25.04.2016
The New York Times - Young, modern Tel Aviv and ancient Jaffa pulse with energy and combine to offer bustling markets, night clubs and a beachside promenade just right for two wheels.
Young, modern Tel Aviv and ancient Jaffa pulse with energy and combine to offer bustling markets, night clubs and a beachside promenade just right for two wheels.
Tel Aviv-Jaffa has many pet names, but perhaps none so fitting as Medinat Tel Aviv (the State of Tel Aviv). This seafront metropolis of 400,000 may still trail Jerusalem in both population and historical importance, but Tel Avivians are too busy basking in their pristine beaches, high-tech scene and 300 annual days of sunshine to notice. Passionately secular and avowedly carefree, Tel Aviv-Jaffa is a 24/7 city where the search for the perfect cup of coffee and a commitment to L.G.B.T. pride seems to take precedence over Israel’s complicated politics. Tel Aviv-Jaffa is actually two connected enclaves: the traditionally Arab Jaffa to the south, where history and hipsterdom sync up with new energy; and the younger, hard-partying Tel Aviv to the north, which overflows with start-ups and casual cosmopolitanism. To get a taste for the city, hop on a bicycle or explore its avenues by foot — its flat, linked neighborhoods pulse with energy day and night, and the best way to see the action is to join right in.
Friday
1. BRIGHT LIGHTS, WHITE CITY, 4 P.M.
At the heart of Tel Aviv-Jaffa sits the White City, a cluster of some 4,000 buildings designed in the 1930s by German-trained Jewish architects with a passion for Bauhaus design. Marked by simplistic lines, geometric balconies and the sleek uniformity of clean white facades, the White City is a Unesco World Heritage site that has, over the past decade, received a painstaking restoration. The richest collection of architectural gems is clustered along tree-lined, cafe-dotted Rothschild Boulevard, which features a central pedestrian green space and is one of the city’s prettiest thoroughfares. Standouts include the Baumel House (Rothschild 87); the Old Russian Embassy (Rothschild 46); and the Rubinsky-Braun Haus (Rothschild 82).
2. SIP AND STARE, 6 P.M.
Tel Aviv likes to party late, which means that happy hour — observed at most watering holes between 5 and 8 p.m. — is all about fueling up. Luckily, the outdoor perch at Rothschild 12 offers nibbles of all sizes, like salmon tartar on toast (24 new shekels, or $6.35 at $3.77 shekels to the dollar) and roasted fennel with Gorgonzola cheese (22 shekels) paired with cocktails (starting at 25 shekels) and an unrivaled view of the boulevard’s pedestrian parade. As the sun sets, the back room of this funky, street-art adorned cafe morphs into a music hall, with D.J.s and live bands taking over the soundtrack.
3. FLEA MARKET FRENZY, 8 P.M.
Tel Aviv is barely 100 years old, but ancient, cobblestoned Jaffa is one of the oldest port cities in the world and home to Arab community life for centuries. Jaffa was united with Tel Aviv in 1950, and development has brought new energy to many of its downtrodden neighborhoods. By day, Jaffa’s flea market bursts with vendors peddling antiques and bric-a-brac; by night, the market — known locally as Shuk Hapishpeshim — is a wonderland of twinkling lights, clinking glasses and al fresco restaurants. Pull up a mismatched armchair at Puaa, a charming restaurant decorated with flea-market finds, order the red tahini to start (made with chargrilled tomatoes) and expect to pay about 85 shekels, without drinks, for dinner. Or find the alleyway Shaffa Bar, a hair salon that doubles as a tapas joint, serving small plates like grilled purple calamari with labneh yogurt (52 shekels) and Lima Lima, a Romanian-inspired lima bean purée with tomatoes, chiles and warm bread for 35 shekels.
4. DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION, 11 P.M.
If you want to find a taste of peace in the Middle East, the dance floor at Anna Lou Lou, a cultural center and underground bar in Old Jaffa, is a good place to look. Utopia reigns at this smoky, hipster-happy party spot, where locals of every stripe — Muslim and Jewish, gay, straight and undefined — shake their sweaty selves to electro-Arab and African beats well into the wee hours. A revolving collection of cultural events and visiting D.J.s adds to the appeal.
Saturday
5. MEAL WITH A VIEW, 10 A.M.
The classic Israeli breakfast — two eggs any style, breads, salad and dips — holds semireligious importance in Tel Aviv, where every cafe offers a nearly identical spin. Opt instead to start your Saturday with a spread of morning appetizers, including roasted eggplant, smoked fish and fresh ceviche (20 to 24 shekels) at the seafront institution Manta Ray. It might be hard to focus on your menu, though — the breathtaking view from the restaurant, perched feet from the waves at the sandy corner where Tel Aviv and Jaffa meet, offers quite a distraction.
