Best restaurants in Tel Aviv – a local’s guide!

Tel Aviv is my hometown, and even though I’m well traveled – it’s still one of my favorite cities in the whole world.

Since I always hear from colleagues and friends from abroad how great the food in Israel is (and actually, I couldn’t agree more) – I decided it’s time to share my favorite best restaurants in Tel Aviv with you.

So treat this is as a Tel Aviv food insider post – if you’re visiting right now or for your next Israel vacation. As always, I’m here for any questions! 🙂

Port Said Tel Aviv

Eyal Shani is one of the best Chef’s in Israel in my opinion, since his dishes are composed of very few ingredients, and taste absolutely delicious – simplicity is the name of the game. While he has several other restaurants, this one is my favorites, as you get 2 for the price of 1 – quality food with a fun bar atmosphere 🙂

STYLE
Mediterranean, Israeli

VIBE
Casual and fun

PROS
Fresh delicious food & great atmosphere

MUST TRY
Minute Steak, Chicken Sandwich, Oven Baked Sweet Potato, French Toast

GOOD TO KNOW
It’s not possible to make a reservation. I’d recommend going for lunch or early dinner (try to arrive before 7pm to avoid the rush). Otherwise, you may find yourself waiting in line for a long time.

Brasserie M&R Tel Aviv

If you’re in the mood for Israeli-French cuisine and want to dine in style, make sure to pay this place a visit. This restaurant has been opened since 2002 and belongs to the very successful R2M group, which own several other great places in the city, including the Coffee Bar, Hotel Montefiore and more. Come here when you want to dine in style, and get excellent service.

STYLE
Europen, French

VIBE
Stylish and classy

PROS
Well thought menu and great service

MUST TRY
Burger and Fries, Steamed Salmon, Mille-Feuille

GOOD TO KNOW
Great option for a Friday dinner, in case you’re looking for a Tel Aviv restaurant open on Shabbat, just make sure to reserve a table in advance.

Cafe Popular Tel Aviv

This is also one of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv in my opinion – just because every time I’m amazed at the variety and quality of the food. It’s fine dining with a Mediterranian, North African twist. Come here if you want to get a modern and classy interpretation of Israeli food, and enjoy a lovely dinner or weekend brunch.

STYLE
Mediterranean-Israeli bistro

VIBE
Classy and cozy

PROS
Food you wouldn’t be able to try anywhere else!

MUST TRY
Foie Gras Baklava, Fennel Tuna Sashimi, Malabi

GOOD TO KNOW
The weekend brunch! I’d claim it’s the best brunch in Tel Aviv 🙂
Fixed menu for 98 ILS (~24 EUR) with a great variety of dishes, served on Friday and Saturdays – make sure to book in advance! Here are some photos for inspiration:

The Diner by Goocha

The best place in Tel Aviv for a casual yet quality dining experience, especially if you’re in the mood for a good steak, burger or seafood. Like it’s the name, the restaurant is designed as an American diner – you can either hang out at the bar or in a seating booth (if you’re a couple I recommend the first option, it’s very cozy and the bar staff is super friendly).

STYLE
American

VIBE
Casual and friendly

PROS
Great meat and seafood selection

MUST TRY
Burger, Beef Fillet & Shrimp, Seafood Pasta, Cheesecake, any Belgian Waffle!

GOOD TO KNOW
1+1 on burgers Sunday through Thursday

Moon Sushi Bar

There is a debate on what is the best Sushi in Tel Aviv. I would argue it’s Moon – simply because every time I eat there, it’s a very pleasant experience. The quality of the sushi is very high, and there are more creative options for those of you who are bored with the good old Maki 🙂 Combine that with a stylish atmosphere and design – this is a must visit if you’re into a great Tel Aviv sushi experience.

STYLE
Japanese

VIBE
Stylish and classy

PROS
Great variety and creative dishes

MUST TRY
Subiz, Salmon Hinari (shown below)

GOOD TO KNOW
There are 2 Moon restaurants in Tel Aviv not far from one another, so if one is fully booked you can always try the other one 🙂

Brooklyn Pizza

One last tip before I go!

It doesn’t really answer to the definition of a restaurant, but I can assure you this the best Pizza in Tel Aviv. Especially recommended after a drunken night out and very good to prevent hangovers! 🙂

Brooklyn Pizza Tel Aviv

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: