It’s expensive – so expensive – in this city, and dear to us are all its restaurants. In fact, even the “cheap” restaurants in town have become pretty expensive overall. And when that’s the reality you’re dealing with, you start talking about VFM – Value For Money – to tell the difference between those who are simply robbing us, and those who at least try to give good value for every shekel you spend with them, without compromising too much on quality. Now that every shekel counts, that’s what matters.

>> הכסף שלכם שווה יותר: 13 המסעדות הכי משתלמות בתל אביב

1. Gurkha Kitchen

“An incredible restaurant at a ridiculous price,” our critic wrote when first discovering this Nepalese-Indian spot, which will take you straight back to the post-army trip – with the smells, the flavors, the simplicity, and the modest total you’ll leave at the end – and it’s still accurate. You can flood the table with absurd amounts of food and leave a great meal feeling like they didn’t tear your wallet apart – priceless.
What to eat:Chicken Tikka (55 NIS), Beef Noodles (40 NIS), and plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans.
Rosh Pina 16, Tel Aviv

2. Gogo’s Grill Bar

“Everything is insanely expensive and we want to try to break the market,” the owners of Gogo’s Grill Bar told us at opening. Since then, the cost of living has gone off the rails and led to unavoidable price increases, but despite everything, it remains one of the best-value places in the city.
What to eat:Turkey thigh skewer/kebab/chicken livers/hearts (28 NIS).
Allenby 47, Tel Aviv

3. Guido

True, since opening the prices at this great-value Italian spot have gone up a bit, but there’s still no need to hesitate before walking in and attacking the menu. For a generous pasta plate and a glass of wine, you’ll get change from 100 – and in Tel Aviv, that’s a real find.
What to eat:Eggplant Parmigiana (46 NIS), Pasta Ziti (48-75 NIS) and Tiramisu (46 NIS) – everything Carmela would serve.
Ben Gurion 34, Tel Aviv

4. Batshon

In a world where fish costs as much as meat and sometimes more – welcome to Tel Aviv – Batshon is still an island of financial sanity. Cutting out the middlemen between the fisherman and your plate guarantees not only maximum freshness, but also fair pricing with no tricks. Add store-price wine and you’ve got a winning deal.
What to eat:Crispy Fish Slider (62 NIS), whole fish on the plancha (76 NIS), plus specials and deals at lunch and during happy hour.
Carlebach 29, Tel Aviv

5. Taqueria

Mexican food is supposed to be cheap and tasty, and at Taqueria they do everything they can to stick to that – despite avocado prices and municipal taxes. You can roll up to the casual spot on Levontin (and its little sibling in Yad Eliyahu) in flip-flops, quickly eat a solid burrito or taco with no unnecessary fuss, pay and go – or just order delivery. And still, it’s one of the best Mexican spots in town, serving fun, hefty Tex-Mex and a proper frozen margarita.
What to eat:Nachos (55 NIS), Carnitas Burrito (57 NIS), Frozen Margarita (34 NIS).
Levontin 28, Niriyim 1, Tel Aviv

6. Ahan Thai

Carmel Market is fertile ground for Thai restaurants – a blessed phenomenon by any measure. Ahan Thai does a great job recreating, in the most expensive city in the world, Bangkok street-food culture in all its forms – heat, casualness, and authenticity (the owner and family members cook and serve) – and the price is an extra bonus.
What to eat:Pad Krapow (55 NIS), Stir-fried chicken and noodles (55 NIS).
Yishkon 45, Tel Aviv

7. WABI

At opening, chef Dean Shoshani promised to be the McDonald’s of Japanese food. In real life – and especially compared to other Japanese places in the city, in terms of investment and quality – that statement kind of proves itself, because even at McDonald’s there isn’t a dish that costs 23 NIS. Now he just needs to bring back the jiggly cheesecake and add deliveries, and Tel Aviv will have its redeemer.
What to eat:Sea grape seaweed salad (23 NIS), Katsu Sando (35 NIS), Ramen (60–65 NIS).
De Pijotto 23, Tel Aviv

8. Saluma

At first glance you’ll see only a tiny spot tucked away on dug-up Ben Yehuda Street, but this little place pulls magnificent Georgian baked goods out of a big taboon, with a twist from the immediate surroundings. The fact that it’s entirely run by women only adds to the charm and appeal.
What to eat:Acharuli with sheep cheeses and truffle honey (55 NIS), cheese khinkali (42 NIS).
Ben Yehuda 32, Tel Aviv

9. Shoko Lulu

If you focus only on pasta – and that’s the right thing to do at an Italian restaurant – it’s hard to compete with Shoko Lulu’s menu. Even if you add chicken (10 NIS) and shrimp (15 NIS). At lunch, the deal is even better: starter, main, and a drink for the price of the main, and alcohol for 18 NIS. There’s nothing like it – literally.
What to eat:all spaghetti dishes for 48 NIS.
Vital 3, Tel Aviv

10. Abu Hassan

Do we really need to explain?
What to eat:the best hummus in the city and maybe in the entire Middle East. 28 NIS—and say thank you.
HaDolphin 1, Shivtei Yisrael 14, Jaffa