6. BEACHY KEEN, NOON
The coolest wheels in Tel Aviv-Jaffa come with handlebars, and on Saturdays, the three-mile promenade alongside the city’s shoreline is a veritable bicycle superhighway. Join the fray by renting a ride (23 shekels Saturdays and holidays, 17 shekels weekdays, plus about 6 shekels each additional hour) from one of the city’s 180 Tel-O-Fun bikeshare stations and take a spin along the boardwalk. The Tel Aviv coast is a string of separate beaches. From Manta Ray’s Alma Beach pedal north. Just after the Hilton Hotel you’ll find the city’s unofficial gay beach (the rainbow-painted cabanas will tip you off), which juts up against the religious beach, with separate sunbathing days for men and women. Pedal past both to Metzitzim Beach, where a man-made lagoon keeps the waves calm, and a cafe will deliver snacks to your towel.
7. CULTURE BREAK, 4 P.M.
Neve Tzedek, an artsy neighborhood that is home to Israel’s premier dance performance hall, is an ideal respite from the sun. Here, you’ll find the Suzanne Dellal Center, a sprawling campus housing several dance companies, including the internationally acclaimed modern powerhouse Batsheva. After the encore, stretch your legs and shop: Unlike most of Tel Aviv, where businesses shutter their doors on Saturdays in observance of the Sabbath, many of Neve Tzedek’s boutiques — like Bikaleh (Shabazi 54), Gabriel (Shabazi 13) and Razili, Studio Noa and Sketch (all at the nearby Old Train Station complex) — remain open. For snacks, organic Meshek Barzilay serves smoothies and salads, while Anita Ice Cream scoops up distinctive gelato flavors including ricotta with strawberries and mascarpone.
. CULINARY REVOLUTION, 9 P.M.
Israeli cuisine once meant hummus, falafel and grilled meats. The past 10 years have brought a culinary revolution, with dozens of bright young chefs traveling abroad to hone their art and returning home to test out their newfound skills. Leading the pack is Meir Adoni, who runs four Tel Aviv restaurants that have helped redefine new Israeli cuisine. Catit was the laboratory where Adoni developed his modernist Mediterranean cooking style, but it’s at Catit’s kid sister next door, Mizlala by Meir Adoni, where he lets loose. Start your meal with Zvia’s Kubaneh, a Jewish Yemenite bread reawakened with green chiles (33 shekels), then move on to the non-kosher calamari salad with shrimp and smoked chile aioli (87 shekels) and a veal fillet with licorice salsa and Mexican harissa cream (143 shekels).
9. ART RAVE, 11 P.M.
Follow the splashy street art down the winding staircase of the nightspot Kuli Alma, and you’ll find an enchanted urban garden of interconnected dance floors, art installations and chic lounge areas. Kuli Alma attracts international D.J.s and gallery artists alike, making it an exciting meeting point for creativity and night life. Cocktails run around 40 shekels.
Sunday
10. BEER FOR BREAKFAST, 9 A.M.
At Café Xoho, a funky vegetarian hangout with an expat following, try the Beer Bread Breakfast: scrambled eggs served with a creamy spread and seasonal toppings atop beer-flavored bread (48 shekels). Order a café hafuch, the Israeli take on a cappuccino, or head to nearby Brew Shop Coffee, which specializes in cold brew and is one of the only filter coffee bars in the country.
11. TO MARKET, TO MARKET, 11 A.M.
Navigate the stalls of Shuk HaCarmel and see how the city eats and meets. Start where Allenby, King George and Sheinkin Streets meet, and be sure to bring cash. A gentrification wave has spruced up the market’s seedier corners, but several original flagships hold steady: Café Cohen (Yishkon 32), where the same family has been brewing java for 70 years; Amrani Nuts (HaCarmel 15), selling nuts, spices and dried fruit; and Hummus Magen David (HaCarmel 11), where creamy chickpea spread is served under a Torah scroll in what was once a functioning synagogue. Newer additions include Lehamim (Breads) Bakery (HaCarmel 11), a national chain that recently expanded to Manhattan; Meat Market (Yom Tov 5); and the Beer Bazaar (RamBam 1), featuring 80 craft brews from Israeli microbreweries.
Lodging
The cheeky Brown Beach House (brownhotels.com/beach) is a boutique hotel with spacious rooms and suites just steps from the Mediterranean, all done up in splashes of black and yellow. Amenities include a bar and cafe, a stellar spa, free bike rentals, beach totes and towels. This is a place to see and be seen, so wear your fancy flip-flops. Rooms from $195 including breakfast.
The handsomely designed Rothschild Hotel (the-rothschild-hotel.com) occupies some of the city’s best real estate, a Unesco-protected building overlooking Rothschild Boulevard. The 28 modern rooms feature elegant tiling, custom furniture, espresso machines and free Wi-Fi. From $270 with breakfast.
