Eden

Type: Persian
English Menu: No
Average price: 55-70 NIS
Address: 16 Neve Shanan st.

If food surfing is one of your goals in Tel Aviv, so Eden is the place. This Persian restaurant provides a great Persian food experience and feeds its loyal clients for many years now.

The waiter will happily detail all the unique dishes and styles of the kitchen. We remained solid this time and ordered the Kebab, highlighted also by the restaurant itself as one of their best dishes. Indeed, not many restaurants in Tel Aviv serve such flavorsome grilled meat, let alone the great Persian rice served with it - spiced up with spicy and sweet herbs. Very palatable. We also ordered the Gundi, which is a mixture of chicken and chick peas, cooked in chicken soup (a bit like Matzah balls). This one was a bit less impressive than the former (indeed tasted too much like a giant Matzah ball).

How to get there
Not only located in today's poor neighborhood of the old central train station, you will have to find the right path inside Neve Shaanan. Follow the map and recognize the sign above in the picture below:

• Walking direction from Tel Aviv central bus station (take bus 5 or any other)
• Image of the sign above the path leading to the restaurant

* Detail: Don't be afraid of the Persian basil and radish given to you as a tiny starter, it's quite yummy after couple of bites!

Bet Ha Hummus

Type: Hummus
English Menu: No
Average price: 35 NIS (Fattah)
Address: 1 Ben Avigdor st.

Bet Ha Hummus (The Hummus House) probably won't appear in your Lonely Planet or any other (food) guide. It's too local. Yet this place serves one of the tastiest delicacies of the Lebanese cuisine - Fattah.

the Fattah

Fattah is made by soaking pita bread in 'chickpeas water' (water in which chickpeas were soaked) until they get soft. After that, the pita bread is mixed with hummus, tehina, larified butter, chunks of lamb meat which was fried in the butter and then on top of this all: fried pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley. WOW!

This dish is absolutely amazing - you'll probably not find something that unique and local anywhere else in Tel Aviv. By the way - the normal/ plain hummus is not such a home run, so you can pass it (quite weird that's the case at this place, but rest assured we tried both).

How to get there
The fastest way to reach the place is by taking bus from Ben Zion Blvd. (near Dizengoff Center) and then going down on the second stop of Hashmonaim st. Then walk according to the map and you're there. (you'll recognize the place by the hole above the door - see picture)


Click here to view location of Bet HaHummus and walking direction on the map

Aba Gil

Type: Organic vegan food 
English Menu: Yes
Average price: 40 NIS
Address: 55 Yehuda Halevi st.
Tel. number.: 03-5663320

Even if you are not into organic vegan food, you should go to Aba Gil and try their dishes. The dishes are simple, pure and healthy, everything that a hungry body needs. Although Buddha Burger, the other organic competitor in Tel Aviv, has more sophisticated and bigger variety of choices on their menu,  Aba Gil's menu isn't inferior.

The flag dish of Aba Gil is the "full plate", which includes hummus, tehina, brown rice, red lentils, cooked green peas, cooked vegetables, and vegetable quiche or vegetable patties. It's hardcore organic and healthy food and no less tasty (maybe except the cooked veggies, but not everything have to be perfect). We especially liked the hummus (which is also served as a seperate dish), and the quiches.

How to get there
Take bus 5 and go down on the first stop after Rothschild Blvd., than go back to Yehuda Halevi st., then go a bit foward on Yehuda Halevi st. towards Allenby. Or you can take a bus which go through Allenby (24,25) and ask the driver to go down next to Yehuda Halevi.

Click here to view Aba Gil location on the map


* Detail: The take out boxes are environmental friendly.

Jamila

Type: Moroccan 
English Menu: No
Average price: 40 NIS
Address: 31 Gruzenberg st.
Tel. nr.: 03-5166123
(Sun-Fri 12:00-18:00)

Jamilla offers delicious hearty dishes from the flavorsome Moroccan cuisin. It's a cute and small eatery-style place with a wide range of tajines,  warming soups and couscous.

