English
There’s no denying that most people come to Israel to experience the unique Middle Eastern flavor the country has developed over the past 60 years, but if you’re in Tel Aviv you’d be remiss if you didn’t explore its international character as well.
Walk the streets of Tel Aviv and you’re bound to hear 5-10 different languages on any given day. No doubt plenty of the foreigners are tourists, but many more are expats and immigrants from all corners of the globe. Sure they’ve more or less integrated into Israeli society, but they also have a subculture of their own that manifests itself throughout the city in bars, restaurants and nightclubs with an international atmosphere that is welcoming to all.
If you want to get a taste, check out some of the top expat hangouts in the city for drinking, eating and partying:
The Top Expat Hangouts in Tel Aviv
Mike’s Place
This is the original expat bar in Tel Aviv. Originally conceived as a home away from home for American expats and immigrants in Jerusalem, Mike’s Place opened its first Tel Aviv location on the beachfront Herbert Samuel Street in 2001, and it became the place to go for any expat living in Tel Aviv and a strong contingent of locals who dig the worldly vibe.
English is the unofficial language of the bar, but if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the patrons hail from all over the world. The only thing everybody has in common is that they were in search of an open, international atmosphere, drinks, food and live music – and they found it at Mike’s Place.
If you happen to be hear for the holidays — whenever that might be where you’re from — Mike’s Place is definitely worth a visit because they celebrate all of them: Halloween, Christmas, Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day and so on.
Molly Bloom’s
If you’ve ever traveled, you know that the Irish pub is the place to find fellow internationals. There’s just something about it.
Molly Bloom’s is no different, except that it’s closer to an authentic Irish pub than the student-oriented places you find in big European cities. The drinks of choice are, of course, Guinness and Jameson, and the music is usually pretty Irish – a lot of traditional sounds, Flogging Molly, The Pogues, Dropkick Murhpy’s etc.
You’ll even find some Irish folk there on occasion, especially on St. Patrick’s day, when Molly Bloom’s throws by far the best party in town, with drink specials and a live band playing traditional Irish tunes.
Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar
Good cocktails attract expats like flies, and the consensus for quite some time has been that Imperial has the best – everything from expertly made classics to original concoctions that’ll have you drinking cocktails like they’re juice boxes.
While the recent cocktail craze of the last few years has seen an immense pickup in local traffic, Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar still maintains its international flavor with a mixed crowd and bartenders that not only know how to mix, but also how to serve.
The Block
All of Tel Aviv’s clubs have their charms from mega-clubs like HaOman 17, Valium and Clara to underground players like Bootleg, Radio EPGB and Pasaz, but none of them have the international reputation and atmosphere that brings throngs of techno and house-lovers to the Block every weekend.
With a top-of-the-line sound system , 3 dance floors, an awesome no phone policy in the main room and a week-in-week-out lineup of the who’s who of the international techno and house scene, people know they’re going to get a club experience at the block that will rival that of clubs in London, New York or Berlin.
For Frenchies: Jimmy Who and Par Derriere
Photo: Zeitfixierer/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Despite lying on 2 completely different ends of the nightlife spectrum, we have it on good authority that Jimmy Who and Par Derriere have one glaring thing in common – they’re destinations for French expats.
Jimmy Who? is a mini-club on the trendy Rothschild Boulevard with an underground feel that hosts dance parties every night of the week, except Sunday. Depending on the night, you’ll hear disco, old school hip hop, electro or a mash-up of anything fun under the sun.
Meanwhile, Par Derriere is a romantic wine bar also on Rothschild that wouldn’t be so out of place itself in Paris.
Photo credit: Photo: Zeitfixierer/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
