The city of Tel Aviv offers delicious traditional local foods served up as street fare or fine dining. You don’t have to choose between the city’s rich cultural heritage and its laid-back beach atmosphere. One world isn’t necessarily better than the other. The thing that makes Tel Aviv an ideal travel destination is that you can enjoy both. Both are sublime.
Where to stay in Tel Aviv
One of my top priorities while visiting Tel Aviv was to be centrally located while also enjoying a constant view of the Mediterranean.
The Carlton Tel Aviv does just that. Situated on the beach, it’s been awarded year after year as the top business luxury hotel in Tel Aviv. The five-star hotel is also the perfect example of where “the city meets the sea,” with its endless views of the ocean making you feel like you are on a dreamy, floating boat suspended in the water.
The prime location is also steps from the busy hub of Tel Aviv’s most popular business, shopping, culture and entertainment options. The suites are expansive, with unobstructed 360 degree views, so that “beach” feeling never leaves you, even from your balcony, as you watch the boats cruise by or dock in the marina. But, the 15th floor rooftop pool is chic and is the best location to catch the sunset.
Where to eat
The hotel’s gourmet breakfast selection is as endless as its rooftop view, with options from an omelet station to an array of delectable baklava desserts. You can have breakfast in the popular beachside stand-alone breakfast restaurant, Carlton on the Beach, grab a drink in its hip lobby bar or enjoy light bites, drinks, and a private chill zone in the Royal Executive Lounge. Often playing host to prime ministers and celebrities, the Carlton Tel Aviv is also the only member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in Israel.
For the best dining experience, make your way to Alena Restaurant at the Norman Hotel. They have a fun library in the back, a stunning interior and heating lamps outside on the beautiful courtyard. The best dining selections include the yellowtail crudo, lasagna, tortellini, chicken, the burger, and chocolate gelato for a sweet finish.
What to do in Tel Aviv
There is so much to do in Israel in so little time and Tourist Journey made the entire process a cinch. I used Create My Journey to organize a personalized itinerary. I chose from the sites from the Tel Aviv tours and visited Masada, The Dead Sea, and the Ein Gedi Nature Reserve.
I even explored parts of Tel Aviv that I missed on my first two trips, like the Carmel Market, urban street art, and explored the historically rich cultural neighbourhoods of Jaffa, with a really knowledgeable tour guide.
For the sunniest and most entertaining holiday, in the winter or any season, Tel Aviv is the perfect spot to kick back and relax.
by Katherine Fleishman