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!

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

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.

Pasha

Type: Turkish
English Menu: Yes
Average price: 65 NIS (Business deal)
Address: 8 Ha'Arba'a st.

The word 'pasha' is an honorary title in the military in Turkey and we would definitely rank this restaurant to one of the highest!

Many other Tel Avivians will agree with us that Pasha is a great restaurant, hence why it's always packed. It's designed beautifully and divided into two parts, one part has 'normal' tables and chairs and the other part has more 'bar-like' seats.

Thanks to the business menu that they have, you can enjoy the great Turkish dishes for an affordable price. The business menu includes different kinds of yummy appetizers, such tahina, falafel, salads etc, as you can see on the picture, and a main dish: Kebabs, Pargit (spring chicken), steaks, Kubeh and etc.

But don't leave this restaurant without trying the spring chicken stuffed with pistachios and cashewnuts! That's a winning combination of a creamy flavor of the nuts that fits perfectly with the juicy spring chicken meat. We've also tried the "Masahne", which is tenderloin on a Pita, which was also very good. The meat is of good quality, very juicy and full of good flavors.

How to get there
Ha'Arba'a is next to the Cinemateque, on Carlebach st. You can reach Carlebach by going to the beginning of Ibn Gvirol (go south), where it connects to Yehuda Halevi st.
* Detail: Pasha is a kosher restaurant.

Goshen

Type: Restaurant, International Food
English Menu: No
Average price: 35-85 NIS (Business deal)
Address: 37 Nachalat Binyamin

In the popular Nachalat Benyamin street you'll find this meat place called Goshen. From the outside it looks like very chique restaurant with a French attitude, yet inside you get a local feeling and it isn't poshy at all.

We don't recommend you to go there at night, as it can be quite expensive. Alternatively, come here for the business menu deal between 12:00pm-6:00pm from Sunday until Thursday. For different meals in the range of 35 NIS - 85 NIS you get a main dish (beef, lamb, chicken or pasta) which served with a focaccia with spreads and two side dishes - you can choose from a green salad, rice or papas fritas (small round potatoes).

The veal and beef kebab dish are quite recommended. The spring chicken is also good, but it doesn't have that much flavor itself. But if you like a juicy piece of grilled chicken, then definitely go for it.
Bottom line, we think that the place is worth it if you take one of the cheap business meals which give you an affordable (meat) lunch.

How to get there
To get to Nachalat Binyamin street, you can go all the way to the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian street, which is located on the intersection of Allenby with King George. Then continue on the pedestrian street in Nachalat Binyamin st.

* Detail: Goshen is a kosher restaurant, which means that they don't serve any dairy products with meat products. You'll find a lot of religious Jews eating here.

Rina and Zcharia

Type: Local eatery, Yemenite

English Menu: Yes

Average price: 30-40 NIS
Address: 22 Hakovshim st.

Rina and Zcharia restaurant is one of the best local food experience you can have. Their menu contain original Yemenite food, of which the soups are mostly recommended. Their special soups are made of meat which was stewed in a big pot for hours, giving the meat and broth an amazing taste and texture. Besides the soups, they also have skewers and vegetables dishes (pick the whole grain rice with okra). All dishes are served with a Yeminite pita and Lachuch (a spongy pancake like bread, see the pic below) which fit the soups perfectly, some Zhug (spicy sauce) and Hilbe (semi-spicy jam-like spread made of the Fenugreek plant, in the pic too).

Rina and Zcharia are an old couple who run this place for many years and they will be happy to help you to choose what you like. They will usually recommend on the normal dishes - beef or chicken - and not on the more local dishes (e.g. kidney or lungs soup), as they are afraid you will not like it. If you are really adventurous, try to surprise them by asking for the Bis soup (cow's udders soup, sounds like the word "bees" in English).

Open: Sun-Fri until 15:30.

How to get there
Hakovshim st. starts on Allenby street near the beach. You can go down on Allenby towards the beach until you hit Hakovshim st., then you take left and then go straight all the way. Or, you can take left from Allenby to Ge'ula street, that connects to Hakovshim in the middle (then take left to Hakovshim).

Odelia

Type: Local eatery, Middle Eastern Food
English Menu: Yes

Average price: 20 NIS
Address: 89 Ben Yehuda st.; 1 Daniel Frisch st.
Tel: 03-5224222

The food at this small local eatery is cheap with a local taste. Odelia's main dish is a medium size plate with rice, couscous or burghul, served with stewed beef, lamb, chicken or meatballs, and some potatoes on the side. They also have a variety of hummus (with masabcha, eggplants, lamb meat, ful, and also grilled meat.

First - it's amazingly cheap. Most of the cooked dishes are  20 NIS. The second - it's very local. That is, the meat is certainly not the fillet nor tenderloin. It's not the best of Tel Aviv restaurants, but for a tourist looking for a cheap filling meal with a local atmosphere, this is the place to go to. The grilled dishes are a bit more expensive - 25/35 NIS for small/big meal.

