Coffee carts, it seems, are the perfect recipe for happiness.
It starts with choosing the location, which will usually be by the sea, a lake or in some unspoiled gem (as much as possible in Israel) on the way to some tourist attraction in the north or south.
This continues in the culinary offer: coffee of course, in all its varieties, smoothies, sandwiches, pastries and light dishes.
No wonder that in the last two or three years the coffee carts have become a hit that has popped up in every beautiful spot in the country, and thank you too, Corona, for the heartwarming change that has taken place in the field, which has made the rest stop the center of the trip.
With so many new offerings and the dozens of food trucks and coffee carts that have opened recently, we became a little confused, so we asked the people who do their job - content creators and food bloggers - to recommend us their favorite place.
You just have to be impressed and enter the address into the navigation application.
The recommendation of Neta Salonim (Thefoodnett): Nina
The "Nina" coffee cart is located in Moshav Hagor, between Rosh Ha'Ein and Kfar Saba.
This is a stroller that is only a few months old, one of the most beautiful and pleasant I have visited (and have visited).
The owner of the cart, Maya Elharer, is a confectioner by training, so all the different pastries and desserts here are made from high-quality ingredients and handmade, which is not at all common in coffee carts.
In the confectionery category you will find sweet and savory pastries and various showcase desserts.
Among the sweet and delicious pastries - a beautiful and delicious chocolate croissant I've eaten, a pistachio croissant (not the kind with the creamy filling) and a Queen Aman pastry (croissant dough caramelized with sugar and butter).
Among the savory ones you will find pretzel brioche, various croissant sandwiches (I recommend the Camembert croissant), floutes and more.
In the showcase of cold desserts you will find different tarts such as lemon and meringue tarts and beautiful and excellent pistachio tarts, chocolate balls, puffs and more.
The pastries and desserts change every day, so don't necessarily come with expectations for something specific, but be prepared for interesting surprises (like a craffin - a muffin made from croissant dough, handmade caramels covered in chocolate and pistachio, meringue clouds, and more).
Cafe Nina, photo: Nina Salonim
You will also find here a nice selection of other things that are fun to start the morning with next to coffee, such as sandwiches, salads and muesli, and in the evenings (the cart is open until late, which is also a nice advantage) there are pizzas.
Apart from that, there are options on the menu for vegans and coeliacs.
You can sit at tables on white pebbles or on the nearby green lawn with a picnic blanket.
They invested a lot in visibility here and created a beautiful corner with a pastoral and pleasant atmosphere, really a fun place to return to.
The cart is located next to the Horoshim interchange, so there is easy access to Route 6 and it can serve as an excellent stop on your way north or south for a Saturday trip.
A general tip for all coffee cart lovers: the coffee carts have limited stock, and especially on the weekends when it's busy - you might arrive, and there won't be anything left.
Therefore it is recommended to arrive early!
It's also more fun when it's less crowded and you don't have to wait in line, and a larger selection will be at your disposal.
The cart is open Sunday-Thursday from 22:00-7:00, on Friday from 14:30-7:00 and on Saturday from 19:00-9:00
Address: Iris 1, Moshav Hagor, South Sharon Regional Council
The recommendation of Efrat Ra'anan (Watcheat): the Tana coffee cart
Coffee carts offer a pastoral experience that is slightly different from regular coffee shops, and they are usually located in different locations in nature, on the roadsides, in settlements or in villages.
In the last few months, little by little, a small niche is blossoming in the world of coffee carts, offering a slightly different but particularly magical pastoral - carts inside nurseries.
I don't know how they didn't think of it before, it's such a natural combination!
Imagine a morning of silence among masses of pots, seedlings and flowers, with eye-catching colors, the smell of fresh soil and good coffee in hand.
Tana Cafe, photo: Efrat Ra'anan
So among the multitude of carts already deployed in nurseries across the country, I would like to introduce you to the "Tana" coffee cart, which is located inside the "Hadva Bagan" nursery in Ibn Yehuda.
The founder and manager of "Tana" is Tal Ben Artzi, who brought here a lot of knowledge and culinary experience after years of working in kitchens and restaurants.
He returned to Israel after a period in Portugal and decided to set up the cart here, inside this beautiful nursery, where he offers a wonderful and quite unique Farm to Table experience in the landscape.
"Tana's" menu is seasonal and is mostly based on the fresh produce that arrives every morning from the adjacent organic farm, which is also located on the nursery grounds, so that every few months it changes and the dishes boast and are decorated with new and varied seasonal vegetables.
