Orna & Ella

Orna & Ella (Hebrew: אורנה ואלה) was a Tel Aviv café-restaurant that operated from 1992 to 2018. It was founded by Orna Agmon and Ella Shein, who had previously worked together at the Tel Aviv restaurant "Zelig" — Orna as a bartender and Ella as a waitress — and had baked desserts for Zelig and other establishments, including "Big Mama," for three years until Zelig closed. In 1992 they opened a café at 33 Sheinkin Street, on a site previously occupied by a toy shop. Over the years the café expanded in both space and menu and evolved into a full restaurant. It became a gathering place for many bohemian figures, and its food was based on traditional dishes made from fresh ingredients that were given an upgraded treatment. Its most famous dish was sweet potato latkes in a cream and chive sauce; other well-known dishes included "salat hakol" (a salad of vegetables in an herb dressing with feta cheese and croutons), wild rice and basmati rice with oven-roasted vegetables, chicken curry on basmati rice, gnocchi in tomato sauce, cucumber salad with chicken pieces, and lamb kebab with quinoa salad. The restaurant had 80 seats and employed 55 staff members, with waiters being men only. In 2006 a cookbook from the restaurant, written by Einav Berman (a former chef of the restaurant), Ella Shein, and Orna Agmon, was published by Achuzat Bayit; it was a bestseller. In 2010 Sarit Shalev and Ronit Englander opened a branch of Orna & Ella at De Shalit Square near the Herzliya beach; the branch closed after Orna & Ella claimed a breach of the franchise agreement for the Herzliya branch. On April 12, 2018, the restaurant closed after 25 years of activity, due to the expected renovation of the building in which it was located. In 2025 a documentary film titled "Orna & Ella," directed by Tomer Heymann, was released; the film follows the final period of the place's activity before its closure. The restaurant was also one of the three main locations filmed in Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky's film "The Bubble."

Orna & Ella was founded by Orna Agmon and Ella Shein, who met while working at the Tel Aviv restaurant "Zelig" owned by Hani Farber. Orna was a bartender and Ella a waitress. For three years they baked desserts for Zelig and other establishments, including "Big Mama," until Zelig closed. In 1992 they opened a café at 33 Sheinkin Street, a location that had previously housed a toy shop. Over the years the café expanded in both space and menu and became a restaurant. It attracted many bohemian figures. The food was based on traditional dishes made from fresh ingredients that were upgraded. The most famous dish was sweet potato latkes in a cream and chive sauce; other known dishes included "salat hakol" (vegetables in an herb dressing with feta cheese and croutons), wild rice and basmati rice with oven-roasted vegetables, chicken curry on basmati rice, gnocchi in tomato sauce, cucumber salad with chicken pieces, and lamb kebab with quinoa salad. In the past, Orna and Ella opened "Malchot HaFalafel," a falafel stand that failed financially and closed; it was the first place in Tel Aviv to serve colored falafel. Orna & Ella served as one of the three main locations filmed in Eytan Fox and Gal Uchovsky's film "The Bubble." The restaurant had 80 seats and employed 55 staff members, with waiters being men only. In 2006 the restaurant's cookbook, written by Einav Berman (a former chef of the restaurant), Ella Shein, and Orna Agmon, was published by Achuzat Bayit; the book was a bestseller. In 2010 Sarit Shalev and Ronit Englander opened a branch of Orna & Ella at De Shalit Square near the Herzliya beach. The branch closed after Orna & Ella claimed a breach of the franchise agreement for the Herzliya branch. On April 12, 2018, the restaurant closed after 25 years of activity, due to the expected renovation of the building in which it was located. In 2025 a film titled "Orna & Ella," directed by Tomer Heymann, was released; the film follows the final period of the place's activity before its closure.

• 2025

  A documentary film titled "Orna & Ella," directed by Tomer Heymann, is released.

• 2018

  The restaurant closes on April 12 after 25 years, due to the expected renovation of its building.

• 2010

  A branch opens at De Shalit Square near the Herzliya beach; it later closes after a franchise dispute.

• 2006

  The restaurant's cookbook, written by Einav Berman, Ella Shein, and Orna Agmon, is published by Achuzat Bayit and becomes a bestseller.

• 1992

  Orna Agmon and Ella Shein open a café at 33 Sheinkin Street, Tel Aviv.

A bohemian Tel Aviv café-restaurant offering upgraded traditional dishes made from fresh ingredients.

• Sweet potato latkes in cream and chive sauce

• Salat hakol (vegetables in herb dressing with feta cheese and croutons)

• Wild rice and basmati rice with oven-roasted vegetables

• Chicken curry on basmati rice

• Gnocchi in tomato sauce

• Cucumber salad with chicken pieces

• Lamb kebab with quinoa salad

1. 1Orna & Ella - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2אורנה ואלה - Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org