Middle East - Anthony Ham [241]
Fatoush ( 852 4930; 38 Ben-Gurion Ave; mains 50-70NIS; 8am-1am) All decked out in Bedouin style, Fatoush is an atmospheric German Colony place serving good salads, mezze and Mediterranean fare. In summer, its outdoor area is a good spot for watching the world go by.
Douzan ( 852 5444; 35 Ben-Gurion Ave; mains from 30NIS; 10am-1am) Look no further for delicious, authentic Middle Eastern food, dished up in a great, central location. The home-cooked feel of the food, with its French influences, is all down to the family recipes rustled up by owner Fadi Najar’s mother Leila, who’s out to ensure that diners don’t leave hungry.
QUICK EATS
Around the HaNevi’im St end of HeHalutz St, you’ll find a wide range of excellent felafel and shwarma cubbyholes, as well as bakeries selling sweet pastries, sticky buns and other delights. The other prime shwarma area is Allenby Rd, around HaZiyonut Blvd. For fruit and vegetables, shop at the great little Arab Market in Wadi Nisnas on Wadi Nisnas Rd.
Drinking & Entertainment
For an evening out, locals head for the slick bars and cafés along Moriah Blvd and the environs of Carmel Centre. A handful of bars and nightclubs are clustered around downtown.
Bear ( 838 1703; 135 HaNassi Ave; meals 35-75NIS; 6pm-3am Sun-Wed, 11am-4am Thu-Fri, 5pm-3am Sat) The Bear, Haifa’s only Irish-style pub, is regarded as the city’s main expat hangout and sports bar. For meals, you can choose between salads, sandwiches, chicken, steak and seafood, washed down with your choice of 12 different draught beers.
Basement ( 853 2367; 2 HaBankiim St; 9pm-3am) Dim, hedonistic and rowdy, this alternative rock bar is popular with young Haifans. Live music is featured on Saturdays while Sunday is open-mike night; aspiring rock stars will have a captive audience.
Greg Coffee (3 Derekh HaYam St; 7am-1am) If it’s a good cup of joe you’re after, or some fantastic brownies to munch while availing of the free wi-fi, try this cute little café in Carmel Centre.
Downtown dance places, such as Luna (HaPalyam St; midnight-late Thu-Fri)and Achurva (Captain Steve St; midnight-sunrise Thu) all charge from around 70NIS, and open on weekends; don’t even think of hitting the dancefloor before about 1am.
Getting There & Away
AIR
Arkia ( 861 1600; www.arkia.com; 80 Ha’Atzmaut St) connects Haifa with Eilat (one-way from around US$68, 1¼ hours). The airport is around 3km from the town centre.
BUS
Arriving from the south, passengers are dropped off at the new Hof HaCarmel bus station (adjacent to the train station of the same name) from where you can take bus 103 downtown. The old central bus station (HaHaganah Ave) handles city buses northwest of town. Buses to Akko, Nahariya and Galilee use the eastern bus terminal at Lev HaMifratz.
During the day, bus 910 departs every 20 minutes for Tel Aviv (23NIS, 1½ hours); bus 940 or 947 leaves every 15 minutes for Jerusalem (39NIS, 2½ hours). Heading north, bus 251 and 252 (express) stop at Akko (15NIS, 30 to 50 minutes). Eastbound, bus 430 goes to Tiberias (35NIS, 1½ hours) and bus 332 goes to Nazareth (22NIS, 45 minutes). The amount of departures per day for Akko, Tiberias and Nazareth varies greatly; check for details at the bus station.
TRAIN
Haifa has three train stations: Haifa Merkaz, near the port; Bat Galim, adjacent to the central bus station (accessible via the passage from platform 34); and Hof HaCarmel, at the new southern bus terminal of the same name. From Haifa Merkaz, trains depart around every 20 minutes for Tel Aviv (26NIS, 1½ hours), and north to Nahariya (16.50NIS, 45 minutes) via Akko (13NIS, 30 minutes).
Getting Around
The only underground in Israel, the Carmelit ( 837 6861; per person 5.50NIS; 6am-10pm Sun-Thu, 6am-3pm Fri, 7pm-midnight Sat), connects Kikar Paris with Carmel Centre, via the Hadar district. Visitors can ride to the top and see the city sights on a leisurely downhill stroll.
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CAESAREA
04 / pop 3400
First developed by the Persians