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Armada is the latest high-style restaurant to open on Tel Aviv’s recently renovated old port. Set over two fl oors – the top with late-night DJ booth – Armada nearly touches the sea and serves fresh, whole grilled fi sh, as well as grilled meats and vegetables. Good location for long evening at nearby nightclubs.
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The kitschy [name] fi ts this all-day eatery close to the city’s nightlife district. Come for lunch and relax in the outdoor patio while feasting on oversized salads or the grilled halumi cheese and portobello mushroom sandwich. Return for dinner and heartier fare such as lamb kebab, spare ribs and grilled entrecote – along with a young, fun crowd.
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This bistro-styled restaurant has an air of Eastern Europe to it thanks to the dark wood decor and classic Old World dishes such as the perfectly crisp Wienerschnitzel. If feeling more adventurous, the thick Druze-styled pits stuffed with minced lamb is tasty, particularly when topped by its cool, accompanying yoghurt sauce.
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Set in one of Tel Aviv’s newest business districts, Coffee Bar sounds simple, but actually delivers sophisticated Yankee and Continental classics – from perfectly turned out risotto, to a good old-fashioned hamburger. Also great for fresh breakfast as well as afternoon coffee and cake, or an hours-long, cocktail-fi lled weekend brunch.
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[name]d after King Lear’s only loyal daughter, this Jaffa-based restaurant lures a sophisticated crowd with its menu of EuroMeditterranean delights such as zucchinis stuffed with mince lamb and the roast pork. Chef Nir Tzuk is a local TV personality.
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Doda (or auntie’s place) is Tel Aviv’s restaurant of the moment. Built in a former hotel and pouring onto an airy verandah, Doda chef Charlie Levy brings tastes from the entire Middle East to this corner of Tel Aviv. Standouts include a Syrian kubeh (meat balls) and the delicate pastilla, or meat pie from Morocco.
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With its pan-Asian décor – including oversized Buddha statue – along with pan-Asian menu, East is easily one of Tel Aviv’s most ambitious restaurants. Set in an up-and-coming quarter, East is best experienced via its ever-changing nine-course tasting menus.
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For a more traditional take on falafel, make like the falafel cognoscenti and head for Falafel Gina. Not only is their soft, fluffy pita among the best baked, it’s filled with perfectly spice falafel balls sauced with generous dollops of Tahini. Also try the hearty sabich – fried eggplant and hard-boiled egg with hummus in pita.
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The Falafel Queens is what you get if your turn the time-honored falafel into a luxury product. Opened by local cafe culture legends Orna and Ella, the small, contemporary-design restaurant delivers a modern take on this culinary classic: green falafel with coriander, sweet potato-infused pink falafel and red falafel dotted with peppers.
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Tel Avivis take their hummus very, very seriously, and among the numerous hummos joints, Hummus Akram reigns strong. Each day, Akram’s owner brews a single pot of hummos, which is paired with a piquant lemon/pepper/parsley and garlic sauce. A favorite of both old-timers and local hipsters.
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Knaffeh is an urban take on a traditional northern Arab-styled hummus joint. Laden with cushion-covered chairs and stylish divans, Knaffeh serves a wide range of tasty mezzes including numerous types of hummos – with pine nuts, grilled meat or just plain – Middle Eastern salads and spicy meatballs. Be sure to leave room for its stick-sweet Arab desserts.
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Like Manhattan’s Pastis or numerous Left Bank bistros, M&R brings a dose of Gallic charm to Tel Aviv’s center. Always packed with the city’s fashion-conscious media and art set, M&R is best for either a long brunch or late night supper. Centrally located right near Rabin Square, across from City Hall.
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With its prime location right on the Mediterranean Sea, Manta Ray oozes atmosphere from moment one. Ask for a scenic waterside table, order a plate of spicy Middle Eastern Mezzes and chewy Balkan bread and savor some of Israel’s freshest fl avors. Follow them up with main courses such as lamb kebab with black lentils and roasted scallions and shrimp with roasted tomato vinaigrette.
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This just opened outpost of the ever-evolving Max Brenner brand is Tel Aviv’s fi rst full-service “chocolate bar”. Accordingly, look for sweets of all stripes (baked goods, fruity shakes, chocolate fondue) along with fresh salads, savory crepes and a full breakfast menu. Sit outside to watch Rothschild Boulevard’s parade of offi ce workers and stylish locals.
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The Olive leaf may be both Kosher and set in a hotel, but it feels anything but formulaic. Try its weekday lunch prix fi x – which includes starters like a warm couscous-stuffed courgette and entrées like grilled beef fi llet with sitr-fried vegetables or the smoked goose breast. Friendly staff and smallish dining room help complete its power lunchery feel.
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Orca inhabits a one-time textile shop whose 1930s shell has been given a thoroughly modern makeover. Chef Eran Shroitman has developed a compelling menu of EuroLevantine dishes that impress from moment one. There are edible aperitifs – vodka-infused oyster shots, a fi re-glazed foie gras Brule; and ambitious appetizers – eggplant carpaccio and shrimp ceviche with red bell pepper jelly. Main courses are equally inviting, with standouts including whole or fi lleted sea bream delivered with rich goat cheese ravioli.
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Set on the sea and linked to the luxe Dan Hotel, Raphael has established itself as the city’s – if not the nation’s – top eating experience. Its young chef trained nationwide – from his grandmother’s kitchen to the King David Hotel. Don’t miss the cheap-and-chic Saturday brunch buffet – fi ve-star eating for just NIS100. Or come for his conventional lunch or dinner menu with standouts such as fi let of Sea Bream roasted in olive oil with dry peppers and eggplant caviar or veal cheek confi t with black lentils and Root Vegetables.
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Before Shine appeared, this quiet corner was a social no-mans land. Now it buzzes with slickly-dressed hipsters who pass the afternoon lounging within its Bauhaus shell or holding court among its comfy outdoor tables. Best bets: The hearty stuffed peppers or the fresh, fi lling salads such as the nut-fi lled Salad Ja’ala.
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The venerable Dan Hotel has opened its breakfast room to the public, offering a near never-ending morning buffet menu that is seriously top-rate. Indulge in everything from fresh cheeses, salads, breads, pastries and French toast, along with cocktails, coffee and juices. The traditional Middle Eastern offerings – tahini, hummus, labneh – are also worth a try.
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Tucked in an alley just off of Jaffa’s main Clocktower Square, Yoezer is perhaps Tel Aviv’s most romantic dining room. Best known for its meat dishes (the duck confi t is a winner), this low-lit space successfully evokes both the feel and fl avor or rural France.
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