Rishon LeZion Embraces Skewer Trend with Daytime Menu at Alina
Brothers Niv and Dvir Nafosi have transformed their popular Rishon LeZion bar-restaurant, Alina, into a daytime skewer house, offering 13 salads and grilled meats daily.
The past year has quietly rewritten the culinary landscape, crowning a renaissance for traditional skewer houses across the country. Now, this sizzling gastronomic wave has officially reached Rishon LeZion, transforming a popular local establishment into a vibrant daytime temple of grilled meats.
The masterminds behind this latest addition are brothers Niv (31) and Dvir (26) Nafosi, the driving force behind the Alina bar-restaurant. Located on the bustling and constantly evolving Rothschild Street—which recently welcomed trendy additions like the Bread bakery and the Frankie Hollywood diner—Alina has anchored itself in the neighborhood for two years as part of an eight-year hospitality journey. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brothers launched a midday delivery brand, and six months ago, they opened Hummusia Zohara right next door, named in honor of their grandmother.
Building on this rich culinary portfolio, Alina now operates during daytime hours from 12:00 to 17:00 as a classic kosher skewer house. Diners can indulge in a comprehensive business lunch for 95 shekels, which includes freshly baked saluf bread and an impressive spread of 13 vibrant salads, dips, and pickles. The lavish spread ranges from Tripolitan maseer and eggplant mayonnaise to celery and nut salad, spicy carrots, and tahini spiked with sumac.
The main event features a wide array of skewers grilled to perfection. Classic choices include chicken thigh, kebabs, hearts, merguez, and chicken livers, while premium options offer entrecote for an additional 20 shekels, sweetbreads for 48 shekels, and luxurious goose liver for 52 shekels. For those ordering outside the main deal, a la carte items like finely chopped vegetable salad for 32 shekels, french fries for 24 shekels, and a hummus-chips-salad combo for 35 shekels—featuring hummus sourced directly from Hummusia Zohara—round out the menu.
Despite their youth, the Nafosi brothers bring deep dedication and diverse backgrounds to the venture. Dvir turned down a path in elite military service and a guaranteed career at IBM after previously playing youth soccer, while Niv embraced hospitality early on. Joined by their sister Eden before her post-army travels, the energetic staff infuses the kosher establishment at 104 Rothschild Street with an infectious, joyful atmosphere.
