Café Levinsky

Now if you’re not familiar with a Gazeuse (as I wasn’t when I first landed in Tel Aviv), it’s just sparkling water with a flavour. The drink reached an almost mythological status as every child in the 80’s grew up with a Gazeuse machine at home. The drink had a major comeback with Sodastream going public on the stock market and disrupting the soft drink market worldwide. Café Levinsky took the concept and ran with it, adding homemade syrups and fresh fruit . The result is simply amazing! A hole in the door, this Tel Aviv café looks like nothing much. But you’re in for surprise. As I skillfully made my approach on my scooter, I asked the lady at the counter: “is it here?” she nodded:”it is indeed”. It was 10 am and 36 degrees minimum… in one breath, I said :”I need a coffee and want a sparkly…” as she prepared my order I stared at the back wall where dozens of homemade jars of syrups and conserves were tightly organized. As I tried to decipher the stickers, I realised I hadn’t requested which flavoured sparkly I wanted…” well you can’t … they are the ones to decide for you. I received the prettiest drink I ever saw. It was almost looked like a bouquet of wild forest flowers and herbs radiating with the most enchanting aromas and colours. It was definitely a busy cup. And then I tasted the drink. Omg: the exact ratio of bubbles to sweetness. It was exactly what I needed under the scorching Tel Aviv sun.