11. El Mano

For the brave who aren’t afraid to step into Neve Sha’anan: this gem of a Vietnamese-Philippine restaurant will feed you the abundance of the diverse cuisine of the Asian foreign-worker mix—at prices that will remind you of a village trip. The vibe is, of course, accordingly—so is the authenticity of the food, which in its required simplicity will blow your mind. You’ll still be in Neve Sha’anan at the end, but at least you’ll be full.
What to eat:spicy crispy wontons filled with tender chicken with a crazy sweet-spicy sauce (40 NIS), Sisig—crispy pork belly in a spicy sauce (60 NIS), and plenty of dishes that can easily make a fantastic meal for two for under 200 NIS.
Yesod HaMa’ala 46, Tel Aviv

12. Port 19

Listen for a second: a hot dog is dirt-cheap food, and even though you need to pay extra for a good one, Port 19’s hit the sweet spot – 33 NIS gets you a quality, filling (for a hot dog) sausage by Alan Talmor with special seasoning, house pickled cabbage, excellent mustard, and crispy onion bits.
What to eat:Irish lamb sausage seasoned with gentle ginger, coriander seeds and marjoram; veal sausage with garlic, pepper, nutmeg and cheddar; Italian beef sausage seasoned with oregano, thyme, rosemary and fennel.
Shlomo HaMelech 2, HaHashmonaim 95, Herzl 20, Tel Aviv

13. Falafel Ratzon

Some will argue that falafel is a snack to grab on the go, but to us, it’s absolutely a meal. For 9 shekels – the cheapest portion in the city by far – there’s no argument to be had.
King George 17, Tel Aviv

• Food and drinks
• אוכלים שותים

There is never a time when the sea of Tel Aviv’s dining scene is calm. Waves come, waves go, but one island of stability always remains standing – Italian food. And no wonder: this very basic cuisine lets us create classic versions, special variations or crazy fusions, and Tel Aviv is definitely making full use of the possibilities. We’ve rounded up recommended Italian restaurants for anyone dreaming of pasta, bruschetta, lasagna or just a good pizza. The Time Out picks.

>>כל המאמא מיה הזה: המסעדות האיטלקיות הכי מומלצות בתל אביב

1. Taverna Romana

At Taverna Romana, chef Bentsi Arbel has managed to open a down-to-earth, cheerful spot with a fun, unpretentious vibe, fair prices and Italian dishes you won’t necessarily find anywhere else, except maybe in Italy. For example, pizza tonda – flat and super-thin in a distinctly Roman style, fried and stretchy carbonara supplì, gnocchi alla Romana and more excellent, generous fresh pastas.
8 Eliezer Kaplan St, Tel Aviv

2. Cucina Hess 4

It’s almost a pity that Tamar Cohen-Tzedek joined the judging panel of “Game of Chefs,” because ever since she became a celebrity chef everyone recognizes, it’s a nightmare to get a table. The magic of Cucina Hess, “Hess 4” for the veterans among us, comes from the gap between grimy Allenby Street and the white tablecloths, the romance and the classic Italian kitchen in its most distilled form, without a word about fusion. After being shattered by an Iranian missile and quickly coming back to life, it’s now celebrating 20 years as we speak. Here’s to another 20 like that, minus the missile if possible.
4 Hess St, Tel Aviv

3. Capara Mio

The first herald of the Italian phase chef Bentsi Arbel has entered, whose passion for Italy shows in every suppli and fried pizza – and once the plates land one after another on the table, you can’t help but pounce. Handmade pasta, olive oil and sweet sun tomatoes are combined in dishes that seem nonchalant but are honed down to the last shaving of Parmesan, all against a backdrop of soot and buses. The most Naples you can get in Tel Aviv.
105 King George St, Tel Aviv

4. Magazzino

Cafe Italia’s longstanding status is secure, but its heart is with Magazzino, the wild little child of the Yerzin brothers. In a rough, sexy space facing a roaring open kitchen you can devour starters and salads, pizzas and pastas executed meticulously down to the last flake of Parmesan. The staff is well trained in dealing with little kids running between the chairs with a pizza slice in hand and plastering themselves against the dizzying dessert vitrine, so if that’s your normal too, this is the perfect place for you.
21 Menachem Begin Rd, Tel Aviv

5. Cafe Italia

What can we say that hasn’t already been said about Cafe Italia? A real trattoria by the book, with excellent Italian dishes that never age, professional, skilled service and a rock-solid option for any family meal. It’s always fun, always Italian and always tasty at Cafe Italia. Superb pastas and especially generous portions made for sharing, crisp, blazing-hot focaccia, fresh salads and a one-of-a-kind tiramisu that, we’ve heard, people come from Italy to eat.
6 Yona Karmentzki St, Tel Aviv

6. Cicchetti

If you call it a bar, it will answer, but Cicchetti is in fact a wonderful Italian restaurant. The bar and open kitchen tempt you to order one plate after another, sip Campari and see for yourself that when the ingredients are good – as in Italy – the real trick is to let them speak for themselves and go with whatever they offer you. Pleasure guaranteed.
58 Yehuda Halevi St, Tel Aviv

7. Rustico

The veteran, beloved Rustico group does exactly what you expect from a decent trattoria: give guests a feeling of home, a menu that sticks to familiar flavors and fair prices. We found here a juicy, steaming, sexy lasagna, like Sophia Loren in her day.
15 Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv // 42 Basel St, Tel Aviv

