Israel’s top 10 cafés for coffee

Israel’s top 10 cafés for coffee | Culture

By Jeffrey Heyman
July 21, 2011

Israelis love meeting over a cup of coffee. Over the last 15 years, more and more chains have started offering first-rate java and cuisine. ISRAEL21c picks the 10 best.

Someone visiting cities like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa could be excused for thinking that the only thing Israelis do is sit at sidewalk cafés and drink coffee. It's not true - they also eat the food at those cafés.

In the last 15 years, coffee chains like Aroma, Cup O' Joe, Arcaffe and Café Hillel have proliferated to the point that their logos are as ubiquitous as McDonald's signs throughout the country.

"Israelis love sitting, drinking coffee and talking," explains Michael Reiner, a student of all things java and the CEO of Ava Coffee, one of the country's leading coffee suppliers.

Whereas Israeli coffee drinkers once drank either botz, the dark, muddy Turkish coffee favored by Middle Eastern coffee drinkers for centuries -- or, if you didn't have the stomach for that, then nes, instant coffee with milk and sugar (a bastardization of the American Nescafé) -- today the drink of choice is Tel Aviv cappuccino (café afuch), a frothy variation on the Italian classic.

"It's becoming known abroad as the quintessential Israeli coffee," says Nicole Fleisher, the administrator of the Israel Coffee Association, an organization formed by several of the leading coffee roasters and chains in the country to raise the level of coffee manufacturing and consumption and promote the industry.

"We have a high standard of coffee preparation in Israel, from the way it's roasted and prepared until it arrives at the table. As a coffee drinker, I would say coffee in Israel is much better than it used to be."

"The biggest increase in coffee consumption and in the quality and variety of coffee in Israel occurred mainly in the past decade - due to the proliferation of the ‘away from home' market, encompassing espresso bars, restaurants and cafes," says Ava's Reiner.

While you can go to any street corner café today and get a great cup of coffee from any number of independent, family-run coffee shops, some establishments have raised the art of coffee culture in Israel to a new level. Here are the best of them.

1. Aroma Espresso Bar


Aroma's coffee always comes with a signature chocolate.
Established in 1994, Aroma's red-and-black signs are as ubiquitous as Dunkin' Donuts signs in the United States, and the fare of Israel's flagship coffee chain is just as dependable. You know what you're going to get when you walk into one of Aroma's 120 cafes in Israel: a wide selection of hot coffee-based drinks, the famous "ice Aroma" frozen coffee slush, and tasty sandwiches and salads.

The company opened its first branch abroad in 2006 in the heart of Manhattan's Soho neighborhood and has since established dozens of cafes in the US and Europe. In June, the café chain opened its biggest ever store in Kiev, Ukraine, after winning the title of Kiev's best coffee shop for the past two years.

2. Arcaffe

Established in 1995 with the aim of bringing real Italian espresso bars to Israel, Arcaffe is more of an upscale Aroma. Its credo is the ability to serve Italian coffee, authentic French breads and pastries with American service standards.

Arcaffe's growth rate is more cautious than Aroma's, with 25 branches dotting the country in mostly high-tech centers and more affluent neighborhoods. But when someone suggests meeting at Arcaffe, you know you're in for a quality experience.

3. Cup O' Joe


Cup O' Joe, Petach Tikvah.
Launched in 1996 in Tel Aviv by American immigrants David Klein and Dov Goldfarb, Cup O' Joe is an Israeli success story. Today the chain featuring great food and gourmet coffee, including possibly the best mocha ice in the country, has more than 60 branches around the country, with 10 more scheduled to open this year.

In May, a subsidiary of the giant Israeli fuel company Delek Group acquired 50 percent of the company.

4. Ilan's

Perhaps the originator of modern coffee culture in Israel, Ilan Shenhav opened up his first coffee shop in Tel Aviv in 1994. The availability of more than 20 types of coffee, including those from Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Colombia and Ethiopia, began teaching Israelis what good coffee was, and opened the doors for the other chains that have followed.

