Tel Aviv Restaurants

The city's cosmopolitan character is happily represented in its food, although stands selling the Middle Eastern fast food for which this part of the world is famous—such as falafel and shawarma—still occupy countless street corners. You'll find restaurants serving everything from American-style burgers to sushi and chili con carne. In contrast to Jerusalem, diners who keep kosher have to search for a kosher restaurant, aside from those in the hotels. A spate of new kosher establishments caters to a significant slice of the discerning dining market, but with the fairly rapid turnover of some Tel Aviv eateries, the concierge is still the best person to ask about the latest in kosher restaurants.

Most Tel Aviv restaurants, except those that keep kosher, are open seven days a week. Many serve business lunches at reasonable prices, making them less-expensive options than the price categories suggest. As elsewhere in the Mediterranean, Israelis dine late; chances are there will be no trouble getting a table at 7 pm, whereas past 10, diners may face a long line. Casual attire is always acceptable in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv's restaurants are concentrated in a few areas: Sheinkin and Rothschild Streets, Basel, Ibn Gvirol Street, and the Tel Aviv Port.

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  • 1. Dr. Shakshuka

    $

    This Jaffa institution has been serving shakshuka, a mouthwatering Israeli breakfast specialty, for decades, but it soared to fame in 2018 after appearing on the Tel Aviv episode of "Somebody Feed Phil." The show tells the story of how the "Doctor" did time in prison, where he perfected the art of cooking shakshuka for the other inmates. A free man again, he opened a restaurant in Jaffa, gave it his prison nickname, and the rest is history. The spot attracts more than its fair share of tourists but the shakshuka is as good as it gets, making it well worth a visit. You can order your shakshuka hot or mild, in one of several versions, including traditional, vegan, with mushrooms, with eggplant or with merguez sausage.

    3 Beit Eshel St., Israel
    03-682–2842

    Known For

    • Best shakshuka in Tel Aviv
    • Varieties including merguez sausage
    • Service can be iffy but the food is worth it

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Fri., no lunch Sat.
  • 2. Jonesy Gardener

    $$

    In the midst of the buzzing Nachalat Binyamin Art Fair, the secret garden at Jonesy Gardener is an oasis of calm. To escape the madness, sit on Jonesy's green leafy patio, where you can enjoy a great cup of coffee or try local specialties like shakshuka or sabich. It's a great spot to grab breakfast or rest after visiting the hectic Carmel Market.

    Nahalat Binyamin St. 3, 6516103, Israel
    03-516–4412

    Known For

    • Charming interior patio
    • Breakfast and lunch
    • Great coffee

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. night and Sat.
  • 3. Messa

    $$$$

    Chef Aviv Moshe serves traditional dishes like the shredded-wheat-like pastry called kadaif, but his method of preparation is in a class of its own. This Mediterranean–Middle Eastern haute cuisine is enlivened with French and Italian touches. White is the dominant color in the lavish dining room, with marble floors and tented ceiling lamps on which video art is projected. A long, white central table with stylish high-back chairs is the room's centerpiece, perfect for mingling with fellow diners while the attentive staff serves such dishes as seared red tuna over an eggplant-and-goat-cheese roll with pomegranate dressing or sea bass with shallot ravioli. Make sure you save room for dessert as pastry chef Adi Sibrower's spectacular creations will blow your mind. Adjacent to the restaurant is the bar, a much more chaotic affair done up in stark black. Don't miss '80s night on Wednesday, when a winning combination of DJs playing retro tunes, good food, and strong drinks ensure an unforgettable night.

    19 Ha'arbaa St., 64739, Israel
    03-685–6859

    Known For

    • Award-winning design
    • Fine dining from one of Israel's top chefs
    • Outstanding dessert menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
  • 4. North Abraxass

    $$$

    For one of the best meals in the city, take your place at one of the tables spilling out onto the sidewalk or alongside the small, chic bar. The menu changes daily, depending on what Eyal Shani, its celebrity chef, finds to be the freshest produce or catch of the day. A couple of delectable dishes are often featured, including lamb shawarma marinated overnight in wine grapes from the Judean Hills, and cold shrimp with green onions and tomatoes served in piping-hot homemade pita. If you arrive without reservations, you may be able to find room at the bar.

    40 Lilienblum St., 65133, Israel
    03-516–6660

    Known For

    • Lively outdoor terrace
    • Celebrity chef
    • Food served in paper bags or directly on tablecloth

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations essential
  • 5. Port Sa'id

    $

    This laid-back sidewalk restaurant set in the shadow of The Great Synagogue of Tel Aviv is always packed with a lively young crowd smoking cigarettes and engaging in animated conversation. They come here for the buzzing atmosphere and celebrity Chef Eyal Shani's delicious take on Israeli specialties such as grilled eggplant, chicken liver, freekeh, and malabi for dessert. Walk past at almost any hour of the day and it's clear that Chef Shani knows what the locals want. But be warned: there are no reservations and you will inevitably have to wait for a table.

    5 Har Sinai St., 6581605, Israel
    03-620--7436

    Known For

    • Lively tables lining the sidewalk
    • Modern Israeli cuisine
    • Hipster favorite

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Fri. night
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Sabich Tchernichovsky

    $

    This food stand is one of the best spots to sample the classic Iraqi-Israeli street food called sabich. The Zen-like concentration of the owner results in a hearty and thoughtful dish consisting of fried eggplant, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, tahini, and spice (if you say you can handle it)—a perfect combination of flavors. Here you have the rare options of a whole-wheat or gluten-free pita.

    45 Allenby St., 63291, Israel
    03-505 30-6654

    Known For

    • Tel Aviv's most famous sabich stand
    • Ramshackle street food joint
    • Minimal seating space and no restrooms

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sat.

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