To be fair, really cheap food does not exist in Tel Aviv. I knew this city would be expensive, but I was secretly a bit disappointed at the location. Especially if, like me, you enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with your meal, the bill quickly increases. Anyway, I’ve made a list of places where you can eat relatively cheap and tasty in Tel Aviv. There is one ice cream parlor that is a bit more expensive, but I really didn’t want to withhold it from you because man, the ice cream was delicious here.
Abu Hassan
Abu Hassan’s Masbacha hummus is a household name in Tel Aviv and the surrounding area. Our Airbnb was close by so we ate our very first plate of hummus here. Masbacha is a variation on normal hummus in which some of the chickpeas are not finely ground. As a result, it has a coarser structure than you are used to. We also ate a fresh salad and labane, a soft cheese that can best be compared with our Dutch curd in terms of thickness. However, the taste is much fuller, richer and simply tastier. As a cheese lover, you should not skip labane.
Abu Hassan, Shivtei Israel St 14, Tel Aviv
Mercaz hahumus Ha’asli
This is by far my favorite restaurant on this whole list. I recommend that you order the selection of 10 different salads here so that you can taste everything. Be sure to order the grilled aubergine with tahini and, if you like meat, a kebab skewer. We filled the table with all of the above and 2 Spa Reds and ended up paying 110 shekels. At the current exchange rate, this amounts to 28 euros.
Mercaz Hahumus Ha’Asli, Rehov Yefet 73, Jaffa, Tel Aviv
Kiosk Est 1920
In the old days, there were small kiosks all over Tel Aviv where you could get something to eat and drink. Now these have almost completely disappeared from the streets. Fortunately, owner Bar Levi stepped in for this particular kiosk: he completely renovated the small place a few years ago. Now it is a super nice place where you can enjoy breakfast, a cup of coffee and a freshly squeezed orange juice outside on the terrace in the shade. I could have easily stayed here all morning. It is very quiet, the coffee is good and the service is friendly.
Kiosk Est 1920, Lilienblum St 3, Tel Aviv
Anita
Anita’s ice cream has been voted the best ice cream in Tel Aviv for the second year in a row, so of course I had to taste this. Anita has four branches of which I visited two: one in the Neve Tzedek district and one in Florentin. The former was insanely busy, with people queuing practically all the way out. There was no one at all for the second. Lucky I think, but good to know that the Anita in Florentin is apparently a bit quieter. Anyway, I totally understand where the popularity of this ice cream comes from. I opted for the chocolate pretzel and banana date and my boyfriend went for ice cream with limoncello flavor. One word: delicious!
Check their website for all addresses and, if you dare, for all flavors.
Abouelafia Bakery
Crazy about Baklava? Then you really shouldn’t skip Abouelafia bakery. You can choose from about 20 different types of this pastry, one even sweeter than the other. Also nice to take a box home by the way! If you’re not a Baklava fan (I can’t imagine it), they also have a wide choice of savory and sweet sandwiches.
Abouelafia, Yefet St 7, Tel Aviv
Hummus Shlomo & Doron
This place is known as one of the best hummus restaurants in Tel Aviv. The terrace is always packed and I liked seeing that about half of the people were locals and the other half tourists. You can choose from about 10 different types of hummus in 3 sizes. I myself went for the hummus with aubergine and it seems that the shakshuka hummus is also delicious.
Hummus Shlomo & Doron, Yishkon St 29, Tel Aviv
Dr. Shakshuka
The name says it all: Dr. Shakshuka is the place to be for the world famous breakfast dish Shakshuka. There are about 6 different types of shakshuka on the menu and I decided to just go for the ‘normal’ variant. A great choice, because this tomato paste with egg tasted great. A little spicy, nice and creamy and perfectly balanced. Only downside here I found the less friendly service, besides that a great thing for a shakshuka breakfast.
Dr. Shakshuka, Beit Eshel St 3, Tel Aviv
Leggenda
Another ice cream parlor in the list. Leggenda is located on the old port of Jaffa, south of the city center. Since our Airbnb was practically around the corner from here, we actually walked in by chance. How lucky, because gosh, the ice cream at Leggenda was also delicious. The portions here are really huge. The photo below was one scoop of ice cream. Recommended! Leggenda also has several shops spread over the city, so there is a good chance that you will come across one.
Check the Leggenda website for all locations.
I really think Tel Aviv is a foodie destination. The food in most places is high quality and full of flavour. In addition, it is also the ideal place for vegetarians or vegans. Meat seems to be a side dish rather than a main meal here, something that makes me very happy! Curious about what else you should not miss? In this article you can read what you absolutely must do when you are traveling in Tel Aviv.
