eat here in tel aviv and jerusalem

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Israel on a Birthright trip last January, and whether you’re Jewish or not, I couldn’t recommend Israel more. I’ve never met smarter, more welcoming people who couldn’t be more proud to be where they’re from, and their love for their culture truly shines in the food. Yes, being on an organized trip with a program (shout-out to Shorashim!) makes it seem like it would be tough to explore on your own, but there’s still a ton of downtime, and we even extended our trip for a couple of days afterwards, mostly so I could eat, obvi. If you’re on a Birthright trip or just traveling to Israel for fun, these are the spots I loved the most in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem   

tel aviv

The Old Man & The Sea

I’m just going to let that photo speak for itself, but I do have to add that the mezze (all those little sides) and massive laffa are unlimited for a set price, so keep eating to your heart’s content. Oh, and it’s right on the harbor in Jaffa, so go during sunset if ya know what’s good for ya.  

Shuk HaCarmel (Carmel Market)

This is the largest shuk (market) in Tel Aviv. The massive marketplace is sensory overload, with mountains of candy and spices, street food galore, raw meats and fish and super fresh fruits and veggies (the produce in Israel is insane, by the way). Be on the lookout for Druze Pita, which is an insanely-delicious, thin, chewy flatbread stuffed with labneh and za’atar. The thin dough is placed on a grill called a saj, which looks like an upside-down wok. I know it doesn’t really look like much, but once you take a bite you’ll get it.

Manta Ray

Tel Aviv knows what’s up in the brunch department, and Manta Ray is the ideal spot for your friends to split several orders of shakshuka and cucumber tomato salad and eat with a 180° view of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Yaffo Tel Aviv

Owned by Chef Haim Cohen, a pioneer in shaping the high-end restaurant industry in Tel Aviv, Yaffo is just as inventive as it is beautiful. If you’re looking for a high-end meal in Tel Aviv, it’s one of the best in the city. I don’t normally like steak tartare, but this one, served surrounding a piece of roasted bone marrow, is a dish that has stuck out to me ever since. The contrast between the hot, buttery bone marrow mixed into the cold chunks of steak was crazy good.  

jerusalem

Mahane Yehuda Market (“The Shuk”)

This is the largest shuk in Jerusalem, and certainly a must-see in the city. Like Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, it really hits all the senses and you can find the same usuals from street food to pastries to spices galore. Mahane definitely felt like a combo of old-school and new-school, which is what makes Jerusalem so beautifully unique. 

Marzipan Bakery

One word: RUGELACH. This well-known bakery, located near the hustle and bustle of Mahane Yehuda Market, has tons of freshly-baked goodies, but you’re there for the chocolate rugelach. This rugelach isn’t like the crunchy dessert we know in the states. This ooey gooey rugelach was warm and literally oozing chocolate. I got an entire container of it, of course. 

Ishbatach

The religious diversity in Jerusalem is so palpable in the food, and one of my favorite places we went to was a Syrian spot just a couple of blocks from the market. I had never had Syrian food before, and I couldn’t have been more stoked. Ishbatach specializes in making shamburak, a Kurdish-Syrian pastry with a filling cooked in a wood-fired oven. Fillings ranged from fork-tender brisket to stewed chicken to roasted sweet potatoes, and these were so delicious. This place didn’t have an Instagram geotag in English, so if you want to take a look, use this: אִישטָבָח). 

Café Kadosh

This adorable wine bar felt like I was on the streets of Paris. It was a nice change of scenery, and honestly, what more can you want than wine and baked goods?