Top 5: Gluten-free options in Tel Aviv

TasteTLV is the ultimate
culinary guide for dining in Tel Aviv.

Walking through the streets of Tel Aviv is an olfactory pleasure. On
Fridays you are greeted with the warm smell of halla baking in every
storefront. At all hours of the day, the bakeries on each block seem to
have a never ending supply of warm chocolate rugelach and flakey
burekas. If you think you’re hungry, follow your nose to any corner for a
fluffy white pita stuffed with hot falafel and hummus.

These
are staple foods in Israel, which is why you will find them everywhere,
freshly baked. For most people, this lifestyle is a dream. But for those
of us with gluten sensitivities, these aromas are torture. On Friday
nights, the blessing over the halla becomes your curse. While your
friends rush into the bakery for chocolatey pastries, you wait outside
to avoid temptation, like a dog chained to a post. And while others chow
down on authentic falafel for a quick snack, you find yourself asking
for a plate of hummus and cabbage, which hardly simulates the real
thing.

Israelis take pride in their food and have come up with a
number of ways to make their meals available for every stomach. As
such, Tel Aviv is home to a number of gluten free/friendly dining
destinations for those of us who want to enjoy Israel without dietary
restrictions.

Café Marco

(Karen Cohen)

Nestled
on the corner of Gordon and Dizengoff, you will find Cafe Marco and the
culinary delights that come with it. If not for the tanned waiters and
Hebrew menus, you would think you were dining in an Italian cafe. Most
of the seating is outside save for four tables in what looks like a
small bakery. For the past seven years, Cafe Marco has been catering to
all palates, including gluten-free ones.

Cafe Marco offers
authentic Italian cuisine including seafood dishes, hearty paninis,
soups, pizza, and of course, pasta. For gluten free options, you need
only tell the wait staff what you want, and they will tell you whether
or not this is available without gluten. All of the sandwiches (served
until 5 p.m.) can be prepared on gluten-free bread, and most of the
pasta dishes are available without gluten as well, making this a perfect
place for gluten sensitive people to bring their stomach-healthy
friends. Note that the gluten free dishes do cost a few shekels more
than the normal menu items.

For an excellent meal, try the
pappardelle al ragu. This dish includes a heaping serving of gluten-free
pasta covered in a slow cooked meat sauce, tomatoes, and root
vegetables. And to top off the night, ask for the gluten-free chocolate
cake. Without knowing it, you would never guess that this fudgy delight
is gluten-free. Don’t tell your friends and watch them enjoy.

39 Gordon Street
(03) 529-1775
Not kosher

Eat Meat

(Karen Cohen)

Eat
Meat is located on the ever-humming streets of King George, where
temptations from bakeries and restaurants are high. Fortunately, at Eat
Meat, you never have to feel like you are missing out. The menu is as
simple as it’s name. You have two options to choose from here: a meat
salad or a meat sandwich. So, while this is not specifically a
gluten-free establishment, fifty percent of the menu is, making Eat Meat
an easy dining experience for those with gluten sensitivities.

Eat
Meat’s salad includes a generous portion of thinly sliced and freshly
grilled entrecote, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, hot peppers (upon
request), mayonnaise, chimichurri sauce, and deli mustard. For many
people, the salad is too large to finish in one sitting, making this a
perfect excuse to bring a date. Seating is limited to an indoor bar with
approximately five stools, and several outdoor tables.

68 King George
(03) 525-2153
Not kosher

Hippo Falafel

(Karen Cohen)

Although
falafel is technically fast-food, and fast-food is notoriously
unhealthy, Hippo Falafel breaks the mold. Having worked in the falafel
industry for decades, owner Dima Kaminsky became disappointed with the
authentic food that Israel was offering up to its people. When he opened
Hippo Falafel, he decided it would be under the pretext that he could
serve his customers healthy falafel. As such, the ingredients are
completely organic, and every falafel ball is gluten free. Kaminsky went
a step further and also offers gluten-free pita for a guilt-free (and
stomach friendly) sabra meal.

Because there is gluten-free pita,
gluten-intolerants can enjoy any menu item at Hippo Falafel. So when
you’ve had your fill of light, fluffy, organic, and non-greasy falafel,
try the sabich. Sabich is an authentic Israeli sandwich consisting of
pita stuffed with cooked eggplant, hard boiled eggs, tahini, hummus, and
Israeli salad (chopped tomato, cucumber, and onions). The best thing
about Hippo Falafel is that they are as fair to your wallet as they are
to your intestines! A falafel sandwich costs NIS 17 — cheaper than the
less healthy versions you would buy in Dizengoff Center. Yes, Hippo
Falafel is worth a visit, and a bite.

64 Dizengoff
(03) 609-3394
Vegetarian

Cup O’Joe (Cafe Joe)

(Karen Cohen)

There
are few things that are worse than walking by a sandwich shop and not
being able to have a single bite of one menu item. Especially when the
sandwiches are adorned with gooey melted cheese, fresh roasted
vegetables, and blends of fragrant spices. The only thing worse than
having to walk by this sandwich shop once, is having to walk by it
multiple times… because its a chain. Unlike most chains, each Cafe Joe
in Israel has a cozy and unique atmosphere that makes it just as easy
to work in the restaurant as it is to socialize with friends, and of
course eat.

The best thing about Cafe Joe is that every sandwich
can be prepared with gluten-free bread. For those who have tried
gluten-free bread, you’ll know that this food is either hit or miss;
more often than not, gluten-free bread is stale and tasteless. At best,
it is edible when eaten with the right condiments. But Cafe Joe’s
sandwich bread is incredibly commendable. The bread is warm and chewy
with a hint of sweetness that compliments any sandwich. For a real
treat, try the “spicy toast”. This large panini comes warmed with tomato
sauce, garlic, chili, grilled peppers and two different types of melted
cheeses: mozarella and bulgari. Never deny yourself a hearty sandwich
again!

Multiple locations throughout Israel
Dizengoff St. Open 24/7
Not kosher

Tandoori

(Karen Cohen)

There
is no easier place to be gluten free than an Indian restaurant.
Vegetables are predominant in every course, and aromatic basmati rice is
almost always the side dish. (Of course, depending on what you order
you can also enjoy tenderly cooked chicken, lamb, or beef.) Tandoori
makes things difficult though, but not because of the gluten-free
specifications. Rather, every menu item at Tandoori is so beautifully
described and presented, that making a decision on what to order becomes
a sacrifice of all the other delicious menu items you can try.
Furthermore, Tandoori provides diners with authentic Northern Indian
food in an equally authentic atmosphere– hand-carved statues of
elephants line the walls while Bollywood music plays quietly in the
background.

For a gluten free meal that you and your friends are
bound to enjoy, start with a cup of mango or lychee sweet lassi, a tart
and creamy yogurt drink blended with Indian spices. Next, try the malai
kofta- nut and cheese croquettes cooked to perfection a fragrant cream
and curry sauce. Pair the dhal makhani (black lentils) with chicken
makhani (grilled chicken in an exotic sauce), and of course, a side of
basmati rice, and you’ll have a meal fit for royalty.

2 Zamenhoff St
(03) 629-6185
Not kosher

The writer is currently an intern for Taste TLV.
Jessica Hochstadt was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida, where
she was lucky enough to grow up with a mixture of Brasilian, Cuban, and
Jewish cuisine.

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