Carmel Market is busy and lively, the kind of place that naturally makes you want to wander among its many attractions — but you can also stop and sit down for a coffee. And by that, we really mean sit down for a coffee: not work, not hold team meetings and not do the things that might make more sense in cafés elsewhere in the city. Why? Because this is Carmel Market. Read on and you’ll understand.
Ikari
The greener, the better. Fans of Japanese culture can get a taste of Japan at Ikari, where the coffee and tea menu revolves around Japan’s most famous green powder: matcha. Green tea, matcha latte and the recommended ginger soda — a Japanese upgrade on ginger ale.
Service: You order at the counter and they bring it to you. The staff is pleasant and friendly. Atmosphere: Carmel Market isn’t Japan, and chances are most people will choose hawaij over iced matcha, but the café sits on a street next to the market and is surrounded by greenery that shields customers from the crowds. The green of the trees blends with the green in your cup. Very pleasant. Food: The food menu is more limited, with cookies and light desserts, but the main attraction is the coffee — meaning your matcha latte. Vegan and gluten-free desserts are available. Alcohol: Cocktails inspired by flavors from Japanese bars. Prices: Relatively expensive, but anything with matcha tends to add a few shekels to the bill. Address: 39 Malan Street. Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 9:00-16:00. Friday: 9:00-16:00.
Coffeeshuk
One of the oldest coffee shops in Carmel Market. The place itself is almost like a store dedicated to coffee: from finjans and coffee machines to an impressive selection of moka pots and ceramic cups. It’s the good old-fashioned basics of a traditional coffee shop, only with a wider choice of coffee beans.
Service: The owner is the only person working there. There are very few tables, so there aren’t many customers to serve, and he’s more likely to advise you on what to buy than what to order. Always with a smile, it should be said. Atmosphere: As Carmel Market as it gets. Surrounded by Moroccan candy stores, fruit and vegetable shops and a plant nursery. It’s located in a bustling market alley, so if you manage to grab a table, you’ll feel right in the middle of everything. Food: None. Just understand that you’ve come to drink coffee and buy worthwhile coffee-related accessories. Alcohol: None, but there are sweet tea infusions. Prices: Basic. Save your money for the great accessories you can buy here. Address: 1 Kapach Street. Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 7:00-19:00. Friday: 6:30-17:00.
Divi’s coffee
When you think of coffee on the go, the kind that suits surfers heading back from the beach through the market, this is the place. It serves regular coffee, black coffee and espresso, without too many dilemmas or gimmicks. The location itself is full of action: from the busy Carmelit station across the street to the constant stream of people moving among the market stalls — a good fit for people who don’t mind plenty of distractions.
Alongside the coffee, you can buy touristy products such as shot glasses with the Israeli flag. It’s a thoroughly tourist-oriented place, but with few tourists in Israel, Israelis visiting Carmel Market will feel at home here too.
Service: None. You order and collect your drink at the counter. Atmosphere: Very pleasant, with the best of both worlds: the bustle of the market and the calm of the Kerem, depending on the time of day. The first thing you might actually want to drink here is wine, thanks to the tempting selection. Atmosphere: Young and friendly. Older visitors may find the noise, crowds and low seating less comfortable. Food: Good desserts and cookies are about all you’ll get. Alcohol: None. But the iced chocolate was really tasty. Prices: Basic. Address: 29 Daniel Street. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 06:00-18:00, Friday 06:00-17:00.
Cafe Fiori
On one of the streets running alongside Carmel Market, at the edge of Kerem HaTeimanim, you’ll find Cafe Fiori. The food here works well for breakfast or a light brunch, with dishes such as toast and smoothies. Service: Very good. You order, sit down and wait. Atmosphere: Very relaxed and cute. Seating is outdoors, so the weather is an inseparable part of the experience. Food: Toasts, açai bowls and smoothies. The dishes change, but overall the menu is firmly in the breakfast-brunch category. The café also offers a “regular” coffee menu alongside “special” coffee drinks such as espresso tonic. Alcohol: An extensive wine list and rotating cocktails. Prices: Borderline expensive. Address: 20 Yom Tov Street. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 07:30-18:00, Friday 07:30-16:00. The café is also open on Saturdays — unusual for the area — although regular hours are not published. Atmosphere: Very pleasant, offering the best of both worlds: the bustle of the market and the calm of the Kerem, depending on the time of day. The first thing you may want to drink here is actually wine, given the tempting selection.
Cafe BaShuk
Carmel Market sits along a main thoroughfare from which countless alleys branch off — and “Cafe BaShuk” is literally a café in the market, right on the main route, in about the smallest space you can imagine. It’s a well-known institution that has been around for more than 50 years, importing coffee beans from around the world, which you can also buy to take home, and grinding them on the spot: Santo Domingo, amaretto or hazelnut and vanilla. Imagine an ice cream shop for coffee, with an endless selection of flavors — that’s the idea. This is a place for people who love coffee and know their stuff, and you’ll get much more here than a good café au lait.
Service: Order and collect at the counter. The explanations about the different coffee flavors are excellent and delivered with plenty of patience. Atmosphere: On the one hand, pure market; on the other, the tiny, compact space maintains a certain sense of style. Alcohol: An Irish coffee will do the job. Prices: Fairly basic considering the flavors and quality of the coffee. Address: 24 Rabbi Akiva Street. Hours: Sunday-Thursday 07:00-18:00, Friday 07:00-17:00.
Sonder Café
Sonder Café is considered something of a pioneer: it was the first to bring excellent quiches and Saturday jachnun to Carmel Market. The café hosts the regular “parliaments” of market vendors and neighborhood locals, who seem to have grown up alongside the place, which itself began as one of the market stalls. What makes Sonder special is that it doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t: a market stall with a few seats added, some regular and some improvised, a little decoration on the walls — and suddenly, between the vegetable stands and homeware shops, there’s a café that feels like an inseparable part of the market.
Service: Busy hours can mean a wait, but it’s worth it. Atmosphere: Very pleasant, though it can get a little loud because the place is so popular. It also captures the character of the market’s people better than almost anywhere else. Food: Varied and good. The café is known for its excellent selection of quiches alongside worthwhile cakes. You can also buy soft drinks, although that’s probably not why you’d sit down in the market. Alcohol: None. Prices: Fair. You can finally drink an espresso for under NIS 10. Address: 40 Yishkon Street. Hours: Open Sunday and Tuesday-Saturday, 08:30-17:00. Closed Mondays.
