Discover the best things to do in Tel Aviv through its restaurants, landmarks, beaches, experiences and ancient sites
Strap in, folks; it is time to fall in love with Tel Aviv. This place is a thrill-a-minute experience, from the world-class street food to the exhilarating nightlife (the two of which go together like magnet and steel). Tel Aviv is known as the ‘Nonstop City’, and nicknames don’t come more apt. Some cities claim to be 24-hour spots, but this is different; Tel Aviv is alive 26 hours a day, eight days a week.
The best things to do in Tel Aviv cover all this marvellous city has to offer, from gallery-hopping to innovative cuisine, with plenty of stops along the way. Tick off as much as you can, but don’t worry if you can’t get it all done; you’ll almost certainly return in the future.
Wander down Tel Aviv’s most beautiful tree-lined boulevard and embrace the classic Bauhaus architecture. You’ll feel like the ultimate Tel Avivian. With everything from charming cafés, incredible ice cream parlours, and lively late-night clubs to historical museums, boutique hotels and endless charming places to sit and relax, Rothschild Boulevard is the perfect central Tel Aviv spot to explore. We’ve got the low-down on the must-see sights along the infamous street.
The artfully architected museum houses the best of Israeli art, as well as new and old masters. Gracing the walls of this museum are Israel’s most comprehensive collections of modern, contemporary, and Israeli art. The museum boasts an impressive collection of the old masters, diverse temporary exhibitions, displays of photography, design & architecture, a performance hall, and a beautiful, calming sculpture garden to wander around or relax in. When visiting, don’t miss the newest addition to the museum, the Herta and Paul Amir Building, which was designed by professor Preston Scott Cohen. Built around a spiralling, 90-foot high atrium, the Herta and Paul Amir Building is an architectural wonder. The interior space provides a unique setting for displaying contemporary art, a centre for architecture, and a gallery.
Few are the areas in Tel Aviv that can produce such a concentration of fine spots for entertainment and restaurants that provide excellent culinary delights with equally great vibes. The Levinsky Market is the perfect place to refuel your pantry, body, and soul. The style of entertainment is alternative and easygoing, and the prices are always easy on the wallet. A glass of arak and a sniff of all the spices, and you are in the Levinsky State of Mind.
Being the Israeli culture hub that it is, Tel Aviv’s gallery scene has thrived in recent years. Well, Jaffa took on the challenge to prove that there’s nothing a young sister can do that her older sister can’t (already suggested by the impressive list of Jaffa restaurants). From galleries like Zadik (temporarily closed) aiming to enhance the viewer’s sensory experience to extensions of the Israeli art scene (like the Gordon Gallery) drawing from an international artist-pool, the Old City is claiming its cultural merit. Spend your weekend gallery-hopping around Jaffa – and don’t forget to refuel on Jaffa street food, offering some of the tastiest shawarma and shakshuka you’ll ever have.
By day, the Carmel Market, one of the best markets in Israel, is a carnival scene: a clash of curious tourists taking their sweet time and impatient locals just trying to buy dinner. As fish guts and fruit peels are thrown into the main street and water washes away a long day of work, the shuk becomes void of all shoppers and signs of human existence. Nightfall is when the magic happens. Nestled down the alleyways of the market are some of the best restaurants and hidden bars in Tel Aviv. Bring some friends to Carmel Street, but remember, the more on the down-low you keep these establishments, the less crowded they’ll stay.
The vibrant stretch of coastline from Jaffa in the south to Tel Aviv's port in the north awakens all the senses with a feast of colours, sights, songs, and smells. Nothing beats walking – or cycling – along the seaside promenade, breathing in the fresh, salty air of the Mediterranean. With Old Jaffa stamping the horizon to the south and the city’s skyscrapers to the north, this is the all-time best spot for people-watching and whizzing by. Sitting on a bench to watch local life unfold before your eyes with beach-goers, paddle players, sunset buskers, magicians, and more doing their thing as the waves gently crash on the shore.
There is nothing more rewarding than sitting down at a cocktail bar on Dizengoff or grabbing a beer near the Carmel Market after a long day at the office. After all, you have earned it. While the Tel Aviv nightlife scene can do major damage to your wallet, not to mention the cost of post-clubbing drunchies that creep up late at night, food and drink doesn’t have to drain your entire earnings. That is where White City happy hour deals come in – from discounted cocktails to half-off food, these Tel Aviv bars have just the thing to tie you over before a big night out or give you a reason to head home for a nap or hunker down early.
