Restaurants in Eilat Open on Shabbat: What to Know Before You Go
In short: Are there restaurants in Eilat open on Shabbat? Yes, but not all of them. Places with a kosher certificate are usually closed from Friday afternoon until Saturday night, and places without one are usually open. Check by phone or on Google Maps before you head out, and prepare food in your apartment on Friday.
It's Friday afternoon, the sun is going down, and you're standing in front of a closed door with an empty stomach. A few minutes of planning can prevent that.
Restaurants in Eilat open on Shabbat: how it works in practice
Eilat is a tourist city, so it has a wide variety of places to eat. Some keep Shabbat and some do not. There is no single rule for the whole city, so the best approach is to check each place separately.
Here is the general picture, without naming businesses, since they change:
Places with a kosher certificate: usually closed on Shabbat. They close on Friday afternoon and reopen on Saturday night.
Places without a kosher certificate: usually open on Shabbat too, sometimes with shorter hours.
Hotels and hosting venues: some serve Shabbat meals with advance booking. Worth asking by phone.
Stalls and kiosks: hard to predict. Don't count on them for a full meal.
You can read more about the city itself on the Eilat tourism website and in the Wikipedia entry on Eilat.
Kosher restaurants in Eilat: what it means on Shabbat
A place with a valid kosher certificate is required to follow kashrut rules, and that includes keeping Shabbat. So if you searched for kosher restaurants in Eilat, in most cases you will find them closed on Shabbat. That is not a flaw in service, it is part of the certificate.
There are also places that are "kosher in practice" but have no certificate, and places that display an expired certificate. If kashrut matters to you, check the certificate and its date. We explained how in the post Kosher restaurants in Eilat: how to find them and check the certificate.
Local tip: If you want a place that is open on Shabbat, ask two separate questions: is it open, and does it have a kosher certificate? These are two different things, and not every open place is kosher.
How to check that a place is open before you go
Open the place on Google Maps and check its Saturday opening hours.
Look for the latest update on the business page or on social media.
Call and ask: "Are you open on Shabbat at noon? And on Saturday night?"
If you need kosher, ask to see the kosher certificate and whether it covers Shabbat.
Reserve a table, especially for a group or a family.
Opening hours change from season to season, so don't rely on what you saw last year.
Restaurants in Eilat on Friday night: book ahead
Shabbat eve is the time when it is easiest to end up without a table. Kosher places are already closed or getting ready for Shabbat, and open places fill up. If you're looking for restaurants in Eilat on Friday night, lock everything in ahead of time.
Here is how to go about it:
Don't wait for the evening itself. Call on Thursday or Friday morning.
Ask whether there is a Friday night meal with advance booking at a place that suits you.
Mention in advance if you need kosher food, high chairs, or room for a stroller.
Arrive with a plan B: another venue, or ready food in the apartment.
Insider tip: From our apartments it is a 5-10 minute walk to the promenade and the North Beach. In the evening you don't need a car or a parking search, and it is easy to walk to an alternative place if the first one is full.
Shabbat food in Eilat: prepare in the apartment on Friday
The calmest solution for Shabbat is not to depend on anyone. Every one of our apartments has a kitchenette with a fridge, a stovetop or hot plate, a kettle, a microwave and kitchenware. You can prepare on Friday, store it in the fridge and eat on Shabbat.
What works well for preparing ahead:
Salads, cut vegetables, hummus and spreads.
Pasta, rice or couscous that you reheat in the microwave.
Chicken or schnitzels made in advance.
Bread, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, fruit and something sweet.
Everyone keeps Shabbat in their own way, so adapt the preparation to your own habits. You'll find simple ideas for a small kitchen in Cooking in an Eilat vacation apartment: what to make in a kitchenette.
Save: Shopping on Friday morning saves both money and stress. One or two meals in the apartment over the weekend take a good bite out of the budget. For where to shop and how much you save on VAT, see Supermarkets in Eilat.
Insider tip: The Palmore 15 Suite has a full oven with an induction cooktop. The Palmore 15 Suite is the only one like it, and the other 8 apartments are equipped with a kitchenette.
What suits whom: open on Shabbat or kosher
A short comparison to help you decide:
Need fully kosher food: Plan Shabbat meals in the apartment, or book ahead at a hosting venue. On weekdays you can eat at any kosher place.
Don't need kosher: You'll easily find places open on Shabbat. It is still worth calling.
Mixed group: Choose an open place next to a kosher one, or split the days. One meal in the apartment solves a lot of tension.
Traveling with small children: Ready food in the apartment on Shabbat saves waiting and queues.
What this means for your Shabbat: numbers from our calendar
Shabbat in Eilat fills up quickly, and not only the restaurants. As of our calendar check on 11.11.2026, for the weekend with check-in on 12.11.2026 there are no apartments available. On 19.11.2026, 5 of 9 apartments remain available, and on 26.11.2026, 8 of 9 remain.
The nightly price is lower in midweek. Studio 1 suits couples, starting from about ₪285 per night midweek (as of 11.11.2026, before the 5% direct booking discount; the price varies by dates). On weekend nights, Thursday and Friday, the price starts from about ₪405 per night (as of 11.11.2026, before the 5% direct booking discount; the price varies by dates).
For families of up to 5, Bedroom Apartment 2 costs the same midweek. On average, weekend nights are about 29% more expensive than midweek nights in our calendar. If you're flexible, you can arrive on Sunday and enjoy Friday without paying more.
Insider tip: Leaving on Shabbat? You can order a late checkout on Saturday night as a paid add-on, so you don't have to leave at 11:00 when a whole day is still ahead of you. Check-in is from 15:00, and the door code is sent on the morning of your arrival day.
Frequently asked questions
Are all restaurants in Eilat closed on Shabbat?
No. Places with a kosher certificate are usually closed, and places without one are usually open. Check each place separately before you go.
Where can you eat on Friday night in Eilat?
You can book a table ahead at an open place, or ask hotels and hosting venues about a Friday night meal by reservation. Booking should be done early, not on the same evening.
How do you know a place is really kosher?
Ask to see a valid kosher certificate and check its date. Also ask whether the certificate includes keeping Shabbat.
Can I cook in the apartment ahead of Shabbat?
Yes. Every apartment has a kitchenette with a fridge, a stovetop or hot plate, a kettle and a microwave. Prepare on Friday and reheat or eat cold, according to your habits.
What should we do if we arrive in the city on Friday afternoon?
Buy basic food right after you enter the city, since many shops close ahead of Shabbat. In the apartment you can keep everything in the fridge and manage until Saturday night.
Want a relaxed Shabbat with your own kitchenette and no dependence on opening hours? Check availability and book directly on our website. Booking direct takes 5% off automatically, with no coupon code.
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