8. Kiosk Del Pasta

Kiosk Del Pasta opened about a year ago and immediately won our hearts. Granted, carbs alone are enough to win us over, but in this case we’re talking about truly good carbs. Fresh pasta dishes in cheerful sauces such as linguine sardina with olive oil, sardines, lemon and tomatoes; linguine cacio e pepe by the book; excellent carbonara with real bacon; and a spicy, boldly flavored arrabbiata. It’s fun to sit there and sip a well-priced cocktail, share a bottle of wine and finish with tiramisu.
20 Ibn Gabirol St, Tel Aviv

9. Gemma

The location is Jaffa, everything else is Italy: antipasti and insalate, pizza and pasta, secondi and bambini (the dishes, not the kids themselves) in a neighborhood atmosphere. Oh, and there’s also real bacon.
14 Tirza St, Tel Aviv

10. La Tigra

Some might bristle at including a pizzeria in a list of Italian restaurants, but we maintain that while La Tigra does serve pizzas, it has turned the whole experience on its head. Beyond the fact that the leopard-spotted Neapolitan pies coming out of the oven here are a serious contender for the title of best pizza in the city (and in our humble opinion, the winner), the aperitivo here is among the best deals around, and the vibe is that of a street restaurant in Florence. It doesn’t get more Italian than that.
9 Yedidya Frenkel St, Tel Aviv

11. Gusto

“A pleasant Italian restaurant, complete with the cliché of checkered tablecloths, that doesn’t try to overreach but promises you’ll leave full and smiling – and absolutely keeps its word. Add reasonable prices and a killer location and you get one of the best neighborhood restaurants Tel Aviv has to offer,” wrote our critic. And a successful neighborhood restaurant is nothing to sneeze at, especially when it’s located in perpetually dug-up Rabin Square.
90 Frishman St, Tel Aviv

12. Amore Mio

Call us nostalgic romantics – Amore Mio deserves a warm corner in Tel Aviv’s heart. A huge menu of pizzas and an even bigger one of pastas, reasonable prices and a trattoria atmosphere have been drawing regulars here for more than 20 years. And besides, every city needs a restaurateur with a big heart like Shlomi Salmon’s.
100 Ibn Gabirol St, Tel Aviv

13. Guido

As part of the renewed boom of Italian cuisine in wartime, Guido turns out pasta dishes truly meant for sharing, at prices we’d forgotten existed, and in general it’s a place that will send you out full and purring. With the understanding that Italian food also means Italian-American food, Guido knows how to bring the gangster dishes from the movies to life – and what’s good for Tony Soprano and the Goodfellas is very good for us too.
34 Ben Gurion Blvd, Tel Aviv

14. Ernesto

Red-and-white checkered tablecloths, candles and small inviting tables are waiting for you at Ernesto to the sounds of romantic Italian music playing in the background. Almost thirty years have turned the restaurant into a legend, together with the owner sitting at the front of the room, jotting notes in a little notebook like a proper Italian padrone. And on the menu? All the essentials, from zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta (in season), through excellent lasagna Bolognese, to good meats and great pastas cooked with a lot of love. And of course, there’s the dessert vitrine.
90 Ben Yehuda St, Tel Aviv

15. TOMETOMATO/LAVA

The pasta con artist, a.k.a. Tal Rashkesky, swings in dizzying extremes between being a pesky troll (hi, Guy Zohar) and a talented chef. We’ll leave the exact diagnosis to his therapist, but one thing’s for sure: the man knows how to cook. And he cooks more than he annoys, which is why we’ll keep standing in line and grumbling about the opening hours, the rain and the war. The world is an annoying place.
26 Washington Blvd, Tel Aviv // 7 Beit HaBad Alley, Tel Aviv

16. Pronto

In his 13 years at Pronto, David Frankel took it to realms far beyond Italy – to the point that it even dropped off this list – but since he left at the end of last year and was replaced by chef Ido Samuel Cohen, the restaurant has come back right on time for an Italian renaissance. Since then there’s been more upheaval, with the Bar 51 group of chef Moshiko Gamlieli coming in and more talk of a change in direction, but we want to believe that even after the renovation and shift, it will keep the feel of a longstanding institution that knows how to change without losing who it is.
7 Herzl St, Tel Aviv

17. Toto

This one is no longer entirely Italian either: it serves classic food in a tremendous, if slightly old-school, execution, and it’s very expensive – but chef Yaron Shalev is behind some of the best pasta dishes in the country. This list wouldn’t be complete without him.
4 Berkowitz St, Tel Aviv

• Food and drinks
• אוכלים שותים

While we’re still arguing here at home over whether the most Israeli food is hummus or falafel, abroad the perception of Israeli cuisine is more complex. Even as Israel-haters try to undermine the nature of the local kitchen and dismiss it as mere copying, in practice the Israeli chefs we send out into the world define it as perfect – a bit of everything with a sprinkle of Mediterranean spice. The range of food in Israeli chefs’ restaurants abroad runs along the same diaspora-style spectrum as our local cuisine, sharpened by the chefs’ talent to suit foreign palates exactly. And they eat it up – oh, how they eat it up. So with all due respect to our delicious representatives at sea, here is a list of 14 Israeli chefs enjoying the most success overseas.

