First thing you noticed when entering Libra, Mika Sharon's restaurant at Ben Yehuda in Tel Aviv, is the beautiful "Bauhaus style" (it always works) building overhead. The restaurant is on the ground floor, a bit higher than the street and hiding behind a spread of white, wide parasols above little wooden tables. The inside continues (or starts) this look with a low butcher block used as a bar with six round chairs. A little sofa with a footstool, a rug, pleasant lighting and a small number of tables remind you that you're in an upgraded café. Tel Aviv at its best.
Those who haven't been to Libra, but remember the legendary Mika, will be surprised to find a simpler kind of food instead of the defined fusion cuisine. Some might notice a disorienting eclectic menu – from a Pad Thai to a lamb and beef kebabs and spaghetti Ragu – some sort of post-fusion. I think that Mika is simply making the food she likes to eat – with no discriminations.
A large portion of the menu is breakfast dishes – from the simple granola with milk and fresh fruit, to the decadent French Toast Libra - Brioche topped with Emmental cheese, poached eggs and hollandaise. The business meals are served during lunch hours (12 PM to 5 PM) on weekdays. Apart from a few regular dishes, the menu changes occasionally, with no apparent reason.
We sat outside, where we enjoyed the gentle evening breeze. We started with a fresh spring roll with crunchy vegetables and sweet & sour sauce (28 NIS), and seared tuna with mustard, Somen noodles, Nori and Shitake mushrooms in soy and sesame sauce (52 NIS), both excellent Asian dishes. We also had the French tart of tomato confit, sweet red onion marmalade and delicious goat cheese (38 NIS).
We had all 3 special cocktails, which are served in a glass (24 NIS) or a pitcher (36 NIS): the Cosmo Libra - refreshing cool drink with vodka, rastberry, triple sec, lemon juice; the Kampukhito - mint&orange crushed with campari and ice and the winner, the Passionrushka – vodka, passion fruit and crushed lemon.
After a small pause we ordered the burger with mashed potatoes and coleslaw (58 NIS) – a large course with especially high quality meat – and the grilled chicken fahita (59 NIS), which was a do-it-yourself dish with a tomato and herb salsa, grilled vegetables and avocado dip. The waitress, who did not disappoint, recommended the New York cheese cake with wild berry sauce served on the side (38 NIS) and we added the mint tea (11 NIS). The cake met our expectations and successfully sealed off a delicious evening.
*The writer dined at the restaurant.