To understand the scope of Tel Aviv’s burgeoning cocktail scene, look no further than this dapper bar located on a mellower stretch of busy Dizengoff Street that caters to the cocktail-curious and -savvy alike. Never-before-seen concoctions with house-made mixers and kooky presentations (vessels include giant egg shells and even a bloody mary served in an IV bag) have made happy hour a scene. There’s even a cocktail delivery service, ensuring spot-on mojitos and margaritas anywhere in the city — even the beach. [$$]

Over a decade after opening, chef Sharon Cohen’s bar and restaurant still hits all the right notes: an upbeat vibe, incredibly fresh seafood, and an energetic playlist. This is definitely the place to down shooters and sample the sought­-after fish tartare wrapped in avocado, or indulge in caviar and drink to your heart’s content. [$$$]

Everything that beloved Israeli chef Meir Adoni touches is magical. At the Carlton Hotel, Adoni’s two restaurants, Lumina and Blue Sky, both showcase the intricate details he’s known for; choose Lumina for a meat experience or Blue Sky for fish and dairy. After your lovely dinner, spend the evening walking down the promenade near the beach to inhale the salty aroma of the sea. [$$$$] [Kosher]

Mashya’s crisp, contemporary design, coupled with chef Yossi Shitrit’s innovative techniques and Moroccan influences, have made this restaurant one of the most talked­-about in town. Alternatively, make reservations for a weekend brunch for a great value — 86 shekels buys you an elegant, all­-you­-can­-eat feast complete with every kind of cheese, fish, and fresh bread you can dream of. [$$$$]

Coffee shops are seemingly everywhere in Tel Aviv, but just a handful would qualify as true coffee specialists. This microroastery and cafe is one those gems, making it a hub for Tel Aviv’s bean fanatics. Located off the Dizengoff shopping strip, Nahat blends and roasts its own beans and spotlights a range of brewing methods, from Turkish and Chemex to Hario and cold brew. The cozy shop is ideal for conversation, working on your laptop, or picking up a blend or single origin to take home. [$]

This tiny, award­-winning bar, hidden in the boutique Imperial Hotel, is the place to experience cocktail mastery in Israel: currently ranked number 17 on the World’s 50 Best Bar list, Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar is arguably the best bar in the Middle East. To make a night of it, start at Imperial’s Mexican­-Caribbean sister bar, La Otra, for happy hour, then finish your evening at Imperial — late night is when the city’s bartenders head here. [$$]

Street food took a new turn when chef Eyal Shani opened this pita­-focused joint, a no­-frills spot that buzzes all day long. Fresh, fluffy pitas are packed with kebabs, steak and eggs, or ratatouille. Don’t pass up Shani’s signature dish: a full head of roasted cauliflower, which is rich, thick and filling — almost like a hunk of meat. [$]

Feel like a part of the family at Ha’achim (“the brothers”), a trendy spot known for its buffet-style weekend brunch (₪ 85 per person) with endless rows of traditional local salads, homemade jams, fresh-­from-­the-­oven breads, and shakshuka. [$$]

Sarona, a 140-­year-­old German Templer colony, has been reclaimed as an open-­air leisure area packed with restaurants, shops, eateries, and playgrounds. There are a myriad of standalone restaurants (Jajo, Miss Kaplan, Claro) but the real star is Sarona Market. Open on Saturdays — a rarity in Tel Aviv — you’ll find everything from exotic produce, bakeries, cheese shops, and halva to eateries helmed by Israel’s top chefs. Try some knafeh (Arabic cheese pastry soaked in sweet syrup) at Natzaret Sweets, or the smoked trout sandwiches at Forela Bar. [$­$$]

Beloved Tel Aviv chef Ran Shmueli has made Claro an homage to seasonal and local ingredients. Located in a restored Templer building, this spacious, light-­filled restaurant is a savvy choice for Mediterranean food. On weekends, order the family­-style platter composed of slow­-cooked lamb in a pomegranate sauce with sabzi (Persian fresh herbs), tzaziki, and hand­made pitas straight from the tabun. [$$$]

