East City Travel Guide

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, charging anything from NIS50 to NIS80 cover charge. 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 and the average price for a drink is between NIS15 and NIS30. Anyone who becomes intoxicated through drink will be shunned and probably thrown out.