Levinsky Market

Levinsky Market is a street market centred on Levinsky Street in south Tel Aviv, Israel, in the Florentin area of Tel Aviv-Yafo. It grew up around Greek and Turkish Jewish immigrants who settled here from the 1920s and later became known for dried fruit, nuts, spices, and Balkan and Middle Eastern delicatessen foods. Many of the shops are family-run and have occupied the same premises for decades. Typical goods include roasted and raw nuts, dried fruit, seeds, coffee, tea, spices, baharat blends, halva, olives, pickles, cheeses, smoked fish, Bulgarian feta, burekas, pastries, sweets and imported specialty foods, with some wine and spirits shops. Because the market serves local cooks and restaurants, quality is high and vendors often offer samples. The share of tourist trinkets is small, and food rather than souvenirs is the reason to come. Bargaining is not part of the culture in the delicatessens, where prices are fixed per kilo or per item, although buying larger quantities can occasionally earn a small reduction. Cash is widely accepted and cards work at most established shops. Visitors cannot normally claim a tourist VAT refund on food. The atmosphere is calmer and more specialised than Carmel Market, with narrower crowds, a mix of long-time residents and new cafe-goers, and some street art on nearby walls. Eating options include bakeries, small restaurants serving Turkish, Greek and Bulgarian dishes, cafes and coffee roasters, and some newer bars and restaurants that opened as Florentin changed. The market has no single entrance. Most shops line Levinsky Street itself and run into side lanes, and the best corners to look at are the spice and nut shops in the central stretch, the cheese and deli counters, and the bakeries known for burekas and filled pastries. Shops close on Saturday and many shut early on Friday afternoon. Shopping here suits visitors who want gifts such as spice blends, nuts, tea or halva.