>> שגרירים של הצלחת: 14 השפים הישראלים שהכי מצליחים בחו"ל

Eyal Shani

The restaurant conglomerate built by Chef Eyal Shani and director Shahar Segal, his partner in the “The Better Guys” group, is taking over the world – no less. You can snack on Miznon pitas in world capitals from Paris to Singapore and all the way to Melbourne, and of course across Europe, which has fallen head over heels for the Master Chef judge. In New York you’ll find the thriving Port Sa’id Lower Manhattan, Shmone in the East Village, which made it into the extended list of the New York Michelin Guide, North, which combines elements of North Abraxas and Miznon; and HaSalon, whose furious review by a critic who paid 24 dollars for a tomato made waves all the way back to Tel Aviv – but also earned it serious acclaim. What else is on the roster? HaSalon Miami, North Singapore and Dubai, Seven North in Vienna with branches coming soon in Prague and London, Bella in the glitzy resort town of Cannes, and Lilienblum in London, which is getting rave reviews – with another fine-dining restaurant on the way in the luxury Williamsburg Wharf complex in Brooklyn. To list all the group’s ventures you’d really need a dedicated Wikipedia entry, so if we forgot something, apologies in advance.

Assaf Granit

As much of a superstar as he is in Israel, Assaf Granit’s truly major achievement is overseas: winning a Michelin star for his Paris restaurant Shabour for the fifth year in a row. His other restaurants have yet to receive the honor, but Granit has more than enough platforms racing full speed toward excellence: the high-end Coal Office, Palomar and The Barbary in London; Kapara, Shana and Tekés in Paris; Berta in Berlin; Baba in ultra-upscale Cap d’Antibes; and Sella on the Caribbean island of St. Barths, where multimillionaires escape when reality gets too exhausting. Granit is also the chef for El Al Airlines, and from what we’ve heard, the food he creates for business class is quite an experience. We recommend it.

Gal Ben-Moshe

For five years in a row, Berlin’s Prism has held a Michelin star, an achievement entirely credited to Chef Gal Ben-Moshe and his wife and partner, sommelier Jacqueline (Jacky) Lorenz. Since being appointed chef of Pastel in Tel Aviv, Ben-Moshe has been juggling his time between Tel Aviv and Berlin, and recently he even opened Grace inside Pastel – an intimate chef’s restaurant where he lets himself go wild with thrilling, experimental dishes in a full-on Michelin spirit.

Gilad Peled

Aside from Moshik Roth, there is only one Israeli who holds two Michelin stars. Our very long-time readers may remember Chef Gilad Peled from the short-lived luxury restaurant Pushkin on Montefiore Street in Tel Aviv, but since then he’s launched an international career, served as head chef at Gordon Ramsay’s fine-dining restaurants in London, and even earned two Michelin stars for him with the restaurant Le Pressoir d'Argent. About a year later, Peled left for Switzerland and opened Colonnade in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the city of Lucerne. Four months after the restaurant opened, Peled received his first Michelin star, and this past October came the second. Finally, something good happening in that month.

Matan Zaken

Until last March, few Israelis had heard the name Matan Zaken, who at just 31 managed to win a Michelin star for his restaurant NHome in Paris. Zaken was born in Jerusalem and lived there until age 12, when he moved with his family to France. At 18 he returned to Israel, served as a Golani combat soldier, and after his discharge went back to Paris to fulfill his dream and become a chef. In his restaurant he combines haute gastronomy with Mediterranean cuisines, especially Israeli cooking, borrows elements from Japanese cuisine, and wraps it all up in French elegance reinforced with Israeli joie de vivre.

Uri Scheft

When the owner of beloved Lehamim Bakery opened a New York stand selling babka and challah, the whole city lined up and got hooked on the carbs. These days Scheft focuses his work on Bakey bakery in Boston and other cities in Massachusetts. As long as he keeps working in Israel, the Americans will just have to make do with what they have.

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

In the current climate it’s hard to imagine an Israeli-Palestinian partnership, but chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi broke through the boundaries of Israeli cuisine and conquered London back in the early 2000s. Today they own no fewer than seven establishments in London, including the chef’s restaurant Nopi and the vegetarian restaurant Rovi, plus a restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ottolenghi brand, with its branches and catering arm, is still hugely successful, and the cookbooks the two have written are considered bibles of Mediterranean cooking.

Michael Solomonov

If the name doesn’t ring a bell, there’s no need to feel bad – but you really should know it. Michael Solomonov is the most successful Israeli chef in the United States and a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award. He was born in Israel, grew up in Pittsburgh, came back to Israel at 18 and started working in a bakery, then returned to the US to study cooking professionally. In 2008 he opened Zahav, an Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia that earned him the coveted James Beard Award. These days, to taste Solomonov’s food you’ll need to get to Brooklyn, to the restaurants K’Far and Laser Wolf, and to the cocktail and raw food bar Jaffa.

Shahaf Shabtai

Long before his televised beef with Nisan Shor on “Come Dine with Me,” Chef Shahaf Shabtai was rubbing shoulders with global celebritydom. He opened restaurants in Prague, Belgrade, Rhodes and Cambodia, worked in Moscow, Casablanca and New York, and served as chef for El Al. Today he hops between his restaurants in Shanghai and London with a small suitcase and a toothbrush, and comes back regularly to his home base, Pope & Pop in Tel Aviv.

Yoav Schverd

If you’re old enough to remember him from “Take Me Sharon,” it’s a sign your gray cells are still working just fine. Since that 2003 dating reality show, Schverd has moved to Los Angeles, started a family and opened three restaurants, in all of which he’s a partner and in one of which he’s the active chef. The Kardashians and Avril Lavigne have already been spotted nibbling his dishes at private dinners – a detail that seriously boosts the stock of this handsome chef.

