Tel Aviv’s Noema Restaurant Blends Bukharan Heritage with Modern Mediterranean Cuisine
Noema, a bar-restaurant located at the corner of Ahad Ha'am and Nachalat Binyamin streets in Tel Aviv, offers a casual yet refined dining experience. Owned by nightlife and restaurant veteran Uri Ziman, the venue features a seasonal Mediterranean menu with Silk Road influences crafted by chef Moshiko Abraham. The menu includes about 30 dishes priced between 35 and 198 shekels, serving a diverse clientele ranging from young wine drinkers on weekdays to families dining on weekends. Reservations are required.
Chef Moshiko Abraham, 29, grew up in Ramla in a Bukharan household where food was central. Although he did not initially plan to become a chef, he trained at the Ariya restaurant under Guy Gamzo and took over as head chef at Noema in October 2025 after a successful pop-up collaboration. Abraham’s cooking reflects his multicultural upbringing, blending Uzbek, Arab, and local Israeli influences into a personal and evolving culinary language. His signature dish, manti dumplings, reinterpret traditional recipes using oxtail and yogurt foam, while his tartlet with beef tartare and cumin seeds evokes childhood memories and Tel Aviv trends.
Other highlights include a sashimi dish featuring local bluefin tuna with a fermented jalapeño vinaigrette, praised for its balance and freshness, and a dessert of labneh mousse topped with fried noodles inspired by the Bukharan chak-chak sweet, accented with caramelized peaches and toasted almonds. The wine list, curated by Erez Portal, offers about 30 mostly Israeli wines alongside selections from France, Spain, Italy, and New Zealand, with monthly specials pairing wines with dishes.
Noema is described as a multicultural, contemporary restaurant at the heart of Tel Aviv, combining local seasonal ingredients with the chef’s Bukharan roots and the city’s culinary trends. The restaurant also features a private room for events and a happy hour offering discounts on food and alcohol.
Summary: Tel Aviv’s Noema restaurant, led by chef Moshiko Abraham, merges Bukharan culinary heritage with Mediterranean seasonal ingredients, offering a diverse menu and wine list in a casual yet refined setting. Abraham’s innovative dishes reinterpret traditional recipes, reflecting his multicultural background and Tel Aviv’s vibrant food scene.
