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Israel is filled with interesting, affordable restaurants that range from authentic ethnic to contemporary Mediterranean Rim, and from kosher Indian to gracefully inventive French. In order to be accessible to kosher diners, many Israeli restaurants offer vegetarian-only menus that are imaginative and affordable. The following is a selection of unusual choices for atmosphere, good food, and good value, but you'll find many other fabulous restaurants throughout Frommer's Israel. In addition to these choices,, look into the following Upper Moderate range choices listed above in the Best Luxury Dining Section: Shonka (Jerusalem); Erez (in Herzlia, just north of Tel Aviv); and Uri Buri (deep in the Old City of Akko). They're each spectacular, and very reasonable splurges.

Little Jerusalem Restaurant at Ticho House (Jerusalem). Set in a 19th century villa with a walled garden, this atmospheric Jerusalem landmark serves an excellent, wide-ranging fish and vegetarian menu, great soups and salads, and perhaps the most heavenly (kosher) cakes and pies in Israel

Vaqueiro (Jerusalem; 54 Haneviim St.; tel. 02/624-7432): A major new Jerusalem restaurant hit, this South American style all-you-can-eat meat grill set in a charming 19th century mansion is a meat-eaters paradise, AND kosher! The fixed price Dinner Banquet runs approximately $27; Business lunch is less and an excellent deal. Closed for Shabbat. New listing.

Spaghettim (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv): This restaurant offers a vast array of spaghettis in fantastic sauces loaded with fresh ingredients. The Jerusalem branch, set in an old Ottoman-era mansion with a delightful dining garden, is an especially romantic location, but there's also a less-atmospheric branch in Tel Aviv.

Cacao at the Cinimathhque (Jerusalem): The view of the Old City walls from the terrace here is breathtaking, the crowd is intelligent and stylish, and the menu is very affordable. Salads, pastas, peasant sandwiches, and a reasonably priced fish menu are offered. In cold weather, the indoor dining room can be smoky, but in good weather, a meal or dessert on the terrace is a must.

Kohinoor (Jerusalem): This kosher Indian restaurant provides a rare oppor-tunity for kosher visitors to sample well-prepared Indian cuisine. The all-you-can-eat luncheon buffets are very affordable. The nonkosher Tandoori restaurants (Tel Aviv, Eilat, and Herzlia) of the same chain are equally excellent, elegant, and a good value.

Ali Oli (Tel Aviv): Without being fancy or pretentious, this place has style, spirit, and exceptional fish and seafood prepared in light, Mediterranean Rim style. Prices are reasonable-a great place to wine and dine the night away sampling the tapa-style portions. But a long night of sampling can bring the tab to the expensive range.

Manta Ray (Tel Aviv): On an empty stretch of beach between Tel Aviv and Jaffa, this beach pavilion is open to the sea, the sound of the waves, and the Mediterranean sunset. It serves stylishly prepared fish and seafood, and is a good choice for breakfast or leisurely lunches and dinners. Upper moderate.

Margaret Tayar's (Jaffa): This is a small, authentic place a short walk from trendy Old Jaffa, with a covered terrace overlooking the sweeping Tel Aviv shoreline, and a master cook who loves to see people enjoying her creations. The crews of Jaffa's fishing boats adore Margaret-she gets first choice of the catch. This is a one-woman tour de force. This can be an Upper Moderate choice, but Margaret's portions are so generous, you can share and the bill will be reasonable. One of the very best restaurants in the country at any price (See Luxury Dining Choices). Closed Sundays. Always call to check opening hours.

Abu Christo (Old Akko): Fresh fish and a covered dining terrace right beside the sea give this restaurant a delightful Greek Island harborside ambience. You can put together a feast here, complete with Middle Eastern appetizers, for $15 to $20.

Decks (Tiberias): Named for its vast deck jutting into the Sea of Galilee, Decks does superb meats and vegetables grilled over olive, hickory, and citrus fires and gives you vistas, and, at times, the option of a free evening cruise. The breast of mullard, a duck-goose hybrid, is amazing, as is the special shoulder of baby lamb. Upper moderate range.