Einat Admony

Ask New Yorkers about Israeli chefs and they immediately name Einat Admony. The Israeli chef has been cooking in the Big Apple for more than 20 years and currently owns Balaboosta. Under the definition “modern Israeli restaurant drawing inspiration from Persian and Yemeni kitchens,” the menu offers hummus and zhug, shrimp kadaif, falafel-crusted salmon and cauliflower with peanut tahini and Bamba. Shuk, the cookbook Admony wrote together with publisher Janna Gur, was described by TV and culinary personality Gail Simmons as “direct, in-depth and exploding with color and flavor.”

Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich

Chefs Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich met while working for the Italian chain Giraffe in Israel, then moved to London to work in Yotam Ottolenghi’s restaurants. A lot of water has flowed down the Thames since then, and the couple’s career has taken off. Today they own three Honey & Co. locations – the fine-dining restaurant where it all began, the Honey & Spice deli and the Honey & Smoke grill house – as well as four cookbooks and baking books spanning the Middle East and the Levant.

Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich (photo: from Instagram @honeyandco)

Meir Adoni

As of 2025, all that remains of Chef Meir Adoni’s former restaurant empire are Layla in Berlin, Samna in Spain, and some not-exactly-brilliant or profound opinions from the far-right end of the political spectrum. So passes worldly glory. Still, we remember Adoni fondly for the graces of his youth – and for the perfect “brain croissant” at Mizlala.

Alon Shaya

At age four, when he emigrated with his family from Bat Yam to the United States, Alon Shaya could hardly have imagined that a few decades later he would win a James Beard Award for his restaurant Shaya as the best new restaurant in America. Today he is no longer part of the restaurant that bears his name, but Shaya is still very much alive and kicking, with Miss River and Saba in New Orleans, Safta in Denver, and Silan in the Bahamas. You can probably imagine the style yourself – from baba ghanoush and muhammara to chicken in harissa.

• Food and drinks
• אוכלים שותים

In English it’s called happy hour, in Spain it’s aperitivo, but we call it an excellent excuse to drink and eat at more reasonable prices. Many Tel Aviv restaurants are looking for ways to bring in people, and the people are looking for ways to enjoy eating out without ending up in debt to National Insurance. This rolling list is living proof that there are good discounts in Tel Aviv, if you just know the right place at the right time. Looking for where to eat on the cheap in Tel Aviv? Right here, this place, this time.

>>האפי האוור: 25 השעות השמחות הכי משתלמות במסעדות בתל אביב

1. Milgo & Milbar

Eating at Milgo & Milbar with a 20% discount is nothing short of an end-of-days vision. And considering the end really does feel close, getting to eat at an excellent restaurant for a really not-bad price has also basically come true. Every evening the restaurant is open, from Sunday to Saturday, during twilight hours you’ll find a golden opportunity to sample the wonderful food of Moti Titman at a great price. At the same time, all the alcohol (including bottles of wine) is on a 1+1 deal, so we’re pretty sure someone said you’re obligated to order the ziti pasta with shrimp and get properly tipsy on Chablis, and that someone was probably us. Don’t forget to finish with a dreamlike crêpe Suzette.
When:Sun-Sat, 18:00-19:00
142 Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv

2. TYO

Happy hour at the high-end Japanese restaurant TYO is also something we couldn’t have even fantasized about in the past, especially when it runs for no less than three full hours. Just imagine arriving around 5 p.m. – say, after the beach – ordering five sushi rolls, adding some gyoza, two or three cocktails and finishing with textbook-perfect Japanese mochi, all at 25% off the food and drink menu. The beauty of this happy hour is that you can show up casual to this luxury restaurant – no need to dress too elegantly. Just bring your appetite and your mood.
When:Sun-Wed, 16:00-19:00
58 Shabazi St, Tel Aviv

3. R48

Yes, to enjoy Ruti Brudo’s happy hour you’ll need to sign up for the members’ club. It sounds a bit intimidating, but in truth registration to the club is free, so we’re in. Especially since it gives us, among other things, the wonderful food at R48 at a reduced price of 30% off (!) the entire food menu and wine by the glass, on early weeknights. We don’t have the energy to be in the office in August anyway, and all we want to do is slurp oysters and eat lemon pasta – so at least let it be 30% off.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-18:30
48 Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv

4. Taverna Romana

The beauty of Bentzi Arbel’s restaurant starts first and foremost with the pizza, supplì and pasta, and only then with the fairly reasonable prices even on regular days. So when happy hour brings no less than 40% off the entire menu (food and alcohol), we can safely say the owner has lost it, and we’re losing it right along with him. Along the way we opened a table laden with goodies: a refreshing salad, a classic Roman tonda pizza, seafood pasta and all kinds of deep-fried delights in pure southern Italian style. We added a bottle of wine for the price of a glass and a half, and suddenly we’ve got strength to survive roughly another week in this crazy country.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-18:00
8 Kaplan St, Tel Aviv

5. AKA44

You can’t walk down bustling Nahalat Binyamin without stopping and marveling at the magic happening at AKA. The complex includes a buzzing food bar showing off a mountain of butter, bartenders shaking cocktails, and dishes emerging one after another from the coals under the talented hand of chef Itay Kushmaro, and upstairs – a respectable, exclusive wine bar. Add to all that a 20% discount right before evening sets in, and we’ve just found you an excellent reason to leave work early. Hello? Somebody has to eat their famous burger, and it might as well be us.
When:Sun-Wed, 17:00-19:00; Thu 18:00-19:00
44 Nahalat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv

