The Old North

As you head northward from the corner of Ben Yehuda and Bugrashov, you’ll start seeing more upmarket food joints, but even in-between the trendiest spots there’s always room for a falafel stall or a hummus place.

As stalls go, you won’t find anything better than the Sabich at Frishman, on the corner of Frishman and Dizengoff. Sabich is a dish inspired by Iraqi cuisine consisting of eggplants, eggs, tahini,  vegetables and local seasoning, that has made itself a cult following and has become one of the hallmark dishes of Tel Aviv. Don’t go back home without giving it a try. Right next door there’s the Falafel at Frishman, which is fine, but if you’re already there, there’s no reason to settle for an OK falafel when you can get the best sabich in town.

If you want to eat in a proper restaurant you’ll have to head up north, as the Frishman area is mostly stalls and cafés. Either on Dizengoff or Ben Yehuda, walk further north and right after Ben Gurion there are several good Italian places, including La Lasagna (117 Dizengoff). On Yirmiyahu there are a couple of hummus spots, like Hummus Ashkara (45) and Hummus Assaf (52), shushi places (Fu Sushi), meat joints and more.

On Ibn Gabirol, opposite Kikar Rabin, are located some of the city’s most popular gourmet restaurants, such as the Brasserie (French), Amore Mio (Italian) and MeatBar on Chen Boulevard (meat). Right next door there’s the anti-gourmet but always tasty Falafel Ha’Kikar, a local favorite.