Uri Buri

The Verdict

Uri Buri is not the tourist trap that its location inside Acre's ancient walls might lead you to expect. It is one of the most serious seafood restaurants in Israel, and if you are visiting Acre for any reason, this is where you should eat. The question is not whether to book — it is whether you have made your reservation far enough in advance.

Why Acre

Most visitors to Acre come for the Crusader halls and the Ottoman architecture, then eat wherever is closest to the exit. Uri Buri sits on Ha-Hagana Street, right against the sea wall, and it is the restaurant that gives Acre's dining scene its gravity. It is the reason food-focused travelers add Acre to their Israel itinerary at all — not the other way around. Without it, the city's restaurant options shrink considerably. That anchoring role matters when you are deciding whether to make the trip from Tel Aviv or Haifa: the answer is yes, and Uri Buri is the main reason.

The Space

The dining room occupies a vaulted stone building that dates back centuries. The setting is atmospheric without being theatrical , thick walls, low light, tables close enough together that you feel the room filling up. It is not a large venue, which is exactly why booking ahead matters. If you have been once and sat in the main room, consider requesting a table closer to the water-facing side on your next visit for a different experience of the same space.

When to Go

Weekday evenings give you the leading combination of full kitchen attention and a room that is busy but not overwhelming. Weekends draw crowds from across northern Israel, and the atmosphere shifts toward louder and more celebratory. Summer evenings on the Acre waterfront have obvious appeal, but spring and autumn visits mean shorter waits, cooler rooms, and fish at the height of their season. If you are planning around a specific occasion, avoid Friday nights unless you have a confirmed reservation well in advance.

Practical Details

Reservations: Strongly recommended; book as early as possible for weekends and summer. Booking difficulty: Easy on weekdays, moderate on weekends. Dress: Smart casual , the setting warrants it, but Acre is not a city that enforces formality. Getting there: Ha-Hagana St 2 is walkable from the old city's main sites. Also worth knowing: For more options while in the area, see our full Acre restaurants guide, our Acre hotels guide, and our Acre bars guide.

How It Compares

Explore More in Israel

If you are building a wider Israel itinerary around serious restaurants, the comparisons worth making are Chakra in Jerusalem for confident Israeli cooking in a different register, Majda in Har Nof for something more rural and ingredient-driven, and Helena in Caesarea for coastal dining with a similar Mediterranean seafood focus. For Tel Aviv-based alternatives, HaKosem covers a completely different category but belongs on any serious Israel food list. Internationally, the closest points of comparison for a chef-driven seafood restaurant in a historic port setting are Dal Pescatore in Runate and Helena in Caesarea. For those planning broader travel, Le Bernardin in New York City and Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico represent the global ceiling for serious seafood and regional-ingredient cooking respectively. Also in the region: our Acre wineries guide and our Acre experiences guide are worth checking before your trip.

FAQ

• What should I order at Uri Buri? The kitchen's reputation is built on seafood, so lean into whatever the kitchen is leading with on the day. The format typically allows you to order multiple smaller dishes, which is the right approach , cover more ground rather than committing to one or two large plates. Fish preparations are the reason people make the trip; the non-seafood options are supporting acts.
• Can I eat at the bar at Uri Buri? Bar seating availability depends on the specific layout at the time of your visit. If you are a party of one or two and flexibility is fine, asking about bar or counter seats when you arrive is worth doing , it is a common option at restaurants of this type in Israel and can mean a shorter wait on busy nights.
• Is Uri Buri good for a special occasion? Yes, with the right expectations. The vaulted stone setting is atmospheric and the food quality is high enough to justify a celebratory meal. It is not a white-tablecloth, formal-service occasion restaurant in the European sense , it is warmer and less choreographed than that. For a milestone dinner where the food matters more than the ceremony, it works well. For something that needs to feel grand and formal, Le Bernardin or Atomix in New York are the international benchmarks for that register.
• What should a first-timer know about Uri Buri? Book ahead, order broadly across the menu rather than playing it safe, and do not rush. The restaurant is in Acre's old city, so build in time to walk the area before or after. The seafood focus is total , if someone in your group does not eat fish, this is not the right choice. For context on what else is nearby, see our full Acre restaurants guide.
• What are alternatives to Uri Buri in Acre? Within Acre itself, the options are more limited than in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Abu Hassan (with its Jaffa location as the reference point) represents the other end of the spectrum , casual, counter-service hummus rather than a sit-down seafood meal. For a broader Israeli restaurant comparison, Machneyuda in Jerusalem is the peer conversation worth having if you are weighing a serious meal in the north against one in the capital. Pescado in Ashdod offers Mediterranean seafood in a different coastal context.
• What should I wear to Uri Buri? Smart casual is the honest answer. The stone building and the quality of the food suggest you should make an effort, but Acre is a working city and the restaurant does not enforce a dress code. Avoid beachwear; beyond that, dress as you would for a serious dinner with friends rather than a formal occasion.