The menu is different for each day of the week. But from what we ate it seems that you can have good meal each day of the week. We tried the chicken tajine with potatoes (served with delicious soft bread and some small salads of the day and tehina) and the couscous with chicken. Both great!

Jamila is not open in the night and in the weekend, unfortunately, only until 6.00pm, so be sure to drop by during the day to try out their heartwarming dishes.

How to get there
Walk on Nachalat Binyamin St. all the way down until you hit Gruzenberg. It's right on the corner.


Location of Jamila and walking directions from King George on the map

Tipico Grilled Chicken

Type: Chicken rotisserie 
English Menu: No
Average price: 25-35 NIS
Address: 1 Nahalat Benyamin st.

We raved about Shimon chicken before, completely convinced that they are the only good rotisserie in Tel Aviv. Don't get us wrong, we still think Shimon's chicken is delicious, but they have a solid competition couple of blocks away: Tipico chicken!

It's a bit more expensive than Shimon's, but it's not the same: Tipico uses a more flavorsome spice rub that contains paprika and coriander seeds. And because of the way Tipico grills the chicken, it's less greasy than Shimon's and a bit more delicate. 

Tipico's potato wedges are great as well, and are baked with the grease and juices of the chicken. 

How to get there
Nachalat Binyamin 1 is on the beginning of the pedestrian st., in the intersection of King George and Allenby, right across Agadir.

Click here to view Tipico's location on the map

Erez Yemen Quarter

Type: Local eatery, Yemenite 

English Menu: No 

Average price: 25 NIS 

Address: 24 Nahliel st., The Yemen Quarter 

Tel. number: 03-5102555

Yes, it's another local eatery post. We wouldn't mention it, if it wasn't worth eating there (really!). Most people don't know where to eat, when they're done strolling the Carmel market. That's why we want to open up this 'hidden world', the Yemen Quarter, for some outlanders.

Erez is not the only good place in this picturesque neighborhood, but they have a vast variety of food and it's all so good and cheap! They have the usual hummus dishes, skewers and Yemenite soup meals (but for the real soup experience, stop by at Rina and Zchariah).

But what we loved is the schnitzel dish and believe us, a good and affordable fresh schnitzel is hard to find. It's a simple dish: deep fried breadcrumb coated schnitzel and 3 side dishes. You can choose from: humnus, fries, white beans, green beans, rice, tehina or a chopped Israeli salad. Great value!

It's recommended to come either before 12pm or after 1.30pm, if you don't want to stand in line for a seat.

How to get there

To be honest most of the time we go there we lose our way, but still: You can reach the Yemen quarter by going through the narrow streets on Allenby st. on the right of the Carmel Market/ Nachalat Binyamin. See map for clearer instructions. (It's not recommended to go through the busy Carmel market.)

Click here to view walking direction to Erez on the map

Itzik and Ruti

Type: Sandwiches
English Menu: No
Average price: 18 NIS
Address: 53 Sheinkin st.

Itzik and Ruti sandwich place is one of the mythical places in Tel Aviv that everybody knows and probably ate there. This friendly couple report for duty everyday (Sun.-Fri) at 05:00 to fill the demand of the masses that swoop in, and they close around 12:00pm when most of the food is over.

Itzik and Ruti serve the best sandwiches in Tel Aviv. You choose the size and type of the bread (whole wheat, ciabatta etc.) and fill it with one of their magical fillings such as eggplants, egg salad, avocado, tuna salad etc., and some vegetables if you like. Simple, but so good!

How to get there

Turn to Sheinkin from King George and just go stright all the way to the other end of the street. It will be on your left.

Click here to see walking directions on the map (from King George).

Elimelech

Type: Restaurant, Jewish East European
English Menu: No (Yiddish)
Average price: 50 NIS (main dish)
Address: 35 Wolfson st.

Among the famous Jewish East European restaurants in Tel Aviv - mainly Keton and Cafe Batia - Elimelech is one of the special ones, and certainly worth the longer tour to south Tel Aviv.