How to get there
Odelia is located next to the intersection of Ben Yehuda with Gordon street. You can go on Dizengoff and turn left (if you face north) on Gordon. Go up until you hit Ben Yehuda, cross the street and then take right (the building above Odelia has a big '89' number on it). For the Daniel Frisch st. - The street is connected to Ibn Gvirol, a bit north of  the London Ministore. From Dizengoff center,  go to Dizengoff-Ibn Gvirol crossroad, cross to the other side and  take left. The street will be on you right.

Walking directions from Dizengoff Center:
Ben Yehuda branch
Daniel Frisch branch

* Note: Odelia accepts cash only.

Cafe Birnbaum

Type: Restaurant, Vegetarian
English menu: No
Average price: 45 NIS
Address: 31 Nachalat Binyamin
Open: Sunday to Friday, from early in the morning until afternoon

Cafe Birnbaum is heaven on earth for vegetarians. The concept of this place, which is running for around 40 years now, is a salad buffet - not normal salad of green leaves - but special home made salads made from countless ingredients like tabouleh, noodles, whole grain rice, leek, quinoa, soy, beans, wakame and a lot more. Some of them are warm and some are cold, you can also add sweet pastries or a slice of quiche to the meal. Everyday there are dozens of fresh salads and they are all fantastic!

Only a small number of salads has fish, so you can ask the friendly ladies to help you out if you want to avoid it.

You pay fixed price for a plate which can be refilled for free. There's one basic rule which says that you cannot share your meal with anyone else, otherwise you will have to pay double.

How to get there
To get to Nachalat Binyamin street, you can go all the way the Nachalat Binyamin pedestrian street, which is located on the intersection of Allenby with King George. The continuation of the pedestrian street in Nachalat Binyamin st.

* Tip: it's 10 NIS cheaper to do a take out than to eat there. You can scoop as much as you want, as long as everything fits into the aluminium container. And then of course you can share it with no problem.

Dr. Sa'adia Falafel

Type: Falafel, Middle Eastern food
English menu: No need
Average price: 15 NIS
Address: 45 King George st.

Dr. Sa'adia is the favourite falafel eatery of many Tel Avivians. His falafel balls are super tasty and hot right from the oil. You get your meal in a thick pita filled with hummus and fresh salads and hot sauce if you like.

How to get there
It's on King George st. next to the intersection with Bograshov.

Pinati

Type: Local eatery, Middle Eastern food

English menu: Yes

Average price: 25 NIS
Address: 22 Bograshov st.

This famous Jerusalem origin Middle Eastern restaurant opened a branch in Tel Aviv and since then gained a lot of fans. Pinati has the typical Middle Eastern food like, skewers, couscous (yummy with kebab), hummus, mujaddara, but also pasta, schnitzel and beefballs. But for something special, you should try the kubbeh soupKubbeh is a dumpling-like ball, made of semolina and stuffed with ground beef. The kubbeh balls are served in a light soury broth of celery, onions and zucchini or in red broth, which is made of beetroot. The sour broth is the most pungent (and also the most recommended) one, thanks to the combination of the zingyness of the lemon juice in the soup and the savory taste of the beef in the balls. This Iraqi-Kurdish dish is a hit and rarely found in the city center.
The main dishes are served with pita, tehina, pickled cucumbers and a sweet-spicy spread, all on the house.

How to get there
Go down on Bograshov. It is on the right side when you are facing the beach.

Roladin

Type: Bakery, Sweets, Snack
English menu: No need
Address: See Below

There are just as many bakeries in Tel Aviv as there are cafes. The leading chain of bakeries is Roladin and their pastries are considered to have the highest quality. They are known for the savory pastries, like the quiches, but even more famous for their sweets - croissants, cakes, cookies and etc.

If you hit one of the cafe-restaurant version, you can also take some cafe food, like salads, pasta or sandwiches. But more often you will find some strolling tourists in Tel Aviv stopping by to have a coffee and one of their special desserts.

How to get there

Roladin has couple of branches:

1) 50 Dizengoff st. (on the block of Dizengoff center)

2) 45 Allenby

3) 24 Iben Gvirol

4) Azrieli center

* Tip: If you are happen to be in Israel around Hanukkah holiday, don't dare to miss their Sufgania - traditional pastry for Hanukkah. Don't let the long line of people scare you either.

Burekas Amikam

Type: Snack, Middle Eastern food

English menu: No menu
Average price: 15 NIS
Address: 21 Iben Gvirol

Open: everyday 24hrs, Friday closed in the afternoon and Saturday open at night.

Burekas Amikam sells Burekas - That is, phyllo dough pastry puffs stuffed with cheese, potato and vegetables, served with pickled cucumber, hard boiled egg and a spicy sauce. The result is just delicious and eating it is a complete relish (we recommend on the cheese and spinach one).

New burekas are baked all the time, that's why sometimes you have to wait a bit. But it's definitely worth the wait. It is a great mid-day snack, or after a night of clubbing and drinking (as Israelis clubbers do).

How to get there
It's next to corner of Iben Gvirol by Dizengoff. You can go up on Dizengoff (with your back to the Dizengoff square) and then go down till you get to Iben Gvirol. Go couple of meters to the right and you are there.