6. Manara

This wonderful fish restaurant, perched in the Sheraton Hotel and gazing out over the blue sea, is fine dining by the book. Superb local cooking, original flavors, and distinct Mediterranean aromas. We’re not usually used to happy hours at fine dining spots, but here you go – it’s happening at Manara too. Excellent fish in various forms, vegetables straight off the charcoal grill and fresh, comforting pastas, all at 25% off for a full three hours, on food and alcohol alike. Cheers!
When:Sun-Wed, 16:00-19:00
115 Hayarkon St, Tel Aviv

7. Lounge Cafe Popular

Construction on the light rail around the area pushed chef Avi Bitton to give the already-iconic Cafe Popular quite a significant makeover. The place, which used to have a relatively upscale and elegant vibe, has become a grown-up lounge with more homey food that Bitton cooks with real talent, and with a general mood that’s more grounded – and more in tune with the times. Prices are within the reasonable, comfortable range, and all the more so during happy hour, when you get a hefty 30% off the entire menu.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:30-19:30
197 Dizengoff St, Tel Aviv

8. Herzl 16

One way or another, Ruti Brudo’s institution has been in our lives for seven years now, so time really does fly when you’re having fun. Somehow, despite everything and in spite of it all, Herzl 16 manages to hold on to its cool as part of Tel Aviv’s DNA, and at this point it’s hard to imagine the city without it. The excellent mix of Asian accents, chilled drinks and winning style every single time, topped off with a particularly worthwhile happy hour, is pretty hard to argue with. Get 30% off the menu Sunday to Wednesday, plus glasses of wine from local wineries for 35 NIS and cocktails up to 38 NIS. If you get drunk early enough, you’ll still make it home in time for MasterChef.
When:Sun-Wed, 17:00-19:00
16 Herzl St, Tel Aviv

9. Shafa

There’s no Flea Market without Shafa and no Shafa without the Flea Market. The two are intertwined, and the market’s colorful influence is definitely evident at Shafa, which over fifteen years of being open has truly become an institution, even if it’s going through some rougher days. You’ll find excellent seasonal food from top-quality ingredients, fun alcohol at great prices, live shows, guest DJs and other carefully curated culture nights. On top of all that there’s an especially generous happy hour: 30% off the entire menu – food and alcohol – every day of the week. Catch a good show, add sausages and mashed potatoes especially suited to the season, and of course a cold pint of beer. We want Shafa in the market, always.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-20:00
2 Nachman St, Jaffa

10. Treysar

Chef Aner Ben Rafael Fuhrmann’s restaurant has already – and deservedly – earned praise for his wonderful, smart cooking that skillfully combines plant-based dishes and local, seasonal produce with unique techniques. In his lovely spot facing the waves, he runs a particularly worthwhile weekday aperitivo during sunset, offering a table spread for 66 NIS that includes Hagai’s sourdough bread, a flaky pastry filled with fresh za’atar, eggplant soup cooked in milk with feta and caramelized onion, an intriguing dish of Maggie tomato in tomato consommé, and more small plates celebrating summer’s bounty – alongside discounted wines and 15% off the entire menu.
When:Mon-Wed, 18:00-19:00
Hangar 12, 2nd floor, Port Market, Tel Aviv

11. Cafe Europa

On Tel Aviv’s prettiest terrace there’s a particularly good happy hour. It’s a place that’s fun to eat, drink and be seen – which, in today’s Instagram era, is no small thing. What’s more, if you want to be seen on weekdays, in daylight hours no less, you’ll get 30% off the menu. That simple, that tasty. There’s the most famous fish crudo in the city, plus spare ribs shawarma, Jerusalem artichoke raviolo, mixed fish, shrimp and calamari in citrus and more. Pshhh, Europa.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:00
9 Rothschild Blvd, Tel Aviv

12. Cicchetti

Aperitivo at Cicchetti is already an institution, and for some people it’s become their regular night out (hey, can we join you?). Avi Kashi’s restaurant, under chef Michael Gertofsky, offers 30% off the entire menu on weekdays, with no fine print. The menu includes killer arancini, dream-worthy Sicilian linguine, verde gnocchi with asparagus and homemade pesto, artichoke hearts like in Rome, and all kinds of classics from our beloved Italian kitchen, with a precise local twist. Ciao bella, we’re on our way.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:00
59 Yehuda Halevi St, Tel Aviv

13. Lonnel

Lonnel is the happiest spot in the Florentin quartet (not that it’s such a hard title to win, but that’s another story). The menu was built by chef Yinon Elal, who offers an intriguing, flavor-packed, aromatic bridge between French cuisine and the local kitchen, scented with the Yemeni flavors of his mother’s home. For example, a tartlet of fish tartare with skhug yogurt, or roasted octopus with shatta butter and cherry tomatoes, and cloud-like gnocchi made from choux dough that really gets us excited. All this at 30% off on weekdays, for one hour only, so you’d better leave work early, sweethearts. Cocktails are also 30% off, so don’t plan on catching up on work afterward.
When:Sun-Thu, 18:00-19:00
72 Abarbanel St, Tel Aviv

