Tuesday–Thursday | August 11–13 | Sammy Ofer Stadium Plaza | 18:00 PM–23:00 PM | Hundreds of dishes for up to 45 shekels.
• It is recommended to arrive towards sunset, because around 18:00 PM it is very hot in the complex.
• Photographed a few minutes before the gates opened, so the complex in the photo is still empty.
Haifa is becoming the culinary capital of Israel this week: For the first time, the Sammy Ofer Stadium plaza will become a huge food festival complex, hosting dozens of chefs, restaurants, food trucks and food stalls from all over the country for three days.
Great chefs and culinary brands
Among the big names who will come to the festival: Israel Aharoni, Moshik Roth, Guy Gamzo, Avi Biton, Rachel Ben Elul, Firas Khalaila, Moin Halabi, Ruby Michael, Sherry and Michal Ansky - alongside well-known restaurants and brands such as Aharonis, NUNUNU, Rasif 33, ROLA, Agadir, POP&ROLL and dozens of other participants.
For three days, visitors will be able to enjoy hundreds of dishes – from chef restaurants and street food to traditional cuisines, international flavors and desserts – with dishes priced at up to 45 shekels.
For years, Haifa has quietly built one of the most diverse and fascinating culinary landscapes in Israel. A city where falafel is an institution, Arab cuisine meets Asian cuisine, Druze tradition coexists alongside chef restaurants, and the sea and Carmel provide a unique backdrop.
Now, at Haifa's first food festival, all these flavors come together in one place.
Two chefs return home
One of the highlights of the festival is the return of two well-known Haifa chefs to the city where they began their journey – Israel Aharoni and Moshik Roth.
Aharoni, one of the chefs most identified with modern Israeli cuisine and a pioneer of Chinese cuisine in Israel, was born in Haifa and grew up in the Hapoalim neighborhood in the city center. Now the brand is coming Aharonis to his hometown with some of the dishes that became network hits, including Crispy Chicken Hot Honey, Chicken Popcorn, and Spicy Corn Ribs.
Alongside him will be Moshik Roth, the first Israeli chef to win two Michelin stars. Roth, who was born in the Hadar neighborhood of Haifa and began cooking as a child, will arrive with FRANCO – A project that turns hot dogs into a gourmet dish, with brioche, smoked meats, kimchi, beef dishes and haute cuisine techniques
The best chefs, restaurants and street food
Chef Guy Gamzo will also join the impressive list with NUNUNU, known for its rolls that have become one of the most photographed street dishes in Israel. The festival will serve rolls with ground beef, mac and cheese, and curried tofu.
Chef Avi Biton will arrive with schnitzel in challah and a baked fish sandwich, while chef Rachel Ben Elul will offer her signature asado dishes alongside POP&ROLL, its Asian brand.
Contemporary Arab cuisine will also take center stage at the festival: Chef Firas Khalila will arrive with Rasif 33And a milky milk with ROLE, one of the restaurants associated with the new Arab cuisine. Among the dishes that will be offered: chicken sahan and kobania.
More on the list: אגאדיר, with a Yakuza wagyu burger, and a variety of restaurants and stalls that will bring flavors from all over the country and the world to Haifa.
The Cuba that became a network hit comes to Haifa
One of the intriguing names at the festival is culinary content creator Robbie Michael, who turned Cuba into a web star and amassed hundreds of thousands of followers.
For the first time, Michael will come to Haifa with his food truck and serve the cubes that have become an online phenomenon.
Sherry Ansky, one of the women most identified with Israeli cuisine, will also be present with her and Michal Ansky's famous herring stand, featuring Dutch matias, smoked salmon, tuna mix, and dishes based on family recipes.
The flavors of Haifa – in one place
Alongside the big chefs and brands, the festival also seeks to give a stage to the flavors and businesses that have become an integral part of Haifa's culinary identity.
The complex will serve, among other things, falafel, dim sum, Druze dishes, Korean food, Georgian khachapuri, Tibetan momos, empanadas, arais, fish and chips, baked potatoes, Dutch fries, asado sandwiches, pastries from Arab cuisine and a variety of other dishes.
Photo of the complex – minutes before opening:
Among the local and guest names: Old Falafel, Talpiot Ramen, Kimcheese, Khachapuri in Aliya, Jeraisy And more.
And also: a particularly worthwhile dessert complex
Those who come to the festival with room for dessert will find an especially sweet area with plenty of options.
Among other things, desserts will be offered: ORIN LEVI SWEETS, Aldo's Bubble Waffle, French Crepes, Ice Cream, Ices and Hail, Dutch Waffles STROOPY, Al-Wadi knafe with Turkish ice cream, churros with chocolate and milk jam, ICE BALL ice cream, Kadayef ice cream, baklava, roasted almonds and traditional sweets.
Three days, flavors from around the world
Haifa's first food festival is not only a celebration of food, but also a celebration of the city itself – a city that connects sea and mountain, tradition and innovation, and different cuisines and cultures.
For three days, the Sammy Ofer complex will become a culinary meeting point, where Israeli, Arab, Druze, Asian and international cuisines meet around one large table.
Enjoy your meal, Haifa.
This is exactly the problem with events of this type. Traffic jams, lack of sufficient parking and unbearable congestion. The advantage is very simple to extend the opening days of the fair and spread it out over three days, say a week, and then the distribution of the audience will be accordingly.
It was hot, crowded, dirty and disrespectful.
Moshik, Roth sold a nice hot dog in a bun, another 45 shekels, and lightly heated frozen potato chips for 40 shekels.
With a little washed meat on both and Heinz sauces from the supermarket to buy drinks, you had to walk through the sweaty crowd and discover that apart from water and what was left of the beer there was nothing, maybe you'll find something on the other side, they suggested, Haifa doesn't need a food festival, it has much more to offer than usual, it was possible to give the entire budget to its wonderful restaurateurs and get much more.. What a shame
Creating chaos is the only thing that Ariv knows how to do. Yahav fears that he will buy the public.
As usual, the organization is extremely poor. Instead of selling tickets to a limited number of people and providing a normal experience – huge traffic jams, huge lines, nowhere to sit, nerves and shouting.
The Festival of Mismanagement…
😍Is there also Festival Music at the "Food Festival"???
If so, that's great!!!😂
Truth be told, although "cheap food" and especially if it has been announced that this or that "famous chef" is offering/presenting... still suitable on hot summer evenings: watermelon & ice cream & cold cheesecake and various cold drinks...
* In "Autumn" and "Spring" when it's nice outside, you should adopt a "Food Festival" hot & cold to choose from@
Can anyone tell me who played on stage?
Hi! What about kosher?
Are there any strictly kosher stalls?
In a city full of pigs, don't expect strictly kosher food.