Of the traits that have come to characterise the average Tel Avivian, a sheer lack of interest for formality of any kind often strikes the traveler as starkly as the city’s overpowering levels of humidity. Formal dinner-wear, gala events, and even shaving are trivialities. This is the culture of tacheles, the Hebrew/Yiddish term for ‘bottom line’, or ‘no bullshit’. Yet even here, in the capital of no-nonsense, Epicureanism has taken root. After all, the best cure for a mid-summer night’s heat is champagne.

Enter Shampina, Tel Aviv’s own mecca of bubbly. It boasts a menu of over 40 types of sparkling wine, along with the usual alcoholic favorites and eclectic Mediterranean tapas designed by chef Roi Sofer. Luxury seems to be the underlying theme, made explicit by the choice of property, a preserved Villa designed in the Eclectic Orientalist style. The bar inhabits the ground floor, overlooking central Rothschild Boulevard, a perfect venue to see and be seen.

The bar shifts modes after the first few rounds are served, emerging as a full-fledged pick-up scene for the young, the young looking, and the wealthy who pick up their tab. The music will shift from lounge to higher BPM electronic, without dominating the atmosphere. This is where the locals play dress up, mini skirts, button down shirts, and flashy accessories. Between the heat of the night’s air, the amber bubbles in your flute glass, and the expectations of the other patrons, we are fairly certain you will have a fun time.