There are now four Ilan's coffee houses in the Tel Aviv area, all featuring ingredients that adhere to the international Fair Trade standard, which ensures a fair price to farmers in the countries producing the raw product. A selection of teas and tea blends, specialty sandwiches and desserts -- including jocolada, a doughy cake that oozes melted white chocolate - is always on the menu.

5. Café Hillel


Café Hillel began in Jerusalem, and is now opening branches across Israel.
From humble beginnings, brothers Koby and Yossi Sherf opened the first Café Hillel on Jerusalem's Hillel Street in 1998. Their concept was to create a cozy "Yerushalmi" relaxed atmosphere highlighted by world-class coffee and food. They clearly succeeded. Today, more than 25 Café Hillel branches are bringing that Jerusalem atmosphere to the rest of the country.

6. Café Neto

Founded in 1995 by Shlomo Avras and Haim Malka, Café Neto has become a favorite for coffee lovers in the center of the country. A dozen branches dot the landscape from Tel Aviv to Hod Hasharon to Ra'anana, with recent branches opened as gas station refreshment stops in Kiryat Gat and Dimona. Another top-quality place to refill the empty coffee cup.

7. Café Café


At Café Café, they pride themselves on letting their customers take their time.
A relative upstart on the list, Café Cafe has made great strides since opening its first Tel Aviv branch in 2001. Today the café/restaurant has 105 branches around the country and in Europe.

Offering a more extensive food menu than most of its competitors, Café Café offers a relaxed, comfortable setting for its fare and confidently stands by its motto, "Take Your Time."

8. Espresso Bar


Espresso Bar in Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv.
On the other end of the café scale from Café Café, the Espresso Bar offers the boutique side of things, concentrating almost solely on ... coffee. Established in 1992, making it maybe the oldest practitioner of modern coffee culture in the country, Espresso Bar was founded by four members of a family intent on replicating the coffee, atmosphere and design of an authentic Italian espresso bar. With seven locations today, they must have been on to something.

9. Coffee Shop

There may not be much to differentiate the Jerusalem-based Coffee Shops from the Aromas and Café Hillels that surround them, but the decade-old company with six branches has cemented a foothold on the coffee landscape of the capital with its consistently good drinks and extensive food menu. Significantly, this is the only coffee chain in the country with a branch at the Knesset, performing the patriotic duty of keeping our elected officials alert and well fed.

10. Greg

The only Haifa-based café on the list, Greg's Café was founded in 1994 by an American ex-pat in the Carmel center of the port city. Since then, more than 50 branches have opened around the country with different menus in each, but all featuring the high-quality coffee one has come to expect.

Vogue magazine, in an article on weekends in Tel Aviv, singled out the café with the funny American name as the perfect place to unwind at the end of a day of shopping. There's nothing funny, however, about the coffee. It's top-notch.

Israel's top 10 beaches

Israel's top 10 beaches | tourism
By Abigail Klein Leichman

Dig out the sand toys and don't forget the sunscreen. It's time to hit the beach, and here are some of the best Israel has to offer.

Photo by Michal Fattal/Flash90.

Children wash themselves after a day at Beit Yannai beach.

Life's a beach in Israel. This small country is blessed by three seas -- the Mediterranean, the Dead and the Red (the Sea of Galilee is really a lake, though it does have beaches too). With the help of recommendations from veteran tour guide Joe Yudin of Touring Israel and Hassan Madah of the Tourism Ministry, ISRAEL21c offers you the top 10 beaches in Israel, just in time for summer.

1. Beit Yannai Beach (Mediterranean)

Named after the ancient Judean king Alexander Yannai, the Alexander River north of Netanya was in a sorry state until a 1994 restoration project transformed the area into a lovely, wheelchair-accessible nature reserve. The beach is at the spot where the river runs into the sea.

Considered by many to be Israel's most beautiful beach and kite-surfing locale, Yannai is pristine and quiet. The Israel Parks and Nature Authority has posted signs with information on the natural features of the beach and its wildlife.

You can camp overnight here, and there are picnic tables, restaurants and showers. Don't miss the nearby eucalyptus grove and ancient ruins.