Bottomless brunches are not really a thing here, but this wacky cocktail bar pulls off an over-the-top brunch extravaganza that has locals lining up for cocktails. Owner and famed mixologist Ariel Leizgold is known for his eccentric style with both food and drink. At Bellboy, the daytime feast includes mezze, fresh-baked bread, a main course (think pumpkin pancakes with lavender and bacon), and a cocktail (the Walk-of-Shame comes with rum, coffee, pumpkin, vanilla, Greek yogurt, citrus honey, cinnamon, and coconut oil) all for 120 shekels ($34). Reservations required. [$$]

HaMinzar (the Monastery) has been a local institution and beloved hangout since it opened in 1992. It has everything going for it: a prime location next to the Carmel Market, cheap booze, Israeli music, nostalgic kibbutz pub vibes, and a 24-hour operating schedule.  The look says dive bar, but the food — made from scratch using local ingredients — speaks to something more elevated in the kitchen. For dessert, stop next door to the Malabia for malabi, a custardy rose-water dessert topped with chopped peanuts and a sweet syrup. [$$]

The crossroads for everything food in Tel Aviv, visit the Carmel Market to inhale a mosaic of smells from toasted spices to fresh-­baked bread. The stalls are filled with seasonal produce, piles of candy, mounds of halva, gold­-yellow baklava, and endless eateries. Near the entrance, stop at Uzi­Eli the Etrog Man’s shop, where you’ll find ­juices made from the yellow citron fruit, which is known for its healing properties. Oh, and bring cash.[$]

Meat fanatics will meet their match at this no-­frills, tavern­-style eatery, which serves the best cuts from Meatmarket, a high-end butcher shop just next door. Sink your teeth into arayes — huge pitas jam-packed with ground lamb, and then thrown on the grill. Wash it down with a shot of arak, an anise­-flavored drink. [$$]

The Norman hotel has long been among the city’s most luxe lodgings, and its multiple restaurants are all a cut above. Recently, however, chef Barak Aharoni transformed the haute Norman Brasserie into Alena, a slightly more casual bistro showcasing local ingredients and cuisine with influences from Southern France and Italy. For a fancy cocktail or just a snug spot to read a book, also check out the hotel’s beautifully designed Library Bar. [$$-$$$]

Located in the posh Montefiore boutique hotel, this charming restaurant has become a local institution to see and be seen. Ruti and Mati Broudo of R2M restaurant group are known for their high standards for food and service at all of their ventures, and Montefiore is no exception. The plush room is as pretty as the plates — refined bistro classics with hints of Vietnamese cuisine that showcase the best of local ingredients. Breakfast is a destination every day of the week. [$$-$$$]

California-born chef Rima Olvera is behind the menu at this fine dining favorite with a relaxed vibe. Olvera’s 30 years of experience and global sensibility can be seen in every wildly creative dish, which forego trends while still feeling thoroughly modern. Flavors from Sardinia to Vietnam wind their way through the menu, which changes nightly depending on what ingredients are at their peak. [$$$]

A favorite among local food and wine aficionados, this intimate wine bar offers a compact menu showcasing off­-cuts and pastas, as well as a wine list with more than 80 bottles from around the world. [$$$]

This buzzy restaurant comes courtesy of celebrity chef Eyal Shani. His style is elevated simplicity, showcasing vegetables like whole-roasted cauliflower and serving up dishes such as masabaha (a chunkier version of hummus) with lima beans and spicy peppers, ratatouille with chopped egg and tahini, and hunks of fresh-baked bread. Chef Shani — who is known for forgoing plates and utensils for paper bags — has many spots around town; Port Said is his most lively, with a young crowd, thumping music, and tables spilling onto the sidewalk. [$$]

