I'm in the process of organizing an educational trip to Israel for a group of 30 people (university students and alumni in their 20s and 30s).
I've been to Israel a dozen times, but nonetheless one of the aspects I find struggling is finding suitable/interesting places for lunch, dinner and/or an extended break.
In an ideal world, I'm looking for venues that:
1. can deal with 30 guests at the same time
2. offer quality, tasty, authentic food at a low/reasonable cost (doesn't have to be "fancy")
3. potentially are of interest beyond offering food / have a nice view / add value from a program perspective
4. do not have to be a restaurant per se
5. potentially are suitable for an extended break
A few things I have already considered:
- tour of a kibbutz and lunch/discussions with kibbutz residents
- tour of the Austrian Hospice in the Old City of Jerusalem incl. coffee in their garden and enjoying the views from the rooftop patio
Along the same lines, I'm looking for other suitable suggestions such as:
- a less touristy vineyard that may offer free/cheap wine tastings (with/without buying x bottles), ideally with a nice patio and/or a reasonably priced lunch/dinner
- a church / synagogue / non-profit / company / other organization that may happen to run a cafe/restaurant or offer catering upon request
- or even something like "there's this awesome falafel place half-way between x and y with a large patio/garden/whatever"
We will be travelling all across Israel incl. Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Negev Desert, border to Gaza - so virtually anywhere roughly along that route would be of interest.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