Entrance fee. Information: 09-866-6230.

2. Coral Reef Beach (Red Sea)

Photo by Anna Kaplan/Flash90.

Tourists enjoy a view of the Red Sea from the aquapark bridge at Coral Beach.

The best place to snorkel in Eilat, Coral Beach is a popular diving reef and a family-friendly beach. Its setting on the world's northernmost coral reef affords visitors an amazing place to see the multicolored coral garden and the Red Sea aquatic creatures that inhabit it.

Rent a snorkel, mask, flippers and life jacket, walk along a short pier and step down into shallow warm water teeming with tropical delights. Sunshades and loungers, hot showers and a snack kiosk are available.

Entrance fee. Information: 08-637-6829.

3. Banana Beach (Mediterranean)

Photo by Anna Kaplan/Flash90.

On the beach in Tel Aviv.

The entire west flank of Tel Aviv is one long shoreline lined with beaches. Banana Beach, located on the southernmost edge near Jaffa, has become a sort of hippie bohemian sanctuary on Friday evenings. It's a great place to end a walking tour of Tel Aviv, as young people begin gathering here at sunset for drum circles, singing and dancing on the cliffs.

The rest of the week, it's a fairly tranquil spot where you'll find people sunbathing or playing Matkot, Israeli beach paddleball. The Banana Beach café right on the sand screens films and sports events in the evenings for free. You can rent surfboards and wind surfers, or sign up for surfing lessons, at the Galim surf shop.

No entrance fee; sand chairs available for hire.

4. Mineral Beach (Dead Sea)

Photo by Yaakov Naumi/Flash90.

Sunset at the Dead Sea.

You want mud? You got it. Whereas at many Dead Sea beaches you can buy packets of its famous mineral-rich mud to slather on your skin, at Mineral Beach there's a huge mud pit to climb into. Prefer a natural Jacuzzi? There's one here, too, fashioned out of hot sulfur pools.

When you get tired of floating on the Dead Sea, try the freshwater pool. At this clean and accessible beach, you can rent a towel or locker, get a health treatment or lie on a tanning bed.

The site also has an amphitheater, a cafeteria and showers to wash off the mud and sand. Mineral Beach is on the northern end of the Dead Sea, so it's a fast destination from Jerusalem and the surface is less pebbly than at the more southern beaches. (If you're into sunbathing in the buff, nearby Neve Midbar Beach has a secluded section for nudists.)

Entrance fee. Information: 02-994-4888.

5. Dado Zamir Beach (Mediterranean)

Surfers in Haifa.

This central Haifa beach has pretty gardens along its long boardwalk promenade, beachside restaurants, pubs and coffee shops, free parking, benches and sitting areas, a dance arena (with weekly public dances and Israeli folk dancing on Saturdays), an amphitheatre for summer events, sports and playgrounds and a pool for toddlers. It's even got Wi-Fi.

The picturesque boardwalk runs from its southern tip to the northern part of Carmel Beach next door. For the disabled, Dado offers reserved parking, adapted showers and bathrooms, and ramps for easy access to and from the beach.

Information: 1-800-305-090; 04-853-5606/5.

6. Sironit Beach (Mediterranean)

The Beach Elevator in Netanya.

Netanya has one of the longest coastlines in Israel, and offers eight beaches. What's particularly cool about Sironit, one of the city's southernmost beaches, is the glass-walled Beach Elevator that descends into it from the Rishonim Promenade along the cliff-top. This lets you get from the city center to the seashore in 20 seconds, for just one shekel.

Two breakwaters opposite the beach create tranquil bays for safe swimming almost all year. Sironit has a restaurant, stage and fitness facilities among its other features.

Parking fee. Information: 1-700-709292; 09-882-7286.

7. Metzitzim Beach (Mediterranean)

This northern Tel Aviv spot overlooking the S'de Dov airfield used to be called Sheraton Beach for the hotel that once stood next to it, but was later renamed for the Israeli cult classic film of the same name ("metzitzim" means "peepers").