14. Livere

At this fun bar on the edge of Carmel Market there’s a neighborhood feel and a respectable air at the same time – an ideal spot for a first, second or millionth date, but also for casual snacking at dusk. You’ll find tasty food, great pizzas, excellent wines, creative cocktails and, most importantly, a particularly worthwhile happy hour that runs not only on weekdays but also on Saturday night until midnight. After all, you need something to ease the Sunday blues. We thought it would go away after the army. A 30% discount on the entire menu, alcohol included, will wipe out any blues.
When:Sun-Thu, 18:00-19:30; Sat 19:00-00:00
43 Mohaliver St, Tel Aviv

15. Vermuteria

At Vermuteria, just like at its big Italian sister Cicchetti, there are especially happy hours, known in-house as “Vermutribo”. Catchy name – it’ll probably stick. The menu offers wonderful vermouth-based drinks and fun, colorful, tasty tapas, and gives you 30% off on weekdays. The beauty is that the plates here are small, as befits tapas, so if you’re smart enough to leave the house early, open a table, taste lots of different dishes and not walk out with a huge bill – you’ve won. Basically, if you haven’t started rolling “Vermutribo” off your tongue yet, now’s the time.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:00
25 Nahalat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv

16. Hakosit

A local vermuteria with excellent food and an endless selection of vermouths and other spirits we love, opened on the grounds of the legendary Hakosit bar – hence the name. You’ll find small, inviting tapas dishes, skewers and pintxos in the best Spanish tradition, as well as medium-sized plates made with a skilled, creative hand. It’s a place that’s great to hit at the end of the day, especially during happy hour, which offers 20% off the entire menu – yes, both what you eat and what you drink – starting at 17:00. In wintertime, that’s already evening, so don’t cluck your tongues that it’s too early.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:00
5 Malchei Yisrael St, Tel Aviv

17. Kab Kem

It’s always pleasant and tasty at Kab Kem, but 20% off the entire menu somehow makes the food even more delicious. In other words, the young, playful offshoot of Thai House, devoted entirely to the traditional, wonderful Thai kitchen, treats us to a great happy hour with 20% off all the food and all the drinks for a full two hours. This is the time to snack on spicy, comforting, delicious dishes that are almost impossible to pronounce, but my God – how easy they are to eat. And to drink with, too.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:00
11 Lincoln St, Tel Aviv

18. Minzar

Happy hour at Minzar is one of the best value deals in the city, and it runs for four hours, which is a record in itself. During those four hours you’re invited to enjoy 1+1 on alcohol, which in other words means – get drunk. And if you’re also hungry, because with 1+1 alcohol the appetite does tend to show up, there’s 20-30% off the food menu. We already know what we want – a sausage with sauerkraut. Or maybe a Caesar salad with anchovies. Or maybe both, because it comes out pretty cheap in the end. We don’t know, we’re drunk. Just bring food.
When:Sun-Thu, 12:00-16:00
60 Allenby St, Tel Aviv

19. Chez Vivie

Chez Vivie, a bistro by Guy Gamzo, run by chef Assaf Gabay (formerly of Sheine), is a bistro located at the corner of Paris and Italy – at least as far as the menu goes – though in reality it’s on Dizengoff, if you go by the buzzing atmosphere. The food is excellent and combines moules marinière with ricotta tortellini, the oysters are cheap enough to slurp several without worrying about your wallet. The cocktails are excellent, the prices are decent, so what more does a person need? Happy hour, of course, which is also very worthwhile, offering on weeknights 20% off the food menu and 30% off the alcohol menu. Oh yeah.
When:Sun-Thu, 17:00-19:30
166 Dizengoff St, Tel Aviv

20. Burger Marlen

This used to be one of the best-known happy hours in the city, with a line stretching out every Sunday. But apparently not enough of you heard that Marlen’s 1+1 burger deal has expanded to the rest of the week. Yes, yes, every day of the week. Friday too, Saturday too. Wow. If you will it, it is no dream. When you get to the Ramat Gan-born burger joint that has taken root in central Tel Aviv, starting in the evening hours you’ll pay for one burger and get two. No fine print, no attitude, no tricks. Just the inevitable heartburn and a whole lot of fun.
When:Every day! From 19:00
2 Ben Zion Blvd, Tel Aviv

• Food and drinks
• אוכלים שותים
• האפי האוור

We’re pretty bummed to admit that this is not the moment of vegan restaurants. After enjoying a respectable bloom toward the end of the previous decade, recent years brought difficult times to the restaurant world, which severely hurt many vegan institutions that were forced to shut their doors – Dosa Bar, Alegria, Bana and 416 are just a few of the places left only to miss. But we’re here to honor those who are still with us, staying true to plant‑based ethics and cuisine, and doing it wonderfully.

>>טבע נאות: 10 המסעדות הטבעוניות הכי טובות בתל אביב

1. OPA

A meal at OPA, a fine‑dining restaurant masterfully led by chef Shirel Berger, is far more than an ordinary meal. Two years ago she was recognized by the 50 Best magazine, but we had already marked her from the start as a creative, fascinating, prolific chef. We learned to eat melon peel, fermented lychee, steamed radish leaves, and all sorts of things you’d never think were edible. Berger taught us that not only are they edible, but when they come out of her kitchen they’re unbelievably tasty and unique, offering a mix of flavors, textures, and aromas. How lucky we are to have such a special creation in the city.
375 NIS per person for a ten‑course meal, 8 Ha’Halutzim, Tel Aviv

