While I was in Israel in May I got to spend two full days exploring Tel Aviv. Of all the cities in Israel, Tel Aviv is the one I could actually see myself living in. It has all the best dining, art and music and it just so happens to be right on the beach.
On my second day in Tel Aviv my tour guides were my aunt and my cousin. We knew we wanted to explore this area called Kikar Bazel (Bazel Square) so we parked and started walking around.
We were in search of a brunch spot and noticed this place called Streets Bazel. We spotted it because it had a huge outdoor patio.
Inside, the cafe is totally hipster. I loved this wall that said, "I want to a date a musician." Ha!
There is a small bar area with four seats, perfect for dining alone or catching up with a friend.
On the far side of the indoor space is a quiet dining room.
That little area has a magazine rack with a question above it, "What's your ISM?" Is "Brunchism" an acceptable answer?
We sat inside, but right along the windows that face the patio, so we still had the full breeze.
The waitress brought us menus and there were so many good choices! I am always torn between the savory (eggs) and the sweet (French toast/pancakes).
My aunt started her meal with a beautiful coffee. I've said this before, but it's really true, Israelis are very into their coffee.
I ordered ice tea, garnished with fresh mint leaves (as all cold drinks are in this country).
To eat, my aunt ordered granola and a side of fruit. What should have been two small dishes was actually quite enormous!
The fruit was so brightly colored and fresh.
The granola came in an elegant presentation, complete with glass milk bottle.
I ordered pancakes which came with thinly sliced red apples and bananas, all covered in maple syrup.
Look at that!
Across the able, my cousin ordered the shakshuka, a traditional Mediterranean dish. It was served with a mini loaf of challah bread and a side salad.
This is the shakshuka, a tomato based broth served with egg on top and garnished with cheese and scallions.
Israelis are very into salad, even at breakfast.
I love that Streets Bazel serves personal loaves of bread.
After such a fantastic and filling brunch, we needed to walk around. We rolled out the front door and made our way to Nachlat Binyamin for the outdoor craft fair.
This craft fair is every Tuesday and Friday and has some really wonderful vendors. We saw a lot of interesting jewelry and some very cool prints.
Wait until you see where we at lunch later that day. Get ready for some serious food envy!
