A street cafe in Tel Aviv. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the cultural capital of Israel, has now been declared an international culinary capital in Saveur Magazine‘s annual rankings of the world’s best food destinations.

The prestigious American food and lifestyle magazine rated Tel Aviv “Outstanding” along with Florence, Italy, and the French city of Lyon in the category of Best Culinary Destination, Small International, which refers to cities with a population of under 800,000. It also rated Tel Aviv “Outstanding” in the category for Best Markets and Shops, International, where it appeared alongside culinary powerhouses Paris and Barcelona.

Tel Aviv-Jaffa is home to 4,536 eating establishments and three open fresh-food markets. Locals weren’t surprised at the ranking. Rafi Mizrahi, a merchant at the Carmel Market, told Israel Hayom that “this is the number-one tourist market in the country. It has authenticity, special colors and smells—the entire Mediterranean in one market.”