Unique experiences

Thanks to a renovation of the neighbourhood’s Ottoman-style buildings and the droves of restaurants and one-of-a-kind boutiques that have settled there in the last several years, Jaffa’s northern reaches have become Tel Aviv’s latest entertainment hot spot.

For shoppers, on-street flea-market wares and antiques are the main attraction, but contemporary clothing, accessories and home items are available, too. Head to Asufa for its selection of pieces like architectural neon stools, quirky prints and dinosaur broaches crafted by young Israeli creative. For custom perfumes, visit Zielinski & Rozen Perfumerie, a new fragrance shop where you can build your very own bottle from owner Erez Rozen’s exhaustive stock of notes, such as vanilla, lemongrass, jasmine and grapefruit.

The Norman offers an accompanied tour of the flea market followed by a lunch in one of the favourite restaurants and the icing on the cake is the experience of making your own private labelled perfume with Erez.

A Visual Expression of The Norman – The Norman Art Collection and Exhibits

The Norman’s décor incorporates original Israeli art works throughout its public areas, rooms and suites. The art works on display at The Norman Tel Aviv are made by leading contemporary Israeli artists who also exhibit in galleries & museums world-wide and by the coutesy of Start Collection. The art works are of diverse media such as painting, sculpture, print, photography and textile.

Works by these artists can be purchased by the hotel guests via special art concierge service provided by The Norman.  This service also includes lectures given by the featured artists and personalized art tours to galleries & artist’s studios in the hotel’s vicinity, planned especially for each guest, depending on his/hers particular interest. The gallery studio art tours are given by The Norman’s in-house art curator, Tamar Dresdner, who is also responsible for the hotel’s art collection. A chance to visit the artists’ studios does not come often and it’s a great way to see how the artists come up with the creations that are featured all around the hotel. Meeting the artists in person in their own environment is indeed an experience!

To further show the commitment to the art community of Israeli young contemporary artists, an annual prize will be awarded to celebrate the success and continue to development of a particular artist.

All the information on the hotels’ art will be available for explanation by our knowledgeable concierge team and The Norman Magazine will also feature in depth the work of many artists which will displayed in guest rooms, suites, public areas and restaurants.

Walking Meals through Shuk Ha’Carmel (Market)

Be it a breakfast or a lunch, a walk through the vibrant Carmel Market on any given day and will forever leave an enriched impression upon you; from the colorful, boisterous, vibrant and charismatic market life Tel Aviv has to offer.

If for breakfast, the walk up the stretch of Carmel Market commences with a freshly pressed / squeezed juice, followed by a falafel with tahini all the while admiring the bright colors, gentle fragrances of the freshly cut flowers, visible mounts of spices, fruits and vegetables grown in Israel. So well-known for its variety and quality of fruits, Carmel promises a feast of the ears and eyes.

 

Continuing upwards on the left will be the Druse ladies preparing their famous pancake breakfasts and a bit further up some freshly made Borekas Stand – many people would claim this is “The best Borekas place in town”. This small Turkish Borekas booth is located just at the entrance to the market, on your right. Borekas actually is originated in Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine, but Israel has claimed it to be its own. It is a salty pastry, usually puff pastry, filled with cheese, potato or spinach.  Delicious when you eat it still warm from the oven.  Here you will get it sliced up with a hard-boiled egg, homemade pickles, tomatoes and a delicious spicy tomato paste – heavenly! (39 Ha’Carmel St)

Almost done for breakfast, you cannot escape the choice of 24 olives and mixed nuts that call ones name to be bought. Onto a well-deserved coffee or Afouch (Cappuccino) on Nahalat Binyamin Street transformed on Tuesdays and Fridays into an artist’s street gallery and people watch all the while appreciating the richness of Tel Aviv neighborhoods.

If for a lunch then simply walk the way up the same way enjoying some cheese at the largest cheese stand on the right hand side as you continue your walk up the market called Davka Gourmet. The place offers a wide selection of good local and international cheeses for relatively modest prices. They specialize in Riccota, Feta and Mozarella. (34 Ha’Carmel St)

Sausages and Meat; a little after the Turkish borekas, on the opposite side, there is a decent butcher’s place, “Ma’adanai Ha’Carmel” where you can get very affordable meat and pick from a wide selection of hams and sausages. If you’re considering a picnic or a barbeque you should take a look. (38 Ha’Carmel St).

A must see and do is a glass of wine at the “Wine Bar” which is a standing table with fixed stools attached to the market wine shop that keeps some of the best brands of Israeli wines. You will observe in awe the sounds and sights of the market daily life where the vendors holler from each side of the wide passage, offering their merchandise “for the best price in the market! Just today!”.

Across the wine bar, at Le Café where your recommended dish will be the Jerusalem Grill which extends from the finest lunch dishes including omelets and salads, gourmet sausages in a baguette and meatballs with rice. Top it all off with an urban chic atmosphere and you have the perfect quick lunch spot to escape from the crowds of the shuk, but still people watch from an enjoyable perch.

If you would rather have a proper sit down meal then restaurants the Carmel area boasts some lovely restaurants that enjoy the fresh supply from the market notably:

Ha’Basta is an excellent choice for fine cuisine and the most wonderful selection of wines; rated top 100 restaurants by Newsweek in 2013.

Gedera offers simple and tasty Swedish-Iraqi (!) cuisine in lovely surroundings.
Minzar is a legendary 24-hour pub that offers excellent snacks and delicious weekend specials.

Overall, the atmosphere is very friendly and casual, so just enjoy the hustle bustle and absorb the different smells and colours. In order to keep a fond memory of the place, avoid the butcher’s area which isn’t a pretty sight.

 

Additional tips and stops: 

When you enter the market from Allenby Street, you first have to pass through the clothing area before arriving at the fresh food section. Once you passed that – these are our recommendations for Ha’Carmel Market

Asian Supermarket – Continuing down into the market, you will find “East and West” offering a wide selection of Asian products. If you want to prepare a curry or some sushi, this is the place. The prices aren’t very low but the variety is amazing. (17 Ha’Carmel St)

Lechamim – This lovely bakery offers a wide selection of wonderful freshly-baked breads. The cakes and pastries are also delicious, though perhaps a little overpriced. (11 Ha’Carmel St)

Enjoy the tastes, smells and experiences which Tel Aviv’s market has to offer. After or before roaming around the market, pop to the nearby Kerem HaTaymanim (The Yemenite Vineyard), and walk around the little streets, or try some Yemenite meat soup in one of the local restaurants.