Café Xoho- Not Your Average Tel Avivi Brunch

 

In vibrant Tel Aviv on the weekends, the toughest decision to make is “Where are we going to grab brunch?” When choosing, there are so many deciding factors that needs to be taken into consideration. What makes this café different than the one down the street? With Café Xoho’s unique menu, which is not found anywhere else in Tel Aviv, it’s a very easy choice where to grab your beloved weekend brunch.

Café Xoho, located on Gordon Street, is conveniently located a block from the beach. They opened their doors 7 years ago, opened by  a new immigrant from Hong Kong with Canadian parents.  Before, we dig into their tasty and unique menu, what’s unique about Xoho? First, their staff is all female and super friendly. To makes things easier for the non-Hebrew speakers, they all speak fluent English. They provide top notch service that most customers coming from abroad are accustomed to. For those who grew up on the west coast, the atmosphere reminds you of a very hip and relaxed café. On Fridays they shut down the Wi-Fi, but every other day of the week it is a great place to work from.

Unlike most Tel Aviv cafés, their menu is filled with breakfast dishes that you grew up on and/or dishes not available in Israel.  First thing first, they offer fresh grounded coffee which they make fresh and it will start your day right no matter what the rest of the day offers. When looking at their vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the Mexican breakfast dishes. As a Mexican food enthusiast, this got me excited.   My Mexican dish of choice was the breakfast burrito, which is filled with an omelet, chipotle cream sauce, pico de gallo, labneh and black beans (40 NIS).  Other Mexican options are a tasty Mexican salad and Quesadillas.

Despite my love for Mexican food, what keep bringing locals back is their delicious bagels. Some will say they offer the best bagels in the Middle East.  For those Americans who miss their Sunday bagels with some shmear, you have come to the right place. They offer three different delicious dishes on a bagel.  The classic salmon is a favorite, served on a fresh, warmly toasted bagel with the perfect amount of cream cheese, tomato, onion, capers and fresh salmon (42Nis). Two other bagel dishes I recommend are their Tuna Melt and Pizza bagel, for those looking for their American bagel nostalgic breakfast memories.

For those who are looking for vegan dishes, Xoho has you covered. I recommend you try the Xoho Veggie Burger, even if you aren’t a vegan you will enjoy this dish. If you still have room, you must try their homemade cookies and cake. Ask any of the many friendly waiters or have a look for yourself which daily desserts they are offering as they change their desserts daily.

Café Xoho presents brunch goers with a unique and tasty food experience. Just don’t forget that you can’t make reservations, so on the weekend try to get there before midday to avoid waiting in line.

Not Kosher (Open on Saturday)

Address: Gordon 17

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 7:30AM-6PM, Friday 7:30AM-6PM, Saturday 10AM-^PM and Sunday 7:30AM-6PM

Mifgash Osher- Happiness in a Pita

In Israel, when people think of street food, the first things that come in mind are falafel, shawarma and hummus. One of the more affordable and tastier dishes you are forgetting about is sabich. Throughout Tel Aviv there are many places that offer sabich.  Sabich is fried eggplant which is served with different vegetables with tehina as a dressing while served in a pita bread. One of the more underrated and better sabich dishes in Tel Aviv can be found at Mifgash Osher.

Mifgash Osher is located on King George Street not far from Dizengoff Center. They opened their doors in 1991 and, like their menu when they opened, has not changed since. Their menu is very simple; you can choose from three dishes – falafel, sabich and salad. Their sabich (6-18 NIS), falafel (5-16 NIS) or “friends” dish (6-18 NIS) includes salad, chickpeas, eggplant, pickles and white cheese. Each dish can be ordered in a quarter pita, half pita or full pita bread. I recommend ordering a sabilafel, which is a mix of falafel and sabich. It is literally happiness in a pita. What makes this place different from the other falafel and sabich stands? It’s their unique technique in the making of their falafel. They gather all the ingredients (falafel balls, salad, tahina and amba) and pour it in a small bowl, mix it together, and then pour it in a fresh pita bread. The staff is very friendly and each customer gets extra attention and love, as if it was their mother making each dish for them. The architecture of the restaurant is very simple but if you take a close look at the walls, it is a manifest of happiness and full of passport photos of satisfied customers.

