Market counters, Yemenite breads, Jaffa ovens and late chef's bars.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Tel Aviv eats like a city of immigrants who arrived hungry. Yemenite Jews built the quarter beside the Carmel Market in 1906, Thessaloniki Jews opened the Levinsky Market spice shops in the late 1920s, and after 1948 Iraqi, Moroccan, Tunisian, Kurdish and Persian cooks filled the city with sabich, shakshuka, kubbeh and chraime. Jaffa, older than all of it, still runs its Arab bakeries and fish grills by the port. The day starts with a long Israeli breakfast in a cafe, lunch is hummus or a market counter, and dinner is late, loud and built from shared plates at a chef's bar. Friday is the pivot of the week: markets are busiest in the morning, kosher kitchens close by mid-afternoon for Shabbat, and the secular city heads for long lunches and the beach. Israel has no Michelin Guide, so reputations are made by queues, critics and Ontopo waiting lists.
Guided tour · 5h 30m
Walk 4,000 years of history in one 5.5-hour route: ancient Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, the Bauhaus White City and Carmel Market, with tastings and a licensed guide in English ...
Guided tour · 2 hours
On this extravagant tour we will have a food tasting of the Sarona Market and Azraeli Center. Your tour guide is also an Israeli soldier in the reserves.
Day trip · 10 hours
Spend Christmas Eve where it all started, in the holy city of Bethlehem. Enjoy a tour of Jerusalem, visiting its Old City, and then head over to Bethlehem for a festiv...
The plates that define eating in Tel Aviv.
Warm chickpeas pureed with tahini, lemon and garlic, spooned into a shallow bowl with olive oil, whole chickpeas and pita for scooping, the everyday lunch at Tel Aviv's hummusias.
Where Abu Hassan, Hummus Abu Adham, Shlomo and Doron, Shemaya
Where to eat Hummus in Tel Aviv →Ground chickpeas bound with herbs, garlic and cumin, formed into balls and deep fried to a dark crust, then stuffed into pita with salad, tahini and pickles at counters across the city.
Where HaKosem, Falafel Gabay
Where to eat Falafel in Tel Aviv →Fried aubergine, a hard-boiled egg, hummus, Israeli salad and amba mango pickle stuffed together into a pita, the Iraqi Jewish Shabbat breakfast turned into Tel Aviv's favourite lunch sandwich.
Where Sabich Tchernichovsky, Sabich Frishman
Where to eat Sabich in Tel Aviv →Eggs poached in a simmering pan of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and cumin, served straight from the skillet with bread for dipping, the breakfast dish Tel Aviv's cafes now run all day.
Where Dr. Shakshuka, Meshek Barzilay
Where to eat Shakshuka in Tel Aviv →Turkey and lamb fat shaved off a rotating vertical spit, piled into pita or laffa with tahini, pickles and fries, Israel's own spin on the Ottoman doner served fast and cheap across the city.
Where Mifgash Rambam, M25
Where to eat Shawarma in Tel Aviv →Flaky pastry parcels filled with cheese, potato or spinach, brushed with egg and sesame or poppy seed, sold hot from bakery trays across the city as breakfast, snack or Shabbat morning ritual.
Where Haim Bourekas, Abulafia
Where to eat Bourekas in Tel Aviv →Semolina dumplings stuffed with minced beef, simmered in a sour, vegetable-thickened broth, most often beetroot-red or lemony with chard, the Iraqi Jewish soup that anchors Levinsky Market's counters.
Where Levinsky 53
Where to eat Kubbeh soup in Tel Aviv →A cold, rosewater-scented milk pudding set with cornflour, poured into small cups and finished with syrup, coconut and chopped nuts, sold from corner stalls near Carmel Market.
Where HaMalabia
Where to eat Malabi in Tel Aviv →Shredded pastry dough baked golden over a layer of soft cheese, drenched in sugar syrup and finished with crushed pistachio, the Nablus-style dessert now baked fresh in Tel Aviv's Arab bakeries too.
Where Abulafia
Where to eat Knafeh in Tel Aviv →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Tel Aviv.
HaBasta beside Tel Aviv's Carmel Market runs chef Elon Amir's daily changing menu, scribbled on paper on the wall, with a strong international wine list.
OrderThe crab burekas and a plate of shrimp or calamari cooked a la plancha.
The Old Man and the Sea on Kedem Street has served Jaffa's hilltop sea view since 1999, with a set menu of salads, tabun pita and grilled fish or meat.
OrderThe set menu: a spread of daily salads, warm tabun pita, a main of fish or seafood, then coffee and awameh.
Suzana in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv seats diners on a terrace under a big tree and a small rooftop deck, serving Middle Eastern classics like falafel and tabouli.
OrderFalafel and tabouli from the Middle Eastern classics, eaten on the tree-shaded terrace.
Dr. Shakshuka in Jaffa, Tel Aviv runs a kosher Tripolitan kitchen founded in the early 1990s, plating shakshuka with couscous, shawarma and schnitzel.
OrderA shakshuka variation with a side of couscous and vegetables.
M25 works the meat alley of Tel Aviv's Carmel Market as both butcher and restaurant, with chef Jonathan Borowitz running a nose to tail grill of Israeli beef.
OrderThe smoked and fried shawarma, plus whatever cut the butcher counter recommends that day.
Cafe Noir has run its European bistro on Tel Aviv's Ahad Ha'am Street since 1997, plating raw fish, handmade pasta and a well known schnitzel.
OrderThe schnitzel or a plate of handmade pasta from the changing specials board.
The White City's centre: Bauhaus blocks along Rothschild Boulevard, chef restaurants on Lilienblum and Montefiore, and cafes under the boulevard ficus trees.
