Sense: Glamor and good food in Netanya

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Sense epitomizes glamour and good food – a winning combination for a great evening out.

By GLORIA DEUTSCH DECEMBER 22, 2024 21:47 Updated: DECEMBER 22, 2024 21:56

A visit to Sense in Netanya explains the choice of name for this restaurant and nightclub. All the senses are involved when you sit down to dinner at Sense.

The eyes take in the brightly colored and witty décor, the nose smells the food, the mouth tastes the incredible dishes, the ears catch the disco sounds for dancing (which, luckily for us only begins at nine, so we had already finished our meal and departed), and finally, the sense of touch – the feel of an iced cocktail in your hand, which can be very reassuring.

It just makes sense at Sense

We arrived for our visit to Sense at 7 p.m., soon after it opened, and found we were the only diners at that early hour. No matter, the friendly staff made us feel very welcome, and the décor is so busy that you don’t notice the empty tables. The place gradually began to fill up as the evening progressed.

The cocktail menu looked enticing. I chose something called Du Sour, a gin-based drink with pineapple, apple liqueur, white vermouth, basil syrup, and lemon. (Could they have meant “du soir,” as it was quite sweet?)

It arrived in a large glass with what looked like a small saucer made of ice perched on top, on which rested a small piece of carambola (star fruit) and a mint leaf.

Sense in Netanya (credit: ALEX DEUTSCH)

It tasted more alcoholic than most cocktails, and I kept it throughout the meal, making it unnecessary to order wine. My companion had a whiskey sour, which he enjoyed, too.

And so to the food. The English menu lists a tempting array of appetizers. I chose charcoal-grilled cabbage (NIS 64), and my companion ordered the cigars (NIS 64).

The cabbage was nicely presented with tehina for dipping and a very sharp vinaigrette made from chili peppers. On the side were sour green leaves, which were more of a garnish, as I found them inedible.

The crispy cigars were filled with meat and served with a sauce purporting to be aioli. If it was, it was very short on garlic, which is the whole point of aioli. This one was more like a mayonnaise.

While waiting for our main courses, we chatted with Nathan, one of the three young men who opened Sense eight months ago.

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He explained that the concept of Sense is to offer Israeli food with French influence. “Every hour, the atmosphere changes here,” he said. “If you come about nine in the evening, you will see the place full and people getting up and dancing to the disco.”

By now, our mains had arrived. I had chosen the burgers served with “bacon” and hasselback potatoes (NIS 128). The burgers were very meaty and I enjoyed my dish. The “bacon” was a kind of pastrami, and I must say that it looked right.

My companion had chosen the breast of lamb, a succulent but bony cut, garnished with nuts (NIS 292). As my regular readers may have noticed, he loves lamb and has it whenever possible. I just hope he never starts bleating.

For dessert, we shared what was listed as chocolate mousse (NIS 58), However, it was more like a chocolate volcano, served with vanilla ice cream resting on a base of cocoa, with hot syrup in a small jug. It was just the right touch of sweetness to end this splendid meal.

Sense epitomizes glamour and good food – a winning combination for a great evening out.