Gush Etzion Winery
Tzomet Gush Etzion – adjacent to Alon Shvut
Phone: 02-9309220
Opening Hours: Sun – Thurs 9:00-23:00
Fri 9:00-13:00
Saturday: 1 hr after shabbat – 24:00 (during winter)
Type: Dairy
Brekkie – 39-98nis
Focaccia Sandwiches 39-46nis
Starters 30-68nis
Fish – 85-110nis
Salads – 23-66nis
Pizza – 52-58nis
Focaccia – 38/39nis
Pasta – 49-58nis
Specials 54-66nis
Desserts – 16-44nis
The winery is right at Tzomet Gush Etzion (or Tzomet HaGush), which is the perfect location for a stop in the region for breakfast, lunch or dinner. As you walk into the winery there are large wooden tables, walls filled with wine, Lavie liquor (some of the best liquor you can find), Tishbi jams and olive oil. I noticed subtle background music.
stuffed zucchini
The service was prompt. Water was brought to our table as we were seated, and our orders were taken quickly. We ordered starters and mains, the only mishap being that they brought them out together, apologising later for misunderstanding us.
Our waiter brought out sesame seed bread that was served at room temperature, with sun-dried tomato, dill and garlic butter that was delicious. The flavours of the butter were balanced really well.
Our first course was goats cheese zucchini, stuffed with whole wheat, rice, fried onion and bread crumbs with a hint of lemon and parsley. The zucchini was cooked separately with olive oil. You could see how it was caramelised. Yoghurt provided acidity and rice absorbed the flavours.
eggplant labneh
Our next portion was a labaneh eggplant dish. The labneh was home made and the eggplant was a bit acidic with a mild smoky flavour, and no bitterness could be detected . The cherry tomatoes balanced the flavours by adding some sweetness to the dish. Maybe a few more tomatoes were needed to add a bit more sweetness to remove the mild sour flavour of the cheese.
sweet potato ravioli
Our first main was sweet potato ravioli. This dish had a beautiful pasta dough that was rolled thinly and the sauce was delicious, containing finely chopped mushrooms in coconut milk. However there wasn’t enough filling in the ravioli and not enough sauce. Without the sauce the ravioli was a bit dry and I found that it dried out my mouth.
fish and chips
The St Peters fish and chips we ordered was served with multipe dipping sauces. The steak chips were slighty seasoned, not oily but weren’t crunchy. There were six pieces of beer battered fish, not oily and not overcooked. The fish had been pin boned and the beer batter added some sweetness. A clever touch was the rocket at the bottom of the plate to absorb and hide the oil. A spicy thousand island sauce and aoili with garlic and a mayo and lemon sauce were served on the side.
chocolate souffle
My main reason for coming to this restaurant was for the chocolate soufflé. It arrived piping hot from the oven, with a soft centre, a crunchy chocolate top and it was just delicious because it wasn’t overly sweet. It was a proper soufflé too – the top rises up from the ramiken – something that no other restaurants do in this country. So at least now you know where to find a proper chocolate soufflé.
This is a really nice restaurant to visit, only 15-20 minutes from Jerusalem. It has plenty of seating inside, a private dining room, outdoor seating and an events garden ,Kerem Tamar. They also offer wine tasting and tours of the winery.
Update 21/9/2015: Went back to the restaurant with 6 people on a Friday morning for breakfast and the service was really bad. It took a long time for water to come to the table, everyone’s food came at a different time when it finally did come. They did try to make it up by bringing a free dessert. I would think twice before coming back.
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