If you’re a vegan and thinking of visiting Tel Aviv, you’re clearly in tune with what’s hot and what’s not!
Veganism in Tel Aviv has rocketed over the last few years, and especially over the last two years or so. Now some 5% of the population in Israel has converted to the vegan way of life, making Israel the world’s biggest vegan country (if we’re talking per capita)!
With some 400+ restaurants either completely vegan or vegan-friendly, Tel Aviv is certainly one of the hottest vegan food spots in the universe! So hot that you can regularly see articles in the mainstream press about the wonders of vegan food in Tel Aviv (for example, see these articles from CNN and The Independent).
We’re not vegans ourselves, but after taking this very impressive vegan food tour of Tel Aviv, have actually made some inroads to reducing our intake of processed meats. It might take a lot longer to convince us to go fully vegan, but what I can say is that the vegan food we tried in Tel Aviv (in many of the restaurants listed below) was extremely tasty! And yes, a vegan menu is not just about salads and rice, the range of options might just wow you!
Some of the best vegan restaurants in Tel Aviv
Well, as we mentioned above, there are a huge number of vegan dining options in Tel Aviv. We’ve checked out a few of them (and if you do this tour you’ll also visit the latest and greatest vegan spots in Tel Aviv), and listed them below (see the map at the bottom of the article for even more great vegan restaurants in Tel Aviv).
In no particular order…
- Zakaim: Some say this is the best vegan option in town, largely thanks to its boutique vibe and Persian-influenced dishes prepared with the freshest ingredients. The restaurant uses no plastic products and also serves vegan variations of Caesar salad, stuffed cabbage, and freekeh. Find them at 20 Beit HaShoeva Lane and online here.
- Golden Chickpea: Hummus lovers can savor some superb vegan-friendly hummus at this fairly new and very hipster hummus joint. We recommend you sit at the window/street bar for an awesome Tel Aviv/Vegan dining experience. Find them at 30 Levinsky Street and on Facebook.
- Nanuchka: Since 2014, Nanuchka has been the world’s first purely vegan Georgian restaurant, where they’ve done an amazing job of turning meat-famous dishes into vegan delights! Well worth a visit, you can find them at 30 Lilenblum Street and their website is right here.
- Gela: Vegan ice-cream in Tel Aviv! What more can we say other than this is delicious – and probably not what you were expecting! Hunt them down at 48 Levinsky Street.
- Vegetarian Shawarma: OK, so finding a vegan-friendly falafel or hummus is generally easy – but how about a vegan-friendly shawarma? Well, in Tel Aviv, the shawarma and other delights at The Veggie Shawarma are going to amaze and delight you, and have you coming back for more! Catch them at 81 King George Street, and on Facebook here.
And if eating out isn’t on your menu, head to the very first vegan supermarket in Israel (opened in July 2017)! The supermarket is called HaGal HaYarok (The Green Wave) and is located at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (additional branches are planned). They also promise unbeatable prices, so if you’re shopping for vegan foodstuffs, this looks like a must-try destination (head to 50 HaCarmel Street, Sunday to Thursday 9am – 8pm, Friday 9am – 4pm).
For some of the latest updates on vegan restaurants and cafes in Tel Aviv/Israel, see this great site (in English too, very impressive!).
Related: See our full catalog of Israel Tours for more awesome destinations in Israel…