Last Updated on October 23, 2021
Where can you get the best falafel in Israel?
“He died with a falafel in his hand” – a Richard Lowenstein movie from 2001 kind of describes how Israelis feel about falafel.
Falafel is a street food. It is a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas (Heb: hummus) and/or fava beans (Heb: ful). Falafel is popular all over the Middle East and is reputed to have originated in Egypt. Falafel is served in a pocket of bread (a pita) or wrapped by a flat bread (a lafa). Either way it is served with any or all of these; hummus, tahina, chopped vegetable salad, pickled cabbage, hot sauce (harissa or szhug) and numerous other fillings
‘Falafelarias’ often have names like ‘The King of Falafel’, ‘The King of Kings of Falafel’, ‘Grandmas Falafel’ or sometimes they don’t even have a name and are just known as ‘that place on Whatever Street, next to the gas station’. We asked some Anglos and locals where they thought you could get the best falafel in Israel, here is what they had to say…
Afula
Golani Falafel – across from the police station in Afula. Simply the best and a great show to boot.
Haifa
Falafel Orian on Herzliyah Street. A favorite amongst locals and out-of-towners too!
Falafel HaZekaynim makes a great falafel flavored with fresh coriander – Rechov HaWadi in Haifa
Falafel George – opposite Felafel HaZekaynim in Haifa
Falafel George and Felafel HaZekaynim two ‘falafelerias’ that have been battling it out for years for the title of ‘Best Falafel in Haifa’. They have been featured on many Travel-Israel television and culinary programs with Yishai Golan, Yisrael Aharoni and Hila Alpert. Foodies find it hard to declare a winner, but either way queues are long at both of these establishments.
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Karkur
The small settlement town of Pardes-Hanna Karkur lies halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv.
Falafel Dvora in Karkur got the ‘gold’ for Best Falafel in Israel. Aside from Falafel Dvora the most notable event in Pardes-Hanna Karkur was when one of its residents, Gal Fridman won an Olympic bronze medal for surfing in Atlanta in 1996 and a gold medal in Athens in 2004
Jerusalem
“On Agrippas Street in Jerusalem, on the left side near the shuk. Best falafel I ever had.” This name of this falafel place seems to be a closely guarded secret.
Modiin
Modiin is a growing and upcoming town in Israel’s southern district. May Anglos now call it ‘home’
Falafel HaDerech at the entrance to Mevo Modiin, got the vote here,
All eateries in the Modiin Mall are kosher.
Netanya
Opposite the AACI in Netanya. This ‘Falafelaria’ was voted to serve the best home made pita bread. We have a feeling that this falafel joint got top marks as immigrants, who had had an exhausting morning at the AACI – Association of Americans & Canadians in Israel (an Aliyah office), were starving when they came out and so headed for the nearest eatery.
Raanana
The Falafel Shop in Raanana – with lots of variations and flavor combinations it was voted no. 1 in Raanana. On Ahuzza Street!
Ramat Gan
Falafel Gina in Ramat Gan. “I know it’s a chain store falafel’, our reader wrote, ‘but I think it’s the best, plus they give out free samples”.
Tel Aviv
Falafel Gabai on Bograshov was voted the best in Tel Aviv
Tzfat
Falafel California. A taste of California in Tzfat, this ‘falafeleria’ is kosher too.
- Learn new Hebrew ‘falafel’ words and phrases
- Free Hebrew word sheets by topic, with English and transliterations