The uniqueness of this place is in its special style of cooking, which feels more local and less "mainstream", so to speak. We ordered the Brust, which is beef slices marinaded for 3 weeks before cooked in oven. Extremely good! The other dish we ordered was the beef and chicken balls (you can combine as your like) which also had good taste.

All dish are served with side dishes, which high quality and taste surprised us very much, and are one of the reasons we will come again to this place. 

How to get there

Wolfson st. is next to Florentin neighborhood. To get to Florentin neighborhood from the center you can take bus 25, and then go down at the first stop of HaAliya st. Go straight and the next street on your right is Wolfson st. The restaurant is couple of meters ahead.

Click here to see walking direction on the map.


* Tip: Take a look and snoop around at the great spices market on Levinsky st. 

Bahadonas

Type: Hummus
English Menu: No
Average price: 25-30 NIS
Address: 150 Ibn Gbirol st.

Yeah, it's another great hummus place in Tel aviv, and actually one of the good ones. Bahadonas hummus is quite special, it's tangy in a way which reminds us of Abu Hassan's hummus a bit, although the texture is a bit different (and the plate of Bahadonas is much bigger). Bahadonas also has great crunchy-non-greasy fries.


Bahadonas is a nation wide chain so you might stumble upon them outside Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv Bahadonas has two branches, one on Dizengoff, and one on Ibn Gvirol. For an unknown reason, the one on Ibn Gvirol is far much better than the other one.

How to get there
You can take bus no. 25 and go down at Pinkas station. Walk a bit back and you'll find it. You can also take bus 5 and go down at Bazel station. Go all the way down towards Ibn Gvirol and the place will be in front of you.

Abdu Hadayag

Type: Fish restaurant
English Menu: No
Average price: 70-80 NIS
Address: 37 Yefet st., Jaffa
Tel. number: 03-5182595

It seems almost impossible that among dozens fish restaurants in Jaffa you will still be able to find uniqueness and difference. Well, Abdu Hadayag ("Abdu the Fisherman") is one of them, as it stands out with their fresh home made mezes appetizers and good quality fresh fish. Actually, before Abdu established the restaurant, he was a fishmonger for restaurants, so let's say he knows good fish.

Like at other fish restaurants in Jaffa, the mezes are included in a main dish set - fish, seafood or chicken (yes, we know...., but some people want to eat chicken at a fish place!) - and can be refilled all the time. If you don't order a main dish, you pay 30 NIS for the mezes.

We took a Barramundi and Sea Bream (each 80 NIS), fried and grilled, as the waitress recommended. Both were great choices, but the Barramundi was tastier.

You can also choose just fried or grilled (although the latter is less recommended). The salads as we noted above were extremely tasty and fresh, we also liked the grilled pita with zaatar which came with it.

Some people will like Abdu Hadayag more than other fish restaurants in Jaffa (although others like Rauf et Atina aren't less good). It's totally air conditioned, cleaner and more friendly. It's recommended to make reservations during lunch time and always make reservations for the evenings (weekends especially).

How to get there

Take bus 25 and go down at Jerusalem Blvd. ("Shderot Yerushalayim") at "Yehuda Hayamit" station. Walk back couple of meters and take left to Yehuda Hayamit. Go straight and take right on Yefet st., keep on going straight, it will be on your right.

Click here to view location and walking directions from bus no. 25 station. 

Shmaya

Type: Local eatery, Jewish
English Menu: No
Average price: 35 NIS
Address: 2 Vital st.
Tel. number: 03-6829217
(Closed on Friday night and Saturdays)

In the Florentine area, the local eatery Shmaya is legendary. It's a hole in the wall and indeed a fantastic discovery. Shamaya, the lovely owner, prepares the food by himself, which is  characterized by its Jewish and Middle Eastern influences.

Basically you choose a main course, which is served with some side dishes, such as stewed vegetables, rice, different types of beans and etc. We took the stuffed eggplant with minced beef and herbs and stuffed yams (the latter also known as "batata"), which were delicate and tasted very homy, so to speak. Though usually after eating in local eateries food coma is inevitable, Shmaya's food is relatively light and "sits" well, as Israelis like to say. Shmaya also has good vegetarian dishes and other stuffed vegetables.

