The Best Restaurants for Authentic African Food in Tel Aviv

Tenat is a gem of a restaurant located in a rundown area in south Tel Aviv, where you can feast on delicious vegan Ethiopian food in a charming atmosphere. The Ethiopian decor and music in the background adds to the experience, as does the charismatic Ethiopian-Israeli owner, Itshak, who you might catch dancing around the kitchen with his wife as they prepare the food.The injera is topped with an assortment of tasty vegan dishes that are full of flavour, while their ful–a dish of cooked fava beans–is not to be missed. Made early in the morning and traditionally eaten for breakfast, it is soft, warm, and absolutely delicious, served with rolled up pieces of injera so you can mop up every last bit.

Come to this unassuming Jaffa restaurant for some of the best home-cooked North African (Tripolitan, to be specific) food in the city. Expect lots of couscous dishes, stuffed vegetables and, of course, Mafrum, the classic Jewish-Libyan meat in a potato sandwich. Simple, cheap, and tasty – what more do you need?

Kuchinate is not a restaurant – it is an NGO based out of a rundown south Tel Aviv building that aims to empower and support female African refugees through the art of crochet. The women make beautiful products for the home, such as baskets and poufs, which they sell to locals. In addition to this, they host regular Eritrean meals featuring injera and tasty lentil dishes, and traditional coffee ceremonies. Come here for an alternative culinary experience while supporting a commendable organisation.

Another tiny eatery on Neve Sha’anan, at the end closest to the Old Central Bus Station, Gelila can only be found by asking someone (its name and street number are not easy to spot). Here you’ll find classic Eritrean food, which is very similar to Ethiopian cuisine. Expect large plates of injera topped with tasty meat and vegetable dishes.