Where to Travel This Summer for Great Kosher Food

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Summer is prime season for the kosher traveler. The days are long, the flights are plentiful (and, if you play your points right, nearly free), and some of the world’s best kosher dining cities are at their liveliest. Whether you’re chasing Michelin-caliber cuisine, an overstuffed falafel eaten on a cobblestone street, or a Shabbat buffet with a view of the Old City, this guide rounds up our favorite summer destinations for kosher food lovers, from Jerusalem to Paris, Rome, Venice, and, for those coming from elsewhere, New York.

Jerusalem: The Undisputed Kosher Capital

No city on earth offers the volume and variety of kosher dining that Jerusalem does. With a large Orthodox population and a constant stream of kosher-observant tourists, the overwhelming majority of restaurants carry some form of certification, though it’s always worth verifying that a given spot meets your personal standard, since Jerusalem’s certification landscape (Rabbanut, Rabbanut Mehadrin, and various non-governmental hashgachot) is famously layered.

For a full rundown, see our guide to the top 20 must-try kosher restaurants in Jerusalem. A few summer highlights:

Jacko Street — “Fun” fine dining with some Kurdish-themed items in the City Center, with a lively, music-filled evening scene and standouts like asado bruschetta, Kurdish ravioli, and duck breast focaccia.
Machane Yehuda (“The Shuk”) — The beating heart of the city’s food scene. Grab Kurdish meat pastries at Ishtabach, Yemenite jachnun and malawach at JahnunBar, or a Georgian khachapuri (with a cracked egg on top) at Hachapuria.
Miro’s Falafel in Mea Shearim for a no-frills, hole-in-the-wall falafel; Crave for boundary-pushing “as close to treif as kosher gets” street food; and Harvey’s Smokehouse on Jaffa Street for brisket and burnt ends.
Entrecote in Har Hotzvim for steak, Piccolino in Kikar Hamusica for Italian with live music, and the Rooftop at the Mamilla Hotel for a meal with a panoramic Old City view.
Cool off with Katsefet ice cream on Ben Yehuda.

One note for summer travelers: after 45 years, the beloved Eucalyptus closed its doors in February 2026. It was one of the city’s most irreplaceable dining experiences, and worth a moment of silence from anyone who ate there.

Where to Stay

Jerusalem’s hotel scene has come a long way in the past decade. Our top 10 Jerusalem hotels guide breaks down the full range, but the headliners are:

Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem — Our pick for the best luxury hotel, minutes from the Old City, with a grand indoor pool and an almost unbelievably expansive breakfast.
Mamilla Hotel — The best boutique option, adjacent to Mamilla Mall with a rooftop restaurant, spa, and pool.
The David Citadel — Our pick for the best Shabbat meals, where the buffets are practically endless.
The Orient for a rooftop pool with a view, the historic King David, and budget-friendly ibis properties on Ben Yehuda round things out. And keep an eye out for the long-awaited InterContinental Jerusalem, whose opening has been repeatedly delayed by the war.

For Shabbat meals, the luxury hotels (David Citadel, Mamilla, Waldorf) all offer spectacular buffets, and “Shabbat of a Lifetime” arranges traditional meals in local homes for a more intimate experience.

Getting There, and Staying There, on Points

Israel is one of the most popular destinations in the Jewish world for using miles, and summer is peak season (so book early). A few takeaways from our guides on Israel flights on points and Israel points hotels:

Flights: When U.S. carrier service is running, United (nonstop from Newark, ~42,500 miles each way and just ~$5.60 in taxes) and Air Canada Aeroplan (40,000 miles each way) are our favorite Star Alliance options. With most carriers still suspending service, El Al has been the primary direct option, bookable with miles via Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) or Qantas. Even a brief European stopover dramatically opens up availability.
Hotels: Points options in Jerusalem are thin, with the Waldorf Astoria (from ~93,000 Hilton Honors points) essentially the only major-chain redemption. Tel Aviv has far more, from IHG’s Crowne Plaza and Indigo properties to Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya.
Currency strategy: Chase Ultimate Rewards is the most flexible and valuable points currency, transferring 1:1 to United, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, and more. Amex Membership Rewards is a strong second. Collect both.

