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A Day in Tel Aviv

Right by the Mediterranean Sea is Tel Aviv, a city with splendid food, Bauhaus architecture, and a laid-back vibe. You can walk around the city easily to find the most delicious falafel or hummus to suit your palette, or if you prefer being outside, spend time swimming and surfing on its shores. If you have just a day in Tel Aviv, here’s what we’d recommend.

Cafes in Jaffa \\\ Photo: Anatoli Axelrod (CC by 3.0)

Start your day at Jaffa, an ancient port city in southernmost tip, and the oldest neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Get breakfast at Cafelix roastery, famous for their brews and pistachio cakes, or try a classic Israeli fare at the more traditional Cafe Puaa.

SAGA’s curator scouts out the kitschy, the modern, and the traditional and houses them together in his store cum gallery. \\\ Photo: Or Kaplan

Go shopping at SAGA, a local design store and gallery in Old Jaffa that houses products from over 100 Israeli designers. The adjoining Cafe Saga beside the store showcases some of the furniture and designer items in action—it’s the perfect excuse for a morning coffee too, if you haven’t had one already.

Jaffa Flea Market is a must-see in the area, so plan to spend some time here wandering around. Colorful fruit and clothes alike hang from the shops in these narrow, shaded streets—and there’s everything from boutiques run by emerging fashion designers to vintage stores that sell handed-down treasures.

This is also a great place to grab a casual lunch, or make a lunch out of multiple dishes from the various vendors you come across.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art \\\ Photo: TijsB (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It can get pretty hot in the afternoon, so choose between cooling off on the beach, or inside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, a grand museum with a geometric white facade that showcases modern and contemporary Israeli art, architecture, photography, and prints. While there, take a walk around the Lola Beer Ebner Sculpture Garden which surrounds the museum.

Miiznon is housed on the second floor of this cultural complex, which also transforms into a gathering space or concert venue. \\\ Photo: Or Kaplan

Chefs at Miznon preparing dinner \\\ Photo: Or Kaplan

Miznon’s famous pita sandwiches \\\ Photo: Or Kaplan

When the sun sets, head to Miznon, a casual yet intimate Israeli establishment that has proved to be so popular among the locals, it has three restaurants in Tel Aviv and branches in New York and Paris. The pita sandwiches are a crowd favorite, but don’t forget to get them with a side of their famous grilled cauliflower.

The rooftop of Vera Hotel \\\ Photo: Or Kaplan

If you’re looking for a place to stay the night, The Vera is a chic, sophisticated boutique hotel with an amazing double story rooftop. Wine is served in the lobby all day, and you’re free to take it up to the roof to enjoy it under an open sky.

For something more old school, The Nordoy is Tel Aviv’s oldest hotel and one that’s here to stay. With it is Art Deco and Arabesque patterns, a mauve and cream color palette and a rooftop massage spa, Nordoy is an elegant way to end your stay in Tel Aviv.

Keshia grew up in Singapore and moved to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College. When she was living abroad after graduation, a chance enrollment at the Architectural Association Visiting School led to her becoming enamored with door schedules and architectural écriture. She's particularly interested in design for aging, rural architecture, and Asian design heritage.