It attracts a mix of hipsters and families, with calm, warm water due to a man-made lagoon. There's a café-restaurant and playground here, and just south of the main area is a separate section for the religious public, where women are admitted Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; men on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Also in the area you can find beaches catering to gay sunbathers and another where dog-owners are allowed to let their canines romp.

8. Dor Habonim Beach (Mediterranean)

Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90.

Dor Habonim beach is popular with families.

South of Haifa off Route 4, Dor Habonim ("Generation of Builders") is part of a coastal nature reserve, a relatively remote cove favored by nearby kibbutzniks and families.

Natural rock jetties in the sea are perfect for kids to climb and sit on, and along with natural lagoons, they also keep the waves from getting too rough. The reserve has walking routes that pass through the bays, from which you can see sights including caves and wildflowers.

There are no facilities here to speak of, and it's not accessible by public transportation. But these same qualities are what make it one of the most beloved beaches for Israelis in the know.

Beyond the swimming area is the home of Paradive, where you can go skydiving with a tandem instructor.

No entrance fee.

9. Dolphin Reef (Red Sea)

Photo courtesy of www.goisrael.com

Eilat's Dolphin Reef.

Eilat's public beaches tend to get quite crowded, but if you're willing to pay admission to the Dolphin Reef, you get the added benefit of a quiet beach where you can relax under an umbrella and watch the dolphins, or even join them in the water if you're age 10 or over.

"You'll feel like you're in Jamaica," promises tour guide Joe Yudin. There is a snorkeling and diving center here, as well as an underwater photography center and beachside café/bar. Adults can take advantage of the site's music-infused relaxation pools as well.

Entrance fee. Information: 08-630-0100.

10. Aqueduct Beach (Mediterranean)

Photo courtesy of www.goisrael.com

Aqueduct Beach, Caesarea.

You can't beat this Caesarea beach for its setting among ancient Roman ruins. While sitting on the clean white sand, you'll marvel at the raised aqueduct built by order of King Herod in the first century BCE and expanded upon 300 years later to bring running water to the old city of Caesarea from the springs of Shummi six miles away at the foot of Mount Carmel.

There are no restaurants here (just a kiosk), but neither are there loud music or crowds. Lifeguards are on duty on only parts of the long strip of seashore, which is sometimes also called Arches Beach.

No entrance fee.

New Discoveries at the City of David - Jerusalem

Pilgrim’s Way to the Temple Mount and the impressive tunnel

On the slope of the City of David hill, where the Kidron and Ben Hinnom Valleys meet, the Ancient Shiloah Pool was discovered just a few years ago. This magnificent pool was constructed 2,000 years ago during the days of King Herod, in Jerusalem’s glorious building tradition. This grand pool served as an important meeting point for Jerusalem’s pilgrims, who would arrive in the city to visit the Temple Mount on the three major Jewish holidays: Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth), and the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot). An impressive road once connected the Shiloah Pool to the Temple Mount and served as the central axis for all of Jerusalem’s pilgrims and visitors.

Shops and businesses once lined the length of the Herodian Road and enjoyed the road’s centrality and the wide exposure that they had to the many pilgrims who filled Jerusalem on the holidays. The way that leads from the Shiloah Pool in the direction of the Temple Mount reached 600 meters into the valley whose Greek name once was the “Tyropoeon” which means the valley of the cheese mongers. During the Hellenistic Period the road was lined with the shops and factories of dairy product manufacturers, such that when the winter rains would come, the valley would be washed clean of the refuse and smells that were a by-product of the dairy industry.

During Jerusalem’s Herodian period the road was paved and at its foot, the Shiloah pool was formed in order to store water for drinking and for the bathing purposes of the visiting pilgrims. The road became more central and important because of the increasing pilgrimage phenomenon and because of the importance of the Shiloah Pool in the culture of the pilgrims. Specifically, the Shiloah played a critical role in the Libation Ritual ceremony - during which the waters of the Shiloah Pool were brought as an offering at the Temple Mount itself. The pool of Siloam (Shiloah) has a very important place in the Christian world, for it is the place where Jesus hilled the blind men, as we can read in John 9, 7, in the New Testament.

