• Get in
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Contact

Florentin is in Tel Aviv.

[edit] Get in

Florentin is on the border of south-central Tel Aviv, Neve Tzedek and Jaffa.

To reach Florentin on foot, go south about 10 blocks on Herzl Street from Rothschild Boulevard.

To reach Florentin by car (although parking, like in the rest of Tel Aviv and most of Israel's cities, is a problem), take the Kibbutz Galuyot exit from the Ayalon (North or South) and head West towards the beach. Turn right on Herzl Street; Florentin Street is two junctions north of the Kibbutz Galuyot/Herzl junction.

To reach Florentin by bus, take the 1, 2, 3, 129, 19, 18 or 25 buses.

[edit] See

Florentin is full of sometimes colorful, old bauhaus buildings in various states of disrepair - although many are now being renovated and restored to something approximating their former glory. Quite a lot of new construction is going on as well, as the area is being completely redeveloped.

For the past few years, Florentin has been a hub of trendy bars, coffee shops and restaurants located in a gone-to-seed but still beautiful, run down area. Lately, some of the old industrial workshops and tiny factories have closed up (as have some of the more hippyesque places e.g. , and are being replaced with hip boutiques, cool tattoo parlours and new bars/ restaurants. Construction of new, modern apartment blocks is also taking place, as the area is redesigned. This has caused some controversy with the locals who want to preserve the culture and atmosphere of the area - some people also felt that the plans for redevelopment did not include any green space for residents.

[edit] Do

Florentin is a mostly residential neighborhood with a mixture of young Israelis (including students, artists, designers), older families, and a decreasing number of foreign workers.

There are a large number of small bars, restaurants and coffee shops open all day (and many all night or until very late). Florentin still has a lot of wood-working and furniture workshops, although many of these are closing and are being replaced with an eclectic mix of more up-market, designer boutiques selling everything from custom-made t-shirts, designer clothes, tattoos, home decor and design and much more. There are several small art galleries, offering a range of styles from modern art, sculpture, and installation pieces.

Herzl Street, from Salome Street for a few blocks north, you can find furniture stores and shops selling home furnishings and accessories, many hand-made. Further up Herzl Street, just outside of Florentin, you can find small toy stores, and eventually clothes stores for bulk purchases.

To the north of the area, around the junction of Nachalat Binjamin and Levinsky Street, you can find small shops selling spices, pitzukhim (toasted seeds like pumpkin, sunflower etc eaten as a snack), Turkish delight and teas.

On the outskirts of the area, to the South (i.e. towards Jaffa), there are some nightclubs in the traditional Israeli grunge style i.e. contained in falling-down shacks.

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

• Bugsy - is a small bar/cafe/restaurant, depending on the time of day. Named after famed mobster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel, Bugsy features a rather wide variety of food. Particularly recommended in the morning is the 'Bugsy Brunch' consisting of Steak, Eggs, salad, bread and sweet potato wedges. The coffee and drinks are excellent. At night, the restaurant becomes a bar as well, and is often packed. Open 24 hours. Corner of Florentin and Washington.
• Hummus Beit Leichem - Vegetarian, Kosher Hummus Restaurant on the corner of Florentin and Vital Streets.
• Basil Pizza - Great freshly made (in front of you, usually with some style) pizza with myriad toppings, open very late. Florentin Street
• Falafel Florentin - New, modern falafel joint serving freshly made falafel with traditional and slightly more eclectic (if you're comparing them to a traditional South Tel Aviv falafel place) toppings.
• Casco Urban Lab - New bar and restaurant serving interesting modern Israeli style dishes. The restaurant was painted by local street artists Klone (the Israeli Banksy) and 0c.
• Shirale - Vegetarian, kosher dairy restaurant serving home-made dishes including some with organic ingredients. Frenkel Street.
• The Hummus Bar - home made hummus, meat and vegetable dishes. Small wooden tables and chairs. A sort of trendy take on the Israeli workman's caff. Vital Street.

[edit] Drink

Florentin Street:

• Bugsy (see above)
• Perla - Slightly more upmarket (but not much), beautifully designed modern bar/ restaurant.
• Florentin 10 - Coffee shop and restaurant by day (check out their business lunches), bar by night.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Contact