The 7 Best Restaurants in Nazareth (2026)

Updated September 2026 · 7 picks

The best restaurants in Nazareth in 2026 are Tishreen and Alreda for modern Galilean cooking in historic buildings, Diana for a classic grill, and Rosemary by Mary's Well. Nazareth is one of the great food cities of Israel — Arab Galilean cooking with meze, grilled meats and local wine — and its best tables are a few minutes' walk from the basilica. Here are 7.

1. Tishreen — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

Galilean and Mediterranean cooking in an 1860s stone house near the basilica.

₪₪₪ Upmarket

Tishreen occupies a stone building dating to the 1860s, a short walk from the Basilica of the Annunciation, and it has long been one of the city's best-known restaurants.

The menu mixes Arab Galilean dishes — meze, freekeh, grilled meats and seafood — with Mediterranean plates cooked in a taboon oven, in a room of arches, old stone and antiques.

It is the safe, excellent choice for a first dinner in Nazareth.

Good to know: Order a round of meze to share before choosing mains — the small plates are the strength.

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2. Alreda — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

Modern Arab cooking and rare local wines in an Ottoman-era mansion.

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Alreda is housed in an Ottoman-era family mansion in the old city and is one of the restaurants that made Nazareth a dining destination, with a modern take on Arab and Mediterranean dishes built on Galilean ingredients.

The high-ceilinged rooms, candlelight and a wine list heavy on small local producers make it feel like a private house.

It opens in the evenings and books up at weekends.

Good to know: Ask for a recommendation from the wine list — it is full of small Galilee producers you will not find elsewhere.

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3. Diana — Paulus VI Street

Nazareth's classic grill — meze first, then skewers from the charcoal.

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Diana is one of Nazareth's long-established grill restaurants on Paulus VI, the city's main road, and a byword across Israel for the classic Arab restaurant meal.

It follows the traditional format: a table filling up with small salads and dips, then kebab, lamb chops and mixed grills from the charcoal. It is generous, fast and consistent.

It is where many Israelis first ate in Nazareth, and it is still reliable.

Good to know: Let the salads keep coming, then order the mixed grill to share.

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4. Rosemary — Mary's Well Square, HaGalil Street

A relaxed restaurant-bar on the square by Mary's Well.

₪₪ Mid-range

Rosemary is a restaurant and bar on the square beside Mary's Well, serving a crowd-pleasing Mediterranean menu — pasta, seafood, salads and grills — in a relaxed, friendly room.

It works for lunch after visiting the Church of St Gabriel, and it is one of the better places in the old city for a drink in the evening.

The service is warm and the pace unhurried.

Good to know: Good for a late lunch after the Church of St Gabriel, two minutes' walk away.

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5. Bayat — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

Home-style local dishes with a terrace, steps from the basilica.

₪₪ Mid-range

Bayat is a small restaurant on Al-Bishara Street serving local home-style dishes — stuffed vegetables, meat and rice, salads — with indoor tables and a terrace.

It is simpler and cheaper than the destination restaurants nearby, and it is the kind of place to try what Nazareth families actually cook at home.

A good lunch stop in the middle of an old-city day.

Good to know: Ask what the cooked dish of the day is — it changes and it is usually the best thing on offer.

Google Maps

6. La Fontana di Maria — Mary's Well Square, HaGalil Street

Middle Eastern cooking in a restored building full of antiques.

₪₪ Mid-range

La Fontana di Maria sits by Mary's Well in a restored old building decorated with antiques, and serves Middle Eastern dishes, with its aubergine preparations particularly well regarded.

The room is part of the pleasure — stone arches and old furniture — and it makes a comfortable, unhurried stop.

It pairs naturally with a visit to the Church of St Gabriel next door.

Good to know: Order the aubergine dishes — they are what regulars come for.

Google Maps

7. Luna Arabic Bistro — By Big Fashion Nazareth

Traditional Arab cooking with a contemporary edge and a panoramic view.

₪₪₪ Upmarket

Luna Arabic Bistro serves traditional Arab dishes with a modern presentation from a hillside spot with a panoramic view over Nazareth and the valley below.

It is a good choice for an evening meal when the lights of the city come on, and it is easier to reach by car than the old-city restaurants.

The view makes it a favourite for occasions.

Good to know: Book a table by the window for sunset — the view over Nazareth is the reason to choose it.

Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

What food is Nazareth known for?

Arab Galilean cooking: large meze spreads, grilled meats and kubbeh, stuffed vegetables, freekeh, and sweets like knafeh and katayef. The city is also the centre of a new generation of chef-led Arab restaurants in Israel.

Are Nazareth restaurants open on Shabbat?

Yes. Nazareth is an Arab city, so most restaurants are open on Friday and Saturday — which makes it one of the best places in northern Israel to eat on Shabbat. Some close on Sunday instead.

Do Nazareth restaurants serve alcohol?

Many do, particularly the Christian-owned restaurants in the old city, including local wine and Nazareth's own craft beer. Some Muslim-owned places do not; ask if it matters.

Are Nazareth restaurants kosher?

Generally not. For kosher dining nearby, Nof HaGalil on the hill above the city has certified restaurants.

Do I need to book?

For Tishreen and Alreda on Friday and Saturday evenings, yes — Israeli families drive in from all over the north at weekends.

1. Tishreen — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

2. Alreda — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

3. Diana — Paulus VI Street

4. Rosemary — Mary's Well Square, HaGalil Street

5. Bayat — Old City, Al-Bishara Street

6. La Fontana di Maria — Mary's Well Square, HaGalil Street

7. Luna Arabic Bistro — By Big Fashion Nazareth

Frequently asked questions

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