Tel Aviv, Israel’s most vibrant city, is the center of business, culture, art, hi-tech, night life and, of course, gastronomy. Also known as "the non-stop city," it has gained an international recognition for its rich cuisine. Local Israeli food has become known for its combination of tastes, flavors and ingredients from the Middle East, upgraded by European, American, African and Asian cooking methods and flavors.

With a wide ranging culinary scene, Tel Aviv restaurants excite and liven all your senses. From fancy restaurants to colorful street food stands inspired by places across the globe, you can find anything you have a craving for. With multiple ethnic groups living in Tel Aviv, it is no wonder the city’s cuisine is literally a melting pot. Here are some of the Essential Eats in the Israeli capital.

1. Msabbaha - Abu Hasan (Ali Karavan)

Msabbaha @ Abu Hasan / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

Abu Hasan serves the best Msabbaha in Jaffa, and has been serving it for almost 40 years. You can’t come to Tel Aviv without trying a plate at Abu Hasan. You might have to wait quite a while until you manage to get a seat, especially on weekends, but it is worth it. There is nothing quite like sitting beside strangers and eating hummus with pita bread and fresh onion. Make sure you arrive for an early lunch, before the large daily pots of hummus run out and the doors close.

2. Kanafeh - Haj Kahil

Kanafeh @ Haj Kahil / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

The Kanafeh at Haj Kahil looks & tastes divine. But the warm Kataifi (shredded filo) pastry with filled with soft salted cheese coming from Nazareth, is also delicious. Both sprinkled on top with chopped pistachios and doused in orange-blossom honey. The contrast of flavors between the sweet syrup and the cheese is astonishingly good.

3. Shashouska - Hashomer 1

Shashouska @ Hashomer 1 / Image courtesy of Hashomer 1

Shashouska, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers and onions, is believed to have a Tunisian origin. At Hashomer 1, shashouska goes to the next level with a variety of flavors, including tomatoes and coriander, black-eyed peas and pickled lemon, aubergine and cheese and the favored shashouska: hummus, spinach and lemon mixed with perfectly cooked eggs, which give each bite a blast of tastes.

4. Bourekas - Original Turkish Bourekas

Bourekas @ Original Turkish Bourekas / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

Bourekas are baked filled pastries made of thin flaky dough known as filo. It can be filled with cheese (often feta), minced meat or vegetables. Served at this spot with a hardboiled egg, pickles and grated tomato. This hole-in-the-wall eatery is just at the beginning (or end) of Carmel Market. Try the eggplant or the Kashkaval stuffed Bourekas.

5. Sabich - Sabich Frishman

Sabich @ Sabich Frishman / Image courtesy of Sabich Frishman

At Frishman Sabich, the smell of frying eggplant fills the street’s corner, appealing to hordes of fans hungry for its Israeli sandwich. This pita stuffed with fried eggplant and hard-boiled eggs becomes a work of art. With precise touches of vegetables, brown egg, potato and tahini sauce, one bite will bring a big smile to your face.

6. Lamb Shawarma - Shawarma Bino

Lamb Shawarma @ Shawarma Bino / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

With so many Shawarma stands in the city you can easily become overwhelmed with choice, but take it from us, there is only one spot to eat the best Shawarma in Tel Aviv, and Bino does it just right. Layers of minced lamb along with slices of veal and seasoning you’ll not forget in a hurry. These meats are layered carefully into the pita and comes served with Tahini, raw onion, parsley and spicy pepper paste (chuma) for piquancy. One bite is enough to make you addicted and will ensure you return again and again. Try the mixed lamb and chicken Shawarma for the best overall experience. Found smack-bang in the center of the Jaffa Flea Market, it’s not easy to miss.

7. Falafel - Super Falafel

Falafel @ Super Falafel / Image courtesy of Super Falafel 

Super Falafel's falafels you can smell from far away. Although making millions of falafel balls at the same meticulousness, excitement and love for years, it seems that every ball is made for the first time. This Egyptian style falafel is simply excellent: the ball is very crispy, coarse grains and contains a mixed herbs which are responsible for the great taste that differentiates this ball from all other falafel places.

8. Brik - HaKosem

Brik @ HaKosem / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

With a constant line of customers, Hakosem (The Magician) is well known for its shawarma and falafel. Made of chickpeas imported from Spain and ground 15 times a day, ensuring freshness, the falafels are rich with cumin, coriander, ground sweet paprika, raw garlic, onion and parsley. What makes them special is the added sesame and nigella seeds. But locals know another secret. Hakosem's brik, a deep-fried Tunisian pastry, is filled with beef, mutton fat, garlic, mashed potato and soft-boiled egg. It is truly a masterpiece among dumplings. Vegetarians have their own version with a sabich filling of eggplant and potato.

9. Basbousa - Santa Katarina

Basbousa @ Santa Katarina / Image courtesy of Santa Katarina

Restaurant Santa Katarina, located right next to the Great Synagogue in Tel-Aviv, is one of the new hotspots in town. Known for its Italian pizzas, focaccias and delicious pastries baked in a large stone oven brought over from Italy, Santa Katarina has cracked the code to create the perfectly textured basbousa. The traditional Middle Eastern sweet cake is made from cooked semolina or farina. Often soaked in simple syrup, Santa Katarina’s version is soaked in mastic. The resin obtained from the mastic tree, known as "Arabic gum" or "Yemen gum,” gives off a refreshing, slightly pine or cedar-like flavor to put this dessert over the top.

10. Lima beans Msabbaha - Port Said

Lima beans Msabbaha @ Port Said / Image courtesy of Daniel Rozenblum

Overlooking the impressive Great Synagogue, Port Said is named after the coastal Egyptian city. It always fills up early in the evening with a young, cool, hipster-style crowd hungry for its French, international and Israeli food. Port Said's msabbaha is not the traditional hummus made from chickpeas. Whole white lima beans are cooked for hours, then blended with mashed beans bathed in olive oil, tomatoes, hot peppers and chopped onions. This delectable dish is served with challah bread to dip in and wipe up all that goodness. Bring your patience to wait for a table. It is worth the wait.