Last update: 29.11.25
Everyone knows that although our city sits on the sea, and despite the glorious history of Jaffa’s fishermen, Tel Aviv has never really been a fish city. The great leap in our local culinary scene came at a time when fresh fish from the sea and its other fruits had already become very expensive raw materials, and the common folk were left with pond fish and frozen seafood. But the dramatic jump in the price of quality meat in recent years has smoked the cost of fish right out of the picture, and now that even a plate of charred kohlrabi costs 60 shekels, fish is no longer the priciest indulgence in town. With the addition of no fewer than four successful restaurants whose menus are based on fish,Time Out’s writers went out to refresh the list of the very best fish restaurants in Tel Aviv, and here it is.

>> מדגדג לנו בפה: 18 מסעדות הדגים הכי מומלצות בתל אביבhttps://timeout.co.il/%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%A2%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%93%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%AA%D7%9C-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%91/

Manara

Facing the view of Frishman Beach and against a backdrop of works by Israeli artists hanging on the walls, Manara offers a kosher menu (pricey, but not unusual by fine‑dining standards) based on fish and fresh vegetables prepared in a variety of ways. Grouper cigars and sea bass in pastis butter will delight the palates of fish lovers and sea‑view fans. The place also offers a business lunch and a particularly tempting happy hour.
115 HaYarkon (Sheraton Hotel), Tel Aviv, reservations

Fish with a sea view. Manara (photo: Assaf Karela)

HaShahaf

A cute antithesis to the chic fish restaurants scattered around the city has recently set up shop on the fringes of Levinsky Market, on the way to Park HaMesila. At HaShahaf you won’t find ceviche and tartare with yuzu and micro‑leaves, but fried and grilled fish, seafood and salads – absolutely. The vibe is easygoing and unpretentious, with food served on industrial stainless‑steel tables under the open sky, like in European seaside towns or the no‑frills fish joints of the ’90s. It’s recommended to order fried red mullet and ouzo, eat with your hands and give thanks for what you’ve got.
22 Herzl, corner of Simtat HaBad, Tel Aviv (Park HaMesila)

“HaShahaf”. Photo: Shahar Segal

Chakuli

If the area of the former Dolphinarium is now the crown of Tel Aviv’s beachfront, Chakuli is the diamond that shines from afar. The new restaurant from Guy Gamzo’s group (Helena and Chez Vivie, which will appear shortly) is housed in the clean, modest building of the new water‑sports center and opens a window onto the Mediterranean and all the good things it brings to the table. In the aging fridge and display counter, beautiful fish and seafood doze, which chef Yarden Shai translates into raw, fried and grilled dishes that go perfectly with the light wine the restaurant is named after. If you’re thinking of going, you’d better book now, because with that view and that sea breeze, Chakuli is shaping up to be the it‑girl of the summer.
3 Herbert Samuel, Tel Aviv (Dolphinarium Beach)

The it‑girl of the summer. Chakuli (photo: Chaim Yosef)

Bar Barbunya

For several years now, the legendary owner Ezra Marmelstein z”l has no longer been with us, but Barbunya is alive and kicking. When you get the urge to demolish fried fish and seafood and wash it all down with a cold beer, this iconic bar has no competition. A Tel Aviv institution that has survived wars and crises and deserves all the respect.
192 Ben Yehuda, Tel Aviv

Bar Barbunya (photo: Anatoly Michaelo)

Chez Vivie

We were first exposed to chef Assaf Gabay’s skill with fish and seafood at the wonderful restaurant Sheine, and were seriously bummed when it closed. Luckily, he teamed up with chef Guy Gamzo (Helena, Chakuli) as the acting chef of Chez Vivie and upgraded the likable brasserie to the level of an excellent fish restaurant. Anything you put your finger on in the menu is perfectly executed – especially the sashimi, tartare, ceviche and other raw dishes, but the bisque and mussels are also among the best of their kind. The sea creatures star alongside boutique cheeses and fresh vegetables at the new and very fun brunch, which cements Chez Vivie’s status as a truly local restaurant, far from Dizengoff’s tourist traps (when there are tourists, that is).
166 Dizengoff, Tel Aviv

It’s hard to describe how good this is. Fish tartare and brown butter, Chez Vivie (photo from Instagram vivietlv)

Shila

Aside from the name, the reputation and the aquarium of live lobsters, Shila Montefiore is a completely new creation – more sophisticated and far more impressive than the version that operated for 19 years on Ben Yehuda. Try it and see for yourselves and tell us how it was, because for us it’s still on the wish list, but it’s safe to assume the high standard has been maintained.
9 Montefiore, Tel Aviv

Prettier and more sophisticated. Shila Montefiore (photo: Assaf Karela)

Abie

Chef Avishag Levi already dazzled back in season four of “Game of Chefs”, but the partnership with chef Assaf Doktor at Abie amplifies her connection to locality, seasonality and creativity. Fish and seafood gleaming with freshness, vegetables and herbs (preferably foraged or sourced nearby) are served as they are, or thrown onto an open flame and plated with minimal fuss. A pose‑free place with wonderful food that, in season two of “The Chef”, stole the show even from Gal Toren.
16 Lincoln, Tel Aviv

No pose. Abie (photo from Instagram @abie.restaurant)

Batshon

In terms of price versus value, it’s hard to find a more justified deal in the city than Batshon. This food bar, the reincarnation of an old Jaffa fish shop, cuts out the middlemen and offers fresh fish and seafood in dishes that flatter them – no unnecessary frills, but with tons of respect and attention, including to the pricing. It’s worth consulting the waiters, and with the change you’ve got left, order a bottle of wine at store prices.
29 Carlebach, Tel Aviv

