Tel Aviv: where to surf, eat, drink and dance

Tel Aviv has become the hotel capital of Mediterranean more than 45 intimate and interesting properties to choose from, and more regularly opening. The first to debut in the city was the 12-room Montefiore Hotel, perhaps best known for its legendary breakfast. A more recent addition is the Vera, an elegant 39-room property conveniently located near some of the city's best restaurants and nightclubs. Rooms offer Egyptian linens for slipping after a long night of celebration, and complimentary wine (yes) in the lobby that showcases a different Israeli vintage each month. Later this summer, the city hosts Jaffa in its list of upscale hotels. The team behind the property spent ten years renovating and rebuilding a 19th century complex that once housed a French hospital. This hospital is becoming the most spectacular bar you've ever seen, and will initially be reserved for guests. (Another future benefit: Shawarma by the pool.)

Familiarize yourself with the local culinary scene while on a walking tour with Delicious Israel. You will have the opportunity to eat your way through the Tel Aviv Carmel market, learning about the mosaic of Israeli cuisine from an expert guide. One thing you will notice is that in Israel, hummus is a complete meal, not just an appetizer or side dish. Eat a hot bowl for breakfast at Shlomo & Doron, a fourth generation hummus that will change the way you see the chickpea staple. A few further corners is Pita Pita, a popping Carmel market stall packed with amazing things in the most mellow pita bread of your life. Squeeze in the north Abraxas for lunch or dinner to see why chef and restaurateur Eyal Shani is so famous. Your meal starts with home-made bread (sourced from a nine-yeast sourdough sourdough) with bowls of crème fraîche, tahini and chopped diced peppers and tomatoes for soaking. Order a glbad of natural Israeli wine to accompany your pizza, carpaccio, lamb skewer or cauliflower at fair value.

For your next dinner, book a table at Alena's at the Norman hotel, even if you're not lucky enough to stay in the Bauhaus, beautifully renovated 1930's, for which its 'white city' "UNESCO protected district, is known. (Pro tip: If you can, stay there). Chef Barak Aharoni's food is both beautiful and delicious, putting the seasonal Israeli ingredients on their best screen. Mashya is a name you will hear again and again when you ask locals for restaurant recommendations. No open table or online bookings available here; the well-known restaurant accepts reservations on request only. The slight hurdle is hardly a price to pay for the experience you will have at Chef Yossi Shitrit's restaurant at Mendeli Street Hotel. Whatever you do, order the bread, made with three flours and 16 spices.

Stroll to the sea and you will see that the coast of Tel Aviv is riddled with surfers who sway in the sea waves. And if you are there, you can join them: If you have never surfed before, contact Aloha surf school professionals who can teach you the basics during a group lesson or private. Give your body a post-surf mbadage: one of the best of your life is hiding in Jaffa (the ancient city that precedes the city of Tel Aviv) at Yoko Kitahara Spa. Once you have rejuvenated your body and mind, you will be ready to learn everything you can from museums such as the Beit Hatfutsot Museum and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. If you are looking for something to take home, shop for local crafts at the Nachalat Binyamin Market, open twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, or go to the Shuk Hapishpishim Flea Market in Jaffa. Relax again on the beach, which remains lively until the sun shines its last rays on the soft sand.

Take the time to go floating in the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the planet (located about 1412 feet below sea level) and about ten times saltier than any ocean you've ever come across. The landscape is austere and the sun is unforgiving; the water is hot and will give your eyes a salt burn if they are splashed. "Bathing in [the Dead Sea] offers a strange feeling and can be an extreme experience, but if caution must be exercised at all times, it's not to be missed," says Eldad Brin, MA, licensed guide and PhD student at the university. from Haifa. "[It’s] the exact opposite of the often hectic and frantic Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, or the lush green Galilee.It is wild and wild." There is nothing like it only to wander in the lifeless water, so salty that you wake up as soon as you take your feet in the muddy bottom of the sea. (It is also said that this mud is therapeutic and beautifying.-offer- get a magnesium-rich mud bath on the shores or pay to visit a hotel in the area where the mud is ready for your convenience.) Even if the Dead Sea is only an hour from Tel Aviv, do not rely on public transportation To make it happen: "Making a full day trip (organized by many hotels and hostels) is a way, but renting a car (or a driver-guide) and making it a complete affair." or two days will see, "says Brin.

To the north, the town of Akko ticks a certain number of boxes for those seeking a detour. The history nerds will appreciate exploring the reasons for the Crusader Seaport, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that meanders above and underground. Food buffs should head straight for Uri Buri, the restaurant of famous Israeli chef Uri Buri. Anyone who appreciates comfort and sleep on earth will love the Hotel Efendi, a property that took eight years to regain all its splendor from painted ceiling. Driving from Tel Aviv will take about an hour and a half to two hours. If you are without a car, you can take a train to Akko and get there even faster by beating the city.

Before melting into the neon labyrinth of Tel Aviv's dance clubs, a badtail is in order. The Imperial Bar is a venue of 40 seats, reserved for booking, which has all the qualities of a Michelin star without ostentation. Book a happy hour spot and immerse yourself in the bar's new Tel Aviv inspired menu. Romano and Phi are two other good beginners. The first is a good transition bar, where you can dine, stay for the DJ and drinks, then go down to Teder.FM, a place to drink and dance in the courtyard. At Phi, you can pretend to be healthy and combine a fresh green juice with a glbad of gin or tequila to drink on the patio. Next door, you have Alphabet, a nightclub that looks like an indefinable smoking room until you go into the bathroom in a much bigger, smokier, light-lit dance hall. strobe. There is hip-hop to discover under the radio. Is there a guy singing covers of Kevin Little and Busta Rhymes at JIMMYWHO? The Block, a club that some call the Berghain of Tel Aviv, is where you end up, even if you do not finish before sunrise. Attention, it is open only Thursday and Friday. Get back in with a sandwich of Itzik and Ruthie, which opens at 4:30 in the morning.