36 Hours in Tel Aviv
36 Hours in Tel Aviv
DAY ONE
Morning:
Neve Tzedek: filled with narrow stone-cobbled alleyways and low houses, fine dining, fashion boutiques and art galleries – the perfect place to explore! (Historically, White City’s very first neighbourhood.)
Shabazi Street is the main axis of the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood, with artsy avant-garde-designed stores, trendy bistros, local and international fashion boutiques and designer accessories. We recommend that you stop by Neroli health-food store, tucked away in Lilienblum Street. Neroli offers high-quality fresh organic produce, cleaning products, natural cosmetics and supplements, as well as grocery goods. They serve raw dishes, fresh drinks and sweets enriched with high-quality nutrients. If you are on the go, be sure to grab one of their amazing signature smoothies! One of our favourite boutiques in Shabazi Street is Kuchinate, a collective of African asylum-seeking women living in Tel Aviv, creating unique handmade African home design accessories.
Tel Aviv Street Art Tour
A canvas of self-, political and artistic expression, evident from the rich tapestry of artworks gracing the city’s walls, shop shutters, benches and every conceivable surface, with each piece depicting a personal story and journey. A Tel Aviv Street Art Tour affords visitors an engaging journey through Tel Aviv’s cultural graffiti scene, featuring works by both renowned and emerging artists.
A two-hour tour will take visitors on an exploration of discovery of the city’s most prominent graffiti displays, as well as hidden and unearthed gems scattered throughout the neighbourhoods.
For more information: www.touristisrael.com.
Afternoon:
Shuk Levinsky (Levinsky Market)
On any given day, Levinsky Market is a teeming spot for locals, well-acquainted epicureans and the culturally curious, who amble between authentic market stores and acclaimed eateries. In recent years, Levinsky Market has become a magnet for tourists from far and wide, eager to catch a glimpse of old-school Tel Aviv. Walking and eating tours are also growing in popularity – an excellent way to experience the market in the company of those who know it best.
It was in the late 1920s that a mix of Jewish immigrants from Greece and Turkey settled in Florentin, a southern neighbourhood of Tel Aviv, which has undergone extensive gentrification. Here, they opened a selection of shops selling goods and flavours from their local origins. Rapidly growing in numbers and appeal, the produce soon extended beyond the Balkan region, incorporating Persian influences, and more. Today, its narrow streets are awash with shabby exteriors and burlap sacks, brimming with a vibrancy of nuts, dried fruits, cheeses, olives, spices and bourekas, interjected with new health stores, eateries, chic cafés and smoothie stations. The fusion of spices, nuts and freshly cooked foods, especially pre-Sabbath on a Friday morning, emits an ever-so-delightful aroma across the entire market.
We recommend heading to Cafelix, a beautifully designed café with expertly created coffees, and Ta’am L’Chayim (Taste of Life), a quaint health store with a myriad of homemade vegan goods, including cheeses, flavoured spreads, coconut yogurt, cakes and gluten-free bread. A short jaunt away is Shem Tov in Levinsky 59, where you can elbow with the locals to scoop up bags of nuts, dried fruits and grains of all varieties. For beer lovers, head to Beer Bazaar in Zvulun 13, a popular hangout with a menu of over 100 Israeli beers, guaranteeing a merry afternoon of ‘cheers’, or L’Chaim, among friends.
A short walk away is RawArt Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that represents young and emerging artists who work in diverse media and promotes cutting-edge local and international art. The gallery is committed to providing a solid platform for the artists and exposing their work to a global audience while seeking to highlight cultural diversity within Tel Aviv through an artistic lens.
Spend some time absorbing the unique spaces and discovering the works of local artists.
Evening:
Under the direction of Chef Yossi Shitrit, HIBA sprang up in the heart of Israel’s culinary hub. It is a tribute to the abundance of flavours, aromas and textures of the deep-rooted Arab-Israeli cuisine. A place that honours the land and Middle Eastern nature. Local tradition, history and culture are the platform, background and starting points for Chef Yossi Shitrit, onto which he pours his fresh, contemporary, up-to-date interpretation of the local culinary world. The delectable multi-course tasting menu is beautifully presented in the space designed by award-winning architect Pitsou Kedem.
Advance reservations are strongly recommended.
