Update, 9/2: London’s Reuben’s is now open, meaning you can once again find kosher dining in the city of London.
Readers also report that while the Darjeeling restaurant remains closed in Paris, you can still find their food at their small boutique, located at 121 rue Clignancourt in the 18th arrondissement.
Update, 7/4: Amsterdam’s last world class kosher restaurant, H’Baron, closes their doors for good tonight.
I dined their twice earlier this year and wrote about it in my Amsterdam Trip Report. It’s a real shame and a blow for the local Jewish community and tourists alike.
With kosher tourism numbers rising and kosher restaurants thriving on other continents, does anyone have any theories about what is going on with kosher restaurants in Europe?
Originally posted on 5/7:
It’s not a good year for kosher travelers in Europe.
In February, Frankfurt’s Sohar restaurant lost their kosher status from Rabbi Havlin due to kashrus violations. Sohar also provides kosher meals to Lufthansa and other airlines. They obtained a new kashrus certificate afterward, but multiple US kashrus agencies have stated that after a new kashrus inspection, they do not recommend eating their food.
Sohar caviar appetizer in Lufthansa First Class circa May 2010, no longer recommended by US kashrus agencies:
In March, Amsterdam’s Sal Meijer deli closed its doors after an incredible 62 years in business. Rising costs due to government limitations on ritual slaughter and dropping revenue doomed the deli.
Kosher dining options in Amsterdam are few and far between, so it’s a big loss for that city.
Then in April the best kosher Indian restaurant in the world, Darjeeling, closed its doors in Paris. Their food was out of this world and it was one of the only glatt kosher fine dining experiences in the city of lights.
Darjeeling was a must for any kosher traveler visiting Paris. I last ate there in 2016 on my way home from a trip to the Arctic.
Another good glatt kosher option in Paris, Thai One, has also closed their doors. There sure aren’t many decent glatt kosher options left in Paris, though another glatt kosher Indian restaurant, Tavlini, has opened in the 19th arrondissement of Paris.
Meanwhile across the chunnel, London has just lost Reuben’s, a landmark in the downtown area for nearly half a century:
I last ate in Reuben’s on my first trip abroad in 2003 when I tried their salt beef sandwich. It may have been overpriced, but it sure was convenient to have near the city’s tourist attractions. We would have been back in 2015 if not for American’s revenge.
The closure leaves London with no kosher restaurants left in the city. There are plenty of kosher restaurants in Golders Green and other suburban Jewish communities, but it’s a huge loss for the tourist and business communities which now have no dining options in the city other than to-go sandwiches from Hermolis.
What is your favorite kosher restaurant that has closed? Mine is probably NYC’s Clubhouse Cafe, hit the comments with yours!
Dan, do you recommend not eating the meals on Lufthansa now? They were really very very good.
They are good, that’s the sign that they must not be kosher 😉
Kidding aside, we contacted multiple mainstream US kashrus agencies and they said they do not recommend their food under the current hechsher. You can try contacting them as well.
Lol, I was told not to eat it even with the previous hechsher!
That’s a real shame. I hope they don’t go the way United went. The dreck they serve out of FRA in C is mamash not edible. They do the same out of London bringing it from Belgium instead of using Hermolis.
I had Hermolis food on British Air from London to JFK and it was horrible. Half frozen stale and just tasteless. I sent them a complaint on June 18 and received a response on the 19th that they are researching it but received no follow up.
I had Lufthansa a while ago and it was much much better.
I think you need to ask your Local Orthodox Posek that question. I don’t think it’s fair to ask Dan to pasken for you.
Still mourning KD!
Kosher delight? Way way overpriced and attitude galore
You want something to morn? Morn Chang Chai..the best kosher Chinese ever on flatbush Ave Brooklyn
Which was never kosher
Loshon horo, Rechilus and Lies
Bernstein’s on Essex Street!
Yes, loved Shang Chai. Still miss it. Nothing can compare to it.
Place was massively overrated
Chicken nuggets were frozen and processed
Tasted like cardboard
Same goes for burgers hotdogs etc
Only redeeming factor about the place was convenience
As Europe burns, the Jews leave.
I’m told the Hermolis stand in downtown London has hot food.
https://www.thejc.com/community/community-news/west-end-kosher-options-expand-with-selfridges-counter-1.467431
why cant anyone here in the states make naan bread like darjeeling
Good question.
