Snap your fingers, tap your feet - because Tel Aviv is alive with beautiful be-bop and cross-rhythm from the jazz genre. As we see more and more special jazz nights popping up on the regular, we have rounded up our favorites, giving you the opportunity to take a hit of the stuff any night of the week. It’s time to add some scat and sax into your life, folks.
Fine wine, finger lickin’ tapas, fabulous jazz. El Vecino gets the week going with live musicians every Sunday evening. The music spills out onto a lovely courtyard filled with a regular crowd of north Tel Aviv merrymakers. Fill your glass and get into the swing of things.
Find it: El Vecino, Shlomo Ibn Gabirol St 192, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 9 PM
Our favorite little Ethiopian restaurant in Tel Aviv’s Neve Sha'anan neighborhood comes alive with a jazz ensemble every Monday night. Disappear into some injera (spongy Ethiopian sourdough-risen flatbread) and spicy wats (thick stew) whilst you sink into the jazzy tunes at Tenat. A most unexpected but excellent combination.
Find it: Tenat, Chlenov St 27, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 8:30 to 11pm
This very small, but very cool neighborhood cocktail bar sets the scene for a snug night of live jazz on Tuesdays. Get up close and personal with some very fine musicians (keep an eye out for the impeccable skills of returning guitarist Sharón Gleack), and sip on a highball or two. Lovely.
Find it: Guest Room, Mikve Israel 26, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 9pm
Every single Wednesday night, Jaffa’s very own Teatron HaSimta becomes ‘Jazz Alley’ - a smokey, sweaty and sexy underground jazz haunt. All the things we look for in a sweet night of improv. Yes!
Find it: Teatron HaSimta, Mazal Dagim St 8, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 9pm
This one’s a dream come true. Pair the city’s best ice cream with live street jazz, and you’ve got yourself the ultimate Thursday night in Tel Aviv. That’s right, the city’s gelateria (with flavors like olive oil and goats cheese) rolls out the live music good times for sweet tooths - and it’s just the best.
Find it: Arte Glideria, Nahalat Binyamin St 11, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 8:30-10:30pm
As expected, the Sabbath curbs our options Friday night jazz but, until 5pm on Fridays, Paspartu has us covered with live music on the streets of Jaffa up until 5pm. Caveat: they showcase a range of musical genres, not just jazz. If you do want to keep on toe-tapping into the night, you can always head over to the ever-dependable Beit Haamudim (a sure jazz institution) - they place particular attention on their Friday evening rotations.
Find it: Paspartu, Rabbi Khanina St 7, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 12-5pm
Café Rega sits on a very hip Sheinkin corner, is attended by the who’s who of the city’s creative team, and explodes with live jazz on Saturday evenings (Mondays and Wednesdays, too). The vibe is mega, the drinks are stiff, and there are plenty of snacks to go around. Have a grand ol’ time.
Find it: Café Rega, Sheinkin St 57, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 6pm
For a solid good time, no matter the day, look no further than Tel Aviv’s venerable house of jazz, Beit Haamudim. It brings Israel’s finest musicians into its warm and loving embrace for nightly rotations of live syncopated deliciousness. Cover charge is calculated by the number of musicians performing (fair enough!) and the room is filled with pure lovers of the genre.
Find it: Beit Haamudim, Rambam St 14, Tel Aviv
Hear it: 7pm
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