For those who are already on the bean, the morning coffee ritual is one of the most important parts of the day. If done right, you’re set up for success. But if there is a kink in the routine, I shudder to think about the headaches and struggles most definitely to follow. One of the most common threats to our routine is international travel—the thrilling adventure of being in a new place often comes at the risk of our particular coffee preferences being accommodated how we need them to be.

Tablet has a great list of some of Israel’s best cafes. But in case of a caffeine emergency, feel free to break this glass for where to get a familiar-feeling cup of joe as your top priority. Rather than bringing your own beans, grinder, and pour-over, use the below list to find some of the best places to get American style coffee in Israel. 

Advanced warning to coffee-holics: Do not expect a cup of coffee to be any larger than 8 oz. Coffee in Israel, even if third wave, is meant to be enjoyed fresh. If you need so much coffee to start your day, I suggest many smaller cups… and consultation with a medical professional. Soy milk is available most everywhere in Israel. Cafe hafukh is Hebrew for cappuccino and latte is often translated as cafe hafukh gadol bli ketzef (literally “large cappuccino without foam”).

In Tel Aviv, your morning should start with Israel’s leader in small batch coffee, Cafelix. Frequented by Israelis, Anglos, and European coffee lovers alike, the baristas here tend to each coffee with the care you expect of your dentist. If you find yourself by Rothschild and Independence Hall, walk five minutes to Coffee Shop 51, a neighborhood gem who finds inspiration for their coffee blends from the Beatles.

If you find yourself near Dizengoff, and given that you are in Tel Aviv, you probably will, your coffee cravings will be thrilled with Nahat, a self-described “coffee saloon.” This modern cafe is known for making “perfect” cups of coffee, which is probably how they came to host the upcoming Tel Aviv Barista Jam, a latte art competition and coffee appreciation evening.  Another important coffee shop is Mae, which has been selling coffee in Tel Aviv since 1941. They have an outpost across the street from Rabin Square.

But what should you do in Tel Aviv if you just need simple American-friendly coffee? Aside from flying in Starbucks (nearest location: Amman, Jordan) everyday, look to the local chains. With five branches in popular Tel Aviv tourist areas, Loveat could be your organic solution to this problem. They serve multiple types of filter coffee, offer cold brew in a bottle, and are consistently good. Especially if you are into cold brew (≠ ice coffee), this should be your go-to. If all you are looking for is an espresso drink, you won the jackpot. Most every cafe, bakery, and restaurant in Israel can pull a good espresso shot.

Espresso caution: Coffix and Coffiz are two Israeli chains selling coffee for 5 shekels/cup. Though it is cheap, it will not taste like your daily Dunkin’… then again, it is only $1.50, so you decide what you need.

Jerusalem has come to the realization that that there is more to coffee than botz and espresso. Botz, the Israeli slang for Cowboy Coffee, is what this list is helping you avoid. The Holy City is full of cafes and bakeries, especially in the downtown neighborhoods, where getting a simple cappuccino or americano is unavoidably easy. Cafelix, Israel’s leader in small batch coffee, has a location in Mahane Yehudah’s covered shuk that holds true to their exceptional quality. It also offers a great bar to people watch/take a break from the market.

If you are in the Old City and happen to be near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, you will find a delightful respite in the Austrian Hospice, whose apple strudel and sachertorte go exceptionally well with their filter coffee, amazing views of the Old City, and strong wifi.

Another important American coffee haven in Jerusalem is Tachanat HaCafe (lit. “The Coffee Mill,” but sounds like “station for the coffee”), a small roasting house on Emek Refaim that has great filter coffee.

Good coffee in Israel is not unique to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. If you are in the Negev and feeling unsatisfied with the Ethiopian and Bedouin styles of coffee, check out Cafe Lola in Beersheva.

If you find yourself on a tour in Sderot, go to the Sderot Teen Cafe and talk to a worker about their life and experience; the coffee will be fine, but the experience priceless.

If you are in Haifa, you will be comforted at AVA cafe, a downtown coffeehouse with a large selection of fresh-roasted beans, and at Cafe Hapina on the very hip Massada street.

Wherever you get your caffeine drip, toast to safe, happy, and healthy travels. L’Chaim!

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Every woman has different memories of her pregnancy. I just wanted to sleep. The constant drowsiness took over my thoughts and habits during these long nine months, and I craved coffee. Good, strong cappuccino, which I had discovered a few months earlier on a trip to Italy.

Having a cup of good cappuccino in Tel Aviv of the late eighties was virtually impossible. Most Israelis were happy with their nes (instant coffee) or their botz (literally “mud”, finely ground coffee dissolved in boiling water). One could have an espresso or a cappuccino, locally called hafuch (upside down), but one really shouldn’t, as it is watery, bitter, and either scaldingly hot or lukewarm.

One day a rumor reached me that on the corner of Ben Yehuda and Frishman, there was a place famous among coffee freaks. It was called Mersand, and these guys knew about coffee. Intrigued but skeptical, I arrived on a hot sunny afternoon, plopped my bulky frame on a small chair and ordered a hafuch.

The very first aromatic sip catapulted me out of my narcolepsy. Suddenly alert and with an early euphoria of a well earned caffeine buzz, I surveyed the surroundings. The place looked pretty spartan, with low stools, tiny Formica topped tables and a modest cake display (it took me another visit to discover that these simple looking cakes were actually delectable). But who needed cakes when you had this unbelievable coffee? I returned almost daily, and when my daughter was born, took long walks there with the stroller. I got friendly with the owner, middle-aged and extremely good-looking Mike Mersand. I started recognizing the regulars—a peculiar mix of aging surfers and yachtsmen and elderly, meticulously turned out German-speaking ladies. I arranged my errands so that they would take me via Mersand and met my friends there. And I never stopped to wonder how such a great place could exist in a coffee desert.

Until one day, almost overnight, the desert started to bloom. A couple of young Israelis returned from a long journey abroad and decided that what Tel Aviv needed as a real espresso bar. They rented a tiny place on Yavne Street, off Rothschild Boulevard, and spent a small fortune renovating it. The concept was no frills, no food and no tables. You grab your coffee, you drink it standing up at the bar in three gulps, like in Italy, and off you go (and no paper cups, mind you). And the coffee will be great. The coffee was indeed great, but this was the only thing that went according to the original plan.

Israelis treat their cafés as surrogate homes. They like to sit down, have a bite, read the paper, meet some friends. The owners realized that if no food was served, the place would go bankrupt. So they added tables, put some food on the menu and a brand new breed of a local café was born—with Italian coffee and Israeli everything else. A couple of months after the opening, Espresso Bar (the place was actually called “Espresso Bar”, luxury reserved for ground breakers) was a hit, with crowds waiting for a table filling the entire block.  Soon they opened another branch on Maccabi Street in Northern Tel Aviv, and then another. Other entrepreneurs were quick to follow suit and in a matter of months, espresso bars became part of the local scene.

Today you find them on every corner. The majority, sadly—chains. Privately owned, charmingly idiosyncratic establishments are becoming increasingly rare. But the coffee is invariably good. “Starbucks” failed in Israel, and we take great pride in the fact that the beverage this coffee giant offered was not good enough for the local palate.

And what about Mersand? I went there the other day. The place changed ownership, handsome Mike is no longer around, but the ambience and the run down décor remained basically the same. Elegant German ladies still linger over coffee and homey cakes. I ordered hafuch, it was fine, but completely forgettable. Or maybe it was just me. Twenty years older.

Janna Gur, author of The Book of New Israeli Food, is guest blogging on Jewcy, and she’ll be here all week. Stay tuned.

(Image: Shutterstock)

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