the exact and only date I could possibly squeeze in a trip to the town of Girona in my jampacked schedule in Spain.

HOW TO GET TO EL CELLER DE CAN ROCA IN GIRONA, SPAIN

Talk about a wonderful way to start a Travelife to Spain. Getting to Girona in time for our meal was a production in itself. We were staying at a hotel by the sea in Valencia on the day of our booking at El Celler de Can Roca.

Girona is about three hours by train from Barcelona. Meanwhile, Girona is one hour from Barcelona, near the French border.

So we took the fast train from Valencia to Barcelona. In Barcelona, we hired in advance a van and driver to take us to Girona. All our efforts were worth it, for a 24–course meal at the best restaurant in the world.

Actually, the degustation menu at El Celler de Can Roca is slightly less than 24 courses. But we’d ordered seconds of dishes we liked, and our most reliable count of the number of dishes that actually arrived at our table was 24. However, I must admit that this was tallied under the influence of alcohol.

EATING AT THE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD

El Celler de Can Roca then had an unmistakable buzz because it had just been chosen the best restaurant in the world. We noticed it as soon as we entered and locked eyes with other diners.

It was just before lunch so most guests were enjoying an aperitif in the garden before settling down to a meal averaging five hours.

Most people could help sizing up their fellow diners in a friendly way simply because, at that time, this was definitely the restaurant of the moment. And we all knew that we all had either incredible luck, patience or connections – or a combination of all – to even be there at all.

HOW MUCH IS LUNCH?

At El Celler de Can Roca, a small fortune will be helpful as well in paying the bill. Relatively speaking, this very contemporary and stylish restaurant is not expensive, as far as Michelin three–star restaurants go. Considering its status  as #1 restaurant in the world, some foodies might even consider the prices cheap.

Nevertheless, the tasting menu with wine pairings will easily hit four figures in euros, for a table for four.

However, if your find yourself in Spain and are able to secure a table here, I strongly suggest you head north to Girona with a credit card. Then, just don’t look back. A meal here is certainly worth writing home about, and worth including twice in Travelife Magazine.

Read more about the best restaurants in the world in Travelife Magazine.

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