The Drisco at 160: Inside Tel Aviv’s restored hidden gem of old-world hospitality - review

Sitting in the pristine George & John’s dining area/bar of the Drisco Hotel, with its old-world décor, ceiling fans spinning, and standards from the previous century ranging from Sinatra to Louis Armstrong providing soothing background music, it’s totally possible to think that you’ve been transported back 100 years or so.

The pace is slower, the colors more vivid, the tastes are more intense. That’s the vibe the Drisco exudes and what makes it one of the most enjoyable hotel experiences in Tel Aviv.

But as soon as you make the turn onto Auerbach, you’re in another world, one of picket fences, wooden porches, and old-style grace.

The hotel’s story began in 1866, decades before the founding of Tel Aviv, when brothers George and John Drisco were part of a group of pilgrims from Jonesport, Maine, led by preacher George Adams, who boarded a ship to the Holy Land complete with 20 prefab wooden houses. After settling on the shores of Jaffa near the now Charles Clore Beach, they set up their buildings on nearby Auerbach Street, including the 12-room Le Grand Hotel.

Constructed of stone – unlike the wooden homes that characterized the colony at the time – the building was designed to accommodate pilgrims and European nobility traveling to the Holy Land.

Although he doesn’t mention George and John and their flock by name, he does describe their community, in not-so-flattering terms, as destitute and delusional.

Twain’s description must have been accurate, because within a few years, most of the immigrants, experiencing dire poverty, disease, and disappointment, returned to Maine – some of them escaping Jaffa by boarding the same cruise ship on which Twain was a passenger.

The Driscos carried on but in 1870 sold the inn to Ernst David Hardegg, a member of the Templar community, who expanded it to 57 rooms and renamed it The Hardegg Jerusalem Hotel, widely regarded for many years as one of the region’s finest luxury hotels, welcoming distinguished guests including the entourage of German Emperor Wilhelm II.

Then it lay abandoned for over 50 years, until in 2009, a group of Israeli real estate entrepreneurs, including Avi Zak, acquired the historic building together with the neighboring Norton House – an American wooden home that had previously served as a hostel, later housed the legendary Keren Restaurant, and eventually became the headquarters and central workshop of Maskit, Israel’s iconic fashion house.

Over the course of eight years, the group invested approximately NIS 120 million in an extensive restoration and preservation project. The colonial façade, ground floor, and grand central hall were meticulously restored, including original wall paintings and decorative column finishes. During the restoration, remarkable Templar-era murals were uncovered in the basement and carefully conserved through an extensive restoration process.

Following more than a decade of preservation and reconstruction, the property reopened in 2018 as The Drisco Hotel, honoring the brothers who established it more than a century and a half earlier.

“We like to think that we’ve given George and John Drisco some recognition and have closed an historical circle,” said Zak. “They had hard lives, and their portrayal in Mark Twain’s book was not complimentary. The existence of the Drisco Hotel today, 160 years after they arrived on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, is a testament to their lives and that ultimately, they did accomplish something.”

Featuring 42 rooms, some with a view of the Mediterranean, and others as suites in the adjacent Norton House, the Drisco today and its George & John restaurant is a treasure to cherish.

Easily accessible from the nearby Elifelet light rail stop, which leads to the bustling Mesilat promenade and the always popular train station dining and leisure area, the hotel’s amenities, from complimentary wine and snacks in both the lobby and on its delightful third-floor terrace, are plentiful.

The rooms are comfortable, and the ones with patios provide hours of free entertainment as they overlook the Tel Aviv landscape and the sea. The hotel attracts an interesting clientele of upper-scale Israelis, as well as discriminating tourists from around the world, even in these days of minimal tourism.

At the heart of the hotel’s convivial atmosphere is the culinary experience of George & John, its acclaimed chef’s restaurant led by chef Yaron Fishniak. Over the past several years, the restaurant has established itself as one of Tel Aviv’s premier yet pricey non-kosher dining destinations, attracting diners even without an overnight stay at the hotel.

Fishniak’s cuisine combines contemporary interpretations of local flavors with classic European techniques. There are a number of dishes that observers of kashrut who are willing to dine in non-kosher establishments will find irresistible.

For a starter, try the Yellow Tail Tartare – generous chunks of the fish surrounded by plum and lemongrass consommé, roasted almonds, and olive oil foam (NIS 84). An intermediate offering is the simply delicious and simply titled Sweet Gili Corn, a bowl of kernels mixed with brown butter, cilantro, tarragon, and Parmesan foam (NIS 118). It was indescribably delicious.

For the main course, there’s the Tortellini in black garlic cream, toasted pistachios, sorrel, and Parmesan (NIS 146) and the dish we tried, the Grouper Fillet, baked in brown butter, with capers, jalapeño, and croutons, alongside creamy mashed potatoes (NIS 186). My wife said it was the best fish dish she had ever eaten in a restaurant.

The next morning, we were still full but managed to return to the scene of the crime for breakfast, which is entirely dairy. Instead of the lavish buffets popular at most hotels, the Drisco brings an individual buffet directly to your table, consisting of cheeses, dips, vegetables, and cured salmon.

Bread and pastries are communal in the center of the dining room, and the main course is ordered from the wait staff.

Options include Drisco Style Benedict with brioche, leek and apple jam, hollandaise and Parmesan, and my choice of spicy shakshuka, including fried eggplant, Manchego cheese, and cilantro. It didn’t disappoint.

To commemorate its 160th anniversary, the Drisco will present a special series of events titled the “American Colony Series,” featuring culinary experiences, exclusive wine events, and a gala celebration highlighting the property’s rich history.

Dr. Yosefa Isenberg, a leading researcher and expert on the neighborhood’s history, will be leading a specially curated historical tour of the American-German Colony, including visits to notable landmarks Beit Immanuel, Immanuel Church, and the Maine Friendship House.

The hotel also regularly offers extremely informative and enjoyable biweekly tours of the neighborhood for hotel guests, on Thursday at 4 p.m. and on Shabbat at 10:30 a.m.

One hundred and sixty years after its founding, the Drisco has not just made George and John proud; it’s a hidden pearl of Tel Aviv.

The writer, who made aliyah from  Maine in 1985, was a guest of the hotel.

Rates for a couple, including breakfast, begin at NIS 1,180 a night. Ages 16 and up. Parking nearby for NIS 90 per day.