Eddie's Hideaway (Eilat): In a tourist town at the end of the earth, where most restaurants plan for customers they'll never see again, Eddie puts his heart into every meal and keeps coming up with menus that are delicious and inventive.

Abu Ahmed's New Orient Restaurant (Amman, Jordan): Jordan is famous for its Middle Eastern food, and this moderate restaurant serves some exquisite examples of Arabic cuisine in a pleasant bungalow with a garden terrace.

Kan Zeman (Yeduda, outside Amman, Jordan): This vast Middle Eastern buffet is accompanied in the evenings by Arabic musicians and dancers-it's touristy, but Jordanians and travellers alike love it-a national institution!

Askadinya Restaurant Bar (Jerusalem; 11 Shimon Hazadik St.; tel. 02/532-4801): One of the most inventive kitchens in the city, this delightful place is set in a stone house with garden just half a block east of Highway One. Portions are hefty, and (unusual for East Jerusalem) there's a bar and a choice of wines.

The Best Luxury Dining

Until the 1980s, it was almost considered anti-Zionist to spend money and effort on gourmet cuisine. Israel was a practical, egalitarian society, and good, healthful fresh food was all that was necessary to create a sturdy population. Israelis do not live by falafel alone, however, and by the 1990s, the country had developed a galaxy of exquisitely Elysian restaurants, many rooted in French traditions, but also exploring the traditions of the entire Mediterranean Rim. This golden age of Israeli restaurants has retrenched a bit during the current political situation, but the top places, especially the newcomers, are fabulous (and less pricey).

Darna (Jerusalem, 3 Horkanos Street, tel. 02/624-5406). Moroccan craftsmen and interior designers were brought to Jerusalem to create this authentic, atmospheric restaurant that celebrates the traditions of Israel's large Moroccan Jewish community. Fine Moroccan cuisine (prepared according to kosher regulations) matches the graceful service and ambience. Open Sun-Thurs for lunch and dinner; Saturday night after Shabbat. Closed Fridays.

Arcadia (Jerusalem; 10 Agrippas Street; tel. 02/624-9138): This intimate gardened restaurant, located on a quirky 19th century lane hidden in the center of town, wins top kudos for its skillfully prepared, understated menu of contemporary French and Mediterranean cuisine. Reservations recommended. Closed Sunday.

Shonka (Jerusalem): An informal place where you can enjoy inventive, robust French/Mediterranean Rim cuisine in hearty portions, this is Jerusalem's hottest new luxury restaurant. All kinds of specials can bring the price range here down to upper moderate, especially at lunchtime. Chef Ginadi Nazriah can coax flavor from a shrimp like no one else in Israel. Open daily for lunch and dinner. New listing.

American Colony Hotel (Jerusalem): Located in the eastern part of the city, the legendary American Colony Hotel is thick with history and atmosphere. The best time to dine here is the Saturday Luncheon Buffet at the Arabesque Room, filled with excellent Continental and Middle Eastern dishes, and an institution for Jerusalemites and savvy travelers. Sadly, this treat is only for lunch, and only a once-a-week affair. Come early, as the traditionally abundant buffet can run short in these times of fewer tourists.

Mitspe Massua Restaurant (Massua National Forest, in the mountains West of Jerusalem; tel. 02/991-2464), Spectacular views of the sunset over the coastal plain, and the new rustic Israeli Mediterranean menu of Boaz Cohen are the draws here. Call Boaz two days in advance and he'll prepare an intimate meal for two or a sumptuous dinner for a group based on his interpretations of traditional dishes. Closed for Shabbat.

