Park HaMesila

An urban path-park built over the old Ottoman train line. Perfect for a stroll, a jog, or spying on dogs. Shady, breezy, and close to great coffee. You can grab a box of pizza from Teder (see below) and chill on the grass or nearby benches with some friends. You can bring a board of shesbesh or playing cards, and start a tournament on one of the tables. You can stop by one of the pop up shops and support local artists. Heed the bikers and scooterists. You have been warned.

Shuk Levinsky

Spicy, pickly, chaotic deliciousness. This isn’t your standard tourist market because it’s part spice bazaar, part hipster hangout. You’ll find a bunch of excellent restaurants, cafés, and bars tucked between the tahini and za’atar. The prices there are set, but feel free to haggle with the spice vendors like a pro. If you come here on a Friday, you will find great hummus, delicious burekas, a shot of arak and random people singing and dancing.

Charles Clore Park

Beachfront, breezy, and ideal for a sunset picnic. Bring a blanket and watch the Mediterranean sparkle while someone nearby plays acoustic guitar or tries to do a handstand.

American-German Colony

A small oasis tucked in between Florentin and Noga (a north neighborhood of Jaffa), there is a small neighborhood filled with cobbled streets, stone houses, and wooden balconies that look frozen in time. This neighborhood was founded in the early 19th century by American and German settlers and Christian missionaries. The community features a beautiful Lutheran church (one of few in the country), a small garden cafe (HaMoshava), and beautiful lemon trees that Alice will occasionally pick from when she is on walks with her friends (no she doesn't if you live there and are reading this).

Below are pictures of Alice and Nitzan casually strolling through the American-German Colony.

Frenkel Café/Franky's Jams

Frenkel is the neighborhood’s unofficial living room. It's a laid-back spot where everyone from toddlers to tattooed grandmas (and lots of dogs) show up for coffee and chill. If you want to feel like you live in Florentin, come here. At night, it transforms into a wine bar. Alice is a huge fan of the bar as they make espresso martinis the size of her head.

Kiosko

Technically a coffee shop, but really more of a community hub disguised as a kiosk. At any given moment, someone’s taking a Zoom call, meeting a friend, or casually hosting a pop-up vintage sale. Great sandwiches, strong coffee, and the kind of place you end up staying longer than you meant to.

P.O.C. Café

If it can be sat on, it’s probably a chair at P.O.C. This artsy little corner is where design students, DJs, and dog walkers cross paths over excellent coffee and the occasional cookie that changes your week. Cluttered, charming, and somehow always photogenic. A few Florentin instagram influencers have been spotted here making videos. If you're not camera shy, stop on by.

Café Bayit/Haambatia Bar

This is a coffee spot/bar located directly below Ulpan Bayit (the language school that Alice has been going to twice a week since making Aliyah to Israel). While she often takes advantage of the student discount at the place, the coffee genuinely helps Alice stay awake for late night classes and the drinks help calm her down when conjugation gets too hard.

Below are pictures of how Alice and Nitzan casually get coffee there.

Hagay Bread

This one’s more than coffee. It’s a little slice of heaven disguised as a sourdough bakery with a line out the door every single week. Come early before it all sells out (because it will).

love, coffee

Before Alice and Nitzan bought a Nespresso machine, they would often be buying bottles of cold brew from love, coffee. Go to the location in Park HaMesila, where you can stop by the window, grab a quick coffee, chat with the nicest human beings that work there, and then grab a spot on a bench in the park.

Dede

Tucked away on Uriel Acosta street, Dede is the ultimate boho cafe/bar serving vegan friendly meals and great drinks. Be careful while eating there, because the streets are lined with orange trees and gravity does its thing.

Teder

A courtyard bar/pizza joint/radio station/art party owned by one of Israel's most famous chefs, Eyal Shani. Always happening, always fun, and the pizza is actually worth the hype. When Nitzan asked Alice whether she knew about Teder, she said "baroor" (obviously). Nitzan was shocked that she knew about it being only two months fresh in the country. But that goes to show just how great the place is.

Berlin

Equal parts bar and hotdog stand. Great drinks, even better sausages, and that Tel Aviv magic where you show up for one drink and stay until 1am. Sit by the window and relive Alice and Nitzan's first date: basbusas, shots of arak, and a Dussledorf sausage with pineapple on the side.

Pictured below is us celebrating Alice's first birthday in the country at Berlin!

Hotel Cecil

Despite the name, it’s not a hotel. It's just a small bar that feels like someone’s stylish garage. The cocktail list leans funky, the food is great, and there’s usually a cat that tries to sneak its way in the back.

Pictured below is Alice with her beloved Espresso Martini and her beloved, Nitzan, who usually orders their "Dark & Stormy," but opted for a Negroni for the photo.

Ouzeria

A Greek-inspired spot just outside Shuk Levinsky, this cozy restaurant serves great drinks and small plates that are perfect for sharing. It sits right across from a local “parliament” — slang for the daily gathering of regulars who pull up plastic chairs, pour a drink, and solve the world’s problems one loud conversation at a time.