Mike's Place is actually one of the best known bars and restaurants in all of Tel Aviv, and has been for years. It's popular among tourists and locals alike, and it's really a great place for anyone who likes non-kosher food, sports (since a lot of sporting events are shown live here) and a good, international vibe in general.
Mike's Place is actually a part of a whole chain of Mike's Place restaurants, that were started in Jerusalem in the 1990's. The first Mike's Place was opened in Tel Aviv 2001 and became an immediate success, and that success has only continued until today.
Why is Mike's Place so popular?
There are several reasons, really. Some of them include:
It being a great place for Israelis and tourists to meet people from all over the world, since everyone seems to go here at some point.
They have a great selection of beers.
They have live blues music every night.
There is a really cool pool table, where pool contests are held every night after 9PM.
It's also the place to go if you want to celebrate non-Jewish holidays like Christmas or Halloween big time.
The food is not very unusual in any way, but typically American, and you have the chance of being as unhealthy as you want, should you happen to crave that. The dishes are generally pretty big and not very expensive however, making it a good place to eat at, even if you should go there for other reasons than the food to begin with.
Please note
The first Mike's Place in Tel Aviv was and is still located right on the beach, on Herbert Samuel street, but since the opening of the first Mike's Place, two others have been opened in the city as well. One is located in Ramat Ha Hayal in north Tel Aviv, and the other at the beginning of Ben Yehuda street, close to the harbour.
These two newbies are built around the same concept as the original Mike's Place, but are less crowded and less popular, probably due to the less attractive locations.
Still, this is good to keep in mind in case you find the original Mike's Place a bit too loud and crowded, yet still like the vibe of the place.
You can see a list of all upcoming events at Mike's Place in Tel Aviv here and the menu is available (in English) here.
