Located in the basement of a hotel on Brenner Street, Sun Young is a delightful find full of surprises. A block away from Sheinkin street and not far from the Carmel Market, it is on a quiet, residential street in the heart of Tel Aviv’s aptly named Lev Hair.
The hotel lobby has a classy, upscale vibe and, when you descend to the restaurant on the well designed stairs, you’ll appreciate the restaurant design and diners fit to a ‘t’.
Most of the crowd is Israeli and fashionable. There is a large barge at the base of the stairs and, if you were looking for more of a social perch to see and be seen, that would be a seat to request. Otherwise, there is ample seating, with a large area behind the stairs. The restaurant is well put together and feels intimate.
After you’re done looking at the stylish crowd, many of whom appear to be tables of women in their 20s and 30s as well as couples those ages and above, peruse the menu.
It is full of interesting dishes. The sushi is quite good and we had the fish and chips roll. The squares (crispy rice) appetizer was delicious and the udon bowl, nams and tataki were tasty. There were a variety of other dishes, all in the spirit of Asian fusion. The cocktails were good, but as is typical in Israel, erred on the sweet side.
This is a great date restaurant or a hip place to have dinner with friends.