Middle East - Anthony Ham [238]
This tiny restaurant, which you’ll spot by its constant queue of locals waiting outside, is to the hummus-hungry as Jerusalem is to the God-fearing. It dishes up its hummus from huge cauldrons, serves it up alongside chunks of raw onion (for dipping) and vinegary chilli sauce (for pouring) and closes when the pots runneth dry. But beware: this will be one of your quickest lunch experiences ever. Your order appears almost before it’s been placed, and you’re expected to gobble it down at high speed, since other patrons are hovering just behind your shoulder waiting to take your seat. For a real bowl of manna from heaven, order the ‘triple’, a hummus-fuul-tahina combination, or the melt-in-the-mouth masabacha (a version of hummus containing whole chickpeas). Go. Queue. Enjoy. But don’t tell the locals I told you.
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Eating
Said Abu Elafia & Sons ( 681 2340; 7 Yefet St; 24hr) This legendary bakery is where locals flock after a hard night on the tiles. Pastries, sambusas (a sort of Middle Eastern samosa), and Arabic takes on pizza, perfect for those late-night munchies.
Dr Shakshuka ( 682 2842; 3 Beit Eshal St; meals 35-50NIS; 8am-midnight Sun-Thu, 8am-3pm Fri) Don’t miss this eccentric, family-run place, hurling out shakshuka from multiple gas burners at an incredible rate. There’s also some mighty tasty couscous and a table-full of small salad plates.
Yo’Ezer ( 683 9115; 2 Ish Ha’bira St; mains from around 90NIS; 12.30pm-1am Sun-Thu, 11am-1am Fri & Sat)For a culinary treat – many say one of the best in Israel – you can’t get better than Yo’Ezer. Hundreds of wonderful wines by the glass, a meat-heavy menu (though there’s blue cheese and truffle-infused noodles for vegetarians) and a cozy, candle-lit atmosphere await.
Getting There & Away
From the centre of Tel Aviv, it’s a pleasant 2.5km seafront stroll to Old Jaffa, though at the time of writing, parts of the seafront were being torn up in preparation for a new pedestrian boulevard. Alternatively, take bus 46 from the central bus station, bus 10 from Ben Yehuda St (or the train station), bus 26 from Ibn Gvirol St, bus 18 from Dizengoff St or bus 18 or 25 from Allenby St, and get off at the clock tower. To return to the centre, take bus 10 from immediately north of the clock tower.
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HAIFA
04 / pop 267,000
The attractive multilevel city of Haifa spills down the wooded slopes of Mt Carmel and takes in a busy industrial port area, a trendy German Colony centred on Ben-Gurion Ave, and the landmark Baha’i Gardens. While Jerusalem is swathed in historical mystique and Tel Aviv buzzes with hedonism and joie de vivre, Haifa, Israel’s third-largest city, might seem a bit provincial in comparison. Still, it’s a nice place to wander for a couple of days, especially at the end of the year when the city’s famously tolerant intercultural mix puts on its best face with the Christmukkah (joint Christmas/Eid-ul-Fitr/Hanukkah) festival.
Orientation
Haifa occupies three main tiers on the slopes of Mt Carmel. New arrivals by bus, train or boat are ushered into Haifa in the Port Area, also known as downtown. Uphill lie the busy Arab commercial district of Wadi Nisnas and the predominantly Russian Hadar district. The Carmel Centre district at the top of the mountain is home to the university, exclusive residences and trendy bars and eateries.
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THE BAHA’I
After a trip to Haifa’s Baha’i Gardens and Akko’s Tomb of Mizra Hussein Ali (below), you might well wonder what the Baha’i are all about, except for having an eye for landscape gardening.
The Baha’i faith is one of the world’s youngest religions, its origins lying in Shiraz, Iran with one Ali-Muhammed (1819–50), who declared that he was ‘Al-Bab’ (the gate) through which prophesies would be told. Though he quickly gathered followers, longevity wasn’t one of his virtues: he was executed by firing squad for heresy in Tabris, at