Nationwide
The best of Israel — nationwide lists (2026)
The picks that aren't tied to one city — the country's best wedding venues, kosher restaurants, hotels, beaches and wineries, chosen from everywhere in Israel.
Israel is small enough that the best of something is worth ranking nationally, not just city by city. These lists span the whole country, from the Galilee to Eilat, and say where each pick is and why it earns its place.
Food & Drink across Israel
All Food & DrinkThe 5 Best Sushi Restaurants in Israel (2026)
The best sushi in Israel in 2026 is at Yakimono and Moon in Tel Aviv and Onami in the Herzliya and Ramat Gan area. Israel eats an extraordinary amount…
Read the list Israel · Street FoodThe 7 Best Street Foods in Israel (2026)
The best street food in Israel is falafel, sabich, shawarma in a laffa, bourekas with crushed egg, the Jerusalem bagel, malabi and knafeh. Nearly all …
Read the list Israel · SteakhousesThe 6 Best Steakhouses in Israel (2026)
The best steakhouses in Israel in 2026 are M25 in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market for the butcher-restaurant version, El Gaucho for a kosher Argentinian gril…
Read the list Israel · ShawarmaThe 5 Best Shawarma in Israel (2026)
The best shawarma in Israel in 2026 is at HaKosem in Tel Aviv, Itzik VeRuthie in the Hatikva Market and Moshiko on Ben Yehuda in Jerusalem. Israeli sh…
Read the list Israel · SandwichesThe 7 Best Sandwiches in Israel (2026)
The best sandwiches in Israel are immigrant inventions: sabich, the Iraqi aubergine and egg pita; the Iraqi fried fish sandwich; shawarma rolled in la…
Read the list Israel · Rooftop BarsThe 6 Best Rooftop Bars in Israel (2026)
The best rooftop bars in Israel in 2026 are the Mamilla Hotel Rooftop and the Notre Dame terrace in Jerusalem for Old City views, and the Poli House a…
Read the list Israel · Israeli BreakfastThe 7 Best Israeli Breakfasts in Israel (2026)
An Israeli breakfast is a savoury spread, not a plate: eggs your way, chopped salad, cheeses, olives, herring or tuna, bread and jam, and unlimited co…
Read the list Israel · Ice Cream & GelatoThe 7 Best Ice Cream Shops in Israel (2026)
The best ice cream in Israel is at the Italian-trained gelaterias in Tel Aviv and the boutique dairies in the Galilee, and the flavour to order is hal…
Read the list Israel · HummusThe 6 Best Hummus in Israel (2026)
The best hummus in Israel in 2026 is at Abu Hassan in Jaffa, Hummus Said in Akko and Abu Shukri in Jerusalem's Old City. Hummus in Israel is a lunch d…
Read the list Israel · Fish & SeafoodThe 6 Best Fish & Seafood Restaurants in Israel (2026)
The best fish restaurants in Israel in 2026 are Uri Buri in Akko, Manta Ray on the Tel Aviv beach and The Old Man and the Sea at Jaffa port. Israel ha…
Read the list Israel · Farmers MarketsThe 6 Best Farmers Markets in Israel (2026)
The best farmers markets in Israel in 2026 are the Tel Aviv Port Farmers Market, Sarona Market in Tel Aviv and the farm shops of the Galilee and Golan…
Read the list Israel · FalafelThe 7 Best Falafel in Israel (2026)
The best falafel in Israel is found at market counters and neighbourhood stands rather than restaurants — Falafel HaZkenim in Haifa's Wadi Nisnas, the…
Read the list Israel · Donuts & SufganiyotThe 6 Best Donut Shops & Sufganiyot in Israel (2026)
The best donuts in Israel in 2026 come from Roladin, Lehamim in Tel Aviv and Cafe Kadosh in Jerusalem. The Israeli donut is the sufganiya — a filled, …
Read the list Israel · Craft Beer BarsThe 6 Best Craft Beer Bars & Breweries in Israel (2026)
The best craft beer in Israel in 2026 is at BeerBazaar in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Dancing Camel brewpub in Tel Aviv and Libira in Haifa. Israel's …
Read the list Israel · Coffee RoastersThe 6 Best Independent Coffee Roasters in Israel (2026)
The best independent coffee roasters in Israel in 2026 are Cafelix, Nahat and Mae, all roasting in Tel Aviv and all pouring their own coffee at their …
Read the list Israel · Cocktail BarsThe 7 Best Cocktail Bars in Israel (2026)
The best cocktail bars in Israel are in Tel Aviv, where a genuine bartending scene has grown up around Rothschild, Florentin and the Levinsky area, jo…
Read the list Israel · CheesemakersThe 6 Best Artisanal Cheesemakers in Israel (2026)
The best artisanal cheesemakers in Israel in 2026 are Shai Seltzer in the Judean Hills, Kornmehl Farm in the Negev and Ein Kamonim in the Galilee. Isr…
Read the list Israel · BurgersThe 7 Best Burgers in Israel (2026)
The best burgers in Israel come from three places: the veteran kosher meat grills, the Tel Aviv burger bars that treat it as a chef's dish, and the ne…
Read the list Israel · BakeriesThe 7 Best Bakeries in Israel (2026)
The best bakeries in Israel run on a Friday rhythm: challah for Shabbat, burekas from the Balkan bakeries, Yemenite kubaneh and jachnun, and the sesam…
Read the list Israel · Wine & BreweriesThe 8 Best Wineries in Israel to Visit (2026)
The best wineries to visit in Israel in 2026 include Golan Heights Winery in Katzrin, Domaine du Castel and Flam in the Judean Hills, and Yatir in the…
Read the list Israel · RestaurantsThe 8 Best Restaurants in Israel (2026)
The best restaurants in Israel in 2026 include OCD and Mashya in Tel Aviv, Machneyuda in Jerusalem and Uri Buri in Akko. Israeli cooking has spent two…
