Local Israeli cuisine invites all traveling
foodies to Tel Aviv, Israel. Bring a strong appetite for a full day of meals
and drinks at the Carmel Market, or HaCarmel Shuk, King George Street, and
Rothschild Boulevard. Follow the local hipsters to the most delicious and
healthy food at the most informal hangout spots. Most importantly, Israeli
cuisine revolves around chickpeas and sesame seeds so seek out the hummus and
tahini. Loosen the belt and begin.
Israelis begin the day with coffee
so go caffeinate at a local café. Generally,
Israeli coffee enthusiasts loyally drink coffee at the their kiosks and cafes
with bookshops. Walk down the row of ancient banyan trees from the kiosk of
Café Habima at 31 to the kiosk at 82 Rothschild Boulevard at the intersection of
Maze Street. Rain or shine, friends, family, and dog owners all meet here for espresso,
cappuccinos, and lattes. Café Habima serves pitchers of water with mint and
lemon slices. The Hebrew name for cappuccino means upside down coffee. And that
perfectly describes the feeling of ordering a coffee in a ceramic mug to then
drink on a public park bench. Take a seat at a bench with a hipster in bug-eyed
sunglasses and skinny jeans. That’s the front row seat to a fashion show of
design-savvy Israelis and best in show dogs on their morning walks.
Prefer to sip indoors? Then go to
Tolaat Sfarim, or the Bookworm, at 7
Maze Street. In addition to coffee, they serve ginger tea with fresh slices of
ginger, lemon, and honey on the side, and mint tea with fresh leaves steeping
in hot water and black tea bags on the side. Suddenly, realize that Israel
does not have Starbucks. But if you seek a similar atmosphere, try out the
Aroma Café with tall glass windows and ceilings at 22 Rothschild Boulevard. If it’s all too expensive, swing
by a CoFix, which sells everything, including coffee, at a low fixed price.
Hungry for brunch? Walk to Shuk
HaCarmel for a wide variety of choices. Most Israelis come here to buy
ingredients for home cooked dishes like shakshuka, eggs poached in tomatoes,
peppers, and onions, sides of purple and green olives on leaf stems, cucumber
and tomato salads, and pita bread with labneh cheese and zaatar spice. After
rubbing elbows with shoppers in the shuk for a bit, hit up Hummus HaCarmel at
11 Shuk HaCarmel for the yummiest and cheapest hummus in town. Look just beyond
the eggplant stands: there awaits an almost hidden entrance with geometric
stained glass windows and stars of David, a quiet space in the hubbub of the
bazaar. Inside find a calm interior with tall, white ceilings and shelves of
synagogue books. Order a single plate
of hummus with whole chickpeas, onion slices, and drizzles of tahini, green
salsa, and olive oil. Good luck rationing the two pitas to finish the entire
plate, though. It only costs 12 shekels.
If you
prefer to sit outdoors beyond the hustle of the bazaar, grab a table at Solomon
& Doron Hummus in the alley of 29 Yishkon.
They serve savory hummus with foule, a broad green bean, tahini, and mushrooms. Each dish arrives with wedges of onion, lemon slices, and fresh, warm, and
unlimited pita bread, which arrive in containers on motorbikes. As a bonus, mingle with fellow travelers while chowing down.
Totally stuffed, go digest and burn off some calories at the beach. Swim,
kitesurf, surf, or paraglide in the Mediterranean Sea, or bike along the
coastal promenade from Jaffa Port to Tel Aviv Port. Exercise to return that
appetite!
Ready
for dinner? Veggie lovers will feel right at home at Port Said at Har Sinai 5 on Allenby
Street. Hipster waiters and
customers will greet you. Order the roasted eggplant, a stem of pulp dripping with
caramelized juices, drizzled with tahini, and accompanied with green salsa, and
the baked yams, their steaming bright orange starch melting the butter, with
labneh on the side. All dishes arrive served on pieces of wax paper on wooden
cutting boards with pinches of sea salt on the side. Hebrew indie music plays
in the background. What a gem!
Meat
lovers, go to Miznon on 30 King George
Street. Nibble on the free appetizers of pita slices, tahini, and green salsa
at the entrance while drooling over the greasy menus. Order soft meat in pitas
and the roasted cauliflower. Mingle
while chowing down on the most satisfying protein of the day. Stand in the
circle of small talk painted on the sidewalk in front of the benches. Perhaps
schmooze with the locals, who gladly offer tastes of their food. Yummy. Go walk
it off at King George Park, just across the street. Now that’s exploring Tel
Aviv through your stomach. Oof.