Terrace in Haifa: Between Wadi Nisnas and Tuscany with a twist - review

OCTOBER 4, 2026 10:04The view from the Terrace Restaurant at the Hotel Botanica in Haifa may be the most beautiful view of any restaurant in Israel. It sits at the foothills of the Baha’i Gardens, which are lit up at night, and sitting at a table on the outdoor terrace with that view was a real treat.So was the food. My husband and I made the trek from Jerusalem to try this restaurant, led by chef Zico Hijab, and I’m so glad we did.The menu describes the food as “Between Wadi Nisnas and Tuscany,” and the fish-and-dairy menu offered dishes with twists I had never tried before.The outstanding dish of the night was cheese gnocchi and za’atar (NIS 82), gnocchi in a creamy sauce with fresh za’atar leaves, pine nuts, and a za’atar crumble.The gnocchi, made in-house like almost everything here, was incredibly light; as the dish is called in Hebrew, “gnocchi clouds.” If you are anywhere near Haifa, it is worth coming here just for that dish. You can thank me later.A selection of dishes from the Terrace restaurant in Haifa. (credit: Dima Pomzan)But I’m getting ahead of myself. We began the meal with cocktails – a Spain to Egypt for me (NIS 52) and a smoked whisky (NIS 52) for my husband. Mine was a pretty pink concoction of white wine, strawberries, and basil. Just delicious and so pretty.Between Wadi Nisnas and Tuscany with a twistHijab designed the extensive menu when the restaurant opened just over a year ago. He likes adding a twist that often surprises the diner.For example, arancini is a classic Italian dish that is usually a fried ball of risotto on tomato sauce. It is one of my favorite dishes. Here, the arancini (NIS 59) is square, stuffed with spinach and herbs, and served on saffron cream.I’ve always wondered why arancini are almost always served in portions of three, making them a possible source of strife when a couple dines together. These were different from any arancini I’ve had, and I was still thinking about them three days later. And just guess who got the third piece!Michal, the shift manager, recommended dishes that were out of the ordinary, and I was very grateful for her advice.We didn’t even order a salad, but a large and very fresh salad arrived anyway – called Bustan (NIS 75), it had fakus cucumber (a special kind of cucumber grown mostly in the North), zucchini, arugula, grapes, sheep feta, almonds, and an arak vinaigrette.Hijab said that Arab restaurants in Haifa used to start a meal with grapes and arak, and the salad was a play on that. It was fresh and different from most restaurant salads I’ve had.We also tried tuna kadayif (NIS 70) – red tuna tartare with a spicy mayonnaise served on kadayif, pancakes usually served at Ramadan iftar dinners and stuffed with nuts or cheese. Here, the serving included two small pancakes, and the fish was fresh and just a little spicy.For our main course, in addition to the gnocchi, we shared a fillet of sea bass on truffle mashed potatoes (NIS 119). It was such a large portion of fish with crispy skin that we didn’t come close to finishing it.We also shared one dessert of cannoli, stuffed with pistachio cream (NIS 56).Overall, I felt the prices were very fair for food of this quality.Hotel proves beautiful, relaxing, with amazing views of the Baha'i GardenTHE BOTANICA, an upscale, Fattal Limited Edition hotel, is inspired by the nearby Baha’i Gardens, with plants and greenery throughout the common areas.The hotel is spotless, and our room was large, with a huge balcony and amazing views of the Baha’i Gardens.The rooftop pool is beautiful and relaxing, and there is a small gym. Each floor also has a fascinating art display well worth checking out.The next morning, the hotel breakfast was one of the best I’ve ever been to in Israel. It was as if all of the standard salads and dishes had been kicked up a notch or two.The cheese selection was huge, with at least a dozen different artisan cheeses. There was a full honeycomb dripping fresh honey. And let’s not forget the lox.Along with standards like shakshuka, there were roasted vegetables and ravioli.For dessert, there was kanafeh and a warm vanilla soufflé.They also had fresh juices, including pomegranate juice, and excellent coffee.Overall, just a lovely experience at both the hotel and the restaurant.Terrace RestaurantHotel Botanica – Limited Edition By Fattal50 Ben-Gurion AvenueHaifaHours: Sun.-Thurs., 1 p.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.,closed; Sat., 7 p.m.-11 p.m.Tel: (04) 604-0409Kashrut: Rabbanut ShohamThe writer was a guest of the restaurant and hotel.Follow us on Google