Carmella (Tel Aviv; 46 Ha-tavor St. at the corner of Rambam St.; tel. 03/516-1417): is a new collaboration on the part of three of Israel's most fabulous chefs. Carmella's four-course tasting menu is the culinary toast of Tel Aviv- but you're encouraged to order half portions so that you can actually sample eight dishes. Upper Moderate to Expensive. Open Sun-Fri 9am to 11pm; Saturday from 12:30pm to 5pm. New listing

Margaret Tayar's (Jaffa, near Clock Tower; tel. 03/682-4741). A covered terrace by the sea at the foot of the hill of Old Jaffa, with sweeping views of the Tel Aviv coast and skyline provides a great setting for a leisurely repast. This is a place without pretensions, but with rave reviews from Gourmet Magazine (among others) for Margaret's fabulous Middle Eastern salads, divinely grilled fish, home-style cousous, and her signature deep fried sardines with caviar. Always call to check hours.

Mika (Tel Aviv, 27 Montifiore St.; tel 03/528/3255): This is Israeli Fusion Cuisine served in a New York/SoHo-like setting and done with style that is sometimes exquisitely delicate, and sometimes delightfully audacious. Every meal fascinates. Lunch specials are a bargain.

The Olive Leaf (Tel Aviv, 115 Ha-Yarkon St.; tel. 03/521-1111): Located in the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, this stylish but relaxed French/Mediterranean Rim restaurant offers the most sophisticated kosher contemporary cuisine in Tel Aviv (and probably in all of Israel). Elegant without being glitzy in both style and content, this is a top choice for both kosher and non-kosher diners. Excellent new prix fixe Business Lunch. Open Sun-Thurs for lunch and dinner.

Raphael (Tel Aviv; 87 Ha-Yarkon St.; tel. 03/522-6464): Among the very best of the country's finest restaurants, the menu of this beautifully designed new restaurant is a tour de force for Chef Rafi Cohen, dominated by elegant, very personal interpretations of French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Sun-Friday for lunch and dinner; Saturday for lunch only. New listing.

Yoe'ezer Wine Bar (Jaffa, Yefet St., opposite the Clock Tower; tel. 03/683/9115): Set inside the cavernous arches of a crusader-era building, this is a gourmand's paradise created by noted Israeli journalist and food writer Shaul Evron. Here, at your leisure, you can sample from an unusually satisfying collection of European and Israeli wines, accompanied by wonderful breads and cheeses, or feast on a menu of exquisite, richly prepared dishes. The atmosphere is congenial and full of life; patrons linger and talk for hours.

Erez (Herzlia, 52 Bereket St.; tel. 03/955/9892) : Erez Kamarovsky has created an ever-changing one-man world of Contemporary Israeli cuisine served in a functional but bright, imaginative space. The entire concept draws on Israeli traditions of brashness, pragmatism and a touch of poetry. Always exciting and blessed with heavenly breads, prices here are moderate, which makes the taxi ride up from Tel Aviv a worthwhile investment.

Picciotto (Zichron Yaacov, 41 Hameyasdim St.; tel. 04/629/0646): Named for its founder and former chef, an ex-fighter pilot who has moved on to the world of computers, this is a delightful Mediterranean Rim restaurant set in a 19th-century cottage. Compared to to other restaurants of this caliber and charm, it offers very good value.

Uri Buri (Akko; Lighthouse Square, in the Old City; tel. 04/955-2212): The combination of an afternoon wandering the exotic walled city of Old Akko, and a leisurely meal at Uri Buri's, with its dazzlingly fresh, innovative seafood menu, is one of Israel's most enjoyable (though least-known) pleasures. Prices are mainly upper moderate. Follow chef/owner Uri Yeremias' recommendations. Call ahead to confirm opening hours.

Au Bistro (Eilat) tel. 07/637/4333): This small, personal French/Belgian gem is presided over by chef Michel Torjiman, who turns out a repertoire of traditional dishes. Au Bistro is reasonably priced, and runs circles around its competition in Eilat's big hotels.

Tricolor (Eilat; in the Meridien Hotel; tel. 08/638-3333): Elegant, always fascinating fusion cuisine that's kosher, exquisite, and centered on fresh fish and sushi. Closed for Shabbat. New listing.