My husband and I have been to Israel several times. We have discovered places that are special to us, that we make a point to visit again when we are able to.
If you have read much of my writings about the Holy Land, you know that we like to go "off the beaten path." So our little getaways are not found on most tour itineraries. Many of them are places that are only frequented by Jewish Israelis.
Part of the delight of being in Israel is shopping and dining at truly Israeli locales. Though not all are out-of-the-way, here are a few of our favorite spots in Israel:
Derech HaGefen (Vine Road Restaurant) in Beit Zayit - A dairy restaurant with outdoor dining in a lovely garden.
Tamar Bakfar (Village of Dates) in Kinneret - A wonderful store that specializes in dates and date products, as well as spices and other Israeli foods that make great souvenirs and gifts.
Amirim - A vegetarian village in the Galilean hills. Hands down, this is one of our favorite places to stay.
Sambooki - Our go-to shop for fresh Israeli pastries like bourekas and rugelach.
Cafe Aroma - The Israeli equivalent of Starbucks, only a lot better. We don't drink coffee, but their chai is great.
Mamilla Pedestrian Mall - This upscale outdoor mall is mostly beyond our budget but it is fun to walk through on our way to entering the Old City through Jaffa Gate