The excavations of the Herodian Road began just a few years ago and little by little that road has been revealed to us in all its glory. Abutting the road, a major drainage channel from the days of Herod has also been uncovered. The Herodian drainage channel, which runs beneath the Tyropoeon Valley, was first discovered at the end of the 19^th century by the British Palestine Exploration Fund (P.E.F.). The channel was rediscovered during excavations conducted at the City of David by the Israel Antiquities Authority, under the direction of Prof. Ronny Reich from the University of Haifa. The drainage channel is over 700 meters long from the western wall in the north to the pool of Shiloah down south. It was essentially a manmade tunnel built underneath the Herodian Road whose ceiling was made up of the rectangular paving stones of the road above. Its purpose was to channel the water that flowed down the slopes of Mount Zion and the Temple Mount and to gather the water into a reservoir at the bottom of the valley. The drainage channel thus protected the road from flooding during the pilgrimage holidays and kept the pilgrims to the Temple Mount clean and dry. One of the most impressive things about the drainage channel is that it is not quarried out of stone, but rather, constructed at a standard that was unusual for its time – a tribute to a king for whom the quality of construction was everything.

The impressive tunnel was recently cleaned as far as the western wall of the temple mount, and today, it is possible to walk through it from the pool of Siloam to the western wall, and feel as the pilgrims of the 2nd temple period felt 2,000 years ago.

Sections of the Herodian Road itself have been excavated, and unique steps have been revealed along its length. These steps appear in a few places along the valley between the Shiloah Pool and the Temple Mount. The entire road is paved with smooth, wide, stone steps, which alternate between short and long in length. This design was intended to create a distinguished ascent to the Temple Mount for pilgrims and to prevent running and indecent conduct when ascending to the Temple. Additionally, the unique arrangement of the steps allowed pilgrims to see both the Holy Temple and the steps in front of them intermittently during their ascent, creating a walking experience that was both safe and inspiring.

In the drainage channels beneath the road, impressive artifacts were discovered from the time of the Great Revolt against Rome. The channels themselves and the rare artifacts discovered bear a striking resemblance to the description of Josephus in his book “Wars of the Jews,” Volume 6, which tells the story of the Jews who hid “in the tunnels beneath the Shiloah.” Thus, this new excavation was able to authenticate Josephus’ moving historical description of the aftermath of the Revolt in Jerusalem.

Today, the excavations in the Tyropoeon Valley have reached already as far as the western wall itself and the Davidson archeological park around the Kotel (western wall of temple mount). It is possible to start the tour in the Pool of Siloam, and walk up through the Herodian ancient road continuing along the whole tunnel underground. A thrilling adventure that will take you back in time.

For more information call 02-626-8700 or visit www.cityofdavid.org.il

Author:

Shahar Shilo - researcher and expert Tour Guide for Ancient Jerusalem

Upcoming concerts in Israel not to be missed!

PAUL SIMON, BOB DYLAN AND DURAN DURAN LEAD A HOT SUMMER LINE-UP OF POP CONCERTS IN ISRAEL

Once again, major venues in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (among others) will host a strong line-up of pop stars performing to locals and tourists alike this summer.

The legendary American singer/songwriter Paul Simon will be returning to Israel for a concert at Ramat Gan Stadium on July 21 - just one month after fellow 1960s icon Bob Dylan will play the same venue (June 20). Simon, who has appeared in Israel twice before a solo performance in 1978 and with his former singing partner Art Garfunkel, will arrive as part of a world tour promoting his latest album, So Beautiful or So What.

Other stars performing in Israel this summer include:

· 1 June: Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias

· 12 June: DJ pair Kruder and Dorfmeister

· 19-22 June: American musician Laurie Anderson

· 12 July: American DJ-musician Moby

· 20-21 July: Jamaican reggae star Ziggy Marley

· 30 July: Veteran British rock stars Duran Duran

· 3-5 August: Underground rock musician John Cale

· 1 September: American alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction

· 7-8 September: Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos

· 17-18 October: Veteran English singer Marianne Faithful

· 22 October: Swedish band Roxette

· 22 November: French singer Mireille Matthieu

Two-wheeler Tel Aviv | environment

Two-wheeler Tel Aviv | environment

Two-wheeler Tel Aviv

By Abigail Klein Leichman
May 24, 2011

Israel's commerce and culture center rolls out a citywide bike rental program to encourage fitness while easing traffic and pollution.

