CoffeeBar

Tel Aviv, Israel

In Israel’s culinary capital, restaurants open and shut within the blink of a swaying palm. Reaching the ripe age of 25 is no mean feat in any city, but reaching the milestone in Tel Aviv is practically unheard of. Celebrating its landmark birthday this year, CoffeeBar (est. 1994) is neither a coffee shop nor a cocktail bar, as its misleading name suggests. Rather, it’s a neighbourhood institution inspired by the bustle, comforting cuisine and loyal following of Paris’s cafés and Italy’s cosy trattorias. Four sprawling rooms, a buzzy bar and expansive outdoor porch – ideal for sundowners on a warm evening – feature decor that borrows from bistros and brasseries, with dark wood, huge vases of flowers and chalk boards scrawled with the day’s specials. The menu teases with Israeli ingredients, but largely leans towards an Italian edge. We fall in line, ordering pizza bianca to start, followed by lamb ragù pappardelle laced with chilli and Pecorino Romano. A crisp cannoli exploding with ricotta and chocolate orange rounds things off. Along with another round of Aperols... Oh, to be 25 again.

Words by Blossom Green.

00 972 3 688 9696. coffeebar.co.il