Vabene in NYC
I go often to London on business and it boggled my mind how there was was only one kosher restaurant in city of London and that was Reuben’s. Now thats closed….
Truly mind-boggling and a real pain point for kosher travelers.
I just don’t get the proportion of kosher establishments in Golders Green and other London suburbs compared to downtown London! Are there no kosher eaters working in or visiting London?!
Wow, the loss of Reuben’s is a shocker!
How can one explain that there are no kosher options in a city such as Central London?
Look to the Labor party for one explanation
Still missing Reubens in Brookline. It hasn’t been replaced.
At least Boston still has great options in Milk St. Cafe and Taam China/Peping Taam/Kosher Wok.
IMO Don’t think there’s anything special about Taam China
Fleishigs while traveling enhances a trip and leads to feeling that the food was better than it really is
I wish Wall Street still had Milk Street….
Blame occupy wall street for that.
It’s called Anti Semitism, that explains it
There are plenty of Halal options
LOL
Nyc excluded, there are very few kosher restaurants in US city centers. Almost all restaurants in LA/chicago/Boston/DC/Baltimore are in the suburbs.
Boston, DC, SF, and more have good options in the city.
Boston has exactly one (Milk St. – weekly lunch only). DC has 1 and a food cart (most places are in Silver Spring or Rockville). Chicago has a couple, but aside from Milt’s, the good ones are in Skokie/Lakeview.
Sure, but 1 or 2 means that businessmen and tourists don’t need to go to the suburbs if they don’t want to.
London now has nothing.
Hermolis seems to have a full hot counter in London center.
Have a link with more info? Can you sit down there and eat?
https://www.thejc.com/community/community-news/west-end-kosher-options-expand-with-selfridges-counter-1.467431
Don’t know if you can eat there.
Can’t compare that to what the aforementioned cities have if you can’t have a business lunch there.
Better than nothing I suppose though. Still crazy that London doesn’t have anything else now.
I was recently there. It’s a kosher counter in selfridges food court. Food is heated up in the microwave. You can sit at tables in the food court.
Bebe’s in downtown Chicago is fantastic.
They just recently closed
Baltimore actually does have a couple options downtown, just not the well-known restaurants near the Jewish community
Nothing downtown other than the Van Gough Cafe in Fells Point – unless you count the Hopkins Me Latte.
Ya but that’s something. Also just found on Google something called The Daily Special Restaurant, under supervision of R’ Weiss.
Not true about Baltimore, there are other options. There’s the Daily Special, which is In the heart of downtown Baltimore ( compared to van Gogh which is a pain to get to location wise.) The Daily Special is fleishig, nice sit down atmosphere and has a good heksher.
Please note Tavlini Indian kosher food in Paris was open for more then a year and they closed down this week as well.
I guess dan has to update his post.
Seems like you got to travel with a cooler filled with food.
Seems like #FakeNews.
I just asked them on Facebook and they said they are open.
Ruebens had the best salt beef sandwich. I’m going to miss it
Yosi Peking in Yerushalayim. What a loss!
What are the top 5 restaurants in Europe
Glatt or not?
Yes
I’m a fan of:
-H’baron in Amsterdam
-L’inte Cafe in Paris
-L’As du Fallafel in Paris
-Chez Akol in Paris
-Baghetto Milky in Rome
-Alice in Rome
-Yotvata in Rome
-Flour in Rome
-Gam gam/Gam gam goodies in Venice
Add your favorites to the list 🙂
Appreciated
“One Ashbourne” is a nice new Glatt restaurant in Temple Fortune, next to Golders Green in London. Aviv in Edgware is still good and with decent prices.
Ashbourne is new, looks like a nice place.
When did they open? What Hechsher do they have?
Denzel and Baghetto in Milan
Einstein in Munich
Alef Alef in Vienna
Meat Bar in Nice is decent
Pizazza in Hendon
18 in Antwerp
Carmel in Budapest
Gam Gam is simply not edible. Your list is one of a true tourist lol.
Gam Gam’s food is certainly weaker than the rest on that list, but the setting over the canal can’t be beat.
And yes, I am a tourist and proud of it 🙂
Isola Bella in GG closed as well apparently
Temporary. Renovating.
As a technical matter Rubens was not in the City of London but in the West End (Still Central London though). There are a few places in north London but much closer to Central London than GG/Hendon: Zest http://www.zestatjw3.co.uk/, Delicatessen https://delicatessen.company/ and Tish https://tish.london/
Tish is good. The other two not that much.
