In the culinary desert of Eilat sits a Mamo, a thriving Mediterranean restaurant led by chef Ohad Levy. After stints at top restaurants in Tel Aviv, Levy relocated to the south and named his restaurant for his late grandfather Zion (Mamo) Levy, an Eilat city founder and owner of its Zion Beach. Mamo offers a personal and joyful approach to cooking with a focus on seasonality. A meal here might start with appetizers of chopped fish atop a slice of bread with peppers, cheese, and thyme. And, the feast continues with fish options like ceviche, fresh house made pastas (get the dumplings filled with chopped fish) and meat options including a ribeye skewer.

“I appreciate delicious, but not overly heavy, unpretentious food here. Ohad Levy creates his dishes with as many ingredients from the Negev and Aravah as possible — vegetables, cheeses, wines, olive oil and breads — and pays careful attention to small details, especially hospitality. There’s no chance you’ll find a plate with sauce left on it without being served another slice of thick bread (from a local bakery, of course) to soak it up,” remarks Yuval Ziv.