My trip to Israel was filled with great cups of coffee. Here’s a look at some of my favorites across the country.
Great Coffee In Jerusalem
Enoteca Espresso & Wine Bar
Hanotsrim 18, Jerusalem / +972 2-585-7726
We stumbled upon this coffee shop on a rainy afternoon and stopped for a break. It’s located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The cappuccino truly hit the spot and I appreciated the Mokito beans from Italy.
St. George’s Pilgrim Guest House
Nablus Road 20, Jerusalem / +972 2-628-3302
Church and coffee don’t usually mix, but the Anglican Guest House in Jerusalem offered nice coffee that hit the spot after a long afternoon of walking.
Lutheran Guest House
St Mark Street, Jerusalem / +972 2-626-6888
Not to be outdone by the Anglicans, the Lutherans also serve up tasty coffee (in fact, it was even better) in a beautiful garden cafe located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.
Great Coffee In Bethlehem
Walled Off Hotel
Caritas Street 182, Bethlehem / +970 2 277 1322
I already dedicated a post to this quirky Banksy-inspired hotel, but the coffee here was the best in Bethlehem.
“Starbucks” Bethlehem
Manger Square, Bethlehem / +970 2 277 6389
Someone call the Starbucks legal department! This “fake” Starburcks actually serves far better coffee than the real Starbucks.
The owner welcomed us in with open arms. Note that no prices were posted. When I asked how much for a coffee, he told me all drinks were 10NIS. He prepared the drinks, but had left when we finished, leaving his assistant.
I handed him 20NIS for our two drinks and he demanded 10 more. I just looked at him and walked away. When he called out, I said, “Your boss said 10NIS.”
Oh.
I guess I just paid the tourist price, not the stupid tourist price…
Great Coffee Nazareth
Café Abu Salem
6143 St 7-15, Nazareth / +972 53-553-0103
Opened in 1914 and noted in many guidebooks as the first coffee shop in Israel, I deviated from my cappucino to have a strong Arabic coffee.
My wife enjoyed a delicious cinnamon walnut tea while my son had pomegranate lemon juice.
Be sure to speak to Wissam, the (third generation) owner of the cafe and a very affable host.
Kahla
Al Bisharah Street 21, Nazareth / +972 77-439-4484
Located just around the corner from the convent we stayed at in the shadows of the Basilica of the Annunciation, I enjoyed a cappuccino while working. It really was the highlight of my morning considering the Sisters of Nazareth only had powered Nestle coffee…
Kahla is also rated as the best coffee in Nazareth on Trip Advisor.
Tishreen
Mary’s Well, Al-Bishara Street 56, Nazareth / +972 4-608-4666
I enjoyed coffee after dinner at Tishbeen, a restaurant I reviewed here.
Great Coffee At The Sea Of Galilee
I had an exceptional cappuccino at the Mount of Beatitudes (map). I was a bit skeptical ordering coffee there, but the machine looked nice and it turned out to be one of my best coffees of the week. Add great scenery and friendly cats, and it really made for a nice coffee break.
Great Coffee In Tel Aviv
The Jaffa
Louis Pasteur St 2, Tel Aviv / +972 3-504-2000
Upon our arrival at our hotel, we were invited to a complimentary welcome drink in the hotel lobby. I had a stong espresso, which hit the spot in the late afternoon.
The cappuccinos for breakfast the next morning were beautifully crafted and delicious.
Aroma Espresso Bar
Tel Aviv Airport Terminal 1 (near gate 32)
We flew out of Terminal 1, the budget terminal, which meant no lounge. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise because I found some nice coffee at a cafe called Aroma (though the signage was only in Hebrew) near our boarding gate.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, the entire week in Israel was filled with great cups of coffee. Don’t worry about finding decent coffee in Israel…I enjoyed every place I tried.
Enoteca, St. George’s, and the place at the Mount of Beatitudes automatically get my approval, regardless of the quality of the coffee. The first because they give you Biscoff. The latter two because – coffee with cats!
P.S. One of these days, your son is going to kill you for posting that photo of him with smoothie lipstick…
If you like cats, Israel is definitely the place for you 🙂
It’s very interesting to me that the first Arab coffee shop you tried seems to only be filled with men. LOL, they call Americans sexist…
Except you can see women in the third and fourth pictures of that establishment. But hey, don’t let facts get in the way of you bigotry…
@Andy K, seriously???
I rather enjoy the coffee/coffee shop reviews – thank you! My question is off topic for a travel blog but any recommendations for a good, but reasonably priced, at-home expresso maker? You love your coffee so I thought I’d take a chance and ask. Thanks!
Hi Terry, I have Breville Dual Boiler, which is fine:
https://amzn.to/2T3Kvsx
I’d like to get a La Marzocco eventually, which I think makes the best coffee.
Matthew, are you drinking coffee from a plastic cup!! Sure looks that way from the pics, horrors;)
Twice during the whole week it was unavoidable. Tragic, I know… 😉
I live in Israel and drink coffee in al places I visit. There are a LOT places with very good coffee, especially in Tel Aviv. The Aroma branch in BG airport isn’t good plase to enjoy coffee from paper caps, they have many branches in all Israel, come kind of Israeli Starbucks. The best coffee I had was at Levinsky Market in Tel Aviv
Yes, Aroma is all over Israel. That is where I usually end up for my morning, mid-morning, afternoon and late-afternoon coffees.
Great. You should make coffee an ongoing theme of your blog. It’s interesting. I’m going to Japan next month. I shall go to one of the cat coffee shops, if one is convenient ( or dogs..)