Cheat Sheet: Tel Aviv
STAY
Great for Fashionistas and Foodies
Tel Aviv’s Hotel Montefiore may have been the city’s first sleek boutique — but it clearly remains its chicest. Beyond the location–in the heart of Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus-filled White City–and atmospheric, 1930s design, the Montefiore’s main draws are its eatery and eaters. Filled with verdant topiary and anchored by cozy banquettes, the restaurant serves visiting journalists, designers, and celebs sophisticated pan-Asian dishes paired with the best in local and regional wines. As for its rooms–all 12 are large and filled with Bauhaus-inspired furnishings. The quiet, rear-facing rooms are best. From $400 per night.
(Courtesy: The Brown)
Affordable Find
A new rooftop bar and comprehensive after-hours cocktail menu have helped to make The Brown Tel Aviv’s hippest abode–one that happens to also be one of its most affordable. Set just beyond gallery-filled Neve Tzedek–and within walking distance of the beach–the Brown inhabits a radically renovated 50s-era bank decorated with mid-century inspired furniture pieces,vintage Playboy photography and a serious collection of art and design tomes. Its 30 rooms may be smallish, but they come with hard-wood floors, canopied beds and glass-walled baths. Also included in the price: Free WiFi, city bikes and an al fresco roof-top sun lounge. From $250 per night.
Splurge Worthy
When it opened late last year, The Ritz-Carlton Herziliya was the first international five-star hotel to open in Israel in more than a decade. Set 15 minutes north of the city center in Herzliya–a high-tech town with excellent surfing waves–the contemporary-styled Ritz-Carlton is a true urban resort. There are 115 light-filled rooms, an al fresco roof-top pool, massive spa, haute Kosher restaurant and prime beachfront location. From $475 per night.
(Courtesy: Hotel Norman)
Romantic Hideaway
When it opens this summer, the Hotel Norman will set new standards in Tel Aviv hotel service, style and atmosphere. Located on the city’s prettiest square and surrounded by historic Bauhaus and Eclectic buildings, the Norman’s inhabits two 1920s-era buildings blended to create 50 contemporary-styled rooms. There’s a rooftop pool, European-styled brasseries and Japanese Tapas menu–all tucked into a discreet white-washed, city-center shell. From $630 per night.
EAT
Great for Families
Yona takes its name from Jonah, the Biblical character who had that fateful date with a whale. Here–close to where Jonah actually departed–Yona serves a crowd-pleasing menu of simple seafood dishes in a contemporary, pale-wood and glass-walled space with prime sea views. There are Levantine standards such as fried calamari with spicy aioli or perfectly crisp, just-caught Jaffa fish paired with kid-friendly carrot fries–all accented by Mediterranean-region wines along with a handful of tasty Arak-based cocktails. A post-prandial stroll along the newly renovated Port is great for visitors of all ages.
old Jaffa Port
Dr. Shakshuka. (Photo: Patrick Collins/Flickr)
All-Day Snack
Originally from North Africa, Shakshuaka is a stew-like combo of tomatoes, garlic, eggs and spices cooked over high heat and served Israel-wide. Despite the competition, Dr. Shakshuka’s version is still considered Tel Aviv’s best. The setting–a converted Ottoman-era warehouse and courtyard near Yaffo’s flea market–is bare-boned at best. But the restaurant turns out hundreds of shakshukas each day, served in its own tin pan and paired with huge hunks of simple white bread.
3 Beit Eshel
(Courtesy: Delicatessen’s Facebook page)
Perfect Brunch
Lifestyle entrepreneurs Mati and Ruti Broudo–the folks behind the Hotel Montefiore–single-highhandedly kick-started Tel Aviv’s upscale-foodie movement with the opening of Brasserie M&R a decade ago. Their newest venture is Delicatessen–a tri-level grocery store-cum-eatery just off of skyscraper-lined Rothschild Boulevard. Open all day but best for lunch or Friday brunch, Delicatessen bundles three culinary concepts into one location: A traditional “deli” stocked with Delicatessen-branded dry goods, breads, fresh fruits, and preserved veggies; a take-away offering daily-made hot and cold dishes ranging from poached salmon to chopped liver; and a full-service restaurant with menus spanning breakfast to “twilight” and ideally enjoyed from the restaurant’s top-level patio.
Yehuda Halevi 79/81
Casual Breakfast
Dallal is set in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s oldest and most atmospheric neighborhood. At night, artsy swells indulge in Dallal’s bistro-styled menu. Although tasty, Dallal’s real treats are its European-inspired pastries, cakes and croissants. Indulge in both the formal dining room or opt for Dallal’s cool stone patio–and don’t miss the rear bakery-shop to pick up some goodies for rest-of-the-day nibbling.