The place doesn't have an English menu. But the people working here are so warm and friendly, they will be more than happy to explain it to you.

How to get there

To get to Florentin neighborhood from the center you can take bus no. 1 or no. 2 (both drive on dizengoff until Frishman st., where they turn to Pinsker under the fountain). Go down on the second station on the Ha'Alia st.(or ask to go down at Florentin st.). Then go on Florentin st. until you see Vital st. on your right (around 500 meters walk).

*Detail: We've been told by Shmaya's fans that he feeds the homeless people for free.

Rauf et Atina

Type: Fish restaurant
English Menu: Yes

Average price: 75 NIS (Fish and salads)
Address: 81 Kedem st., Jaffa
Tel. number: 03-6818793

One reason to go to Jaffa's to eat is for their fish restaurants. We were looking for a good one and we fell in love with this Jaffa look-and-feel fish restaurant (and the local presence also hints that).

The traditional way in these fish restaurants is to order the fish and with it you'll get plenty of yummy mezes - such as: humus, tehina, fries, eggplant salad, pickled salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad, olives and pickles, parsley salad, tabbouleh salad, spicy tomato salsa etc. You'll also get some bread and pita and everything can be refilled all the time. Watch out though, do not fill your stomach before the fish is served! (a common mistake of beginners).

The fish (a whole fish, not a fillet) can be grilled or deep fried (grilled is a better choice). We took a sea bream and a European Seabass, and enjoyed the latter more. By the way, you can easily share a fish dish with two persons, but one person will have to pay 30NIS for the salads. This is still very much worth it.

In Kedem st. you have some other famous fish restaurants, including the nearby Hazaken ve hayam (the Old Man and the Sea). Although it's quite popular and offers more salads then Rauf et Atina, we think is less in quality and less tasty. If you are a looking for another fish restaurant (which is also not that far into the margins of Jaffa) try Abdu Hadayag.

How to get there

We are sorry to say that we didn't find any convenient way to reach this street with public transportation. A taxi from Tel Aviv center should be about 40-45 NIS.

Click here to view location on the map (for driving instructions, use the map's 'directions' feature).

Abu Marwan

Type: Hummus, Middle Eastern
English Menu: No
Average price: 25 NIS
Address: 129 Yeffet st, Jaffa

What a fine local Hummus place this Abu Marwan, which can be noticed by its  constant smoke coming from the grill/ bbq making skewers and eggplants.

Abu Marwan has an "all included" deal - you pay 25 NIS and get a yummy hummus plate, great fries, mini falafel balls and a (mediocre) salad. The result is a fine lunch which leaves you with a great taste.
But we couldn't stop just here. It is a must (!) to take the specialty - grilled eggplant with tehina and lemon (20 NIS), which adds a pungent flavor. In addition you can also order chicken skewers (around 15 NIS per skewer), which aren't fantastic, but just OK.
Finish the Hummus tour sweetly with the nearby Mutran.

How to get there
It's a bit messy, but you'll make it:
Take bus 25 towards Jaffa/ Yafo, go down at the fifth station on Sderot Yerushalaim (at no. 134). Go a bit backwards and take left at Bat Ayin st. Go up straight until you hit a main street, Yefet. Go straight until you see the smoke.

Mutran sweets

Type: Sweets, Middle Eastern
English Menu: No need
Average price: 20 NIS
Address: 99 Yefet st. in Jaffa

Mutran sweets is one of the best places to try Arabic sweets delicacies. In the store there are dozens of different cookies and other sweet treat, neatly arranged for you to pick and enjoy at home.

