In Canada, you can’t check out of Chapters without a Starbucks Maple Macchiato. In the U.S., it’s Barnes and Nobles that pairs a Pumpkin Spice latte with your paperback purchase. Well, as of 2010, the Haifa-based chain Greg Café began to dominate malls across Israel after going into partnership with the Tzomet Sfarim chain of bookstores. Located right outside the sliding glass doors of Tzomet Sfarim on the second floor of Dizengoff Center, Greg Café is tailor-made for the more casual reader looking to alternate between people watching, espresso sipping and a light romance novel.
The upbeat urban pace of Tel Aviv’s most bustling areas - from Dizengoff Street to Rothschild Boulevard - is undeniable. Sometimes, it’s nice to slip away from the noisy Tel Aviv streets like Shenkin and King George Street and into a quiet café or maybe a bookstore for some solace. Can’t decide which? You don’t have to with these bookstores that double as cafés scattered around the Israeli culture capital.
