Heading to Tel Aviv

[HoyoFan]

Hey guys I’m heading to Tel Aviv for a week for work. Was curious if anyone has any recommendations of good places to check out to enjoy a smoke.

 

Thanks!

[shlomo]

On the pedestrian beach road between Tel Aviv and Yaffo there are several beach-side restaurants with outdoor eating areas and many have smoking areas as well. Amazingly beautiful place to spend an afternoon/evening. 

I believe they may be closed now (very recent news), but in the street-side lobby of the Dan Hotel, there is a little cigar shop run by one of the most amazing people not only in the cigar world, but in general. If it is still open, it is operated by Freddie Broedner who is a master-level host and is such a pleasure to just hang out with and talk cigars.

[BrightonCorgi]

I will be staying in Tel Aviv (at the Rothschild) and will check out those recommendations.  Any recommendations for Jerusalem? 

[shlomo]

According to the Web site there should be an LCDH..I have searched and searched with no luck. Maybe the locals didn't know about it and my GPS was messed up. Who knows? 

There is a very touristy shop with an OK selection in Mamila mall. There are some leather loungers in the back, but you'll sit and stare at a cabinet of overpriced liquor. I prefer to take my cigar and people watch in the open air pedestrian mall. It's a great place. About a 3 minute walk from the shop towards the old city gate, there is a cafe on the right hand side. This was my seat of choice, off to the side, with a tea and a doughnut or pastry.

[HoyoFan]

According to the Web site there should be an LCDH..I have searched and searched with no luck. Maybe the locals didn't know about it and my GPS was messed up. Who knows? 
There is a very touristy shop with an OK selection in Mamila mall. There are some leather loungers in the back, but you'll sit and stare at a cabinet of overpriced liquor. I prefer to take my cigar and people watch in the open air pedestrian mall. It's a great place. About a 3 minute walk from the shop towards the old city gate, there is a cafe on the right hand side. This was my seat of choice, off to the side, with a tea and a doughnut or pastry.

Thanks Shlomo, where is the pedestrian mall? Do the cafes allow smoking outside?

[shlomo]

7 hours ago, HoyoFan said:

Thanks Shlomo, where is the pedestrian mall? Do the cafes allow smoking outside?

The pedestrian mall is called "Mamilla mall". It starts (or ends) at the Jaffa gate to the old city. I believe the other end is the Mamilla hotel, or at least near to it. I haven't been in some time, but there was not any issue with smoking last I was there. I was asked, very politely, by one cafe to please move more to the corner and not sit in the middle of the crowd while puffing away on some cigar. Of course I obliged... There is a small indoor area with washrooms and some shops, that was off-limits to smoke, but the rest was no problemo.

Out of a sense of reverence and respect for the area, I refrained from smoking within the old city, but there is absolutely no rule barring it.

[MountainMilG]

I'm also interested in this, I'll be in Israel for my honeymoon in the new year.  Saw the LCDH on the Habanos website, so very interested in tracking that location down and now I am adding your spot to the list to check out shlomo!  Thanks!

[BrightonCorgi]

I plan on bringing cigars, but if I find a shop all the better

[cybermadhatter]

Inca bar in the intercontinental hotel is great.  There is a store in dizenghoff street too. Brill cigars I believe  

The place mentioned with Freddy is good too. Small and hard to find though.  Fcigars I think. 

There is devidas cigars too.  The humidor in the airport is huge and has some hidden gems.  

 

Cigars in Israel are like 3-4x the price.  Btw. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Would like to get a box of Israel Regional cigars.  Are full boxes still around?

[HoyoFan]

I think the last one was in 2011?

[shlomo]

10 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Would like to get a box of Israel Regional cigars.  Are full boxes still around?

As of early 2017, yes there were at least 5-10 boxes that I knew about. Not sure if there are any left. They are EXCEPTIONAL btw. And very pricey. I bought my boxes when they came out and iirc they were around 400-450usd

[HoyoFan]

Inca bar in the intercontinental hotel is great.  There is a store in dizenghoff street too. Brill cigars I believe  
The place mentioned with Freddy is good too. Small and hard to find though.  Fcigars I think. 
There is devidas cigars too.  The humidor in the airport is huge and has some hidden gems.  
 
Cigars in Israel are like 3-4x the price.  Btw. 

Any recommendations from the places mentioned above?

[cybermadhatter]

Imho the best cigar lounge is Inca bar. 

 

[HoyoFan]

Imho the best cigar lounge is Inca bar. 
 

Google says they’re permanently closed

[cybermadhatter]

http://intercontinental-telaviv.com/dine/inca-casa-del-habano-cigar-bar/

looks like it changed to ChéBar

[HoyoFan]

http://intercontinental-telaviv.com/dine/inca-casa-del-habano-cigar-bar/
looks like it changed to ChéBar

Thanks so much!

[cybermadhatter]

My favorite spot to smoke, overall, is on the roof of https://m.atlas.co.il/65-hotel-tel-aviv

we just walked in and took the elevator up, on two different days.   Best late in the day or at sunset.  

65 hotel on Rothschild blvd 

[HoyoFan]

My favorite spot to smoke, overall, is on the roof of https://m.atlas.co.il/65-hotel-tel-aviv
we just walked in and took the elevator up, on two different days.   Best late in the day or at sunset.  
65 hotel on Rothschild blvd 

Thanks! Gotta bring your own right

[cybermadhatter]

Yes.  This is a hidden spot with a great view

[HoyoFan]

Hey gents I’m back and can report that the small cigar bar in the Dan Hotel is still in business. Freddy unfortunately is no longer there but it’s been taken over by a great guy named Ichai who’s slowly turning it around.

Walked in on a Sunday night and had a fantastic Monte Petit Edmundo and great conversation!

[shlomo]

40 minutes ago, HoyoFan said:

Hey gents I’m back and can report that the small cigar bar in the Dan Hotel is still in business. Freddy unfortunately is no longer there but it’s been taken over by a great guy named Ichai who’s slowly turning it around.

Walked in on a Sunday night and had a fantastic Monte Petit Edmundo and great conversation!

Happy to hear! Freddy really is an exceptional person and a great host and I am glad that this new owner is equally gracious. Cheers!

[BrightonCorgi]

The Duty at TLV was pretty darn good.  Much better than the "new" Davidoff store at ZRH.  Prices were not bad at all.  Esplendidos were just over 1K USD and they offered 20-30% discounts on additional boxes. 2nd box is 20% of, 3rd is 30%, and after that it's 30% off.  Had some nice boxes of Dantes and most of the current production catalog.  Nice cigar lounge behind the walk in as well.

[MountainMilG]

34 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

The Duty at TLV was pretty darn good.  Much better than the "new" Davidoff store at ZRH.  Prices were not bad at all.  Esplendidos were just over 1K USD and they offered 20-30% discounts on additional boxes. 2nd box is 20% of, 3rd is 30%, and after that it's 30% off.  Had some nice boxes of Dantes and most of the current production catalog.  Nice cigar lounge behind the walk in as well.

Good, just booked flight this weekend.  Now doing stopover in Rome, so I'll poke around there as well, but want to hit the LCDH in Israel and the Duty Free.