They also offer their own style of salads which range from 29-35 NIS. Their most interesting salad is their sabich salad, a great option for those looking for this delicious dish without eating bread. Their famous salad, which costs 29NIS, consists of bulgur, tehina, falafel, white cheese, eggplant, egg and coriander, and is topped off with pineapple and mint juice. The ending result will bring you happiness; which is the translation of the name of their business in English, “Meeting of Happiness”.

Order: Sabilafel, It’s a mix of sabich and falafel all in a pita.

NOT KOSHER

Address: King George Street 105

Hours: Saturday-Thursday 10:30AM-8PM, Friday 10:30AM-3:30PM

Lehem Ve Shoot- Who Doesn’t Love Breakfast Food all day

In Tel Aviv there are endless amount of cafes to choose from for breakfast or brunch. If you and your friends are looking to go out for a spontaneous breakfast Lehem Ve Shoot is the perfect option. In the past few months this café has become one of the “it “brunch spots around Tel Aviv.

Lehem Ve Shoot is located on the busy corner of Ben Guiron and Ben Yehuda. This cafe opened over a year ago but only recently has been the entire rave by the thriving and picky weekend brunch goers in Tel Aviv. The café is very spacious with many different tables inside and outside but I recommend sitting down on the large conference table inside. This table provides the home feeling while sharing with complete strangers. The staff is super friendly and works at a great pace when extremely packed on the weekends.

Like majority cafés in Tel Aviv menus they offer very similar dishes but with one big difference each dish is very affordable. Their menu is filled with many different breakfast dishes, salads, sandwiches and hot dishes. For breakfast dishes I recommend ordering their Israeli breakfast. This dish provides the perfect amount of food at a reasonable price (44Nis). When ordering their Israeli breakfast you choose how you want your eggs, juice, coffee, many different kinds of breads, cheese, vegetable salad, salads and honey bread. Another breakfast I recommend is their two different kinds of shashuka which are served in challah bread bowl (38NIS).

Their menu also consist many different delicious dishes that are great for lunch which they offer from 11:30AM. Those looking for a healthy lunch I recommend ordering the Panzella Salad. This salad consists of different greenery, fresh artichoke, tomatoes, red onions and capera. They offer 10 different sandwiches which are very tasty but I recommend you try their hot meatball sandwich. This dish is served hot with a spicy red sauce served in a fresh challah roll. Last but not least they offer on their menu different meat options for lunch. Some of the best dishes include their fresh liver and chicken pasta. It’s hard not to recommend every dish as their entire menu is very affordable and appetizing.

Price: 35NIS-75NIS

Address:  128 Ben Yehuda Street

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 7:15AM-10PM, Friday 7:15AM-5:30PM and Saturday 7:15AM-10PM

Sandwich Itzik and Ruthie- The best sandwich in Tel Aviv from your favorite old couple

It’s five in the morning on a weekday, you’re located at a crowded restaurant on trendy Sheinkin Street with a long line of people waiting to buy a sandwich. You might be confused, but if you’re at Sandwiches Itzik and Ruthie then this middle of the night experience makes perfect sense. When a lovely couple makes sandwiches for over 57 years, you know that something excellent is happening there. So what’s their secret?  Fresh bread and vegetables, special zucchini salad, and eggs are just a few of the delicious things that bring people back to this sandwich place until the early hours of the morning.

There is one thing that brings customers back asking for more, it’s this intangible thing called “love” which every customer receives with every sandwich. Itzik and Ruthie present such warmth when making each sandwich, you feel like a little kid again, who goes to school with their sandwich made by their very own mother.

The menu offers their famous sandwiches with tuna salad, eggplant salad, avocado salad, herring, cream cheese, spicy carrots and zucchini salad. In addition, they offer a renowned shakshuka in a bun and tasty hot dogs with fresh sauerkraut.

Order: Scrambled eggs with beef jerky and smoked sausage in a fresh bun. The sandwich is smeared with mayonnaise and tomato, pickles and strips of lettuce soaked in salt water.   The eggs are very rich in flavor with every mayonnaise flavored bite creating a heavenly taste.

Owners Recommendation: Order the salad sandwich, which is composed of zucchini, perfectly cooked brown onions and dill.

