It’s no secret that Tel Aviv can be expensive, both for residents and tourists alike. Going out to eat, buying groceries, hotels, apartments, Airbnb’s, etc. all add up quickly. However, while Tel Aviv can be expensive; it does not have to be. To help you experience Tel Aviv without breaking the bank, we have created a day plan on how you can eat your way through the city, on a budget, in under 120 shekels.
Breakfast in the City
Shakshuka has recently become one of the most well known Israeli dishes, made from cooked down tomatoes and often other veggies, topped with eggs. It is found at many restaurants in Tel Aviv but can often be pricey. To get the best shakshuka for a lower price, start your day with a classic shakshuka at Bucke Cafe, for only 46 shekels. Bucke serves an abundant amount of delicious breakfast options but the shakshuka, which is topped with feta, parsley, and green chili, is one of their best!
Location: Ahad Ha'Am St 91, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Yehuda HaMakabi St 40, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Times: Sunday-Thursday 7:00 AM to 10:30 PM, Friday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday closed
Image: Instagram / Bucke Cafe
A Leisurely Lunch
Once you’ve walked off your shakshuka from earlier, head to Saluf and Sons, in the neighborhood of Florentin, which serves incredible Yemenite-Jewish dishes at very affordable prices. Stop by for lunch and order a Malawach wrap for only around 25 shekels. Malawach, is a traditional Yeminite-Jewish flakey flatbread. Saluf and Sons takes their own spin on this by making it into wraps with various types of toppings. It is both filling and delicious!
Location: Nahalat Binyamin St 80, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Times: Sunday-Thursday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday Closed
Image: Instagram / Saluf and Sons
Time for a Delicious Dinner
For dinner, make your way to Sabich Tchernichovsky. Order a regular sabich for around 25 shekels, and you will be given a beautiful sabich that looks like a work of art, full of vibrant colors. The sabich is a pita stuffed full with fried eggplant, hard boiled eggs, salads, tahini, cabbage, pickles, and sauces. Not to mention, all of the vegetables and other ingredients they use are fresh. They also offer gluten free options that are made in the back to avoid any contamination. The sabich is simply exquisite (and for such a good price!).
Location: Tchernikhovski St 2, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Times: Sunday-Thursday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Saturday Closed
Dessert and Drinks
Before your delicious day of eating comes to an end, head over to Hamalabiya, which has several locations across the city, to order a Malabi for 10 shekels and a beer for 15 shekels, and relax! Malabi is an Israeli dessert with Turkish roots, is a milk based pudding (which Hamalabiya offers in addition to its equally tasty and equally priced vegan option) topped with rose water and chopped nuts and shredded coconut. It’s the perfect, sweet ending to a day in Tel Aviv.
Locations: Gedera St 28, Tel Aviv-Yafo; Sderot Washington 15, Tel Aviv-Yafo; Ami'ad St 11, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Times: Everyday 10:30 AM (select locations at 7:30 AM) to 2:00 AM (select locations close at 3:00 AM)
Image: Instagram / Hamalabiya
And that’s how you eat in Tel Aviv on a budget. It’s definitely not the easiest thing to do, but it is very possible!
