Tel Aviv City Guide - Nightlife

As the Israeli saying goes, 'Jerusalem prays and Tel Aviv plays'; Tel Aviv is undoubtedly the social hub of Israel, and its range of entertainment from highbrow to hip cannot be matched anywhere else. Israelis of all ages and tastes take their weekend fun and socialising very seriously. Young people especially like to party with all their energy, especially those under 21 who are consigned to the army during the rest of the week (Israeli men and women continue to serve a mandatory three-year period of service until they reach their 21st birthday). There is little evidence in Tel Aviv of Shabbat as a time of quiet rest and prayer: in fact, nightlife is at its most vibrant after Shabbat starts on Friday night (the working week runs from Sunday to mid-afternoon Friday), while Thursday is another big night out. Strangely enough, though, drunkenness is rare - most Israeli kids think it is sad and uncool to drink alcohol. There is no bar-hopping or pub-crawling and while there is plenty of exuberance and noise, violent behaviour is almost unheard of in Tel Aviv.

Clubs and pubs come and go fast, with famous names disappearing overnight. Allenby Street is the central spot for bars and clubs, with more than 20 clubs within one small area, offering house, funk, disco and techno. There are a number of gay venues. The scene here looks like Amsterdam, with a very international crowd keeping very late hours, sometimes aided by various stimulants. As in most cosmopolitan cities, the dress code varies from one club to another; in Tel Aviv, jeans and T-shirt or smarter casual wear are the norm almost everywhere. The chic and stylish ones, though, employ a 'selectorit' - a daunting doorwoman who decides if she thinks people are cool enough to come in. For a more sophisticated or older crowd, plenty of other venues offer cabaret, as well as rock, jazz and folk music.

Time Out Tel Aviv has comprehensive listings for events and nightlife. It is published every other month, and is available from newsagents.

Most bars are usually open and licensed until 0300/0400, while clubs will keep their doors open until 0600/0700. As a rule of thumb, most clubs in the city will not start warming up until after 0200 and not peak until 0400. The legal drinking age in Israel is 18 years. Anyone who becomes intoxicated through drink will be shunned and probably thrown out.

Bars: Camelot, 16 Shalom Aleikhem Street, is stylish (dress up for this one) and famous for great live jazz and rock from Israeli bands. M.A.S.H., Dizengoff Street, is a favourite unpretentious English-speaking hangout for a drink and burger. Molly Blooms Irish Pub, opposite the Dan Hotel, on the corner of Mendele and HaYarkon, is said to have been brought in its entirety from Ireland and has become a popular evening haunt close to the beach. Allenby Street is hugely popular for nightlife. For something more authentically Israeli, brace yourself for the crowd and atmosphere of Cafe Noga, a pool hall and cocktail bar at 4 Pinsker Street. Open from 1200 to 0400 daily, it is a huge place with a techno music background that fills up after 2300. Sheinkin Street also hosts a selection of ultra-stylish cafe-bars - in recent years, this area has also become a fashionable shopping haunt for ultra-hip Israelis.

Clubs: The club scene will change from week to week and month to month - check local listings to find out what is really hot. The section of Allenby Street close to Carmel market remains the heart of Tel Aviv's clubland (though it wouldn't be guessed until about 0200). Fetish, 15 Rambam Street off Nachalat Binyamin, draws the crowds for deep house, jazz and funk (especially Saturday and Wednesday). The Dolphinarium, HaYarkon Street, is well-placed right beside the sea. Dinamo Dvash, 59 Abarbanel Street, is a small, very underground club in the heart of the trendy Florentin section of Tel Aviv. It is considered the place to go for cutting-edge electronic music, with international guest DJs. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night are crowded for techno, funk, groove and trance. The venue only holds 450 people, so it is best to arrive early. Lemon, also in the Florentin district at 17 Hanagarim Street, is an intimate space in vibrant surroundings, with an open terrace. It has gay nights (usually Mondays), as well as 'over-28' nights (usually Thursdays). Several packed, loud mega-venues are located in the south of the city and Jaffa, but one of the most popular is the long-established TLV, in the Tel Aviv port area, filling with energetic young dancers every weekend (ie. Thursday to Saturday). Vox, at 2 Yagea Kamaim, is another huge, packed dance venue with themed events every weekend, and a strongly gay culture. Go further south into Jaffa for Moadon Hateatron, 10 Jerusalem Boulevard, popular with the younger end; this is a vast dance space and bar, sometimes hosting live bands.

Live Music: Large-scale open air rock and pop concerts by international stars are often staged at Yehoshua Gardens, Rokach Boulevard, close to the university.