Calamari, pkaila and chorizo. Batshon (photo: Sharon Ben‑David)

Joseph & Sons

Half‑stall, half‑joint, continuing the strong street‑food tradition on Ibn Gabirol with dishes that are a joy to wolf down on the go – like fish and chips and a juicy cod burger in a bun brushed with aioli. Light, tasty and simple, because not everything has to be made into a big deal (even on Passover – thank you for choosing to keep working as usual).
10 Malchei Yisrael, Tel Aviv

Derby Fish Bar

Another veteran institution that proves that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: the meal starts with a table‑filling spread of salads and dips, followed by fish baked in the oven or done on the grill. You can pick out a few pasta or meat dishes from the menu for those less into the concept, but fish is the main thing and it’s best to focus on that. The location tucked behind Ramat Aviv Mall is a bit of a bummer, but the simplicity and nostalgia – priceless.
43 Brodetsky, Tel Aviv (Ramat Aviv)

Winning nostalgia. Derby Fish Bar (photo from Facebook)

HaCarmel 40

Don’t let appearances fool you, because this tiny fish spot puts Carmel Market in the same league as La Boqueria, Borough Market and other renowned food markets around the world. Chef Elad Amitai gets a fresh supply of fish from the adjacent shop of Rustum the Fisherman and serves them raw or, at most, lightly seared on the plancha. With a few vegetables from nearby stalls he creates dishes that have already entered the local pantheon – first and foremost the fisherman’s sandwich, but honestly, every dish here is a party in your mouth.
40 HaCarmel, Tel Aviv (Carmel Market)

HaCarmel 40 (photo: Yaakov Blumenthal)

Manta Ray

Since Ofra and Avi Ganor decided to open a restaurant on a neglected patch of land between Tel Aviv and Jaffa, the view has changed beyond recognition. What hasn’t changed at all is the legendary seafood pot and the terrace with the most beautiful panorama in the city. Anywhere else in the world they’d declare it a heritage site and a landmark of the local culinary scene. Right now it’s undergoing major renovations and is expected to return to us better than ever this coming winter.
4 Nahum Goldman, Tel Aviv (Alma Beach)

The pot of all pots. Seafood casserole at Manta Ray (photo: Avi Ganor)

Milgo & Milbar

This is not, strictly speaking, a fish restaurant, but on Milgo & Milbar’s menu you can fish out some of the best fish dishes in town. For example, a croquette of raw fish with preserved‑lemon aioli, plump oysters and delicately cured fish with cherry tomatoes and peperoncino. And with a glass of wine or a cocktail alongside, you might say that an evening here has real therapeutic value.
142 Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv

Shrimp does wonders for your health. Milgo & Milbar (photo: Bar Cohen)

Merloza

In the reality the restaurant industry operates in, building a restaurant based solely on fish is an act that borders on insanity. None of this scares chef Dor Even and his partner, manager Mor Hazan, because together they’ve weathered it all: the whole Carmel Market mess, corona, operations and wars. In its new home of about a year and a half, Merloza continues to keep the cheerful market vibe, but everything else – from the kitchen to the service – is more serious and professional. New dishes have been added to the menu, strengthening its grip on the sea, and yes, the fried sea bass wing with green‑garlic aioli still stars at the top of the city’s fish‑wing dishes.
24 Lilienblum, Tel Aviv

A fish is not a bird. Fish wing, Merloza (photo: People Photography)

Fishop

No flash, no showboating – just a blazing plancha where shrimp, mussels, calamari and other beloved critters, plus fish of course, get a quick toss: this fish bar from Harel Belo (Sitara, Metzitzim, Baranza) and Ziko the Fisherman recalls stalls in overseas food markets – you come, eat well and go, or sit down with a glass of wine. Easy and uncomplicated, no tricks and gimmicks.
3 Kalman Magen, Tel Aviv (Sarona Market)

Selas

A fisherman really loves fish: chef Or Ginzberg and the sea have a love story that began long before his win on “MasterChef”. The annual filleting show he puts on has become a tradition, but throughout the rest of the year too, fish take center stage at Salas. Ahead of tuna season it’s worth following Ginzberg on Instagram and coming in for a tasting menu – an awesome parade of bites that do the royal fish proud. In our eyes this is one of the most justified investments in terms of both time and money.
6 Rabbi Tanhum, Jaffa (Flea Market)

Captain Hook

Still in the Flea Market, but in a completely different style – a street joint that just begs for a cold beer and fish and chips or fried calamari. During happy hour (Monday-Thursday, 17:00-19:00) prices are slashed by 20 percent and the deal becomes even sweeter. Clip and save for August.
13 Ami’ad, Jaffa (Flea Market)

Fish and chips. Captain Hook (photo: from Instagram)

Shtsupak

Last but not least on our list is Shtsupak, the veteran fish restaurant that’s been rooted in north Ben Yehuda for three decades now. With the same table‑opening spread and the same décor, the restaurant delivers the goods with the charm and modesty that have stuck with it since the ’90s. The menu has barely changed over the years and is centered on fried and grilled fish and seafood. It’s worth keeping an eye on the Asian dishes – a “novelty” introduced by the head chef and his wife, both of Filipino origin, who have been running the kitchen for more than 20 years. There are things that don’t change, and it’s a good thing.
256 Ben Yehuda, Tel Aviv, reservations

Scallops in butter, garlic and cream. Shtsupak (photo: Shay Naiburg)

• Food and drinks https://timeout.co.il/topic/food-and-drinks/
• אוכלים שותים https://timeout.co.il/topic/%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9b%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%a9%d7%95%d7%aa%d7%99%d7%9d/