Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
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.
Falafel most likely began in Egypt, made with fava beans, and spread through the Levant after the First World War, reaching Beirut by 1933 and swapping in chickpeas along the way. Food rationing in Israel from 1949 pushed the cheap, protein-rich fritter into daily eating, and historian Gil Marks credits Yemenite Jewish immigrants of the 1950s with popularising the pita sandwich version, though a 1939 Palestine Post article already describes falafel sold in pita as street food. HaKosem, open on the Shlomo HaMelech corner since 2001, and Falafel Gabay on Bograshov Street both serve it crisp in a soft pita, piled with salads and pickles.
2 editor picks for Falafel in Tel Aviv, ranked by editorial score. All Tel Aviv signature dishes · Falafel across every city.
HaKosem on Shlomo HaMelech Street in Tel Aviv has fried falafel at the King George Street corner since 2001, now a queue-out-the-door institution.
OrderFalafel with hummus and salad in pita
TipAriel Rosenthal opened it as a small stall in 2001; expect a queue at lunch and eat standing if the tables are full.
Falafel Gabay on Bograshov Street in Tel Aviv fries crispy falafel for soft pita or a plate piled with toppings, plus stuffed peppers, hummus and shawarma.
OrderFalafel plate piled with salads, pickles and chips
TipOrder the falafel plate; it comes with a pita so you can build a sandwich, and the toppings pile up fast.
Falafel makes more sense with someone from Tel Aviv explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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