Raphi Cohen

Raphi Cohen (Hebrew: רפי כהן‎‎, born 1975 Jerusalem) is an Israeli chef.

Raphi Cohen raised in the German Colony, Jerusalem, he started his apprenticeship at age 13 in King David Hotel pastry. As a teenager he worked in Grappa restaurant. When Arcadia restaurant in Jerusalen opened in 1995, he started working there during his military service.

When Cohen finished his military service he went abroad for three years. He worked with Alain Passard and Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, France, with Marco Pierre White in London, Britain, and at the hotel restaurant Don Alfonso in Sant'Agata sui due Golfi near Naples Italy. All the four hold at that time in three stars in Michelin Guide.

When Cohen came back to Israel, he was appointed as chef in large of La Regence at the King David hotel, Jerusalem. In 2001, at age 25, he opened Raphael restaurant in King David hotel, Tel Aviv.

Cohen combined in the restaurant menu the Haute cuisine with strong influence from the Moroccan cuisine which he learned from his grandmother, with dishes like Moroccan Cigars and Couscous.

Frommer's Guide wrote that "Chef Raphi Cohen is among Israel's best, and his ever-changing menu reflects a feel for French/Mediterranean cuisine heavily touched with the flavors of Israel.".

Your way site wrote: "Chef Raphi Cohen that is considered to be one the top chefs and one of the most surprising chefs in Israeli cuisine...The Rafael restaurant is definitely one of the good restaurants of Tel Aviv. "

Telavivme writes "considered as a one of the top-chef's restaurants in Tel Aviv."

It's chosen as one of the ten best restaurants in Israel by Sagi Cohen, Maariv's Food critic. And chosen as one of the best restaurants in Israel by Daniel Rogov, Haaretz food and wine critic And as one of the ten best restaurants by Al Hashulchan magazine