Best for: Chef restaurants, Cafes, Cocktail bars, Brunch
The Yemenite Quarter, founded in 1906, and the Carmel Market beside it: low houses, Yemenite home cooking and market counters, mostly shut for Shabbat.
Best for: Yemenite, Market stalls, Street food, Hummus
The first Jewish neighbourhood built outside old Jaffa, with narrow streets of restored houses, boutique cafes, bakeries and chef restaurants off Shabazi Street.
Best for: Chef restaurants, Bakeries, Cafes, Wine
Graffiti, workshops and bars in the south, settled by Sephardic immigrants from 1924, beside the Levinsky Market spice shops opened by Thessaloniki Jews.
Best for: Spices, Bourekas, Bars, Street food
The old port town: Arab bakeries and fish grills, the Flea Market's restaurants and bars, and Jaffa Port's hangars on the water.
Best for: Seafood, Hummus, Bakeries, Bars
The restored Templer colony beside the office towers, home to Sarona Market, Israel's largest indoor food market, and after-work terraces.
Best for: Food hall, Cafes, After-work drinks
Hummus
Warm chickpeas pureed with tahini, lemon and garlic, spooned into a shallow bowl with olive oil, whole chickpeas and pita for scooping, the everyday lunch at Tel Aviv's hummusias
Falafel
Ground chickpeas bound with herbs, garlic and cumin, formed into balls and deep fried to a dark crust, then stuffed into pita with salad, tahini and pickles at counters across the city
Sabich
Fried aubergine, a hard-boiled egg, hummus, Israeli salad and amba mango pickle stuffed together into a pita, the Iraqi Jewish Shabbat breakfast turned into Tel Aviv's favourite lunch sandwich
Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a simmering pan of tomatoes, peppers, garlic and cumin, served straight from the skillet with bread for dipping, the breakfast dish Tel Aviv's cafes now run all day
Shawarma
Turkey and lamb fat shaved off a rotating vertical spit, piled into pita or laffa with tahini, pickles and fries, Israel's own spin on the Ottoman doner served fast and cheap across the city
Neve Tzedek
The first Jewish neighbourhood built outside old Jaffa, with narrow streets of restored houses, boutique cafes, bakeries and chef restaurants off Shabazi Street
Jaffa
The old port town: Arab bakeries and fish grills, the Flea Market's restaurants and bars, and Jaffa Port's hangars on the water
Sarona
The restored Templer colony beside the office towers, home to Sarona Market, Israel's largest indoor food market, and after-work terraces
Old North
Leafy residential streets between Ben Yehuda and Ibn Gvirol: neighbourhood cafes, bakeries and bistros, with Dizengoff Street's restaurant run in the middle
A sample of Tel Aviv hotels from our booking partner, who list 6,142 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
The Home Apartments Tel Aviv
With a stay at The Home Apartments Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv Promenade), you'll be steps from Frishman...
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Abraham Hostel Tel-Aviv
A stay at Abraham Hostel Tel-Aviv places you in the heart of Tel Aviv, steps from Rothschild Boulevard and ...
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Miami Beach Hotel Tel Aviv
With a stay at Miami Beach Hotel Tel Aviv, you'll be centrally located in Tel Aviv, steps from Jerusalem Be...
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Selina Neve Tzedek Tel Aviv
With a stay at Selina Neve Tzedek Tel Aviv, you'll be centrally located in Tel Aviv, just a 4-minute walk f...
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The Muse Boutique Hotel Tel Aviv
With a stay at The Muse Boutique Hotel Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv (Tel Aviv Promenade), you'll be steps from Ben ...
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HI Tel Aviv
With a stay at HI Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv (Yehuda Hamaccabi), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Kikar Hamed...
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Embassy Hotel Tel Aviv
With a stay at Embassy Hotel Tel Aviv, you'll be centrally located in Tel Aviv, steps from U.S. Embassy in ...
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The Port Hotel Tel Aviv
With a stay at The Port Hotel Tel Aviv, you'll be centrally located in Tel Aviv, a 3-minute walk from Old T...
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Golden Beach Hotel Tel Aviv
With a stay at Golden Beach Hotel Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv (Kerem HaTeimanim), you'll be steps from Jerusalem B...
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Hotel Rothschild 22 Tel Aviv
When you a stay at Hotel Rothschild 22 Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv, you'll be near the beach, just steps from Roth...
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NYX Tel Aviv
A stay at NYX Tel Aviv places you in the heart of Tel Aviv, within a 10-minute walk of Rothschild Boulevard...
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Stylish Tel Aviv Central Loft
A stay at Stylish Tel Aviv Central Loft places you in the heart of Tel Aviv, within a 10-minute drive of Az...
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Also compare: Abraham in Tel Aviv · Expedia in Tel Aviv
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Tel Aviv, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: April to June and late September to November, when evenings are warm and terraces full. July and August are hot and humid. Around Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot many kitchens close for holiday days, and on Yom Kippur the whole city stops.
Local dining hours: Breakfast 08:00-12:00, lunch 12:00-16:00, dinner from 20:00 to 23:00 and later; bars fill after 22:00. On Friday markets and kosher kitchens close by mid-afternoon, and kosher venues reopen on Saturday after dark.
Tipping: Service is usually not included. Leave 12 to 15 percent in restaurants and cafes, ideally in cash for the server; some high-end rooms add a service charge, so read the bill first.
Tel Aviv's signature dishes include Hummus, Falafel, Sabich, Shakshuka, Shawarma. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Tel Aviv by district. Lev HaIr, Kerem HaTeimanim and the Carmel Market, Neve Tzedek, Florentin are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Tel Aviv include OCD, Pastel, Popina, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 8 editor-picked food tours in Tel Aviv, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Tel Aviv dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
