“We selected the Bear’s home made meat platter. An assortment of home cured, smoked and cooked meats including slices of roast beef, corned beef, liver pate and tongue were served on a round wooden cutting board with generous mounds of mayo, Dijon mustard and dark bread…” Yonatan Sternberg finally finds his way up the Carmel Mountain for a night of beer and hearty eating at The Bear Pub in Haifa.
For some reason, I never seem to be able to find my way around Haifa. Even though I have been there at least a dozen times, every time I arrive in town I find myself completely lost. Luckily I ran in to several friendly (and patient) people along the way who were happy to point me in the right direction. After driving around in circles for about 20 minutes we finally arrived at the Bear Pub.
Established some 19 years ago, the Bear Pub was one of the first pubs to open its doors on the Carmel. The pub offers a warm and homey atmosphere and most importantly has plenty of character - heavy wooden tables and chairs, a wooden bar, an impressive selection of various memorabilia, including a very amusing “Beware - Bear Crossing” sign and a wide selection of quality alcohol. But this pub isn’t only about booze, the Bear Pub is also very proud of their food menu, including pasta dishes, salads, fish & seafood sandwiches and more.
While my companion and I both ordered a couple of cold ones, a pint of Weinstephen for her and bottle of Duvel for me, it is also important to note that the Bear Pub is a member of the International Single Malt Club, offering an impressive array of fine scotch.
After reviewing the menu’s we decided to order something that would go well with the beers and selected the Bear’s home made meat platter. An assortment of home cured, smoked and cooked meats including slices of roast beef, corned beef, liver pate and tongue were placed on a round wooden cutting board and brought to the table with generous mounds of mayo, Dijon mustard and dark bread. While the pate was a little dry and lacking in texture, the corned beef and roast beef were delicious.
Then came the exciting stuff. I mean, how many pubs in Israel have a dish on their menu titled “The Bear Nipples”. Served alongside a platter of cut vegetables “The Bear Nipples” turned out to be deep fried dumplings made with French style dough and filled with goat cheese. I’m not sure who or how they came up with the name and (I really didn’t feel comfortable asking) but overall it was a tasty dish.
Almost time to head out, hopefully this time I will be able to navigate our way down from the Carmel without getting lost. Good music, tasty fresh food, a wide variety of alcohol in a real pub atmosphere, we were thoroughly content. If you’re looking for a place to kick back, have a beer, catch the football match and enjoy some good food the Bear Pub is the place to go in Haifa. But if you aren’t a local, just make sure to print up directions using Google maps.
The Bear Pub
35 Hanassie Blvd., Haifa
Tel: 04-8381703