Paris: History, Wine, and a First Michelin Nod

Paris pairs world-class culture with the birthplace of the Michelin Guide, and its kosher scene, spread across the city’s 20 arrondissements and centered on the historic Marais, is second to none for the traveler willing to keep tabs on what’s currently open (Parisian kosher restaurants turn over quickly). Our best kosher restaurants in Paris guide leans on a local insider for the latest. Highlights:

L’As du Fallafel in the Marais — Arguably the most famous falafel in Europe, with close to 9,000 reviews and a full menu of shawarma and kebabs. Expect tahini to drip as you wander the neighborhood.
Tikoun Olam for lively Israeli-style meat, Chez Franck for the quintessential French bistro experience (steak frites, wicker chairs, al fresco people-watching), and Kavod near the Champs-Élysées for a classic steakhouse with legendary steak tartare.
Flavio for Italian dairy, La Kave du Fromager in the 11th for an intimate cheese-and-wine experience under Beth-Din of Paris supervision, and Boulangerie Murciano for the pastries that make skipping a Paris bakery close to a crime.

A Special Summer Reservation: Guefen

For a genuinely elevated night out, book Guefen, recognized by the Michelin Guide and located on rue du Vertbois near Place de la République. Israeli chef Ohad Amzallag serves Middle Eastern–influenced modern cuisine all around a single large marble table d’hôte for a convivial, communal experience. Note the unusual hours: dinner only, and closed Thursday through Saturday, so plan around Shabbat accordingly.

For Shabbat meals, several Chabad houses (including Champs-Élysées and Bastille) offer pre-booked meals.

Rome: Kosher in the Eternal City

Rome’s Jewish Ghetto is one of the oldest in the world, and its Roman-Jewish cuisine, most famously carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes), is a bucket-list experience for any kosher traveler. The summer evenings, spent lingering over dinner near the ancient ruins, are hard to beat.

A standout to seek out is Casalino Osteria Kosher, bringing a proper osteria experience to the kosher diner. As with Paris, the Roman kosher scene rewards travelers who check current hours and certification before heading out, particularly in the summer high season when reservations go quickly.

Venice: Canals, Cicchetti, and a Historic Ghetto

Venice gave the world the very word “ghetto,” and its Jewish quarter in Cannaregio remains a moving place to eat, wander, and spend Shabbat. It’s a compact, walkable kosher destination that pairs beautifully with a few summer days on the canals. For background and community info, the Jewish Venice site is a helpful resource.

Where to eat and stay:

Gam Gam — The best-known kosher restaurant in the Ghetto, right by the canal, with a companion Gam Gam Goodies for dairy.
Baghetto — A Roman-Jewish kosher name with a Venice presence, a reliable option for classic Italian-Jewish fare.
Panificio Volpe Giovanni — A historic kosher bakery in the Ghetto; stop in for bread and Venetian-Jewish sweets like impada and bisse.
Stay at Rimon Place, a kosher hotel that makes keeping kosher and observing Shabbat in Venice seamless.

For Everyone Else: New York City

If you’re not traveling from New York, it belongs on any kosher summer itinerary as it is still the mecca of kosher dining, split across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Manhattan

From our top 10 Manhattan kosher restaurants:

Barnea Bistro (Midtown East) — Chef-owned nouveau bistro with an open kitchen and a seasonal meat menu.
Reserve Cut (Financial District, plus a new Park Avenue location) — Fine-dining steakhouse with French-Asian fusion, sushi, and Wagyu.
Sen Sakana for Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) cuisine near Times Square, Abaita for upscale dairy Italian, Le Marais for a classic French steakhouse off Times Square, and B&H Dairy, an East Village institution since 1937.
Don’t miss Michelin-starred Israeli chef Eyal Shani’s kosher spots, Malka and (select) Miznon locations.

Brooklyn

From our top 10 Brooklyn kosher restaurants:

Benny’s (Avenue M) — Our pick for best kosher pizza in the borough that invented it.
Izzy’s BBQ Addiction (Crown Heights) for smoked brisket and dino ribs, Bison & Bourbon (Red Hook) for dry-aged steaks and burgers, and The Loft Steakhouse (Borough Park) for a world-class kosher steak in a “wine library” setting.
Falafel Tanami in Flatbush—a nondescript joint that landed on the New York Times‘ Top 100 NYC restaurants list—plus Kosher Bagel Hole for a quintessential Brooklyn bagel and Sunflower Cafe for a Tel Aviv–style brunch.

Summer is also a great time to work the points angle domestically: the Chase Ink Business Preferred and other Ultimate Rewards cards are our go-to for earning on kosher dining and stacking miles toward your next trip abroad.

Bon Appétit, B’teavon, and Buon Appetito

Wherever summer takes you, whether the shuk in Jerusalem, the Marais in Paris, the Ghetto in Venice, or a Broadway-adjacent steakhouse in Manhattan, the kosher world has never been more delicious or more accessible. Plan your reservations early (summer books up fast), keep an eye on current certifications, and let your points do the heavy lifting on flights and hotels. Safe and delicious travels.