Israelis find new ways to drink coffee
צילום: דפנה טלמון
More than decaf
A new breed of cafe-bars in the Tel Aviv-area offers more than your daily drinks
TEL AVIV - It's 9 p.m. on a cool spring weeknight in Tel Aviv, early enough to go out for a drink, but late enough to keep you away from an overcrowded pub.
You're looking for more action than a sidewalk cafe, and fortunately, a new breed of specialty bars offer appealing alternatives to the city's mainstays.
בית קפה נמל תל אביב (צילום: הילה טוב)
"The typical age here is 25-45, and our customers are people who live or work in this area," said owner Avi Azoulay. "Our goal is to be a good alternative to other DVD stores in a comfortable place. Some come to sit, some come to rent, and some come for both."
'It's a great atmosphere'
The bar hosts twice-weekly concerts by Israeli musicians, usually featuring acoustic soft rock or jazz music. A rotating monthly exhibit highlights local visual artists. Computer and Internet service is also available for NIS 10 (a little over USD 2) an hour.
"There's good service, it's a great atmosphere, and they have the new movies I want," said Itamar, 27, a member who lives nearby. "I don't like the corporate politics of Blockbuster, and I prefer smaller places like this."
The bar offers drink specials to members, and during Friday "happy hours" from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m.
"It’s a neighborhood bar where everyone knows everyone," said bartender Ornat, 26. "They rent here because they're your friends. You don't need to dress-up, it's just a fun place to relax. I've seen people here in their pajamas."
Membership costs about 318 NIS for 30 one-night rentals, and 379 NIS for 30 two-night rentals. You can also special-order movies by phone from the store's catalogue.
"They have good translations to Hebrew, which many other places don't have," said Anat, 32 who stopped by to pick up movie for the night.
Another new DVD cafe is 8mm, offering memberships, drinks and a nightly in-store movie screening on its large monitor.
"There's more of a selection available here than at the video machine, and it's a really cool place," said Brigitte, 27, from Tel Aviv.
Sports and entertainment events also are featured on the store's big screen, drawing many customers from the Dizengoff neighborhood around it.
Cutting edge
If you've been wanting to get a tattoo for a while and think you might like a beer to calm your nerves, stop in at Kipod, a new bar across from Dizengoff Center. Kipod provides piercings, tattoos and dread locks to willing customers in addition to drinks on the bar. Weekly parties feature themed music genres, like drum and bass, electronica, reggae and jazz.
"It's great that it's open late," said Anna, 18, who was getting her first tattoo. "That way you can decide to get a tattoo in the middle of the night. There are a lot of people who might want to do that and I'm one of them."
You can choose from Kipod's tattoo catalogue or create your own design.
"I did one here yesterday," said Alex, 18, of Tel Aviv. "It didn't hurt, and Kipod is better than other tattoo parlors. There are good artists, you can smoke inside, and they have better catalogues. It's sababa."
Brighten the day
Bring someone special to the new Flower Cafe in Raanana, which offers personalized flower design as well as coffee, wine and snacks. Choose a unique bouquet and then present it to your date over a drink.
"The cafe adds some flavor to a traditional flower shop," said owner Sandy Shoshan. "It's Kosher, with fresh sandwiches and juices in addition to cakes, cookies, and coffee."
Flowers can be delivered or picked up in the store, which is open Sunday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. until 10 p.m., Fridays mornings and Saturdays after Shabbat.
