Wadi Nisnas is a neighborhood in the lower city of Haifa. The neighborhood was established during the 19th century as a simple workers’ neighborhood, and over time most of its residents have been Haifa’s Arab community. The neighborhood’s tourist sites include: St. Elijah Cathedral, Beit HaGefen Arab-Jewish Culture Center, the Haifa Museum of Art and the Wadi market. The tour focuses mainly on the Wadi market, located on the neighborhood’s main streets: St. John (Yohanan HaKadosh) Street and HaWadi Street. When Naama invited a group of bloggers to join her tour, I couldn’t refuse. Thanks to knowing her beforehand, I knew this tour was going to be excellent. Although I’ve lived in Haifa for over 8 years, culinarily I haven’t explored it that much. I always go back to the same places I know and love. The tour was a great opportunity for me to get to know new places and different flavors. Spoiler, I found a new favorite hummus place in Haifa!
A Bit About the Guide: Naama Sobol
Naama Sobol, Haifa-born, has made it her goal to introduce anyone interested to the charm and secrets that only true Haifa locals know.
Since 2012 Naama has written a blog called Tarbut Achila (Eating Culture), where she writes about culture, art and food in Haifa.
Naama has been guiding tours around the city of Haifa for over 5 years.
Naama led the tour, and her husband Alex joined and helped her with the guiding and helped the participants carry their shopping.
A Food Tour in Wadi Nisnas
We started the tour early in the morning, at 10:00 at the HaNevi’im Tower (Migdal HaNevi’im).
A convenient starting point because there’s a big parking garage at the HaNevi’im Tower.
Falafel George
On all my visits to Wadi Nisnas, I always ate falafel at “Falafel HaZkenim” and never gave another falafel in the area a chance. Thanks to the tour I got to know another falafel place in Wadi Nisnas that’s no less good, Falafel George. George opened Falafel HaZkenim, but after a few years sold it (without the falafel recipe) and left the country. After returning, he opened a new place, at the start of Wadi Nisnas’s main street, and this time named it after himself, George. While we were savoring falafel balls, Naama told us a lot about falafel. Where it comes from (did you know falafel used to be made from fava beans?) and the differences between countries in how it’s prepared and the toppings.
The Wadi Pickles
The tour took place in October, right in the olive harvest season.
Naama took us into a small, surprising shop with a range of pickles.
The fresh olives from that harvest had already run out, but there was no shortage of other options: olives, pickled okra and more…
The Savtush Project
The place belongs to two very different twin sisters, Suha and Sina; one of them is vegan and the other eats everything. At the stall you’ll find quite a lot of vegetarian, vegan and meat food. The stall is open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Jewish holidays. I took advantage of the acquaintance and after the tour went back to their stall to buy food for the weekend. I savored a dish of manzaleh, a vegetarian slow-cooked stew made of chickpeas, eggplant and other vegetables.
Fatma 'Al Beitak': Home Cooking
Fatma is a lovely local woman who got a shop attached to her house from her husband, where she sells food she makes. We tasted her fatayer and qatayef. Qatayef, a dessert traditionally eaten during Ramadan. A pancake-like dough, folded and filled with nuts or cheese. Fatayer, a savory pastry filled with za’atar, spinach and chard leaves. Her fatayer is simply amazing!
Ziad's Stall: The Home Pharmacy
Ziad is a local man who opened a natural pharmacy for every medical problem in one of the alleys of Wadi Nisnas. Ziad sells dozens of kinds of herbs for tea, each with different medicinal properties. At Ziad’s we tasted: carob honey, tahini and special spices. Finds at Ziad’s: You can buy real sumac, unground. You can get dried yogurt balls (kishk), excellent for grating over salads or into shishbarak soup.
Haifa Coffee: At Mustafa's
In a small shop hidden among the alleys of Wadi Nisnas sits Mustafa, making excellent coffee. In the past he sold only coffee in the shop, but he has expanded to other products. We treated ourselves to two wonderful tastings there. A very special halva, sweetened with amylose (which comes from sweet potato juice). A local dessert called Gan Eden (Paradise) (carob milk and nuts) a bit like Turkish delight, only tastier. I went back a few days after the tour for another visit to Mustafa’s, and bought my husband half a package of the wonderful dessert, Gan Eden.
Hummus Al-Sham
For me, the highlight of the tour was the visit to Hummus Al-Sham.
The place is relatively new, 3 years old.
A kitchen with traditional Arab food with a slightly modern interpretation.
The owner of the place told us a little about the idea of opening a new hummus place and about the dishes he chose to offer.
The tasting there included two dishes: fatteh hummus and a triple dish.
The fatteh hummus is one of the most successful dishes I’ve ever tasted; it’s no coincidence that since the tour I’ve gone back there for another hummus meal.
Appetizer Delicatessen
At the Appetizer delicatessen you’ll find a wide range of spices, dried fruit, legumes and all kinds of goodies.
We got a small plate there with a variety of dried fruits, some of which I didn’t even know.
Abd al-Hadi Pastry Shop
A big pastry shop with a wide range of Middle Eastern sweets.
Naama told us a little about the special preparation methods of some of the sweets sold in the shop.
We tasted a sweet cheese fatayer there.
A great dessert, but I’m more of a knafeh girl.
Bottom Line
The tour was wonderful and I discovered loads of new corners of Wadi Nisnas that I didn’t know.
The tour is suitable for all ages (less convenient with strollers); just come with comfortable shoes.
Throughout the tour of the neighborhood, Naama always made sure to also tell us about the local culture, the preparations for the Holiday of Holidays festival, local art and more.
The tour is excellent for vegetarians!
Apart from one stop, the Abu Shkara butcher shop, all the tastings are vegetarian.
Most importantly: come hungry!
Many thanks to Naama Sobol for the invitation. If you’re looking for more ideas for cool attractions in Israel, you’re welcome to join the blog’s Facebook group (in Hebrew): What Matters: trips, attractions and places to stay in Israel. Happy travels, Shir-Yam.
