White Nights – Tel Aviv 2015


Celebrated late June every year, the 2015 edition will take place on Thursday night, June 25th

Many years ago I attended the White Nights festival in Toronto Canada and thought that it was a brilliant concept. In 2003 I was very happy to see the Tel Aviv municipality also adopted this tradition after the center of town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Tel Aviv’s down town (AKA the White City) contains the largest concentration of buildings designed in the Bauhaus architectural style, giving Tel Aviv-Yafo its special standing in the architectural heritage of the modern period.

Since then, the White Night festival (or Laila Lavan in Hebrew) has become one of the biggest cultural nights of the year, featuring art exhibitions, beach parties, performances and various art installations across town. The city’s restaurants, cafes and bars have followed suit and also mark this evening with special menus, live music and more.

Celebrated late June every year, the 2015 edition will take place on Thursday night, June 25th.

If you plan on attending, restaurants in the beautiful Sarona compound will be holding various events and a special Beer Garden will be set up by the Paulner beer brand. Aside from cold Paulner beer, guests will also be able to enjoy classic dishes that go well with beer including sausages, grilled meats, pretzels and more. (25.6, 20:00-01:00, Sarona compound).

If you are in to live jazz music, visit the Teshernichovski 6 Bistro which will feature a talented Jazz trio starting at 20:30. The bistro will also offer a special food & wine menu featuring various “summer dishes” to pair with white and rose vinos. I haven’t tried the dishes yet but the octopus salad, calamari with cream of eggplant and lamb with “spring greens” all sound delicious.

Not sure which restaurants carry Zimbalista Winery’s wines in Tel Aviv but if you happen to come across them on the menu, the winery produces some fine white wines that will go well with many Mediterranean style dishes. I recently enjoyed the Sauvinyahli, 2013 – 100% Sauvignon Blanc, medium bodied, this is a crisp and very refreshing vino suggesting notes of citrus fruits, flowers and green melon leading to a pleasant finish.

L’Chaim!