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Maganda
One of the oldest restaurants in the Yemenite Quarter, this Oriental kosher food restaurant specialises in an array of kebabs and salads. It has recently been renovated and now has lots of space for big groups.
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Manta Ray
Spectacularly set on the beach, Manta Ray combines a five-star seafood menu, attentive service and Mediterranean views. Pick a few dishes off the mezze platter (we liked the goat cheese and the eggplant) and then enjoy a main course of roasted scallops, sea bass fillet, grilled shrimp or a juicy steak. It's also a great place for breakfast.
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Messa
More than a restaurant with impeccable haute cuisine, Messa has a magical quality that raises the restaurant experience to a new level. The centrepiece of the white-on-white dining hall is an elongated table, where strangers are placed together to mix and mingle over their seafood casseroles, zucchini flowers and crème brûlée. Around the edge are small alcoves where others disappear into enormous black cushions so soft they nearly induce sleep.
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Moses
This popular burger place stays busy well after midnight, especially on weekends. You can eat outside on the deck overlooking beautiful Rothschild Blvd or sit in the air-con interior. Moses serves some of the best hamburgers in Tel Aviv: a plump, 200g mixture of seasoned lamb and beef served with tangy sauces and toppings, or you can choose from a selection of appetisers and sandwiches. After midnight the price of a burger and fries drops.
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Olive
Feeding hungry party-goers 24/7 with freshly grilled sandwiches and snacks. With jazz music and diner-style seating, it makes for a perfect late-night break between clubs.
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Orna and Ella
Set inside a beautifully renovated Bauhaus apartment, with a stark white design and no musical distractions, this 15-year-old institution serves homey gourmet cuisine to locals and celebrities alike (Natalie Portman was recently spotted here). It uses the freshest ingredients brought straight from the market and everything is made from scratch. The menu changes weekly, but you can count on the seared salmon, smoked duck and great sweet potato pancakes. Don't miss the excellent pastries!
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Patat
When your pub crawl has come to an absolute standstill, muster up a little more energy to reach this hole-in-the-wall joint on Nahalat Binyamin St. They only serve French fries with a variety of dips.
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Sabihe
A variation on the felafel, the sabihe includes a crushed hardboiled egg, sauces and condiments in a pita. The long lines waiting for one of these is an indication of its popularity.
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Salon Mazal
A combination bookshop, library and café described by one of the volunteers as 'a centre for spreading alternative knowledge.' The café strictly adheres to a vegan menu and changes according to whoever is on duty (and all profits go towards animal rights groups). Pop in at least for some free-trade coffee served with soy milk. Lectures are occasionally held here and they have plenty of brochures and information on local events of interest to activists.
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Shimon
With its marinated meats and mix of spices, Shimon makes some of the best soups in the neighbourhood. It's popular with literary types and artists, who descend on the place during the lunch hour.
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Shine
This neighbourhood café, occupying a lovely spot under the trees, has a minimalist interior of white walls and silver trim, although most people prefer the outdoor patio. It attracts a young, smart set who mingle over brunch, drinking cappuccinos with soy milk or champagne cocktails. The menu is mainly light salads and sandwiches. Vegetarians will enjoy the curry tofu.
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Sonia Gatzel Shapira
You'll find a crowd of regulars here sipping coffee, reading and chatting with the two brothers who own the place, Aviran and Snir. The indoor section, decked out in vintage furniture, grooves to a soundtrack of R&B, jazz or rock. Even better is the sunny patio out back. It has a mainly vegetarian menu, featuring pastas and sandwiches. Try the Moroccan bread with olive oil.
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Suzana
If you've just come out of a performance at the Suzanne Dellal Centre, and want to enjoy another Neve Tzedek favourite, head across the street to this elegant outdoor dining establishment. Here you'll get a fusion of European and Mediterranean dishes, including stuffed vegetables and Cornish hen. Enjoy your meal on the open deck in the shade of an enormous ficus tree. If you are here in the evening, take in views of lovely Neve Tzedek while enjoying a drink on the rooftop lounge.
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Tapéo
Once you've settled in and polished of a couple of tapas snacks you can almost imagine that you've been transported to Barcelona. And like a Spanish restaurant you can find huge crowds mingling and drinking pitchers of Sangria till well after midnight. The menu is laden with delicious treats, including sliced scallops, jumbo shrimp wrapped in noodles, stuffed empanadas and grilled eggplant. It's located among other upscale restaurants, around the corner from the Cinematheque.
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Taste of Life
This place, run by black immigrants from the USA, does vegan cuisine that includes tasty veggie shwarma, steamed vegetables, vegetarian hot dogs, tamali, tofu-lafel, barbecue twist burgers, yogurts and shakes.
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Tierra Health Bar
Tierra Health Bar does a wide range of organic treats; we recommend the chicken breast with millet or the red tuna and mushrooms - both excellent! But even better than the food is the massage you can get from your server (seven minutes, ₪20 ) - the staff members at Tierra are all certified massage therapists. To complete your healthy lunch date, grab a seat at the oxygen bar for 10 minutes of 100% pure O2.
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Tozeret Haaretz
Overlooking beautiful Masarik park, this timeless bohemian café serves up some of the best cakes and sweets in the city, as well as some good-value snacks and meals. Try the excellent shakshuka. Make sure you go to the right place, it's tucked behind another café called Masarik 12.
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Yakimono
This Japanese place has a hard-edge, minimalist design with shades of gray and sharp lighting. There is no dress code per se, but it was one the few places we found where the clientele tends to dress up rather than down. The sushi is excellent, but if you prefer a hot meal they do grilled teriyaki steaks and chicken - Sting apparently loved the place on his visit in 2006.
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