TEL AVIV, ISRAEL yapan.co.il

DO STAY Hop from beach to bar in a city that never sleeps

HIT THE PAVEMENT

White City, in central Tel Aviv, contains more than 4,000 Unesco-designated Bauhaus-style buildings constructed in the ‘20s and ‘30s. These treasures form the world’s largest collection of original Bauhaus buildings. Other neighbourhoods to see: Neve Tzedek, one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of the city, is filled with designer stores and galleries. Also visit Florentin, a former industrial district now bustling with markets, bars and tattoo parlours. GET AN ART START

Tel Aviv has a rich, vibrant art scene with independent galleries and influential artists. Tel Aviv Museum of Art is filled with contemporary, mostly Israeli art (tamuseum.org.il) and the intriguing ruby-red Design Museum Holon (dmh. org.il) exhibits international design.

SOAK UP SOME SUN Western Tel Aviv is essentially one long beach, divided into smaller beaches named after the streets or hotels they face – some are religious, some gayfriendly and some are exclusive and require an entrance fee. At Banana Beach, drinks are served and the music is festive – hire a lounger and umbrella and spend the day in the sun.

SHOP

Open Tuesdays and Fridays, Nachalat

Binyamin Market is the biggest and most beautiful market in Israel, where local artists peddle wares from fashion to art, textiles and jewellery. A 10-minute walk away is Rothschild

Boulevard, a picturesque area filled with restored buildings and countless stores. While you’re in the area, visit

Elemento (elemento-design.com) for locally designed homewares.

The Jaffa Flea Market is filled with an enormous selection of vintage finds – try Bobo for accessories and Shelly Dahari for jewellery. EAT From markets to local cafes, Tel Aviv is all about fresh tomatoes, hummus (not just a dip, but a way of life), pitas and local bourekas (savoury pastries). If you’ve had your fill of street food, here are three other institutions to try… PORT SA’ID Across the street from the Great Synagogue, this restaurant and bar fills up fast thanks to its superb food and great music from its on-site record library. PUAA This fusion restaurant is in the middle of a flea market and offers great fresh vegetarian and Mediterranean fare. YA PAN Famed Israeli chef Yuval Ben Neriah’s newest opening, Ya Pan, is a contemporary bistro influenced by Japanese street food. Amid the cobbled streets, bustling markets and artists’ studios in the heart of the 4,000-year-old port city of Jaffa – around which modern Tel Aviv has risen – is The Jaffa.

Once a 19th-century French hospital, it’s now an elegant and subtly luxurious escape. The restoration features a 13th-century wall from the time of the Crusades running right through the hotel’s lobby, arched stone foundations forming a magical central courtyard and travertine tiled floors highlighting statement Damien Hirst paintings. A de-consecrated chapel now houses a nightclub with restored stained-glass windows. thejaffahotel.com