2 Best Restaurants in Daliyat el Carmel and Isfiya, Haifa and the Northern Coast

At this storefront eatery, brothers Fouad and Ahmad Halabi greet you with a handshake and a "Hello, my cousin!" The delicious falafel and shawarma are wrapped in thin, lightly browned, Druze-style pitas—a nice change from the fluffy ones served at most other places in the country—and a refreshing splash of lemon tops the salads. Watch everything being prepared in the glass-front kitchen that opens onto a series of tile-floor dining rooms. The adjoining gift shop, also run by the siblings, displays locally woven tablecloths and pillowcases.

People come from all over the Carmel for a meal in this Druze restaurant at the northern edge of Isfiya (it's on the left; look for the tables outside under the trees). The Middle Eastern fare here is excellent, especially the homemade hummus with pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice, as well as the well-seasoned kebabs on skewers. Those with a sweet tooth should sample the sahlab (a warm, custardlike pudding of crushed orchid bulb with thickened milk and sugar).