Tel Aviv and Jaffa hold the densest cluster of Japanese dining in Israel — and arguably one of the most interesting scenes in the Middle East. Florentin hides intimate izakayas and onigiri windows. Jaffa has serious omakase counters run by chefs who trained in Japan. The city’s wider sushi landscape runs from neighbourhood bars to hotel rooftops. This guide organises what’s worth knowing by type, so you can pick for the occasion rather than scroll a phone book.
For the full national picture (Jerusalem, Haifa, Sharon), see the best Japanese restaurants in Israel. If ramen is the specific mission, go to best ramen in Tel Aviv — the complete ranking lives there.
Izakaya & small plates#
The izakaya is where the city’s Japanese scene is most alive. These are all worth knowing about.
Saka Ba#
A tiny izakaya and sake bar on Zevulun Street in Florentin, open late. The focus is genuinely on the sake side — this is a destination for drinking Japanese, not just eating it. Intimate, low-lit, with a counter-culture Florentin energy.
Gaijin#
A premium izakaya on Lilienblum, on Time Out’s best-of-2025 list. Design-forward, with excellent cocktails and luxe small plates and pristine raw fish. The polished end of the izakaya spectrum — good for a proper night out.
ASA Izakaya#
Opened October 2025, built around an irori charcoal grill. The menu covers sushi, gyoza, ramen, udon, tempura and yakitori — an all-rounder that works well for groups.
Mententen#
Izakaya and ramen bar on Nahalat Binyamin. Sits between a noodle joint and a small-plates bar, which makes it versatile. Also appears in the TLV ramen ranking for its Tan Tan Ramen.
Kimura-Ya#
A Japanese izakaya on Mazeh Street covering sushi, ramen and yakitori. Solid neighbourhood option that does the basics across all three pillars without specialising in one.
Omakase & fine dining#
A small but serious group of restaurants — most requiring advance booking.
UMAI Izakaya#
An intimate 22-seat space in Jaffa from chef Alex Abramov, who trained for six years in Japan. UMAI runs kaiseki tasting menus, izakaya evenings and niku kappo nights. Book ahead — the room fills fast.
Terasu#
Modern omakase in Jaffa. Diners describe it as about as close to being in Japan as you can get without leaving Israel. The chef’s selection only — no à la carte.
Cichukai#
Creative Japanese cooking in the Jaffa flea market, sister to Selas. Inventive twists and premium sushi rolls in one of TLV-Jaffa’s most atmospheric corners.
Dinings at the Norman Hotel#
Rooftop sushi on the third floor of the Norman Hotel, with Mediterranean views and an ambitious menu. The setting makes it a natural special-occasion choice.
Japón at The Setai#
Elevated Japanese dining inside The Setai on the Jaffa seafront — sushi and cocktails in one of the city’s most striking buildings.
Sushi bars#
Akiko#
A dedicated Japanese sushi bar in north Tel Aviv, on Aba Ahimeir Street. Delivery available. The reliable neighbourhood option for the north of the city.
Wat Sang Sushi & More#
Sushi and ramen in the Gan HaShmal area on HaRakevet Street. Covers both, with delivery — a flexible pick in central Tel Aviv. Also features in the ramen ranking for its Tori Paitan chicken ramen (3rd place).
Ramen#
The full Tel Aviv ramen ranking lives at best ramen in Tel Aviv — eight dedicated spots reviewed and ranked. The three entries below are the delivery and pop-up operations.
Tom Tom Ramen#
The city’s original and most established delivery ramen operation. Home bowls without the queue.
Koko Neko#
Sit-down ramen in Florentin — a small, focused restaurant on Florentin Street itself. 2nd in our ramen ranking.
Down Town Ramen#
Pop-up by chef Sagi Dadush, rotating through TLV venues. Tokyo-style ramen and yakitori. Follow Instagram for current dates.
Cafés & casual#
Onigiri-ya#
A Florentin window dedicated to onigiri, on Florentin Street. Cheap, fast, vegan-friendly, genuinely specialised — one of the most authentic casual bites in the city.
Okasan & Ikari#
Japanese café with strong vegan and gluten-free options. Also appears in the ramen ranking (6th) for its clear, vegetable-rich chicken ramen at Carmel Market.
Kohi TLV#
Japanese-inspired specialty coffee on Ben Yehuda — matcha sourced from Japan, single-origin beans, fluffy Japanese pancakes. A morning destination.
Kawaii Café#
Asian-inspired sweet shop and café on Lilienblum. Dalgona coffee, matcha lattes, deliberately cute. More dessert-and-drinks than a meal, but a fun stop in the centre.
Planning#
Neighbourhood map: Florentin for casual and izakaya (Saka Ba, Gaijin, Koko Neko, Onigiri-ya, Kimura-Ya). Jaffa for omakase (UMAI, Terasu, Cichukai, Japón). Central TLV/Gan HaShmal for izakaya and sushi (ASA, Mententen, Wat Sang). North TLV for sushi and coffee (Akiko, Kohi TLV). Hilton / Yarkon area for kosher ramen (Onami Kosher).
Kosher: The only kosher option in the restaurant tier above is Onami Kosher at the Hilton for ramen, and Kohi TLV for coffee. The directory’s Japanese kosher filter lists all options.
Reservations: Required for UMAI, Terasu, Cichukai, Dinings at the Norman, and Japón. Walk-ins usually fine at the izakayas, but call ahead on weekends.
See Also#
- Best Japanese restaurants in Israel — adds Jerusalem, Haifa, Ramat Gan, and Sharon
- Best ramen in Tel Aviv — 8 dedicated ramen spots ranked
- Best sushi in Tel Aviv — dedicated sushi ranking
Found this useful? Stay connected.
New guides, openings and community news for Asians in Israel — straight to you.
