Tel Aviv, Old NorthCafé Hamanya, vegan smoothie bowl bliss

The location

Hamanya is in Basel Square in the Old North of Tel Aviv, just a 5-minute walk from the busy Dizengoff Street. The area is packed with coffee shops, bakeries and boutique clothing stores.

It’s a lovely spot to meet friends, sit in the middle of the square to soak up the Mediterranean sunshine.

The space

Given the growing popularity of Hamanya, you may need to queue for a few minutes until you’re seated. But there is a welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff and speedy service. With plenty of tables outside, and baby pink painted chairs, it’s the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by in the trendy Basel neighbourhood. Inside the restaurant, you can choose between wooden tables, benches and cosy low couches, or perch on the bar which faces a glass wall, looking out onto Basel Street. The relaxed music, and strong WiFi connection, encourages you to sit there for a while and enjoy the cool yet understated vibe – expect to find freelancers sitting there on laptops too!

What we ate

The menu is mostly plant-based, although it does offer an egg platter and cow’s milk upon request. It’s abundant in gluten-free options, refined sugar-free treats and raw vegan desserts, and the generous portion sizes will leave you feeling happily full. We shared the cinnamon porridge with walnuts and berries and the Hamanya platter – a selection of fried eggs (or a vegan omelette) with veggies, spouts, bread and spreads including green tahini.

I’ve tried all the smoothie bowls many times and this time went for the Aphrodisiac Smoothie Bowl.

It was  a wonderfully thick blend of açai, blueberries, lychees, cashews, ginger, maca, dragon fruit, vanilla and almond mylk, served in a coconut bowl and decorated with blackberries, buckwheat granola, walnuts and an edible flower.

The little things that make the difference

The staircase is lined with shelves of books, with titles such as “Urban Botanics” and “Living in Bali”, all flawlessly entwined in fairy lights. This eco-friendly eatery has no plastic in sight – they use metal and bamboo straws, and serve takeaways in paper boxes.