Your Culinary Guide to the Markets of Israel
Hi, I’m Harry Rubenstein — a pastry chef, culinary storyteller, and market obsessive with over two decades of experience eating my way through Israel’s most vibrant open-air markets. When you book a tour with me, you get me — the person who built these tours, knows every vendor by name, and still gets excited by the smell of fresh bourekas at 9:00 a.m.
Who I Am & Why I Do This
Since 2017, I’ve been leading immersive food tours through Tel Aviv’s Levinsky Market and Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda, helping curious travelers discover Israel’s true flavor — in the spice-laden alleyways, in the family-run bakeries, in the Georgian khachapuri ovens, the peppery pickles, the Turkish delis, the Persian drinks, and the stories passed from one generation to the next.
These aren’t just tastings — they’re stories. My job is to give you context with every bite and introduce you to the people who make Israel’s markets so uniquely delicious.
Why Travelers Love My Tours
My tours blend Israeli food history, immigrant influence, and street-level culture. You’ll explore the markets through the dishes brought here by Jewish diasporas from:
Kurdistan
Iraq
Yemen
Morocco
Persia
Greece
Bulgaria
Turkey
You’ll learn how politics, migration, and memory shaped what’s on the plate — and you’ll eat foods that tell the story of these communities, guided by someone who’s spent years researching and tasting every corner of the shuk.
What Makes My Tours Different
✔ You get me as your guide — every time
No outsourcing. No surprises. You get the person who built the tour and knows every vendor personally.
✔ Full meals, not tiny samples
This is a proper food tour. Come hungry.
✔ Deep cultural storytelling
I give you context and history with every dish.
✔ Real relationships with vendors
You’ll meet my friends — not tourist traps.
✔ Old-world flavors + new culinary creativity
Legacy delis meet modern bakeries.
✔ Family-friendly and welcoming
Kids love these tours just as much as adults.
✔ Top-rated experiences
Travelers consistently say this is the highlight of their trip.
A Little More About Me
I’m a professionally trained pastry chef who studied at Bishulim: The Israel Culinary Institute, a lifelong student of food history, and someone who is endlessly fascinated by how Jewish diasporas shaped the flavors of Israel. I write about it too. I’ve spent years exploring markets, reading old cookbooks, talking to long-time vendors, and tracing how food evolves through politics, migration, and memory.
I’m curious, a bit nerdy, always hungry, and happiest when I’m sharing something delicious with great people.
My Philosophy
“Israel’s markets are the real museums of Israeli cuisine. They’re loud, messy, soulful, and delicious — and guiding people through them is one of my greatest joys.”
Food is culture, heritage, identity — and our markets are living archives of all three. My goal is to help you taste the history, stories, and soul of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, one bite at a time.
What People Say
Participants consistently describe these tours as the highlight of their trips — not just because of the food, but because of the connection, the storytelling, and the people they meet along the way.
