Restaurants

Cafés and street food dominate Tel Aviv cuisine, and neither deserves to be overlooked in favor of the city’s mostly short-lived restaurants. Tel Aviv could be defined by its café culture: day in and day out, the sidewalk cafés fill up with everyone from stylish women to hairy old men drinking Israel’s signature drink, the café hafuch (literally, "upside down coffee," the common cappuccino).

The cafés serve a standard menu of salads, cheese, breads, and pastries that are always fresh and high quality. No stay in Tel Aviv should go without at least an hour squandered on a coffee, pastry, and people-watching. (Note: there is no filter coffee in Israel. The closest thing is instant Nescafe, which is, in fact, a national delicacy). Likewise, no visit should overlook the classic hole-in-the-wall falafel or sabich joints. Sabich is a pita full of hard-boiled egg, fried eggplant, tahini, and any other mixings one’s heart desires. Let the juices run down your face and then wash off in the sea.

That said, there are a number of long-standing and much loved establishments in Tel Aviv that should not be missed if time allows. Tel Aviv has much more diversity of cuisine than the rest of the country and a high appreciation for gastronomy.

Dining Tips

• Gratuity is not included in the bill.
• If a restaurant is kosher, it will serve either meat or dairy.
• Fish and eggs may be served at either meat or dairy establishments.
• All kosher dairy restaurants, unless they serve fish, will be vegetarian.
• Kosher restaurants do not serve shellfish.
• Most kosher restaurants are closed Friday sundown through Saturday sundown.
• There is no filter coffee (from a pot) in Israel.
• The best bet is to order Nescafe or a café Americano with cold milk on the side.