This is terrible for us as the food was good and it was a perfect setup. If you were alone, you could just order and sit down an eat — cafeteria style.
I gather from the facebook post and the comments someone must have passed away.
Darjeeling has a second restaurant which is still open for delivery and takeout, on their website it is mentioned that the main restaurant is only closed temporarily
They lost their lease. It seems that most restaurants that close say that it is temporary while they look for a new location… I know Clubhouse said the same thing.
Miss The Grill in San Diego
Denzel in Milano!!
Judy’s in Los Angeles on La Brea and Kosher Nostra Pizza on Fairfax
At least Judy’s morphed into Lieders and Kosher Nostra into Pizza World. But I am really feeling the void of the recent closing of Elite Cuisine.
Why don’t we all nominate someone to open a good kosher restaurant in central London and then they’ll make an exclusive discount code for all of us Dan fans and then we can petition Dan to give them A double HT for giving us a deal!
Just Bec we are mourning restaurants, I can’t help but mourn those in Cleveland.
Abba’s and the $5 Abbas burger and fries
Yaakovs everything pizza that has falafel on it and their veg. Chili and mezonos rolls
And ruchamas, first time having Chinese.
Mine is Pomodory Pizza in Crown Heights
seems like moshiach is very close bh
hey
what about klm business do you know if there is a problem with their food now too
is it the same hechsher?
thnaks
I’ve heard that KLM from Europe is even worse. Under Ralbag/Triangle K.
i never even thought of doing research on hechshers wow thnaks dan
it should be a zchus
Elite Cuisine, Los Angeles. Best hot dogs, cole slaw, knishes, and Shabbos take out.
Reuben’s in London did not have a particularly good hashgocha if I recall correctly (I think Sephardi Kashrut, which is not great). So lots of people already did not eat there.
Six-13 used to be good, as did Bevis Marks. Shame, but there really just isn’t so much demand for these places.
100% of SH and 80% of GG would never eat in Reuben’s due to Hechsher (not getting into Kedasia KLBD Federation politics now). By shutting out the majority of the local homogeneous market, it couldn’t stay around. London has the worlds third largest Chareidi community in the world, after Israel & NYC.
Darjeeling la Boutique is still open they offer great Indian and have a Chinese menu. I ate there before and after Pesach. The Le Delhi sandwiches are their most popular. The restaurant has shit re opened before (fire, lease etc). It is one of the most popular restaurants in Paris.
Adding to my list of faves: Rodchenko in The Marais and of course Le H’alles du falafel.
Also ate in Hoffy’s in Antwerp – haven’t been there in years, food and serve was good.
ChoSen Island in the Five Towns
They’re still open
perhaps we need to stop seeking kosher options in Europe and focus on ISRAEL!… just a thought .
Moshe Peking.
First date with my husband was there in 1977. It’s been closed forever
Actually there is one more Kosher restaurant in Central London… If you can afford it.
Restaurant 1701
http://www.restaurant1701.co.uk/menu/
In Bevis Marks?
That closed for good as well.
My mistake. It closed and no longer has a hechsher…
https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/1701-restaurant-to-move-from-bevis-marks-1.65149
It’s simple. These cities don’t have large enough populations to support expensive kosher restaurants. London has too many places in the frum areas as it is which close down regularly, and there is no culture amongst frum people to frequent the city centre. And the size of the Amsterdam community has shrunk so much over the last few years that’s its amazing they even have a pizza place.
H’ Baron was excellent!! What happened !
Jews are becoming more and more concentrated in their 4 – 5 places worldwide. Other old longstanding Jewish communities aren’t really growing.
Downtown Miami , 1 dairy pizza type place , that’s it.
H.Baron also closes the doors
After Broodje Meijer, the kosher restaurant H.Baron, which is just a stone’s throw away, is also closing. Daniël Bar-on: “I just want to sit at home again at six o’clock in the evening.”
