Hot Springs and Kosher Restaurants in Tiberias – Northern Israel

Get on the road, tune the radio, and drive up to Northern Israel- where incredible hot springs and kosher restaurants in Tiberias await.

My husband turned 30 this year. To celebrate him, I decided to take it slow..no big party this year, what he really needed was a couple days to stop and breathe. Appreciate the life that we built together, and love our children…from afar!

I booked us a night at the Hamat Gader Spa Village Hotel, an adults- only bungalow colony in Israel, set in the lush valley on the border to Syria. The drive up was long enough that it felt like a road trip, but short enough that we weren’t in the car all day.

We stopped for lunch at Tzemach, the restaurant- gas station- pit stop right before the Sea of Galilee. There is a new Kosher swhwarma restaurant there that is, I kid you not, the best we have tried yet in the country!

Also read our Channukah donut guide for Jerusalem, Israel here.

We turned right into the mountains and drove down to the hotel, where a driver in a golf cart picked us up and whisked us the entrance, and straight into the spa. Stepping into the hotel was like taking a serious chill pill.

All the guests strolling around in white bathrobes and slippers, slow music playing on the speakers, and steam drifting up from the hot springs.

I had booked us a package deal through the website which included a suite with a Jacuzzi, wine and chocolate in the room, and a couples massage.

The treatment rooms were wooden and decorated tastefully, and the massage so professional, I didn’t want it to end!

We lounged around the grounds, soaked in the mineral water, and watched the hotel staff light the tiki torches as night fell ..it was blissful.

Decks Tiberias

Address: דרך גדוד ברק (חוף לידו), Tiberias, Israel

For dinner we headed across the lake to Decks restaurant, our favorite kosher restaurant in Tiberias. A 20 minute drive from the Hamat Gader Spa Hotel, with private parking right next to the entrance.

Set on the water, this beautiful restaurant is the best place to eat in Tiberias for a kosher fine dining experience. Heading by Chef Yaniv, the menu is a cross between fun and fancy, perfect for meat lovers and foodies alike.

We were greeted by the chef and taken to our table..looking out over the water with Christmas lights twinkling, it was the perfect setting for a romantic dinner and we nestled in. Agreeing immediately, we asked the chef to take it easy..we wanted to enjoy, have time to chat, and eat slow.

Great Food and our Menu Favorites

We started with cocktails to set the mood: our favorite being the Pink Gin (I don’t normally like gin, but this was delicious!).

Ask your waiter about the tasting menu; while not on the regular menu, this tasting experience gives you a little of everything, and trust us, you will leave with a full tummy and a smile on your face.

Appetizers at Decks Tiberias

To whet the appetite we tried the buttery(while really, butter free- as this is kosher!), goose liver on a crispy bruschetta. Melt in your mouth delicious, rich and light in the same bite.

Contrasting the French vibes our server brought out the Onion Loaf, a crispy pile of fried onions served with house barbecue sauce. This was delightful and such fun to eat! I also loved the large portion- perfect if you plan to dine with a group or family. 

For the mains, hubby chose the Prime Rib and I opted for Lamb Chops. In all honesty, the steak trumped the lamb! We weren’t asked how we liked our meat, and frankly, we really didn’t have to be. The steak was cooked perfectly, and served with roasted vegetables.

My only complaint is that the vegetables were a little fresh- charred a bit more and they would be perfectly edible and not just serve as plating help.

As a little mealtime dessert, try the filet mignon medallions with “Yanivs Special Sauce”. This little morsel of flavour and texture might just be the best bite of steak I have ever eaten. Don’t miss them!

The evening was lovely and quiet, and to finish it off the servers sang the Israeli rendition of Happy Birthday and brought out a huge platter of Dairy Free Fried Ice Cream.

We were told the restaurant moves out to the Deck over the water in the summertime(in April), and I really look forward to coming back!

Buffet Breakfast at the Hot Springs

The hot springs hotel offers a large buffet breakfast included with the stay. While the hotel does not have kosher certification, they do only serve dairy on the menu and all the ingredients are kosher.

We enjoyed coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice(I actually squeezed the oranges myself with this cool juicing machine and got to chat with some other guests while we worked).

There is fresh pineapple and strawberries, and kosher yogurts with granola, dates, and nuts for topping, as well as shakshouka and baked eggplant topped with tahini and pistachios. All in all, a very delicious and well rounded breakfast, perfect to start the day.

Back to the hot springs, we enjoyed wine by the pool, which hotel staff came to give out, and then we toured the main grounds. While you have to leave the hotel and adults only area, a short 2 minute walk across the path takes you to the main public hot springs, with a few different pools as options to swim in.

We didn’t spend much time here as it was crowded compared to the hotels private spring, but the area is covered in lush greenery, wild ferns, and little paths leading to grassy lawns.

There is also a crocodile park that we chanced upon….its a tad creepy that this is set right near the peoples hot spring, but there are a large amount of crocs there and it was fun watching them swim around and lounge in the sun.

Our check out was at 11am, but we were told by the concierge that there is a room to hold our things, and we were welcome to stay at the hotel and enjoy the amenities until late in the evening.

If you are headed to Israel this coming winter, save this post and travel up north to enjoy the perfect north Israel vacation.

Where should we go next?? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!