2. Meshek Barzilay

An iconic Tel Aviv institution that embraced vegan, organic, farm‑to‑table cooking years before it was trendy. The restaurant began 20 years ago in Moshav Yarqona and moved to a stunning heritage building 12 years ago, feeding us ever since with excellent vegetables straight from the garden, wonderful stews, and delicious dishes you’d never guess were vegan. Beyond that, it’s simply pleasant to sit at Meshek, breathe, and eat fresh and healthy. Next to the restaurant there’s also a superb vegan deli where you’ll find cooked food and snacks for home.
6 Ahad Ha’am, Tel Aviv

3. J17

J17 on Yirmiyahu offers homey, comforting food in the form of various stews like wonderful handmade couscous with vegetables, bean pkaila, traditional Bukharian oshpelo, pea‑and‑artichoke stew, and more. There’s also a side of the menu leaning more toward the sleazy: hotdogs in buns with different toppings, vegan schnitzel with proper fries, kebab, lentil arayes, and all sorts of juicy burgers. The food is fresh, healthy, and very delicious, and the place is pleasant and comfortable to sit in. Also worth praising: their social work, continuing even now to voluntarily deliver fresh, hot meals to wounded civilians, evacuees, and vegan soldiers.
17 Yirmiyahu, Tel Aviv

4. Green Roll

If you ask the Japanese about vegan sushi, they’ll tell you there’s no such thing as sushi without fish. But we’re not Japan, and that has its advantages: Green Roll’s sushi is wonderful, varied, and based on vegetables and creative protein substitutes. Like cashew cheese, pea‑protein “tuna,” or torched mozzarella. The rolls are handmade, invested and surprising, featuring crispy sweet potato, various tofus, tempura flakes, Japanese oshinko, and more. And beyond sushi – there are vegetable gyozas, tempura veggies, and other fun things that arrive on your plate without fishing anyone out of the sea.
16 Ahad Ha’am, Tel Aviv

5. Liquidium

Not exactly a restaurant, but an artisanal cocktail laboratory – tight, meticulous, and entirely vegan. All cocktails are based on house‑made distillates and extracts, made using chemistry‑lab tools and techniques. No dairy, no egg – only clear, marvelous cocktails. Recently, the place opened to the public twice a week, serving alongside the cocktails a variety of small vegan dishes created on‑site: zucchini rösti with vegan yogurt and lemon, kastan bread with pecan pâté, reduced vermouth and finger lime, and a lahoh dish with miso eggplant. A place to drink and eat in absolute style, without harming a single creature. Nice.
2 HaTa’asiyah, Tel Aviv

6. Goodness

Goodness first opened as a vegan diner fulfilling every guilty craving – burgers, hotdogs, home fries, and other American‑style favorites we love (even if our bodies, well, love them less). Recently, the kitchen underwent a major makeover – still fully vegan, of course – but now focusing on vegetables, healthy plant proteins, and wonderful breakfast dishes café‑style. For breakfast you’ll find, for example, chickpea‑protein omelette served with portobello mushrooms and tahini, or an “egg” salad croissant with arugula, tomato, and pickles. For lunch, intriguing dishes like buckwheat crepe stuffed with vegetables, eggplant moussaka, RedeFine meat dishes, and more will satisfy your guilt‑free appetite.
32 King George, Tel Aviv

7. Anastasia

Anastasia on Frishman is much more than a vegan café. It’s a full‑fledged food house that breaks all the stereotypes about vegan food, showing that when done right, it’s excellent food that doesn’t feel lacking in any way. No wonder their soba‑noodle‑and‑cauliflower salad has become iconic, along with the shakshuka served with soft polenta balls, the shawarma bowl based on high‑quality seitan, the curry patties, and many others. Beyond everything, the food is highly crafted, healthy, and based on top‑quality ingredients – and you can taste it in every bite.
54 Frishman, Tel Aviv

8. The Green Cat

The Green Cat pizza shop opened over a decade ago, back when “cashew cheese” was a phrase only shouted by junkies on the street. And yet The Green Cat proved not only that it’s possible – it’s delicious. They’re known especially for their unique cheese layer, made from a mix of cashew spread and soy mozzarella, earning them eternal love from the vegan scene. The pizza uses thin dough, baked in a stone oven, and is absolutely delicious even for omnivores. Toppings like artichoke, vegan pepperoni, vegan tuna, almond parmesan, and arugula only add more glory to this vegan institution.
7 Levontin, Tel Aviv

9. Rainbow

A proper vegan diner known to vegans as a temple of fun, decadent indulgence. You’ll find portobello burgers, Beyond Meat, RedeFine, and the sensational burger. These patties attempt to mimic the bite of juicy beef or at least create an equally satisfying one. Whether they succeed or not – you can debate. What’s not up for debate is the great flavor and atmosphere that create an excellent burger experience. Shoutout also to the soft bun, a perfect base for any patty. At this rate, we’re not far from the day the vegan burger wins.
88 Ibn Gabirol

10. Alpaca Bar

It’s not a restaurant, but this vegan bar has plenty of vegan food, mostly bar‑style favorites and classics beloved by the city’s vegans. Beyond all cocktails being vegan, you’ll find classic pub comfort food perfect for hangovers: onion rings, fries, deep‑fried cauliflower florets, crispy tofu schnitzel fried in airy challah, Beyond Burger, Mexican wrap, Caesar salad, or thick, indulgent sandwiches with RedeFine meat and various delicious toppings. Drink with a peaceful heart.
40 Florentin, Tel Aviv

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