Chocolate De Luxe brings handmade kosher luxury to Netanya - restaurant review

ByBATSHEVA SHULMANJULY 19, 2026 14:16If you walk through the streets surrounding central Netanya’s Independence Square, you will come across Chocolate De Luxe, one of the city’s newest boutique chocolate stores and cafés, founded just over a year ago by entrepreneur Esther Arbov.When I stepped inside, the first thing I noticed was the shop’s sleek modern design, immediately giving it the feel of a high-end boutique. Colorful displays of handcrafted chocolates, pralines, and other carefully curated creations lined the counters and display cases, making it difficult to know where to look first.I was greeted by Arbov herself, who warmly welcomed me in, prepared a steaming cup of coffee, and brought out a selection of the shop’s signature creations: Dubai chocolate, Ferrero Rocher-style chocolate, and a slice of cheesecake topped with Lotus biscuit spread.We took a seat outside alongside other customers as she began telling me about the business and the journey that brought her here.Arbov, 57, an ultra-Orthodox woman from Tel Aviv, worked for many years as a kindergarten teacher before eventually opening and managing her own preschool. But five years ago, she decided it was time for a change.PRALINE CORNUCOPIA: Coffee, caramel, vanilla, nougat. (credit: David Sasson)A mother of seven and grandmother to 22 grandchildren, Arbov says she reached a point where she felt she had simply done enough in education. Yet retirement did not suit her either.“I’m not someone who can just sit at home and do nothing,” she told the Magazine.The influence of COVID-19Around that same time, the COVID-19 pandemic had broken out, bringing everyday life to a standstill and leaving her with something she had not had in years: time.As a mother and grandmother, Arbov always enjoyed cooking and hosting family gatherings. She started experimenting in the kitchen and soon developed an interest in artisanal chocolate-making.Determined to master the craft, she enrolled in professional training with chocolatier Ronen Aflalo and quickly fell in love with the process.She began testing and perfecting her recipes from home, producing handmade pralines that quickly became popular among family and friends.But it was her son, who owns a restaurant of his own, who encouraged her to think bigger and consider opening a boutique store.The response from early customers was immediate, and demand steadily grew. Encouraged by the enthusiasm surrounding her creations, Arbov eventually opened Chocolate De Luxe, combining handmade craftsmanship, premium ingredients, and strict mehadrin kosher certification.The boutique is among the first in the region to offer premium handmade chocolates under Badatz Eda Haredit Jerusalem certification, catering to a market that Arbov says has long been underserved.Limited luxury options in haredi communityWhile gourmet chocolate has become increasingly popular in Israel, luxury food products with high levels of kashrut remain relatively limited, particularly within the haredi community. Arbov saw an opportunity to fill that gap.Arbov works together with fellow haredi chocolatier and shop manager Hannah Ohayon, whom she trained in the craft, and the duo now creates an extensive assortment of handmade Belgian chocolates on-site.Their in-house production includes pralines, filled chocolate bars, truffles, gourmet chocolate bites, Ferrero Rocher-inspired confections, crisp layered chocolate bars, chocolate coins, and a variety of additional sweets.The praline range is offered in dark chocolate (parve), milk chocolate, and sugar-free options. The dark chocolate pralines, made with 70% cocoa, come in flavors such as lemon, strawberry, mixed berry, coffee, nougat, hazelnut, walnut, and rum. Milk chocolate versions feature fillings such as pineapple, nougat, coffee, strawberry, lemon, vanilla, peanut butter, caramel, and walnut.The boutique also produces specialty chocolate bars in varieties including classic dark chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, nougat, and the increasingly popular Dubai-style chocolate.Prices range from NIS 81 for a nine-piece luxury praline box, NIS 20-45 for chocolate bars, NIS 35-72 for specialty chocolate snacks, and NIS 50-98 for premium Ferrero Rocher-style gift boxes.Aside from the café, a major part of the business, Arbov explains, is its carefully curated gift packages designed for special occasions, which customers can preorder. According to Arbov, these gift boxes have become one of the shop’s main sources of income.During my visit, I was pleased to receive one of these beautifully arranged boxes, filled with a selection of pralines, chocolate bars, and other handmade treats.Arbov explained that many customers come searching for something unique for a loved one or a special event, whether it be a bar or bat mitzvah, birthday celebration, wedding gift, holiday package, or Shabbat hosting gift.Customers can order custom arrangements that combine the boutique’s chocolates with luxury home accessories, premium textiles, kitchenware, and bottles of wine or specialty liqueurs, creating a gift experience that goes far beyond traditional confectionery.The boutique is not just a shop, however. The venue also operates a café serving handmade desserts alongside premium coffee. Customers can choose from a range of pies, including apple, lemon, chocolate, and strawberry cheesecake, while custom mousse cakes and chocolate krembo cakes can be ordered in advance with personalized inscriptions for special occasions.Arbov has also expanded the business by offering chocolate workshops for both children and adults, transforming a visit to the boutique into an experience rather than simply shopping.For Arbov, the opening of Chocolate De Luxe represents far more than a business venture. After decades spent working in education, she has successfully reinvented herself, transforming a late-life career change into a thriving enterprise – proof that passion, creativity, and entrepreneurship can begin at any stage of life.The writer was a guest of the establishment.Chocolate De Luxe5 Herzl Street, NetanyaTel: 054-904-7070Hours: Sun.-Thurs., 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.To order gift packages: www.chocolatedeluxe.co.ilKashrut: Mehadrin, Badatz Eda HareditFollow us on Google