Price:18 NIS

Address: 53 Sheinkin Street

Hours: Sunday-Friday 3:30AM-11AM or till they run out of food

Bar Gurion- Affordable Israeli bistro in the heart of the city

While walking down busy Ibn Gabirol street, you will find yet another Israeli cuisine gem. Bar Gurion, named after David Ben Gurion (their logo is a drawing of him), is an Israeli cuisine restaurant which continues the new concept of set price meals. Their 25 NIS per plate is proudly displayed on the walls of their restaurant.

Bar Gurion, located in the heart of Tel Aviv across the northern part of Kikar Rabin, provides a young lively bistro, where the door is open around the clock. During the day you can enjoy a huge selection of meals. At night, the restaurant becomes a full service bar.

Bar Gurion provides the real Israeli bistro, rich in flavors and always fresh. Open around the clock, you can enjoy good food at any time. Bar Gurion will help you start your morning with hearty breakfasts, tasty sandwiches and fresh coffee which is served with delicious fresh cake. In the afternoon, you will find a attractive business deal (37 NIS) and their dinner menu offers a huge selection with all sorts of options such as different kinds of fresh pasta, salads, hamburgers, classic chicken liver, and fish and chips

When the sun goes down, Bar Gurion becomes a Tel Aviv bar/restaurant. The atmosphere is lively with music and drinks flowing all night. Prices for their drinks are very affordable. For 10 NIS, you can choose from a glass of wine, a glass of beer, champagne or assorted shots of alcohol. For 15 NIS, you can choose from two types of excellent beers and Arak with grapefruit juice. For 20 NIS, they offer they different whisky and vodka based drink specials.

Business meal: Bar Gurion offer three different business specials – a pasta based meal, a salad based meal, and a meat based meal. I recommend ordering the pasta business meal. You receive  your pasta of choice as your main course, with drinks and appetizers for only 37 NIS.

Order: I recommend ordering their famous schnitzel. It is one of the better schnitzels in the white city. The chicken is fresh and it is cooked perfectly, served with fresh lemons and french fries.

Recommendation: Pasta. They offer many different types of  pasta with excellent sauces. Each plate of pasta cost you a mere 29 NIS.

Address:  Ibn Gabirol Street 82

Hours: Sunday-Saturday 7AM- till the last customer

Cafe Nona- an excellent, affordable cafe/bar that is open round the clock (24/7)

While walking down the busy street of Ibn Gabirol, there are so many different cafes to choose from. One may ask what makes one café better than the other?. Unlike most cafes around Tel Aviv, Café Nona presents a unique concept – a 24/7 café made popular in the U.S.

Café Nona is situated a little south of Rabin Square and is well known for its drinks specials until 2am. Indeed, Café Nona is open 24 hours  a day, though you can only receive both a hot and cold beverage included with your breakfast order until midday. This doesn’t surprise me, Café Nona has a long reputation for being somewhat laid back in its approach to serving their customers. This is not your café if you are short on time. Despite the slow service, the staff is very friendly and helpful.

Café Nona presents a breakfast unlike most Tel Aviv. Instead of offering the typical different style of  eggs, they present a ‘baked’ eggs option  that is served with a choice of added ingredients, either spinach, feta, tomato or mint. Confused by this new option of baked eggs, I agreed to order one of my eggs baked, which was delicious. All their different breakfast options are presented with fresh bread and a small salad. Their breakfast dishes are available all day, unlike many Tel Aviv cafes.

Café Nona offers many delicious dishes for lunch and dinner. Among them are sandwiches, salads, schnitzel, or their local bourekas. They offer a business lunch meal which I recommend. Even though most of their non-breakfast dishes are typical Tel Aviv café food, they are great at an affordable price. I recommend ordering the bourekas special if you’re looking for a light bite. The bourekas special was served with salad, tahina, pickles, shredded tomato and an hardboiled egg. I recommend trying their fresh fruit beverages as well.

Café Nona has a full bar at  a great price. Currently, they are offering 50% off all drinks Sunday throughThursday. The bar has different types of cocktails and can make any kind of drink you might want. The bar staff is very friendly which usually comes with free shots of Whisky, Arak or Vodka. Though their dishes are excellent, the main reason for recommending Café Nona are the great prices at the bar.

Best Dish: Order the schnitzel. Café Nona schnitzel is one of the tastiest schnitzels in town. The schnitzel is served with mashed potatoes, tartar sauce and a sliced pickle.

Salad Order: The two best salads that they offer are the tuna and the goat cheese salad.

Average Price:45 NIS

Address: Ibn Gibraol 44

Hours: All day every day