10 Shabazi St.
(Courtesy: Mizlala)
Cool Cocktails
Baby-faced chef Meir Adoni is one of Israel’s reigning kitchen celebs owing to his ubiquitous television presence, flagship eatery Catit, and the fun-filled Mizlala restaurant and bar. Casual, and specializing in small-plates, Mizlala is housed in a restored Bauhaus office building on buzzy Nahalat Binyamin Street. Mizlala means “pig out” in Hebrew, and Adoni’s menu pairs pan-Med comfort classics, from hearty breads to traditional kebabs, with the city’s most inventive cocktail list. Dishes are served family style along a curved wooden bar or within a spare, white-washed dining room. And while Mizlala’s newish private-label Shiraz is a must-try, mixed drinks such as sesame and date honey-spiked Halva martini are far better complements for the after-hours DJ.
Nahalat Binyamin 57
Go-to Guide
Israel’s increasingly sophisticated culinary scene is the inspiration behind local culinary expert Inbal Baum’s new firm Delicious Israel. Baum’s personalized culinary-themed walking tours offer everything from intense hummus “crawls” to day-long winery tours to culinary “safaris.”
DO
(Photo: Angela/Flickr)
Find your Roots
Jewish travelers seeking to learn about their history will swoon over the Beit Hatfutsot Diaspora Museum’s massive trove of genealogical data, extensive archives and interactive displays. Chronicling more than 3,000 years of Jewish history and heritage–in both The Holy Land and across the globe–the Museum is currently undergoing a major expansion and renovation scheduled for completion next year.
Klausner Street, Matiyahu Gate #2
Museum Must
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art got a major dose of international architecture credibility with the 2011 opening of the Herta and Paul Amir wing. Designed by Harvard University architecture professor Preston Scott Cohen and built over the course of a decade, the 200,000-square-foot concrete addition is shaped like a series of geometric boxes that subtly shift and turn upon one another to create gallery spaces showcasing the best of Israeli contemporary art and photography.
27 Shaul Hamelech Blvd
Groovy Guy Gear Sketch
Sketch is Israel’s first fashion label to specifically–and elegantly–target the nation’s under-dressed men. Founder and chief designer Yossi Katzav made his initial fashion mark in New York City, where he led DKNY’s men’s division. Now back in Israel, Sketch is a complete head-to-toe brand ranging from simple slacks and shirts to colder-weather jackets, clean-lined outerwear and even the occasional suit.
(Courtesy: Port Market)
Foodie-Favorite
The Eataly-like Port Market (Shuk HaNamal) is a labor of love from local food media queen and Slow Food aficionado Michal Ansky, who helped transform an aging hangar in Tel Aviv’s historic port into a Mediterranean-front foodie emporium. Stroll and snack past more than 15 stalls heaving with organic produce, hand-made pastas, fancy Kosher cold cuts and La Fromagerie’s 700+ varieties of cheese.
Bauhaus Bonanza
The stylish pieces filling Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus Center will make even the most novice Bauhaus fan swoon with aesthetic delight. Set in the heart of bustling Dizengoff Street, the split-level Center chronicles an entire history of the design genre, in Israel and abroad. Look for Bauhaus-related books, posters, maps and a wide range of Bauhaus-styled home accessories. Above, there’s rotating art and design exhibition.
99 Dizengoff St.
5 Things to Know
1. Tel Aviv’s 10-plus miles of beachfront make it a true Miami-on-the-Med, with a literally something-for-everyone kind of vibe. Gays (and and dog-lovers) flock to Independence Beach (just below its namesake Park); the lithe and lean head to nearby Metzizim Beach; religious folk (though never on Saturdays) to the Separated Beach; surfers and tourists, typically tan and typically French, to Gordon Beach. Further south, buskers crowd Drums Beach near the Dolfinarium nightclub, while down in Jaffa itself there’s Ajami Beach, whose placid, gin-clear waters are shared by tanners and fishermen alike.
2. Small-scale public mini-buses known as “sheruts” run along Tel Aviv’s main drags. Priced at roughly $1.50 per journey, they provide hop-on/hop-off service along designated routes much like taxis, but sharing with nine other passengers. They’re also a great way to experience Tel Aviv as Tel Avivis live it.
3. Israelis are outspoken and in-your-face–but this should not be viewed as a bad thing. Israel is a country where folks are expected to speak their mind and are rewarded accordingly. Israelis are generally warm, welcoming, and incredibly hospitable. But they’re also a nation in a hurry. You want. You ask. You receive. This is not place for the demure.
4. Bauhaus fans take note: Along with selling Bauhaus-related items, the Bauhaus Center’s curators also offer a two-hour walking tour of Tel Aviv’s Bauhaus legacy, conducted in English, Hebrew, and German.
5. Tel Aviv’s liberal atmosphere and progressive laws have made it an LGBT mecca. LGBT tourists would do well to contact Russell Lord of Kenes Tours. Not only was the Brooklyn-born Lord a literal gay pioneer in Israel, he also offers insider access to the best of Israel and the entire Middle East.
