Travel Journal:

One reason Tel Aviv's praises are being sung on international catwalks is the success of Tel Aviv designers in the world's fashion hotbeds. To give you an idea – Tel Aviv is the original home of the Oscar's red carpet's dresses designer Alber Elbaz. Israeli fashion design is known for its unique urban fashion trend and its all-round daring and creativity, as in the juxtaposition of different cultures and sources of inspiration. Tel Aviv is rich with fashion centers. You can go for crazy shopping on Dizengoff Street, where you'll find the boutiques of the most talented and successful designers. You can also find bride's dresses on that street that will make you want to find your sweetheart and get married a.s.a.p. Also there are Shenkein Street, Yermiyahu Street and if you are into Haute couture there's Kikar Ha'Medina (the "Medina" circle) where you can find the world's biggest brands. Anther Tel Aviv fashion center is blossoming in the area around Hehashmal (Electricity) Street, which has become a magnet for young designers who cannot or will not pay the high rentals charged on Dizengoff Street. Mirit Singer Rodrig. Who opened her shop Closest in the Hehashmal Street area, explains: "it was important to me to be right in the middle of the action, in the place where things are happening." If you're lucky enough to be in Tel Aviv in February or August, you can find the city's most talented designers gathered together in one place with the best of their collections on display – and for sale. Twice a year, for three days each time, a giant fashion fair called City Designers' Market is held in Tel Aviv. Whatever you do, don't miss this colorful carnival of cutting-edge fashion!

Restaurants In Tel Aviv A DELICIOUS MELTING POT If Israel is a culinary superpower, Tel Aviv is its Capital. Between the falafel stands and the gourmet restaurants that earn multiple forks in the Gault – Millau guide – not to mention a wide spectrum of Chinese, Italian, seafood and meat restaurants – a unique culinary culture has blossomed, unmatched by any other food mecca.   "Jewish" Food There are restaurants, that is, with an Eastern European flavor, serving kugel, cholent and gefilte fish with lots of chrain. At Shaked, Keton and Mul Eden in central Tel Aviv, they'll be happy to bring you some chopped liver, too.   Arab food And what's the difference between a Middle Eastern restaurant and an Arab one? Good question. The menu of a typical Israel Middle Eastern place focuses on hummus, fresh vegetable salad and grilled meats, while Arab restaurants generally add to that a variety of stuffed vegetables and bigger selection of salads. The Arab restaurants in Jaffa, like the well-known Raouf & Atina, also serve fish and fish and seafood. The service in both the Middle Eastern restaurant and the Arab restaurant is quick and efficient, and prices are very reasonable.   North African food A wide swathe of the Israeli population hails from North Africa, whose cuisine features couscous, hraimeh, matbuha, shakshuka and stuff vegetables. At both Asraf and Giuliani in central Tel Aviv, and Dr. Shakshouka in Jaffa, you can get truly authentic North African dishes. If this cooking style made a big impact on French cuisine, it's no wonder that we find it so exciting.   Persian food The Persian specialties at Keshet in the old centrel bus station area and Nayef on Zebulun Street include authentic treats such as gondi, sevzi, leppe, and shefteh. You'll also want to savor a stew of vegetables and meat with Persian lemon, or maash, a soup combining pomegranate, beets, vegetables and rice.   Gourmet Top restaurants in the Israeli genre feature lots of super – fresh locally grown vegetables. The chefs create superb seasonal dishes based on highest quality ingredients from the market, such as okra, Jerusalem artichokes, green beans, ful and leeks, using French techniques with local touches (that is, Arab, Middle Eastern and Balkan). This is the custom at Carmela baNachala ( a sister restaurant to the famous Uri Burri in Acre), at inventive chef Nir Zook's Cordelia in Jaffa, at Rafael's under wonder-chef Rafi Cohen, at the breathtaking Messa, at Tahel which adds a Spanish flavor to all this, and at the prestigious seafood restaurant Moul Yam. All of these places are renowned not only for their innovative and exacting chefs, but also for their outstanding dacor and professional service, with an Israeli touch.