Israel’s Best Bakeries

May 1st 2016

3 Classic Israeli Bakeries

Even though Pesach lasts for only 7 days, by the time it draws to a close most people are left desperately searching for the first bakery to open. They follow the smell of fresh baking in order to satiate their leaven deprived bodies. For those of you able to wait a little while, this is a guide to the best bakeries, and the most delicious treats on offer there!

Marzipan (Jerusalem)

Located in the heart of the Jerusalem market (shuk), visitors sample the sights and sounds of the very busy authentic Middle-East market. It’s home to a real blend of fresh food, which is at its busiest as the Shabbat approaches, and Jerusalem residents prepare to host family and friends over the “Day of Rest”.
The Marzipan bakery has many delicious items, but its most famous are its chocolate rugelach (a type of Jewish pastry). Oozing with delicious flavor and moist to the touch, these treats are famous across the City of Gold, and are often taken as presents to people’s hosts. They are even able to be packaged especially for air travel, so there’s no excuse for not returning from a trip to Israel bearing gifts!

Bread Story (Tel Aviv)

While strolling through the fun and shopping filled maze that is Dizengoff center in Tel Aviv, you might feel the need to take a break. The perfect place for that is this bread store, Bread Story, which aims to offer you breads that simply can’t be purchased anywhere else in Israel. Doubling as both a bread shop and a bread restaurant, the breads are created by both modern and classical methods. The bakery offers breads like raisin and nut bread, a distinctively delightful butter challah filled with wild rye and almond cream, and Sicilian weed bread. They are most known for their spice bread, with thyme, sage, and marjoram baked into traditional Italian leaven bread.

Shemo Bakery (Haifa)

Shemo bakery, an Israeli classic, is best known for its delicious cakes. The recommendation of the locals is to try the “100% pommy” cake, the cheesecake with crumbs (“shtroizel”) and the “bee byte” cream cake. Specializing in European style cakes, rather than the more traditional Middle Eastern fare, this is a must visit for anyone with a refined sweet tooth!

So while you’re enjoying the beautiful sites and surroundings that Israel has to offer from Beer Sheva in the south to Haifa up north, don’t forget enjoy the sweet taste of Israel’s bakeries along the way.