Besides the vegetables, the other raw materials are also meticulous and come from local boutique producers such as sourdough breads from the nearby bread box bakery, coffee beans from the excellent Algiers Cafe, etc.
What do you eat at "Tana"?
Many special dishes change, and especially sandwiches loaded with everything good served in sourdough bread or croissants, hot focaccia baked on the spot, bruschetta and salads, all of which, as mentioned, are based on the farm's produce.
You can also enjoy fresh pastries, smoothies and squeezed juices, and of course, of course, fine coffee.
Also, there is a wide answer here for both vegans and those avoiding gluten.
The vegan offer is not satisfied with a banal antipasti sandwich, but offers sandwiches and focaccia with cool combinations, vegan cheeses and special spreads.
Tal also brings here fresh breads from the well-known "Glutaria" bakery, and they will be a great gluten-free substitute for any sandwich you want.
The "Tana" coffee cart is accessible, suitable for visiting with children, and if you feel like occasionally replacing the permanent spot with the laptop in your neighborhood cafe, you will probably be happy to find out that there is also WiFi and a shaded and ventilated shed that is very pleasant to work in.
So choose a table for you under the mango tree or next to the flower bed, drink your coffee in peace with something good next to it, and don't forget to finish with a tour of the beautiful nursery.
I am sure you will find something there that will make you happy at home as well.
The cart is open Monday-Friday starting at 9:00
Address: "Hadva Bagan" Nursery, Even Yehuda
The recommendation of Eli Hellman and Yossi Ettinger (Dethelishes): Shishu Cafe
In front of a breathtaking view, behind an abneim farm in the old moshav zoraim, a culinary gem is waiting for you with warm people and a rich and inviting menu.
The dishes are fresh and even vegan, and everything is handmade from local and fine agricultural produce.
Frankly: we are less in the stroller segment.
Classic urban and quite spoiled.
But from time to time, due to work constraints, Tiberias is also a departure station.
And that's the whole beauty of the story of "Shishu Cafe".
As soon as you leave the city limits of Tiberias, ten minutes, fifteen minutes on Route 77 - and you are in another world, one that disconnects you and cleanses you for an experience of peace and tranquility.
Shishu Cafe, photo: Detilishas
Daniel and Netaiah, third generation in the moshav sowers, along with growing the famous almonds, established this stop.
Not a remote and inaccessible hole, but right on the road but quietly tucked away.
During our visit last August, the land was dry, the temperature was climbing, and stopping at the place was mandatory.
Three girls with a huge smile and above and beyond service made a cold and refreshing iced coffee and a dreamy sandwich in a second, or maybe it was gouda.
In any case, it closed the corner for us.
You can also find on the menu: quinoa salad, apple-almond salad, cheese platter, croissants, focaccia, sandwiches, lots of sweets and many types of coffee.
The cart is open Sunday-Thursday 14:00-9:00, Friday 14:00-8:30
Address: Shishu Cafe in Sdot HaGalil, Moshav Zoraiim 91-90
Kosher: local rabbinate
Paz Farhi's recommendation: Arthur Cafe
"Arthur" is a coffee bar in the Kinneret courtyard that combines European cuisine, Caribbean rhythm and local mentality.
The place, which in my eyes is a must stop, creates an atmosphere of abroad in Kinneret.
The menu is very diverse and includes dishes to share and personal dishes, a cheese board, sandwiches on a pretzel bun, refreshing acai and hand-made jahannon on Shabbat.
From 17:00 there are also pizzas from the tabon.
All this food is eaten on scattered shaded mats or on tables and terraces facing the views of the Golan and the Sea of Galilee.
What more is needed than that?
Maor and Solly, the owners, met more than a decade ago abroad, and since then a lot of water flowed into the Sea of Galilee and many kilometers of joint trips, which finally matured, during the corona, for the opening of "Arthur".
"After traveling to different places around the world, tasting local food and experiencing different cultures, we decided to take the culinary touch from European cuisine and the efficiency of the coffee carts in New York and mix them with the favorite flavors we grew up with in Israel," they say, "the unique look, view and atmosphere of The restored Sea of Galilee is in line with the concept of 'Arthur', so we chose it to realize our dream. The people, the design, the food, the atmosphere and the Sea of Galilee connect to a real tropical experience that is fun to indulge in."
The cart is open on Sundays, Tuesdays-Thursdays and Saturdays from 10:00-8:00, on Mondays and Fridays from 15:00-8:00
Address: Mosheva Kinneret
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