What and where to eat in Tel Aviv: a guide to the best Israeli local foods and some travel tips

Tel Aviv is the best city in Israel to try the local Israeli food. Why? Well, when it comes to Tel Aviv you have to know that it is the most secularise city of the country allowed to use several local ingredients to the traditional recipes such as shellfish and pork, usually forbidden by the religion. Here it comes our guide to what to eat in Tel Aviv with some of the best Israeli foods!

Hummus
The great chickpeas cream is typical of Lebanon but also a symbol of Israel. You can find the best hummus in Tel Aviv in one of the leading local restaurants in the city centre.

Falafel
An archetypal street food not to be missed is the Falafel, the broiled and fried legume ball. You can find the best falafel in Tel Aviv in one of the local markets, rich in several traditional foods and goodies for a shopping focused on the cultural aspect of the city.

Challah
If you want to taste something typically Jewish, try Challah bread, a traditional yummy braid of bread. It is made with and without eggs and is traditionally eaten on the day of Shabbat (Saturday, holiday day for Jews). You can find it in every bakery of the city.

Shakshuka
For breakfast, you have to be sure you won’t miss the Shakshuka. It is a dish prepared with eggs, fried onion, tomato, peppers and spices. You can find it in every bar or at the restaurant of each hotel. It’s the perfect dish to start your day exploring the city with the right amount of energy and taste!

Local desserts
You will find a touch of Turkey in Israeli sweets! You can find sesame halva, enriched with other ingredients such as honey, pistachio, citrus juice, vanilla or chocolate. Famous the Halva parfait, invented by chef Tsachi Bukshester. You can also find Baklava, in almost every market and bakery in the city.

How to taste local food
We are sure you want to try every traditional recipe and food in Tel Aviv! We highly recommend going for a food tour so you can easily explore arts, history and a rich and delicious culinary tradition!

Are you interested in a tour but not sure how to add this culinary journey optimising your time and money at the same time? We got you covered!

Our personal experience hiring a car and our recommendation
We highly recommend the hire car service we chose to explore the city and all the surrounding areas finding the best food in Tel Aviv. It was amazing! We loved as it makes it easy to compare several services and it’s the perfect company to rely on for a safe, independent and convenient travel experience all over the city!