Cafe Puaa
Jaffa, Tel Aviv
Restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel
Book with PearlThe Read
Price
$20–30per person
Dress
Casual
Why go
Cafe Puaa is worth considering for a relaxed Tel Aviv-Yafo meal when flexibility matters more than formality. It is a better fit for casual first-timers, solo diners, and low-pressure groups than for a polished special occasion or chef-led tasting format; compare OCD Restaurant for a more ambitious modern Israeli dinner.
About Cafe Puaa
Is Cafe Puaa worth planning around in Tel Aviv? Yes, if the brief is a casual venue with broad opening hours across the week. Approach it as a practical Tel Aviv option rather than a place to choose for an awards profile, a tasting-menu format, or other highly specific dining ambitions.
A casual Tel Aviv choice for first-timers who do not want a production
The dress code is casual. That makes Cafe Puaa a direct fit when the group wants an easygoing plan in Tel Aviv rather than a highly formal setting. If your decision depends on a specific cuisine, menu format, chef-led concept, price level, or special service style, check those details directly before booking.
Do not frame the decision around a tasting menu, chef-led format, or award-driven positioning. This is not the pick for diners specifically comparing destination formats against OCD Restaurant. It is better considered as a casual Tel Aviv option where the main strengths are simplicity of planning and broad hours.
Use it for timing flexibility, not for a trophy booking
The strongest reason to consider Cafe Puaa is timing flexibility. Hours are 9 AM–10:30 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday; 9 AM–11 PM on Thursday; and 10 AM–10:30 PM on Saturday. That schedule gives visitors a wide window to plan around, while menu, pricing, and service-format expectations are best checked directly.
For planning, keep the decision tree tight. Choose Cafe Puaa when casual dress and broad Tel Aviv hours are enough to support the plan. If you are comparing other named options, consider Dr. Shakshuka, Abu Hassan, or OCD Restaurant according to the kind of outing you want. For a broader city scan before committing, use Pearl's Tel Aviv restaurants guide, then match the choice to the night.
Planning details
- Hours
- Monday: 9 AM–10:30 PM · Tuesday: 9 AM–10:30 PM
- Location
- Rabbi Yohanan St 6, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
- Phone
- +972 3 682 3821
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Cafe Puaa reads like a neighbourhood diary rather than a design brief. The interior collects mismatched furniture, layered colours and found objects so the room feels lived-in and welcoming, not staged. It compresses Tel Aviv’s café ritual into a smaller, more personal footprint: street-level, intimate seating that prioritises proximity and sociability. In contrast to the city’s deliberately studio-driven cafés, Puaa’s informality is a statement: the absence of a unified aesthetic becomes the venue’s defining gesture, signalling belonging and long-standing local habit rather than polished trendiness.
Best For
Puaa suits low-key daytime and early evening visits: think brunches, casual hangouts and family or small-group meals that value relaxed company over formal service. Its menu includes classic café fare such as shakshuka, sabich and mujaddara alongside heartier plates like moussaka, so it works for solo diners grabbing a comforting meal or groups sharing a variety of dishes. The street-level, neighbourhood setting also makes it a natural stop for locals who plan a visit rather than stumble in on impulse.
Ordering Tips
Look for the venue’s signature Mediterranean café plates: shakshuka is an uncompromising brunch choice, and the sabich and mujaddara represent the casual, regionally rooted side of the menu. For something substantial try the moussaka with quinoa and feta, and the fried cauliflower with labneh makes a good shared starter. The menu’s mix of vegetable-forward and classic comfort dishes lends itself to ordering a few items to sample rather than a single entree.
Venue details
Ambiance
Warm, retro living room aesthetic with mismatched vintage furniture, colorful carpets, antique ornaments, hanging plants, and natural daylight from street-facing seating; feels homey and nostalgic with a vibrant flea market energy.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Sourcing
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At the Table
- Dress Code
- Casual
- Noise Level
- Lively
- Service Style
- Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Small
- Kitchen
- Traditional
- Menu Format
- A la carte, Family style
- Drinks Focus
- Wine, Beer, Coffee
- Dietary
- Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten-free options
- Outdoor Seating
- Yes
Signature Dishes
- Shakshuka
- Moussaka with quinoa and feta
- Curried pumpkin dumplings
- Sabich
- Mujaddara
- Fried cauliflower with labneh
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- Rabbi Yohanan St 6, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Planning details
Hours
- Monday
- 9 AM–10:30 PM
- Tuesday
- 9 AM–10:30 PM
- Wednesday
- 9 AM–10:30 PM
- Thursday
- 9 AM–11 PM
- Friday
- 9 AM–10:30 PM
- Saturday
- 10 AM–10:30 PM
- Sunday
- 9 AM–10:30 PM
Location
Rabbi Yohanan St 6, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel · Directions
Also consider
Where to go if Cafe Puaa is not the right fit
If the goal is a more ambitious modern Israeli meal, choose OCD Restaurant instead. If the group wants a clearer Middle Eastern brief, Dr. Shakshuka is the more direct comparison.
Restaurant context
How Cafe Puaa compares in Tel Aviv
Cafe Puaa is the easier, lower-pressure choice in this set: better for a casual Jaffa-area meal than for a planned splurge. OCD Restaurant is the stronger pick when the night is about modern Israeli cooking and a more structured experience, but it will suit diners who want the meal to be the main event rather than a flexible stop.
For a more specific Middle Eastern brief, Dr. Shakshuka gives clearer cuisine direction. Abu Hassan is the sharper call when hummus is the point of the trip, though it is not the same kind of linger-over-the-evening venue. Cafe Puaa wins when ambiance, ease, and timing flexibility matter more than a single-dish mission.
Giardino Restaurant and Kishle Restaurant are harder to position from available detail, so use them as cross-shops only if their location or room better fits the plan. For most first-timers, the decision is simple: Cafe Puaa for casual and easy, OCD Restaurant for a more serious dinner, Dr. Shakshuka or Abu Hassan for a more defined local-food craving.
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Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full Cafe Puaa guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare Cafe Puaa
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cafe Puaa | Tel Aviv | No published awards | |
| Dr. Shakshuka | Tel Aviv | Middle Eastern | 2026 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #1382024 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #124 |
| Giardino Restaurant | Tel Aviv | No published awards | |
| Kishle Restaurant | Tel Aviv | No published awards | |
| Abu Hassan | Jaffa | Humus | 2025 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #22024 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #22023 OAD Cheap Eats in Europe Ranked · #2 |
| OCD Restaurant | Tel Aviv | Modern Israeli | 2026 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Recommended2026 La Liste Top RestaurantsIsrael's Best Restaurant 20262025 OAD Top Restaurants in Asia Ranked · #3042025 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #3532025 La Liste Top Restaurants2024 OAD Top Restaurants in Asia Ranked · #3182024 OAD Top Restaurants in Europe Ranked · #4422023 OAD Top New Restaurants in Europe Recommended |
How Cafe Puaa Tel Aviv compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cafe Puaa good for a special occasion?
It is a casual Tel Aviv option, with a casual dress code.
What are alternatives to Cafe Puaa?
Other named options to compare include Abu Hassan, Dr. Shakshuka, and OCD Restaurant. Use them as reference points alongside Cafe Puaa when deciding what kind of plan fits the day.
Is lunch or dinner better at Cafe Puaa?
The hours cover daytime and evening periods: most days run from 9 AM to 10:30 PM, Thursday runs until 11 PM, and Saturday starts at 10 AM.