Text: Esther Voet
A few months ago a gentleman stepped in at Jewish restaurant H.Baron in the Kastelenstraat, the heart of Joods Buitenveldert. He had a business proposal for owner Daniël Bar-on: “Whether he could buy the business. He wanted to establish a Chinese restaurant at this location. He offered an amount for that that I could only look at very seriously, I could not refuse this offer. ”
After further negotiations, the deal was definitively closed at the end of last week and Daniël has to deliver the property on 7 July. That is why people who had already booked were notified as soon as possible. The staff “a fantastic team” was also informed. Was it still possible to restart the restaurant at a different location? “We have not excluded that option one, two, three. We went looking for a different location and, for example, also negotiated the location where Broodje Meijer was, which has been closed for months, but we couldn’t figure it out. We have now managed to ensure that our catering department will continue to exist, but the restaurant’s doors will close permanently at this address. I would also like to point out that the option of an H.Baron 2.0 is still open. ”
Personal decision
Daniël learned the trade from his father, owner of restaurant HaCarmel on Amstelveenseweg in Amsterdam, which was attacked in 2017 by a Syrian-Palestinian refugee. The son is also still involved in his father’s case and during that debacle he also spoke: “But that attack did not play a role in this personal decision. I think you should never give in to that kind of intimidation and always just continue with what you are doing. Also at HaCarmel the Israeli flag went out the next day. But I’ve been doing this for eleven years now. On my eighteenth birthday, exactly that day, I registered with the Chamber of Commerce. I built H.Baron with heart and soul, worked a hundred hours a week and every year we got better. I missed out a lot on growing up my first daughter, I was always working. Now a second one is coming and I just want to be a father. ”
Big impact
Nevertheless, the closure of H.Baron will have a major impact on the Jewish residents of Buitenveldert and beyond. At the beginning of this year, Crescas and the NIW organized the first Sjoeche Pubquiz at H.Baron, which, thanks in part to the atmosphere in the restaurant and the tasty snacks and drinks, became a huge success. It received a respectable 8.8 from Trip Advisor. The closure of this restaurant, which is well appreciated in gastronomic terms, will certainly have a major impact, especially after the closure of Broodje Meijer. “I am aware of that,” says Daniël: “I am proud of what I have been able to build up in those years thanks to the entire team. I also have a very mixed feeling about it. But when I also told my team, after the first shock, they were able to understand it. After all, they knew how hard I had worked in recent years. H.Baron was my life, I’m going to miss it a lot. On the other hand, I now have the opportunity to take on new challenges and be a dad. I like to do business and accept projects. Who knows, maybe someone will come up with a very good idea or with a proposal that I think: “Yes!” I am open to everything.
The news from the Jewish Netherlands was disappointed: “Everything was / is delicious there. Un-Dutch good. Such a shame … “and” Very unfortunate, there are few restaurants left “and” Very unfortunate. Always had a delicious meal and friendly service. Good luck with the caterin
are there minimums for catering from h baron
thanks
Oh my
Their food was really good
@dan you should have tried the lamb chops
He sold it and could not reject offer he got
It will no longer be kosher!!!
@dan Paris has 100’s of Kosher restaurants, outside of Israel it can only be compared to NYC. Darjeeling is just one restaurant and dining, in general, is an unstable area so restaurants open and close every day but in general, it is on the rise.
It’s nearly impossible to find a decent glatt kosher/mehadrin meat restaurant in Paris.
Many other cities have it mich better than Paris.
Darjeeling closed the fine dining location, but they have the same full menu at their little takeaway joint on Rue de Clignancourt. Just ate there tonight, after dreaming of their lamb since our first visit two years ago. Still one of the best kosher fleischig places I’ve ever eaten (and I’ve been all over the world).
Glatt Kosher Smokehouse (Martins Smokehouse, 56 The Marketplace, Falloden Way) opened today, July 4th, in London
Miss the most Le Marais Miami Beach
Can I still lament Bernstein’s?
Are there any places to still eat in Amsterdam
Thanks
HaCarmel near Vondelpark, Golan, Pizza & Co, Chabad, the bakery (also has Shabbat takeout).
I’m glad I went a year ago, as HBaron and Sal Meyer were the 2 best places.
Dan or anyone,
Scheduled to fly Lufthansa out of the USA, (either IAD, ORD or NYC) do they use USA based meals or do I need to bring my own?
Amsterdam has a new one….
https://yeahthatskosher.com/2019/08/new-kosher-restaurant-in-amsterdam-meat-me/
Copenhagen does have a kosher restaurant that is open all year. It is in the Chabad house. The food is good and plenty.
Fleishig or milchig?
FLEISHIG
1) European Jews do not eat out as often as their American and Israeli counterparts. It’s a cultural thing.
2) Jewish tourism to Europe continues to fall, as open and virulent antisemitism continue to rise.
where do you get the to go sandwiches from hermolis in the west end that you mentioned at the end of the post?
Le Bernadin in NYC. Truly, an amazing restaurant