With a 24/7 nightlife, Tel Aviv is definitely the city that never stops giving you options for having fun – Just choose your kind of happiness
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The Mediterranean is Tel Aviv’s first “line of romance”, but it wouldn’t be such a wonderful place for vacationing couples without the dozens of cool cafés, fabulous restaurants, thrilling designer shops, cheerful bars and an established cultural scene to suit every taste and preference.
Morning
Where would you like to have your first coffee? If you are the urban kind, leave the hotel breakfast behind and go for the local establishments in the heart of the city. Café Hahashmal (12 Hahashmal street) is one relaxed option, with good vibes of fine music and original art on the walls. The adjacent streets – Levontin, Barzilay – are lined with young designers’ shops offering fashion jewelry, bags and clothing. Another good option for coffee connoisseurs is Cafelix (6 Merhavia street), offering fresh roasted quality coffee and snacks, in the middle of Lewinsky Market, known for its Mediterranean delis and local supplies shops.
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If your sports urge kicks in before your coffee urge does, you may want to rent a bike through the Tel-o-fun municipal system (rental stations all over town) and take it for a relaxed nature ride in Hayarkon Park, on designated bike paths along the Yarkon river, or breath in sea breeze along the beautiful promenade stretching from Jaffa to the northern Tel Baruch beach – or combine them both for a long urban bike ride of over twenty kilometers in length!
That may be a little too challenging for some, but you can always have a coffee break in one of the beach cafes. Our recommendation would be Landwer Café, set right above the yacht marina, and bordering on the famous Gordon Swimming Pool. An architectural wonder of merging private and public spaces, this charming country club is also an opportunity for a unique swimming experience: the pool is not chlorinated, its water is sea water pumped from the depths and changed every day! It is open year-round, and single entrance tickets are available in the box office.
Design and architecture are leading themes in modern Tel Aviv, and you may further investigate them through specializedwalking tours organized by the municipality. A large part of central Tel Aviv is a designated UNESCO World HeritageSitecalled The White City, where you can find many beautiful examples of the International (Bauhaus) Style. The streets around Rothschild Boulevard boast the largest concentration of these buildings, many of them gracefully preserved and renovated.
Tel Aviv has so much to offer, that there’s usually no reason to venture outside the city limits. One gem, however, is worth the effort, and that is the Holon Design Museum (8 Pinhas Eilon street, 15 minutes’ drive from central Tel Aviv). This magnificent ultra-modern building was designed by Ron Arad, and it hosts fascinating design exhibitions from all over the world.
Lunch
If you haven’t spent some time by the sea yet, it may be a good idea to have lunch at one of the best Tel Aviv seasiderestaurants, Manta Ray (7 Koifman street), perched on a lovely stretch of beach and serving fresh fish, seafood and other delicacies.
Those who had enough sea breeze by now might want to check out another well-known Tel Avivian establishment: Belini (6 Yechieli street), a warm, romantic Italian restaurant in the heart of the picturesque Neve Tzedek quarter, Near the famous Suzanne Dellal dance performance center.
The old city of Jaffa offers the best sunset views. Walk around the narrow allies, visit the little art galleries, and if you’re in for a more profound artistic experience, try the Ilana Goor Museum (4 Mazal Dagim ally) – some of her iron works are really mind-blowing.
The Jaffa Flea Market is another good place to wander about in. Lots of design shops, cafés and bars joined the traditional antiquities merchants recently, and this merge makes for a uniquely happy and unformal atmosphere.
Evening and night
If you’re already in Jaffa and like the place, stay for dinner and a drink in one of the many cute Flea Market restaurants and bars. Our regular choice is Pua (8 Rabi Yohanan street), a splendid vintage place offering home cooking and special drinks.
Big screen lovers should not skip Tel Aviv’s Cinematheque (2 Shprintzak st.), boasting five screening halls and a multi-versatile program. Check out the website for the countless film festivals held throughout the year – most prominent of which is Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival (usually in the beginning of May). After the movies you can dine in one of the many Asiatic and other restaurants along the adjacent Haarbaa street.
Are you into local Music? If you are, Zappa club (24 Raul Valenberg street) is a good place to “call it a night”. The most popular pop, rock and jazz musicians in the local scene perform on its stage every night, before tables laden with fine bar-food and drinks. If you’re lucky enough, you might even get to hear some distinguished guests from abroad, mostly leading jazz musicians.
