november-2012

u BCN BSL BRS HAJ MRS OSL PRG BMA TLV TRN
TEL AVIV
israel
7,933,200 +972 18°C
New Israeli Shekel (nis)
daily
Ya’ara Keydar
Tel Aviv’s Year of Art celebrations continue
with a festival of performance art
CITY CENTRE
The heart of the city offers a
heady mix of cultural attractions,
shopping, cafés and restaurants.
If it all gets too much, you’re
only minutes from the beach
and Ha’yarkon Park – and with
an average nine hours of sunshine
a day, it should be warm enough
for a picnic.
SLEEP Named after the ballet
impresario and founder of the
Ballets Russes, the Diaghilev Live
Art Boutique Hotel (56 Mazeh Street,
(0)3 545 3131, rooms from €144/
NIS735, diaghilev.co.il) has a central
location, spacious rooms and
exceptionally friendly staff. Rich
oriental rugs and paintings and
sculptures by Israeli artists add
warmth to the understated decor.
EAT Start your day with breakfast at
laid-back Rothschild 12 (12 Rothschild
Boulevard, (0)3 510 6430) or bookstore
café Book Worm (7 Mazeh Street, (0)3
535 7907), on the ground floor of the
Chelouche Art Gallery.
SHOP Local designer Daniella Lehavi
(21 Rothschild Boulevard) is known for
her luxury leather goods, all handmade
in Israel, with a range that runs from
belts and wallets to capacious tote
bags. The elegant flagship store also
features special-edition pieces.
LATER Near the Great Synagogue,
Port Said (2 Har Sinai, (0)3 620 7436)
INFO
Ben Gurion Airport
(TLV) is 15km
south-east of
Tel Aviv.
Train
The train station
is on level S of the
Landside Building,
next to the Greeters’
Hall. The train stops
at Ha’Hagana (10
minutes from the
airport), Ha’Shalom
(15 minutes) and
Savidor (20
minutes); a ticket
costs €3/NIS15.
Taxi
The taxi journey can
take anything from
20 minutes to an
hour, depending on
traffi c. Services are
regulated, and the
fare is €27.50/
NIS140 to €31.50/
NIS160.
Tourist info
The main offi ce is
at 46 Herbert
Samuel Promenade,
(0)3 516 6188,
visit-tlv.com
serves tasty Middle Eastern bar
food such as chickpea-sprinkled
hummus masabacha. Café Europa
(9 Rothschild, (0)3 525 9987) is packed
every night until its 2am closing time,
serving excellent cocktails and
sophisticated small plates such as beef
tartare or tuna ceviche. For casual
drinks, try the effortlessly hip Lucifer
(97 Allenby Street) or Cookies and
Cream (99 Allenby Street).
TIP A citywide Wi-Fi network is due
to be launched in 2013, and a trial
has already begun in Ben Gurion
Boulevard and Gordon Beach.
KEREM HATEIMANIM
Five minutes’ walk from the
beach, the “vineyard of the
Yemenites” is a residential
neighbourhood with some
terrific family-run restaurants
and tiny hummus joints. In the
daytime, visit the colourful
HaCarmel market, with a
multitude of busy stalls selling
fruit and vegetables, meat,
spices, freshly squeezed juices
and various takeaway snacks.
SLEEP Set in a landmark building
that dates from the 1930s, the
Townhouse Tel Aviv (32 Yavne
Street, (0)3 944 4300, rooms from
€150/NIS765, townhousetelaviv.com)
is a 19-room boutique hotel. The decor
is impeccable (think handmade rugs,
The stylish
Townhouse Tel Aviv
occupies a landmark
1930s building
polished parquet floors and big,
comfortable beds), while little
extras include free Wi-Fi and bikes
for guests to borrow.
EAT A hit with Tel Aviv’s bohemian
crowd, Sheleg Café (44 Geula, (0)3
510 1710) serves both Mediterranean
and classic Israeli dishes. In the
morning it offers nine different
breakfasts; later in the day, there
are sandwiches and salads. Two
minutes east is Pappas (12 Hillel
Hazaken, (0)3 510 7373), an Italianrun
trattoria on the fringes of the
market. Regulars swear by the
“Davide”pizza, topped with
pepperoni, chilli and ricotta.
CULTURE November brings the
“Zaz” International Festival for
Performance Art (artyear.co.il).
With Tamar Raban at the helm as
its artistic director, it will provide
a showcase for 30 performance
artists from Israel and further afield.
SHOP Vanity (51 Geula Street) is
a carefully curated little boutique
selling clothes, accessories and
vintage couture pieces, hand-picked
by owner Orna Shaul.
LATER A hidden door in a sandwich
shop leads to Deli (47 Allenby Street),
a smooth cocktail bar and club. At
the weekends it hosts LATER’s
cutting-edge house and techno
parties, featuring rising talents
from Berlin, Hamburg, London
and, of course, Tel Aviv.
90 november 2012
FLY TO tel Aviv daily. brusselsairlines.com
NATHAN DVIR