Cafe Tapuz, Moshav Bazra

Cafe Tapuz
Nehalim St, Moshav Bazra
Tel: 09-7469322
Kashrut: Rabbanut Baztra

Open Sunday - Thursday 9:00am to 11:00pm. Friday 9:00 - 4:00pm. Closed Shabbat.

What fruit is the Sharon area famous for? If you said strawberries you were right, but not on this test. On the Cafe Tapuz test the answer is orange groves (tapuz = orange).

Cafe Tapuz is situated in the middle of an orange grove in the quiet hamlet of Bazra, which is just north of Ra'anana. Bazra abuts the better known Beni Zion. Follow the signs on route 4 to either Bazra or Bnei Zion and you will find the restaurant. Look for the large orange on the side of the road and of course the sign.

When you visit Cafe Tapuz you will be struck by the rural yet cultivated surroundings. The restaurant is in he middle of landscaped gardens, a fish pond, and a wonderful lush orange grove. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, covered and uncovered, that wraps around the outside of the main restaurant. This is a very unique atmosphere and especially pleasant even in the winter, on a sunny day.

Bring your appetite when you visit Cafe Tapuz. The owner, Ran, takes pride in his fresh home-made dishes, which include simple pleasures like sweet potato ravioli with cream and stir fried tofu. Or go for the house special - a “jacket potato” prepared with mushroom cream sauce and served with smoked salmon.

We enjoyed the eggplant musaka, a generous square of a baked eggplant dish in a tasty tomato sauce brought to the table in a hot frying pan. My companion chose a special of the day, a pasta dish mixed with vegetables and nuts, baked and covered in a cheese sauce. Each of our meals came with a side bowl of salad. The quiche dish is a large round individual pie with salad. All of the dishes were generous and delicious. A single dish is quite filling. Desserts such as a sizable wedge of three layered chocolate cake will round out your meal. Whenever you go, don't pass up on the orange juice - it's freshly squeezed from the oranges in the grove! A main, a coffee and a shared dessert is a substantial meal at Cafe Tapuz. This can come to about 175 shekels for two.

Not only does this restaurant take pride in its menu, it is a living tribute to the community of Bazra. Note the black and white photos on the walls and on the menu that trace the history of Bazra from its infancy.

In the office there is a picture of a baby girl in a crib surrounded by settlers in tents. That girl is now almost 60, still lives in Bazra, and is a regular at Cafe Tapuz..