With 150 bike stations around Tel Aviv, residents and will find it much easier to get about the city under their own steam.

For Tel Aviv-Jaffa residents and workers sick of skyrocketing gasoline prices and incessant traffic jams, the introduction of a new pilot bike-rental project this month couldn't have come at a better time.

Like some 200 other cities across the globe, Israel's commercial and cultural center was looking for ways to encourage fitness and discourage fossil-fuel consumption. The launch of Tel-Ofan (ofanayim is Hebrew for bicycle) synchs with the municipality's mutimillion-shekel investment in additional bike lanes to serve about 400,000 residents and many thousands more who commute in for work.

Tel Aviv-Jaffa Economic Development Authority CEO Sharon Kenan tells ISRAEL21c that Tel-Ofan began with 40 stations and 450 subscribers, expanding daily to reach an eventual goal of 150 stations with up to 20 German-made bicycles each.

Using an electronic key fob, the subscriber picks up a bike and then parks it at the destination station. There's no charge for the first half hour, and if the bike is docked for at least 10 minutes, the user's "clock" restarts from zero.

"The purpose is that we want people to share the bikes," explains Kenan, who heads the project on behalf of Mayor Ron Huldai. "While you're doing whatever you're doing, someone else will ride the bike you docked."

Signup can be done on Tel-Ofan's website; via a toll-free phone number (*6070); or in person at City Hall. Annual subscriptions cost NIS 280 (about $64) or NIS 240 for Tel Aviv-Jaffa residents. Eventually, daily and weekly subscriptions will be sold as well.

Simple idea took complex planning

Kenan's staff worked on Tel-Ofan for three years before rolling it out. One of the trickiest operational details was how to make sure that when somebody comes to a station there will always be a bike available in good condition, and that the station of destination will always have a free docking place. That problem was tackled with the assistance of mathematicians at Tel Aviv University, who established formulas after researching typical bike-riding patterns in the city. Based on those formulas, trucks will patrol the rental stations on a regular basis, balancing supply and demand.

Another major challenge, according to Kenan, was to ensure a completely stable information technology system managing the project under the hood. And to deal with possible theft, damage and vandalism of the bike fleet, the EDA put both physical and electronic safeguards into action.

Now that all the pieces are in place, the next step is to physically accommodate the expected increase in bicyclists. To answer this need, the municipality is investing many millions of shekels to add to its existing 65 miles of bike lanes.

"In the last five years, we've invested 10 million shekels per year in constructing bike lanes, and for the next five years the municipality has tripled the budget for this project," says Kenan.

"Strategically, the ultimate goal is to increase awareness of bikes as a means of transportation and increase the number of people using them, which will substantially reduce traffic problems and air pollution."

Israel's top 10 tourist sites | briefs

Israel's top 10 tourist sites | briefs

Did you know.....

Masada became the most visited pay-to-enter tourist site in 2010, climbing above the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo and the Ramat Gan Safari Park, according to Dun & Bradstreet Israel.

Last year, some 762,992 people visited Masada, the ancient fortification near the Dead Sea, while 718,902 people visited the second most popular site, the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo.

Masada reported that its revenue rose 26 percent to NIS 34 million in 2010, compared to NIS 25.7m. in 2009.

The Hermon National Park (Banias), one of the sources of the Jordan River in the Golan, also rose, from ninth place in 2009, to fourth place in 2010, with 663,000 visitors.
The trailways of the Ramat Gan Safari Park weren't quite as busy in 2010 as in 2009, when the safari park was the second most popular site. In 2010, it fell to fifth most popular pay-to-enter site.

