White Hot City

While Tel Aviv’s reputation as a non-stop party city is well known, it’s fast becoming a mecca for a new wave of Israeli cuisine

- Carli Philips

It’s hard to imagine that behind the gritty streets, tooting horns and hellish traffic of Tel Aviv is a city at the forefront of high-tech innovation and venture-capital industry. Nicknamed Silicon Wadi, it has the largest number of start-ups per capita in the world, with young entrepreneurs dressed in T-shirts and thongs, building billion- dollar companies from their laptops while sipping espressos in cafés.

This innovation stretches to the city’s food scene, which is at the forefront of a new wave of modern Israeli cuisine. And the city is not only one of the most exciting places around the globe to eat, but it’s also been named the vegan capital of the world. Against Israel’s tense geopolitical landscape, coastal Tel Aviv is often criticised as existing in a bubble. It’s the resilience of its people, however, that’s led them to be described as sabras – the local prickly pear, with a tough skin that’s soft and sweet inside.

With a rich immigrant community, inspiration and flavours are drawn from the cuisines of North Africa, Palestine, Iraq, Morocco and Eastern Europe, among others. From dramatic open kitchens and secret pop-ups, Tel Aviv’s chefs and restaurateurs are making the most of the abundant and readily available seasonal fruit and vegetables, creating dining experiences that are unique and exhilarating, just like the city itself.

For a taste of what is fast becoming the new wave of modern Israeli cuisine, here’s our pick of the best places to wine and dine in the city.

HERZL 16 & DISCO TOKYO