DAY TWO
Morning:
Shuk Hapishpeshim (Jaffa Flea Market)
The ancient port of Jaffa, located on the southern tip of Tel Aviv, whispers tales from biblical times amid a historical dialogue and distinguishing traits. From the Clock Tower in Yefet St to endearing enclaves within its ancient alleyways, Jaffa weaves a magical charm throughout its tapestry. Shuk Hapishpeshim (Hebrew for ‘flea market’) has existed since the early 20th century and is a marketplace brimming with vendors selling a variety of goods, from furniture and antiques to jewellery, clothing and cosmetics. Located near Jaffa’s Old City, the market is a converging spot for all types – collectors, vintage hunters and bargain-seekers – a treasure chest of quietly elegant spaces blended with scruffy exteriors.
The surrounding streets and alleys are booming with designer shops, boutiques, small galleries and eateries. A must-visit on our list is SAGA. SAGA is a local design gallery that features familiar designers and young and promising talents from various fields, such as product design, and ceramic and glass design, as well as architects, carpenters and multidisciplinary artists. This is a great spot for exploring or even purchasing local design items to take back home. Attached is Café SAGA – a plant- and light-filled café offering coffee, pastries, food and a bar, with patio seating.
Around the corner in Olei Zion St is Zielinski & Rozen, a perfumery run by Erez Rozen, a perfume mixologist who has spent years perfecting the trade. You’ll smell its aroma as you approach, an awakening scent that lines the street, and notice its authentic pharmaceutical decor. Here, customers can create a personal scent concocted from local raw ingredients, or select from a display of fragrances, room sprays, candles, creams, soaps and oils, concocted from a blend of herbal ingredients, packaged in ornate glass bottles and delicately wrapped in brown paper parcels.
Be sure to check out the Jaffa Cinema, an independent and unique cinematic experience that combines watching films with an intimate, comfortable setting in a courtyard bar, serving buffet-style food. It is open every day, and you can always sit down to have a drink and eat, both on screening days and on non-screening days.
For a midday pick-me-up, HaMalabia, a buzzing outdoor café in the heart of the flea market, attracts a diversity of customers to its long communal benches with a scatter of board games. The café specialises in muhallebi, more commonly referred to as ‘malabi’ by Israelis, a Middle Eastern sweet milky pudding thickened with rice powder or cornstarch and sprinkled with a choice of toppings, such as vanilla syrup, rose water, chopped peanuts or coconut shavings.
At night, the market transforms into a lively hub of entertainment, alight with lively restaurants churning out all varieties of cuisine, from Middle Eastern comforts and Greek delicacies to Balkan delights and more. Night owls will discover streets lined with packed bars, most of which remain open until the early hours of the morning.
Afternoon:
The Beach
Tel Aviv’s beaches stretch along 14 km of seashore and are a welcoming spot for both tourists and locals wanting to relax or take part in many forms of activities, from running, playing matkot (a paddle ball game), paddleboarding and swimming to eating, drinking and soaking up the sun. Grab a towel and your favourite book and soak up the sun!
Shenkin
Shenkin Street is one of the most famous, happening streets in Tel Aviv. It is a small but packed street that is filled with cafés, restaurants and boutiques, great for finding affordable trends and more premium international brands, as well as Israeli designer-based boutiques. Be sure to check out Adina as the first and only fromagerie in Shenkin Street. The traditional deli sources and handpicks the best local and international produce, from decadent cheeses and baguettes to wine and a variety of luxury treats. Grab a glass of natural wine and take a seat on one of the produce crates turned upside down lining the pavement, while sampling homemade salads, delicious sandwiches and juicy olives.
Shenkin is just minutes away from the famous Carmel Market, a vibrant marketplace selling everything from clothing to spices, and fruit to electronics. Nachalat Binyamin is where you can find a craft market that is open on Tuesdays and Fridays. There is always an array of home furnishings, art, ceramics, jewellery, gifts and photography.
Evening:
Teder.FM
Radio + Bar + Food + Vibes!
Teder has become a staple on the southern Tel Aviv scene. It is one of the top venues for events in the city, a perfect late-night hangout spot that is in a closed-off courtyard. A bar with outside tables, serving Eyal Shani’s amazing thin-crust pizzas, which are paired with a cold beer or cocktail, perfect for sharing! It usually hosts live music, DJs, movie nights and second-hand markets.
A café-bar that hosts live performances and special DJ’ed events. A courtyard patio, filled with lots of growing plants, cocktails, tasty Asian cuisine and good vibes. This is a spot to come and chill for lunch or head out to for a fun evening!
After Hours:
A hipster hangout in the Gardens of Babylon… Multiple rooms to satisfy all vibes, from chilling on couches to drinking at the bar, or dance away listening to electronic music.