This gem, with its sophisticated, creative takes on Mediterranean food, is packed with irresistible details like the tabun (clay oven), all tied together with a relentlessly cool vibe. Try the fricassée — a deep­-fried Tunisian sandwich with preserved local red tuna, sweet pumpkin spread, a hardboiled egg, and mechouia (grilled vegetable salad) — while locals will tell you that the Jerusalem Bagel is also a must. [$$]

Local star chef Yuval Ben Neriah surprises with a seafood­-driven small-plate journey through Southeast Asia at this award­-winning “Asiaterranean” restaurant. If nothing else, sit at the bar to try its creative cocktails, alongside pastry chef Ana Shapiro’s latest desserts, which nimbly combine sweet and savory: fresh fruit flavors with curry, exotic spices, and saffron discs. [$$$$]

A romantic restaurant in the enchanting Neve Tzedek neighborhood, everything about Popina is experience-driven: the ingredients, immaculate plating, modernist techniques, and open kitchen. Chat with young gun chef Orel Kimchi and he will design a tasting menu (₪280) just for you. [$$$$]

Aria’s first­-floor bar has a DJ mixing up beats for the crowd of young professionals, but the food from the upstairs restaurant is known for its meticulously plated seasonal produce, fine fish, and meat­. The cocktails are fun, like the Sesame Street: a sweet and sour blend of Ketel One Citron and Oranje, house-made limoncello and a twist of halva. [$$$]

This bustling eatery serves up Yemenite favorites like malawach, a layered puff pastry served with grated tomatoes, hardboiled egg, and super­-spicy hot sauce, known as zhug. Also try jachnun, a traditional breakfast of rolled-up, buttery dough, lachuch (spongy flatbread), kubaneh (layered brioche-­like overnight dough), and hilbe (fenugreek) paste, which is considered an aphrodisiac. Communal seating puts you elbow­-to-­elbow with other diners, while the upbeat music makes this place a lively hub. [$]

A fun way to explore the vibrant evening scene in Tel Aviv is to hang out at one of the spots in the Levinski Market area like the lively Ouzeria. Nights are always bustling at this restaurant, which showcases Mediterranean dishes like calamari a la plancha, the must-try “Avigail’s cauliflower,” or shrimp sauteed with homemade sun-dried tomatoes. Snag a seat at the bar while you down some anise-flavored shots and take in the spirited music and the effervescent vibe. You can also check out at Ouzeria Next Door, the restaurant and bar next door with a similar buzz and fare to match. [$$]

Located in Jaffa’s famed flea market, Shuk Hapishpeshim, Asia is one of the best places to soak up the vibrant energy of this part of the city. From the same owners of the popular Shaffa Bar next door, this funky sidewalk cafe highlights Southeast Asian flavors using superfresh local ingredients. Sunday through Friday, take a break from scouring the market’s awesome expanse of vintage clothes, jewelry, and more with a craft cocktail and colorful platter of handmade dumplings. [$$]

Onza, a popular bar and restaurant located in the bustling Shuk HaPishpeshim (Jaffa’s flea market) added a Turkish touch to the menu when the talented chef pair Arik Darhani and Muli Magriso took reins of the kitchen towards the end of 2016. The menu features mezze like cacik, a Turkish yogurt dip made with cucumbers, mint, and dill; and pacanga borek, a pastry filled with pastirma (a Turkish cured beef) and kashkaval cheese served alongside a spicy grape leaf version of zhug (a hot sauce) and warm, comforting eggplant yogurt dip. Come early and browse the flea market for second-hand goodies and check out the shops that showcase local Israeli fashion. [$$]

Hidden in the unassuming neighborhood of Shapira, Hanan Margilan serves comfort in a bowl of Bukharian soup called dushpara — a thin, flavorful broth with light dumplings filled with meat, covered in fresh cilantro. Also try oshpolov (rice with carrot slices and beef) or manto (steamed dumplings filled with meat and onions). [Kosher] [$$]