Shirley Rachamim enjoys a rich buffet brunch at Café Belmont in the Belmont Hotel on Kibbutz Tzoba in the Judean Hills. While gazing at the stunning view of the hills, she makes some room for a little more salad on her plate, can’t decide if she should take another cheese plate and counts the desserts.
This time I decided to surprise myself – just like that, without any special reason. I woke up in the morning and started to get ready: a suitcase for myself and a small bag for my long-suffering boyfriend – we’re going to the Belmont Hotel! Just a quick coffee and here we are on the road to Kibbutz Tzoba and the Belmont Hotel. Knowing my man, I knew we had to start this mini-vacation out right – i.e. A good meal – and there’s nothing better than starting the day at Café Belmont. The lobby at Belmont also serves as a kosher dairy restaurant for meals or events Sunday to Thursday from 9am to 9pm, serving coffee, cakes and light meals. Once a week, on Friday and with advance reservation, a brunch meal called ‘Morning of Tastes’ is served from 11am.
At the entrance to the café was a bowl of spiked punch with pieces of fresh fruit – is that the right foot or what! It was a sunny day, so we sat ourselves down on the patio to admire the stunning view of the hills. Around us sat a varied crowd of couples, families, and friends, some staying at the hotel, some on hikes or bike trips, some here for the wine tour, and some, like us, starting the weekend out with a little R & R.
Café Belmont’s buffet brunch was packed with all sorts of treats, and a minute before I headed up there with my plate we made a quick deal between us that in order to watch our weight we weren’t allowed to get up more than twice before dessert. And here we go: an enormous range of fresh, healthy and inviting salads such as cherry tomato with pine nuts and basil, cabbage with candied pecan, quinoa with dried cranberries, green salad with nuts, chopped vegetable salad, and then it was on to the bread...rolls, pitas, and high quality crackers with a more than a few dips including sundried tomato, olive spread, eggplant spread and more. As a well-known salad lover I found myself with an already full plate staring at the cheeses and trying to rearrange the contents of said plate to make more room. A minute of thought and here I am taking another small plate to accommodate the cheeses: brie, gouda, goat’s, manchego, and more.
I returned to the table with a winner’s smile hoping that my boyfriend won’t count the cheese plate as my second round. I enjoyed every bite, gazing around at the relaxing view and listening to the soft music playing in the background. I take another sip and prepare myself for the main courses: cream of tomato soup, succulent cheese lasagna, winter root vegetable pastries, broccoli quiche, risotto, shakshuka, antipasti...and these are just some of the dishes on offer.
Café Belmont’s desserts don’t let up on the indulgence – pecan pie, berry pie, and apple pie and long with assorted herbal teas, coffee, and hot sachlab, which all on its own made this trip worthwhile. We stayed a while to admire the view and talk for a little longer in this carefree atmosphere where it seems that everyone is smiling. And best of all, I stood by my word and didn’t hit up the buffet more than twice….my boyfriend on the other hand was caught red-handed on round number three.
Café Belmont
Kibbutz Tzoba
Tel: 5347090
