Coffee Culture in Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is often hailed by locals and visitors alike for its trendy bars, modern art galleries and colorful stores. These are all great attributes that this metropolis indeed boasts, but part of the reason it has become known as ‘the city that never sleeps’ is its quality coffee shops that will keep you wide awake and coming back for more. 

Whether you like to take your cappuccino in small, leisurely sips accompanied by a bite of fresh pastry or prefer a strong espresso boost to start your morning, the Middle Eastern mecca of caffeine has the right fix for you. From house-made blends to the best imported beans, the city’s coffee options are diverse, delectable and an inseparable part of the true Tel Avivian experience. 

Tel Aviv’s coffee culture is synonymous with its social life and food scene. Spend an hour at a typical coffee joint for some key insight into the culture shared by the fast-moving residents of this lively city, who are forever in pursuit of the perfect java. 

If you are an early riser, go for a morning cafe shachor (Hebrew for black coffee) at a neighborhood coffee hub where the baristas know their clientele’s orders by heart and the patrons are neighbors holding comfortable conversation at their pre-work pit stop. In the early afternoon, you can find one of the best macchiatos you have ever had at Tel Aviv’s finest bakeries. You may have a hard time getting a table among the young, hipster crowd – some of the city’s finest entrepreneurs, creatives and business people – who often use popular coffeehouses as their office for the day and a hotspot for mingling. When the day draws to an end, kick back and enjoy the sunset spilling over the city with a cafe hafuch (Hebrew for cafe au lait) in one of the many beachfront spots. For the clandestine caffeine intake, make sure to stop by one of Tel Aviv’s markets for a steaming cup of Turkish coffee with an Israeli twist.