Read the list Israel · Kosher DiningThe 8 Best Kosher Restaurants in Israel (2026)
The best kosher restaurants in Israel in 2026 include Machneyuda and The Eucalyptus in Jerusalem and Herbert Samuel in Herzliya. Israel is the one cou…
Read the listStay across Israel
All StayThe 7 Best Spas in Israel (2026)
The best spas in Israel are built on the country's own water: the Dead Sea's mineral mud and salt at Ein Bokek, the natural hot springs at Hamat Gader…
Read the list Israel · HostelsThe 7 Best Boutique Hostels in Israel (2026)
The best boutique hostels in Israel are in Tel Aviv's Florentin and centre, Jerusalem's Old City and Machane Yehuda area, Haifa's Downtown, Nazareth's…
Read the list Israel · Budget StaysThe 7 Best Budget Hotels in Israel (2026)
The best budget accommodation in Israel is the kibbutz guesthouse network, the SPNI field schools next to the national parks, the church-run pilgrim h…
Read the list Israel · HotelsThe 8 Best Hotels in Israel (2026)
The best hotels in Israel in 2026 include The Norman and The Jaffa in Tel Aviv, the King David and Mamilla in Jerusalem, and Beresheet over the Ramon …
Read the listThings to Do across Israel
All Things to DoThe 7 Best Yoga Retreats in Israel (2026)
The best yoga retreats in Israel are in two places: the southern desert and the Upper Galilee. The Desert Ashram in the Arava, Neot Semadar, the crate…
Read the list Israel · Music FestivalsThe 7 Best Music Festivals in Israel (2026)
The best music festivals in Israel are the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, InDNegev in the northern Negev, the Tamar Festival at the Dead Sea, Jacob's…
Read the list Israel · MarketsThe 7 Best Markets & Shuks in Israel (2026)
The best markets in Israel in 2026 are Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem, the Carmel Market and Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv, and the Jaffa flea market. The …
Read the list Israel · Kid-FriendlyThe 7 Best Family-Friendly Activities in Israel (2026)
The best family activities in Israel are the beaches, floating in the Dead Sea, kayaking the Jordan River in the Galilee, the hands-on science museums…
Read the list Israel · FestivalsThe 7 Best Cultural Festivals in Israel (2026)
The best cultural festivals in Israel are the Israel Festival and the Jerusalem Film Festival, the Akko Fringe Theatre Festival, the Jerusalem Light F…
Read the list Israel · CinemasThe 6 Best Independent Cinemas in Israel (2026)
The best independent cinemas in Israel in 2026 are the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, the Jerusalem Cinematheque and Lev Smadar in Jerusalem. Israel's arthous…
Read the list Israel · AttractionsThe 7 Best Historical Sites and Architectural Wonders in Israel (2026)
The best historical sites in Israel are Jerusalem's Old City, Masada, Crusader Akko, Roman Caesarea, the Baha'i terraces in Haifa, Bauhaus Tel Aviv an…
Read the list Israel · Art GalleriesThe 7 Best Art Galleries and Independent Art Spaces in Israel (2026)
The best art in Israel is concentrated in Tel Aviv's Kiryat HaMelacha gallery district, the commercial galleries around Rothschild, the artist-run and…
Read the list Israel · Adventure ActivitiesThe 6 Best Adventure Activities in Israel (2026)
The best adventure activities in Israel in 2026 are diving the Red Sea reef at Eilat, rappelling into the Ramon Crater, and canyoning in the Golan's w…
Read the listBeaches & Nature across Israel
All Beaches & NatureThe 7 Best Scenic Spots in Israel (2026)
The best viewpoints in Israel are the Ramon Crater rim, Mount Arbel above the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Olives looking at Jerusalem's Old City, Mas…
Read the list Israel · Scenic DrivesThe 7 Best Scenic Drives in Israel (2026)
The best scenic drives in Israel are Route 90 along the Dead Sea, the Arava run south to Eilat, the Golan Heights loop, the Upper Galilee hill roads, …
Read the list Israel · HikesThe 7 Best Nature Hikes in Israel (2026)
The best hikes in Israel are Ein Gedi's desert waterfalls, the Yehudiya canyon in the Golan, Mount Arbel above the Sea of Galilee, Nahal Amud in the G…
Read the list Israel · National ParksThe 8 Best National Parks in Israel (2026)
The best national parks in Israel in 2026 are Masada, Ein Gedi, Caesarea and the Hermon Stream (Banias) reserve. Israel has more than forty national p…
Read the list Israel · BeachesThe 8 Best Beaches in Israel (2026)
The best beaches in Israel in 2026 include Hilton Beach in Tel Aviv, Dor HaBonim on the northern coast, Achziv's lagoons and Coral Beach in Eilat. Isr…
Read the listShopping & Local across Israel
All Shopping & LocalThe 7 Best Shopping Malls in Israel (2026)
The best shopping malls in Israel in 2026 are Azrieli Center and Ramat Aviv Mall in Tel Aviv, Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem and Grand Canyon in Haifa. Isr…
Read the list Israel · Jewellery ShopsThe 7 Best Boutique Jewelry Shops in Israel (2026)
The best boutique jewellery in Israel is in Tel Aviv's Gan HaHashmal and Neve Tzedek design districts, at the Nahalat Binyamin craft market, in Safed'…
Read the list Israel · BookshopsThe 7 Best Independent Bookshops in Israel (2026)
The best independent bookshops in Israel are Halper's and the Book Junction for secondhand English in Tel Aviv, Sipur Pashut in Neve Tzedek for litera…
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