Tel Aviv has hundreds of kosher restaurants alongside many that aren't. Here is how I would check, and where I would shop.
How kashrut works here
Restaurants and hotels in Tel Aviv are usually supervised by the city's rabbinate. For example, the InterContinental David says it is "supervised by the Rabbanut of Tel Aviv-Yafo" (InterContinental David Tel Aviv (opens in a new tab)). There is also private supervision: in 2021 Tzohar certified 50 places in Tel Aviv, out of roughly 500 restaurants in the city with a kosher certificate (Jewish Press (opens in a new tab)).
I could not find a public, searchable list of businesses certified by the Tel Aviv-Yafo rabbinate. In practice, ask to see the certificate on the wall and check what it says and its expiry date. In our restaurant and food directories, kashrut is written exactly as each business states it, and left blank when it doesn't say.
Markets
The city's English shopping guide lists these markets and hours (Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality (opens in a new tab)):
- Carmel Market (HaCarmel Street): food, clothes, flowers and Judaica. Sunday to Thursday 8:00-19:00, Friday 8:00-16:00.
- Levinsky Market (Levinsky Street): spices, nuts and dried fruit. Sunday to Thursday 7:00-17:00, Friday 7:00-16:00.
- Jaffa Flea Market (Olei Zion Street): secondhand and vintage goods. Sunday to Thursday 9:00-17:00, Friday 9:00-14:00.
- Nahalat Binyamin crafts fair: handmade crafts, Tuesdays and Fridays 10:00-18:00.
- Sarona Market (Kalman Magen 3): an indoor food hall. Sunday to Thursday 9:00-23:00, Friday 8:00-18:00.
The guide isn't dated, so check hours before a special trip.
Malls
The same guide lists Dizengoff Center (Dizengoff 50), Azrieli Center (Menachem Begin 132) and Ramat Aviv Mall (Einstein 40). All three close for Shabbat on Friday afternoon and reopen on Saturday after Shabbat, until 22:00 or 23:00 (Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality (opens in a new tab)).
Shopping on Shabbat
Supermarkets and most shops close for Shabbat, but many 24/7 mini-markets around the city stay open, and most cafes and restaurants are open (Visit Tel Aviv (opens in a new tab)). If you keep Shabbat, do your shopping by Friday afternoon, when the markets close.
Furnishing a home
For furniture and household goods, the Jaffa Flea Market is the city's secondhand market (Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality (opens in a new tab)). Our shopping directory and gemach directory list more places.
For Friday night and Saturday plans, see Shabbat in Tel Aviv.