Snap your fingers, tap your feet - because Tel Aviv is alive with beautiful be-bop and cross-rhythm from the jazz genre. As we see more and more special jazz nights popping up on the regular, we have rounded up our favourites, allowing you to take a hit of the stuff any night of the week. It’s time to add some scat and sax into your life, folks.
The celebrity Israel chef that made cauliflower ‘cool again’ has developed a monopoly over the local Tel Aviv street food industry. Eyal Shani has mastered the art of taking simple Israeli ingredients and transforming them into little bites of heaven. His Miznon on King George Street has redefined the pita, and his contemporary take at HaSalon brings the best vegetables and raw materials together in a slick manner. But the food alone isn’t what keeps Shani’s Tel Aviv restaurants booming years after opening – it’s the loud and lively atmosphere, prime locations (like Port Said’s quaint spot beside the Great Synagogue on Allenby), and unique personality. Plus, with restaurants in Vienna, Paris, and even New York, the Cauliflower King is paving the way for accessible Israeli cuisine worldwide.
After just one flavourful bite of vegan-friendly greasy grub from these sabich establishments, you’ll be singing, “I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine” from the rooftops. Wondering what Sabich is? The Iraqi-inspired vegetarian street snack (less internationally known than its falafel counterpart) consists of a warm pita filled with roasted eggplant, a little bit of potato, some hard-boiled egg, creamy tahini, and unique herbs and spices. Walk down the busy streets of Tel Aviv any time of day, and you’re bound to pass at least ten shops serving up Israeli street food squeezed between chic designer boutiques and vibrant juice stands. The lines may be long at famous Tel Aviv restaurants like Frishman Sabich and Falafel Gabay, but with good reason. Grab some free pickled vegetables and some patience because we promise you, these spots are well worth the wait.
Amongst its many attributes, there is one quintessential, citycentric element of Tel Aviv - its kiosks - that just may top even some of its European counterparts, given that ours are open and active year-round. When we say kiosks, we're referring to the small wooden structures that passersby will undoubtedly notice going to and from – the pit stops are conveniently peppered across the grassy swaths of the city's wide boulevards, wafting intoxicating whiffs of freshly-brewed coffee and artisanal pastries. Some of these kiosks have progressively become landmarks and are not-to-be-missed when strolling on a lazy weekday morning or afternoon, where you can grab a quick bite and take a breather all in one blissful swoop.
There is something so whimsical about looking at old photographs; the colours (or lack thereof), the fashions and trends, the expressions of people you will never meet but who may be connected to your ancestry somehow. Thankfully, Israel's impressive progression has been well documented; The Photohouse's archives are here to prove it. First opened on Allenby Street in 1936, the Photohouse has a massive collection of negatives numbering close to a million images, and today the shop houses one of the country’s most monumental private archives of historical photographs, recounting the story of Israel's past, and bursting with nostalgia. For those searching for a unique gift, the images can be blown up into huge posters, magnets, coasters, and more. Plus, framing is also available on-site. This store is a must-visit for anyone who loves photography and history.
Only in Tel Aviv – the cultural capital of Israel – could the grandest synagogue in town also be the most happening area to grab a drink or a quick bite. With funky chef restaurants like Port Said owned by Tel Aviv street food icon Eyal Shani, the tastiest Thai food in the city, and the juiciest burger in Tel Aviv just next door on Allenby, the Great Synagogue is the focal point for a foolproof evening out. The area is all about spinning cool beats that draw the hipsters over from their Florentin cave. So come one, come all, come early, because these popular bars and restaurants around the Great Synagogue fill up fast.
The tests are complete, the results have returned, and unfortunately, your condition is serious. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news – especially after such an exhausting night of drinking down Dizengoff, barhopping along Allenby, and getting thrown out of that club on Rothschild – but, it seems you are suffering from a bad case of the ‘drunchies’. Yes, we know, it’s dreadful. You’re tired, you say? Don’t sleep now. That hangover that creeps up before a boozy morning of Israeli breakfast at one of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv will only be worse if you don’t eat something now. It’s 4a.m., and you’re hangry. Our prescription: a heavy dose of greasy pizza, hot hamburgers and anything you can fit in a pita pocket before crashing in bed or on a bench on Allenby…depending on how far you can make it (we won’t judge).
