Food · Tel Aviv · Israel
What to eat in Tel Aviv
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Tel Aviv, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ynhockey, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Start with Hummus, Sabich and Falafel. Work your way down HaCarmel Street tasting burekas, fresh juice, halva and pastries, then sit down at one of the small counters in the side lanes of the Yemenite Quarter. Many restaurants are not kosher and stay open on Shabbat; kosher places usually close from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Hummus
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 11
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected in restaurants and cafés, usually around 10–15% when service is not…
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Hummus
Served warm in a shallow bowl with olive oil, whole chickpeas, tahini and often ful or a boiled egg, scooped up with pita and raw onion. Many of the best hummus places open early and close once they sell out.
Where: Long-established counters in Jaffa and around Carmel Market; go for lunch rather than dinner.
Street food · Vegetarian
2.Sabich
A pita stuffed with fried aubergine, hard-boiled egg, tahini, chopped salad and amba, a tangy mango pickle. It comes from Iraqi Jewish Shabbat breakfasts and is now one of the city's signature street foods.
Where: Sabich stands around Frishman Street, Carmel Market and Levinsky Market.
Street food · Vegetarian
3.Falafel
Deep-fried chickpea balls stuffed into pita with salad, tahini, pickles and sometimes chips; most stands let you add your own toppings from a salad bar.
Where: Stands on Dizengoff, Allenby and King George streets and near Carmel Market.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
4.Shakshuka
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce, served in the pan with bread for dipping. Brought to Israel by North African Jewish immigrants, it is a staple of brunch menus.
Where: Cafés across the city and long-running specialists in Jaffa's flea-market streets.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
5.Israeli breakfast
A spread of eggs, chopped cucumber-and-tomato salad, soft white cheeses, labneh, olives, tahini, bread and jam, with fresh juice and coffee. Hotel breakfast buffets are famously large.
Where: Hotel buffets and cafés on Rothschild Boulevard, Basel Street and in Neve Tzedek.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
6.Jachnun
Yemenite rolled dough baked slowly overnight until dark and sweetish, eaten on Saturday mornings with grated tomato, a hard-boiled egg and zhug chilli paste.
Where: Family-run spots in Kerem HaTeimanim and stalls around Carmel Market, mainly at weekends.
Snack · Vegetarian
7.Burekas
Flaky pastry triangles or spirals filled with cheese, potato, spinach or mushroom, a legacy of Balkan and Turkish Jewish baking. Often served with a hard-boiled egg and pickles.
Where: Bakeries in Levinsky Market and the Carmel Market area.
Bakery · Vegetarian
8.Jaffa ka'ak and bagel
Long oval sesame rings sold warm from Jaffa's Arab bakeries, eaten with za'atar or with an egg and cheese inside.
Where: Bakeries on Yefet Street near the Jaffa Clock Tower, some open around the clock.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Malabi
A chilled milk pudding set with cornflour or rice flour, topped with rose-water syrup, coconut and chopped peanuts or pistachios.
Where: Street carts and dessert shops around Carmel Market and in Jaffa, especially in summer.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Knafeh
Shredded pastry or semolina layered with soft white cheese, baked, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios, eaten warm.
Where: Arab sweet shops in Jaffa, around the Clock Tower and Yefet Street.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Limonana
Frozen or iced lemonade blended with fresh mint, the default cold drink on a hot afternoon at the beach or market.
Where: Beach kiosks, juice stands at Carmel Market and almost every café.
Food experiences
Grazing Carmel Market
Work your way down HaCarmel Street tasting burekas, fresh juice, halva and pastries, then sit down at one of the small counters in the side lanes of the Yemenite Quarter.
Hummus lunch in Jaffa
Hummus is a daytime dish in Israel; join locals at a Jaffa counter around noon, then walk off lunch on the hill of Old Jaffa.
Friday-before-Shabbat buzz
Friday mornings and early afternoons are when markets, cafés and bars are busiest as the city stocks up and meets friends before Shabbat begins at sundown.
Chef-led Israeli dinner
Tel Aviv's modern restaurants serve shared plates built on market vegetables, tahini, fish and grilled meats; book ahead for Thursday and Friday nights.
Quick bites and street food
- Sabich — Sabich stands around Frishman Street, Carmel Market and Levinsky Market.
- Falafel — Stands on Dizengoff, Allenby and King George streets and near Carmel Market.
- Shakshuka — Cafés across the city and long-running specialists in Jaffa's flea-market streets.
- Israeli breakfast — Hotel buffets and cafés on Rothschild Boulevard, Basel Street and in Neve Tzedek.
- Jachnun — Family-run spots in Kerem HaTeimanim and stalls around Carmel Market, mainly at weekends.
- Burekas — Bakeries in Levinsky Market and the Carmel Market area.
- Jaffa ka'ak and bagel — Bakeries on Yefet Street near the Jaffa Clock Tower, some open around the clock.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 11 are usually vegetarian: Hummus, Sabich, Falafel, Shakshuka, Israeli breakfast, Jachnun, Burekas, Jaffa ka'ak and bagel, Malabi, Knafeh and Limonana. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many restaurants are not kosher and stay open on Shabbat; kosher places usually close from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening.
- Dinner starts late, often around 8–9pm, and Thursday is the busiest night out.
- A service charge is usually not included; check the bill before adding a tip.
- Breakfast is a serious meal here, and many cafés serve it until midday or later.
- Tap water is safe, and restaurants will bring a jug of water on request.
Tipping
Tipping is expected in restaurants and cafés, usually around 10–15% when service is not already included; taxi drivers do not expect tips.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Shalom | Hello / goodbye |
| Toda (raba) | Thank you (very much) |
| Bevakasha | Please / you're welcome |
| Slicha | Excuse me / sorry |
| Ha-heshbon, bevakasha | The bill, please |
| Shabbat shalom | Greeting for Friday and Saturday |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Tel Aviv famous for?
Hummus, Sabich, Falafel and Shakshuka. Served warm in a shallow bowl with olive oil, whole chickpeas, tahini and often ful or a boiled egg, scooped up with pita and raw onion.
+Is Tel Aviv good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Hummus, Sabich and Falafel.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Tel Aviv?
Tipping is expected in restaurants and cafés, usually around 10–15% when service is not already included; taxi drivers do not expect tips.