Graffiti, workshops and bars in the south, settled by Sephardic immigrants from 1924, beside the Levinsky Market spice shops opened by Thessaloniki Jews.
Ouzeria overlooks Tel Aviv's Levinsky Market with chef Avivit Priel Avichai's Greek leaning sharing plates and a bar built on ouzo and other anise spirits.
OrderA round of Greek style small plates with a carafe of ouzo to share at the bar.
TipThe bar seats 12 and pours several kinds of anise; it is the best spot for solo diners.
HaSalon is Eyal Shani's Wednesday and Thursday only dining room off Ma'avar Yabok, a daily-changing menu run from his own farm and local fishermen.
TipOpen only two nights a week; reservations are the only way in and go fast.
Studio Gursha on Derech Salame is chef Elazar Tamano's Ethiopian and pan-African tasting room in south Tel Aviv, plating dishes rooted in his own heritage.
TipChef Elazar Tamano's own linoleum prints line the walls; gursha is the Ethiopian gesture of feeding someone the first bite.
Levinsky 53 is Dalit and Avi's kubbeh bar in Tel Aviv, simmering Iraqi kubbeh soups and frying kibbeh in a room that feels like a grandmother's kitchen.
OrderA bowl of kubbeh hamusta with lemony chard, or the classic fried kibbeh with minced meat.
TipDaytime only, closing at 17:00 Sunday to Thursday; the kosher certified kitchen shuts for Shabbat on Friday evening.
Nivo Grill Bar on Vital Street in Florentin runs a second generation Turkish grill in Tel Aviv, plating lamb kebab and Iskender skewers from family recipes.
OrderThe Iskender kebab, lamb over pita with tomato sauce, yoghurt and browned butter.
TipClosed Saturday; Friday service ends mid afternoon ahead of Shabbat.
Cafe Kaymak sources its produce from the neighbouring Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv, pouring Turkish coffee beside a daily vegan menu and Friday breakfast.
DrinkTurkish coffee alongside a daily-changing vegan menu
TipFriday morning brings a set breakfast and fresh-steeped herbal tea; go before the market gets busy.
Tirza on Ha-Khalutzim Street in Florentin is OCD's little sister, a wine bar where director Aviv Hajaj curates over 200 labels and a long by-the-glass list.
PourA glass from the extended by-the-glass list
WineOver 200 labels and an extended by-the-glass list, curated by wine director Aviv Hajaj
FoodSeasonal small bites
TipAsk the wine team to open a bottle by the glass if your pick is not already poured that night.
Christoff Wine Salon on Hashuk Street in Florentin updates its wine list monthly, and doubles as a reading room of wine books between pours.
PourA bottle pulled straight from the shelf, opened at the table
WineMonthly-rotating list, the owner calls it a salon rather than a bar
FoodCheese and shelf-bottle snacks; Grilled Cheese Fridays
TipEvery night gets 20 percent off the full menu between 18:00 and 19:30, pop-up nights excluded.
WineBerry Florentin on Frenkel Street pours a diverse list of Israeli and imported wine, with outdoor seating and regular tastings in Tel Aviv.
PourA pour chosen from a rotating tasting flight
WineDiverse Israeli and imported list with regular tastings
FoodSmall plates
TipAsk about the current tasting flight, the pours rotate through the week.
Berlin in Florentin on Chayim Vital Street keeps drinks cheap and the music loud, the kind of Tel Aviv bar where one beer turns into a full night.
DrinkCheap beer and a nightly DJ or live act
FoodBar snacks
TipSunday happy hour runs half off every drink; the crowd builds fast after 22:00.
The Tunisian Sandwich Center on HaPatish Street, run by the Ramla Market original's Haim Bukovza, bakes its own baguettes for Tunisian and merguez sandwiches.
TryTunisian sandwich and merguez sausage in baguettes baked on site
TipOrder the Tunisian complete, the most popular baguette on the menu, or the merguez sausage version; the bread is baked on site.
Levinsky Market on Levinsky Street in Tel Aviv grew from a Thessaloniki immigrant quarter into a strip of spice shops, delis and Balkan eateries.
TipVisit between 08:00 and 11:00 when the spice shops are fully stocked and the bakeries are freshest.
Delicious Israel runs this Levinsky Market walk in Tel Aviv, seven or more tastings in an area known for its Turkish, Greek and Persian immigrant heritage from the 1920s.
Abraham Tours meets at Cafelix in Levinsky Market for a two-hour culinary walk through spice shops and delis shaped by Bulgarian, Bukharan, Persian and Balkan newcomers.
Harry's Baked runs a private Levinsky Market food tour in Tel Aviv, tasting Balkan bourekas, gazoz and handmade halva with pastry chef Harry Rubenstein as guide.
Citrus and Salt's group cooking workshop in Tel Aviv covers Israeli classics and international menus like Thai and Italian at its Florentin studio kitchen.
TipThe studio is a dairy certified kitchen under Tzohar Kashrut supervision, so kosher guests can book without asking first.
Cafe Levinsky 41 mixes house-made gazoz sodas and preserved-lemon sandwiches in a tiny corner kiosk that Benny Briga opened at Levinsky Market in 2012.
TryGazoz soda and preserved-lemon sandwiches
TipAsk Benny for a gazoz built from the day's fruit, herbs and flowers; the old 1975 Susita truck now survives only as a small model.
Kuli Alma on Mikveh Israel Street in Tel Aviv is an underground bar with a big outdoor area, a dance room and a live-music room, plus art exhibitions.
TipThe gallery space hosts rotating exhibitions; check what's on before the DJ sets start.
Guest Room on Mikveh Israel Street pours classic cocktails, beer and wine as a neighbourhood bar in a once-notorious corner of south Tel Aviv.
TipHappy hour runs Sunday to Thursday 18:00 to 20:00, with cocktails at ₪35 and 30 percent off beer and wine.
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