In case you feel like trying out the sweets there, Mutran also has a cozy and air-conditioned space where you can sit and enjoy one of their treats. Recommended very much is the sweet and savoury knafe, crunchy angel hair noodles covering goat cheese inside, served warm. The malabi is also one of the best in Jaffa. The tea and coffee are a bit pricy there, though usually extremely fit the desserts.
How to get there
It's a bit messy, but you'll make it:
Take bus 25 towards Jaffa/ Yafo, go down at the fifth station on Sderot Yerushalaim (at no. 134). Go a bit backwards and take left at Bat Ayin st. Go up straight till you hit a main street, Yefet. There take left, and it should be on your left.

* Note: The coffee and tea are not for free.

Grilled chicken of Shimon

Type: Chicken rotiserrie
English Menu: No
Average price: 25-30 NIS
Address: 6 Tchernichovsky st.

Shimon and his family have been selling grilled chicken for decades and guess what - they're really good at it! This local eatery is easy to miss if you don't know any 'insiders' to introduce you to their specialty: perfectly gourmet grilled chicken. That is, in other words, simply crispy on the outside and juicy inside. You can't imagine how good it can is and you will want to come back soon right after eating here.

A whole chicken - for take-out only and enough for 3 people (48 NIS per kg). If you decide to eat there, you can either order a quarter (26 NIS) or half chicken (35 NIS), served with amazingly greasy and crispy chips (just the way we like it).

How to get there
Walking on King George toward south, you can take right in Bet Lehem st. (where the Bezalel market is - it's one turn right before Allenby).

Click here to view Shimon's location on the map

* Detail: For the best experience, prepare for getting your hands dirty.

Sabbich of Oved

Type: Sabbich
English Menu: No
Average price: 18 NIS
Address: 6 Sirkin st., Givataim

Well it's not really in Tel Aviv, but most of the Tel Avivians ate at this legendary place. So, Oved is just selling sabbich. More than the taste which is considered by many to be the best sabbich, the preparation of the sabbich is accompanied by a precise repeating football game ritual: Every action (adding salad, eggplants, parsley and etc.) is described with a unique verb Oved developed by himself.

Unfortunately, Oved cannot do the whole ceremony in English but he will be very welcoming and happy to explain in detail. And don't worry, he will not let you miss out the final stage in the sabbich making - how many teaspoons of hot sauce (red) and Amba (yellow mango-based hot sauce) to put in the Pita - according to the scores of a football match. (For instance, if you're from the UK, he'll make it Arsenal vs. Man Utd.)

How to get there

You can take bus no. 63 from Tel Aviv Ben Zion corner with King George (facing upwards). Ask the driver to tell you where to go down. You should find bus 63 on the other side of the street when you go back to Tel Aviv.

Sirocco Pizza

Type: Pizza
English Menu: No menu
Average price: 10 NIS (per slice)
Address: 23 King George st.

If you were looking for a great local pizza place, Sirocco Pizza is the place for you. Seems maybe too local and dull, but their pizza is surprising each time.
How do you order? You get a basic pizza for 9 NIS, which can be topped with: corn, mushrooms, olives, onions, roasted pepper, tuna, anchovies, salted cheese. If you choose 1 topping, you pay 11 NIS per slice and for 2 toppings you pay 12 NIS.
Now we can just recommend on the combinations:
1. Onions & mushrooms
2. Anchovies & onions
3. Plain Pizza (!)

The place is open every day until late in the night (except on Friday night and Saturday afternoon), which makes the place a snack spot for the bon vivants.

How to get there
Go south on King George. It's on the right side of the street on the corner with Ha Macabi street, close to the intersection with Allenby.

Asli Hummus

Type: Hummus
English Menu: No
Average price: 20-25 NIS
Address: 338 Dizengoff st.

Hummus Asli is considered to be Tel Aviv's best hummus. You'll probably back up this statement after you've tried the pungent hummus, which is served in many different kinds: with tehina, ful (broad beans), hot mushrooms and etc. We also recommend on the fried Kubeh (semolina pastry filled with beef). The place is clean and is well airconditioned inside and the only downside is the low level of service that you might encounter.

How to get there
It's located at the northest point of Dizengoff. You can walk all the way there, or to take bus no. 5 and go down at Nordau, and from there you walk for 5-7 min. It's across Moses Station.