Cooking Israel

From Tel Aviv to Your Table: Top 5 Israel-inspired Vegan Dishes

Israel is hands-down the most ultimate place for vegans to live in, and Tel Aviv is without a doubt a vegan heaven on earth.

As a Tel Aviv native who was born and lived most of my life in this amazing city, I have collected over the years places where I enjoyed the best vegan dishes (in the world!), and I would like to share them with you, because sharing is caring. Some of the dishes are from non-vegan restaurants (because when your family and friends are not vegan, you have to compromise sometimes), but all the dishes are 100% vegan.

Here are my top five vegan dishes in Tel Aviv:

The ‘70s – The Pizza: “The pizza” is an authentic Neapolitan restaurant / pizzeria in Tel Aviv, located within walking distance from the beach, on Bograshov Street. It’s not a vegan restaurant, but they have a vegan menu with more than 30 vegan dishes! Including pizzas, pastas and desserts. My favorite dish is the ‘70s vegan Pizza, with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, oregano, Kalamata olives, with hot peppers. 56 NIS, Hapizza, 15 Bograshov Street, Tel Aviv.

OUR FAVORITE ISRAELI-STYLE VEGAN PIZZA RECIPE
Fake Cow – Fat Cow: I write this very carefully and with mixed thoughts, because it's a burger restaurant that is far from being vegan, but the rumors say they have the best vegan hamburger in Israel, and I definitely agree. Their “Fake Cow” Beyond Meat Hamburger is quite simple, with an excellent vegan cheddar cheese.

OUR FAVORITE ISRAELI-STYLE VEGAN BURGER RECIPE
Shakshuka – Café Anastasia: Café Anastasia is the first vegan cafe in Israel. Most of the raw materials are produced at the cafe, including their various types of non-dairy milk, and the menu combines a wide variety of herbs and superfoods. The vegan eggs in their Shakshuka dish are made from polenta and tofu and it tastes like real eggs!

OUR FAVORITE VEGAN SHAKSHUKA RECIPE
Steak in a Pan – 416: 416 is a New York-style chef restaurant/cocktail bar, and it is 100% vegan. This is my favorite restaurant, and I am proud to say that I tasted every dish in the menu. The dishes are designed at a very high aesthetic level and the taste... can’t be described in words! Their steak is literally one of a kind and it is made from smoked wheat protein. If not for the steak, you must pass through this restaurant on your next visit to Israel.

OUR FAVORITE ISRAEL-INSPIRED VEGAN STEAK RECIPE
Schnitzel – Falafel Mevorach: Falafel Mevorach is a veteran, quality falafel joint that offers a falafel dish that will not leave you hungry, no matter how hungry you were when you arrived. They are 100% vegan and have a rich selection of classic Israeli dishes. Their schnitzel is delicious and surprisingly similar to an original schnitzel. It can be eaten in a pita, burger or on a plate.

OUR FAVORITE FALAFEL RECIPE

Or Adi is the new East Coast Director of the Department for Diaspora Activities (DDA) of the World Zionist Organization. She is 29 years old and has a BA in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and speaks Hebrew, English, Spanish and Arabic. The DDA works primarily to introduce Jews in the Diaspora to different aspects of Israeli culture, politics, and society through quality educational content and programming. Or’s main goals within her work is to encourage young Jews all over the East Coast to continue and strengthen the relevance and importance of Zionism in their everyday lives.