Ester HaMalka

One of Tel Aviv's best kosher smash burgers, with a catch

Finding a good kosher restaurant on Rothschild is not easy. A lot of the places nearby stay open on Shabbat, so the real kosher list is pretty short, and it is the same story if you walk over to Nachalat Binyamin next door. But what about burger lovers? Some of us travel the world and simply cannot miss a good burger spot. Esther HaMalka started as pure hype. A couple came off a reality show, named the place after their daughter, and it went viral almost overnight. In the beginning the line was enormous. I tried to go a few times at night and it was basically impossible: every table taken, crowds of kids waiting, not exactly the moment to relax and enjoy a burger. Then I discovered that at lunchtime the place is far quieter, and I managed to get in a few times. Honestly, I was impressed. This burger is clearly trying to be the best kosher burger in Tel Aviv. But is it? Let us see. Being the best kosher burger in Tel Aviv is a tall order. The competition is strong, with Memphis and plenty of others in the running, and I am not sure there is a single best kosher burger in this city. But Esther HaMalka makes a real case. It is a quick, eat-and-go kind of place. No waiters, and basically no service. You order from a big iPad that shows the whole menu, and the only people around are behind the counter, heads down, building burgers. And the burgers are very good. I would say this is one of the best kosher smash burgers in Tel Aviv: juicy, with those almost-crispy edges a smash burger is all about. If you prefer chicken, the chicken tenders and the crispy chicken burger are excellent too. On price, we are firmly at the high end. Nothing is included; you pay extra for fries and even for sauces. That is the usual story with viral, celebrity-owned spots. But the burger, oh, what a burger. Just amazing. My one real wish is that the service, the atmosphere, and the ambience matched the food, especially in summer. It gets very hot, there is almost no shade, and the service is non-existent, which is a shame for a place like this. In most Israeli restaurants you feel a certain generosity: a proper pile of fries, a menu that includes everything. Here, that is not quite the case. So I would recommend Esther HaMalka for a quick eat and go. I am not sure it suits big families, older diners, or anyone who wants to sit down and get even a little service. But if you are hunting for the best kosher burger in Tel Aviv and you are not afraid to sit in the sun, this might be exactly your spot.