As tourism to Israel grew last year, so too did the overall number of visitors to paid tourist sites across the country. According to Dun & Bradstreet Israel the aggregate revenue of Israel's top ten pay-to-enter tourist sites rose 13% to NIS 143 million in 2010.

The top 10 sites listed in order:

1. Masada
2. Jerusalem Biblical Zoo
3. Caesarea Antiquities National Park
4. Hermon National Park (Banias)
5. Ramat Gan Safari Park
6. Ein Gedi Nature Reserve
7. Hamat Gader Hot Springs
8. Underwater Observatory, Eilat
9. Kumran Caves, Dead Sea
10. Yamit 2000 Water Park, Holon

Tel Aviv Top Five: Most mouthwatering desserts - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Tel Aviv Top Five: Most mouthwatering desserts - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

Tel Aviv Top Five: Most mouthwatering desserts

The city is overflowing with sweet delights from every imaginable ice cream flavor to rich French patisserie.

By City Mouse Online

Five options for which it would definitely be worth abandoning your diet.

Vaniglia ice cream parlorLocation: 98 Ibn Gvirol Street Tel: 03-602 0185 Price: One scoop of ice cream - NIS 13; two scoops - NIS 18; three scoops - NIS 22

In the middle of one of the city's busiest streets, stumble upon a chilled, sweet paradise. In the Vaniglia gelateria, cool yourself down with ice cream flavors that you won't find anywhere else.

Sample the alfajores ice cream alone (or with a scoop of white chocolate and cardamon ice cream for a sumptuous combination). Other praiseworthy flavors include pavlova, honey yoghurt with pine nuts, banana yoghurt with dates and pecans, lemongrass yoghurt, and blueberry and port with raisins. Cool, tasty, and appealing even in winter.

Kurtosh Hungarian patisseriePrice: NIS 22-25 per pastry.Location:Branches on Lincoln, Bograshov, and Dizengoff streets Tel: 03-5280606

Sweet scents waft out from the Kurtosh bakery and its cylinder-shaped delicacies. You might not believe that a simple pastry can drive you crazy until you taste the hollow pastry tube.

Choose between regular, cinnamon, milk chocolate and even pistachio flavors. For those looking for something simple and tasty, try the regular pastry, which, despite its name, is actually a superb mix of cocoa and sugar.

Mini popsicles at DIP ITPrice: NIS 12 for a mini-dip; NIS 15 for a maxi-dip. Location: 142 Ibn Gvirol Street Tel: 03-5465414

Among sworn sweet lovers lies a truly rare subspecies - those whose favorite frippery comes in the form of a frozen treat on a stick.

At popsicle parlor DIP IT, all you need to do is choose the size and flavor of your iced treat (vanilla, chocolate, caramel or pecan), and the sauce you want it to be dipped in (chocolate, candies, meringue pieces, Oreo cookies, toasted coconut, almonds, granola, pistachio and more).

Mini pastries at Boutique CentralPrice: NIS 4.5 per pastryLocation: 90 Frishman Street, 171 Dizengoff StreetTel: 1-700-700061

The excellent Boutique Central chain offers sweet mini pastries at ridiculous prices. Take for example, the mini Savarin soaked in rum, covered in cream, and topped with a cherry.

Not convinced? How about a mini St Honore - a cream puff filled with vanilla cream, whipped cream and caramel.

Still unmoved? Then try the mini mocha or chocolate flavored eclairs. It doesn't get more Paris-chic than this in Tel Aviv.

Nothing but chocolate cake at Ben-AmiPrice: NIS 24 Location:Ben-Ami Bakery, 22 Nachmani Street Tel: 03-5609960

Those still unfamiliar with King Albert Square should score themselves a big minus on their knowledge of Tel Aviv. The beautiful Ben-Ami bakery is located in the city's most European quarter.

One dark cake stands out against the background of the shop's white walls and furnishings. The aptly named "nothing but chocolate cake" is made on site and contains no flour at all. It is served at room temperature and every bite is pure bliss.

Related articles:Top 10 ice cream parlours in Tel AvivSweet talk

Courtesy of City Mouse (mouse.co.il)

	Kurtosh's delicious cylinder cakes