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As you may or may not know, Friday is the holy day for the Jewish people - it is a day for rest and relaxation. You may therefore think that it would be a boring, eventless day in Tel Aviv. On the contrary - Friday is the best possible day for any type of fun you can imagine in Tlv. My favorite time on a Friday is the early afternoon, right after you’ve finished your tiring to do list, and right before the sun goes down. Here are my recommendations for the best Friday afternoon hangouts.

Tazza D’oro Café - Jazz Shows
This very chicky little café is situated in Neve Tzedek (See best Neighborhoods) and is known mostly for it’s very high quality coffee blend imported from Rome, and also for the very cool types who hang out here. The food is very interesting, fun and light, and the décor is tasteful and elegant. On a Friday afternoon you can enhance the full experience thanks to the two fabulous Jazz musicians who play here regularly.They’ve been playing here for 9 years straight and haven’t missed a Friday yet. The nicest part of this gathering is that 90% of the time a “spontaneous” jam session will start and then you can actually take part in the fun. Recommended time: 14:00-17:00, 6 Ahad Ha’am St, 03-5166329.

The Mate Bar - Ethnic Line
The Mate is a neighborhood bar situated in the middle of Dizengoff street, right in the center of the busy Tel Aviv. This is why it’s the perfect place to get away from it all and lose yourself with a cold afternoon beer. This is true for any day, but on a Friday it’s double the fun. First of all, drinks are 50% until 16:00, and afterwards there are discounts on beers, so you can really get drunk before the sun goes down. But more importantly, each month they have a special ethnic line focusing on a different country (Greece, Ireland, etc.) and then the whole bar gets in to groove, and the music, food and ambiance change accordingly. Recommended time: 14:00-18:00, 226 Dizengoff St., 03-5241615.

Pappa’s Resturant - Friday Market
One of the best things to do on a Friday morning is visit the Carmel Market, a colorful, tasty and filled with smells food market, where you can find the freshest produce, meat and almost anything edible. The only catch is that once you’re finished exploring the market, you’re so tired you have no energy left to cook. This is why I recommend visiting Pappa’s, a great Italian place that on Fridays organizes sort of a feast that includes cheap Italian beer and wine as well as special Friday pizzas, all wrapped in funky Italian music. Recommended time: 12:00-18:00, 12 Hillel HaZaken St., 03- 5107373. 

Nana Bar- Greek Festival
During the week Nana Bar is very good resto-bar where you can always come for a great meal and fun vibes. But on a Friday afternoon this is a whole different story. The bar changes completely and is taken over by a live Greek band playing crazily and the ouzo bottles start emptying up. You can also have a taste of some original Greek cuisine including some delicious tziki and souvlakia. Recommended time: 14:00-17:00, 1 Ahad Ha’am St., 03-5161915.

Eliazer Bar
Eliezer is a bar situated on Ben Yehuda st., and is named after a key figure in the invention of Hebrew language, Eliezer Ben Yehuda. It was opened three years ago by four young business school graduates and immediately became a big hit. I think it’s because it has a very homey and inviting environment, and on Fridays this feeling develops into a real “Kabalat Shabbat”. This includes all the Friday papers lying around, backgammon games, and a huge pot of cholent on the stove. The combination gives you a feeling of home away from home and helps you quietly flow in to the weekend. Recommended time: 14:00-18:00, 186 Ben Yehuda St., 03-5275961.

24 Rupee - Story time (For those of you with kids)
This cheap and ethnic Indian restaurant is your best chance to get some decent thali in Tlv. It is prepared by Indian cooks, it costs only 24 Shekels and it’s very good. The atmosphere is the Israeli version of shanty, something like you can find if you’re down in Sinai - low tables and cushions on the floor with a very casual feel. On a Friday you can enjoy all of this but also bring your kids along, because there are special arts and crafts activities going on. So somebody else will be entertaining your kids while you enjoy the day and sip absolutely perfect chai, even better than the chai I had in India.
Recommended time: 13:00- 14:30, 14-16 Shoken St. 2nd floor,  03-6818066.