Levinsky Market, Tel Aviv – Visitors Guide
Levinsky Market is a specialty market named after the street it is located on. And besides food stores, there are many restaurants and bars.
About Levinsky Market
Levinsky Market is a small market named after the street it is located on (Levinsky Street). And it is a specialty market. Unlike Carmel Market and other markets in Tel Aviv, you can not find all the food groups there. Levinsky Market specializes in spices, dried fruits, and nuts. And similarly to other markets, in recent years, it has become a trendy area with bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and chef-owned establishments.
Map
Levinsky Market is located on Levinsky Street in Tel Aviv. Primarily on Levinsky Street between Ha’Aliya and Ha-Mashbir Streets.
Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit
Interactive map of the area:
Note: during 2021, Levinsky street was converted into a pedestrian street. And despite what you see in some of my photos, now the street looks like this:
The streets that cross Levinsky are not only for pedestrians. Hence, at every road cross, you can see metal barriers. Furthermore, you can find many yellow chairs along Levinsky street. They are for public use.
Directions
If you walk to the Levinsky Market, you can set the navigation app to Levinsky Street 59 or 28, Tel Aviv.
If you are using public transport, then a variety of buses reach this area. Here is already a preset link to Moovit. Just enter your starting point, and you will get the updated directions.
And if you are driving, then you will need to find parking.
Parking
There are several paid parking lots in the area. And they are:
| Parking Name | Parking lot address | Price | Distance to the market |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Market Parking | Hashuk Street 8 | 50 NIS for up to two hours and 20 NIS for every additional hour | You can exit at Levinsky Street 39, which is at the market. |
| Libar Parking | Pines Street 41 | 12 NIS per the first hour, and 3 NIS per every additional fifteen minutes | 400 meters |
| Aliya Market Parking | Chlenov Street 22 | Sunday – Thursday (07:00 – 16:00): 16 NIS per the first hour and 4 NIS per every additional fifteen minutes. Weekends and evenings: 24 NIS per entrance | 140 meters |
| Beit Hadar Parking Lot | HaRakevet Street 3 | Sunday – Thursday (07:00 – 16:00): 16 NIS per the first hour and 4 NIS per every additional fifteen minutes. Weekends and evenings: 24 NIS per entrance | 700 meters |
I usually park further away at the Beit Hadar parking lot. I prefer it due to its proximity to the Ayalon highway.
Opening Hours
There are many stores, stalls, and restaurants in the market and its surroundings. Each of them has its opening hours. Thus if you are interested in a specific place, check its opening hours. And the hours I am going to list now are the common ones when most stores are open.
Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 – 17:00.
Friday: 08:00 – 13:00.
Saturday and Jewish holidays – closed.
Note: most restaurants are open till late.
Tours
Tasting tours have become quite popular in Israel, and you can find them in many markets in Israel.
If you visit on a Friday morning, you will see many touring groups. Different firms offer a variety of tours and if you want a more in-depth experience, consider joining one of the tours.
Stores at Levinsky Market
And now, let’s walk through Levinsky Market and see what it offers.
The market consists of many small stores specializing in spices, dried fruits, and nuts. Beyond these categories, you can also find delicatessen. Here is, for example, Chaim Raphael.
Chaim Raphael
This delicatessen was founded in 1958 by Chaim Raphael, a Holocaust survivor from Saloniki, Greece. It started as a small grocery store and, over the years, grew into a well-reputed delicatessen that was an integral part of Tel Aviv’s historical culinary ventures. Today, the store boasts a steady stream of regulars who come for its wide selection of gourmet cheeses, cured olives, and meats – all prepared by traditional methods, recipes handed over by generations of Raphaels.
Chaim and his grandson, Tzadik, take pride in their traditional methods, but more in their love and respect for their food and cuisine. Weekend items include leek patties, meatballs, and stuffed vegetables like grape leaves and peppers.
I have not made an extensive price comparison but checked several kinds of nuts, and the prices on the market were lower than in our supermarket.
HaChalban
The older stores usually have some sign that indicates their status. It can be an informational sign or simply writing the foundation year.
The perfect fromagerie for fans of local and imported cheeses, cured olives and other delicacies suited to the tastes of hard and soft cheeses. Especially recommended at this shop is a salty Iraqi cheese that when put in hot water takes on a stretchy or gummy consistency, perfect for summer dining with ripe, sweet watermelon.
HaChalban is a small store with olives and cheese. And I liked their cheese-shaped lamps.
Pereg Spices
PEREG GOURMET is one of the more known firms in Israel. It was established in 1906, and it is a family business that produces 60 varieties of spices, spice blends, and herbs.
The Shuk Levinsky branch of this nation-wide chain of spices is the most successful of all other franchises, perhaps a testament to the high culinary standards of local Tel Aviv residents. Founded by Chaim Pereg, formerly Parig, the Pereg Spices empire offers a wide range of local and Middle Eastern spices and herb blends of top quality, as well as olive oils made with traditional methods.