Netanya's Ultimate Baguette Guide: Ranking the City's 7 Most Iconic Street Food Legends
Netanya is Israel's ultimate baguette capital, offering massive street food creations stuffed with schnitzel, tuna, and stir-fry. A culinary tour highlights the city's seven most legendary spots, culminating in the iconic stir-fry baguettes of Time Chicken.
Netanya is widely recognized as Israel's undisputed capital of the giant stuffed baguette. Whether filled with schnitzel, shakshuka, or Asian stir-fry, these massive street food creations are designed to satisfy even the hungriest diners for an entire day. A culinary journey through the city's top spots reveals seven legendary baguette institutions that define local food culture.
The Iconic Baguette Trail
Coming in at number seven is Hakushi's Schnitzel, a beloved local staple located on Yitzchak Katznelson Street. While the golden, crispy schnitzel is consistently delicious and the service is remarkably fast, it lacks a certain unique flair found at other stops. Moving to the edge of the central market on HaYahalom Street, Sandwich Soso serves a legendary Tunisian sandwich based on a recipe brought from Tunisia in the 1950s. Managed by grandson Erez, this humble kiosk offers an airy baguette stuffed with tuna, boiled potatoes, chopped salad, and fiery harissa, crowned by local food groups as the best Tunisian sandwich in town.
Further down the list at number five is Yossi Havita, hidden near the railway station. Yossi has been flipping dozens of simultaneous omelets on his hot plates since 2002, serving massive omelet baguettes loaded with grilled salami and garlic confit to soldiers and workers. Meanwhile, the legendary Lechem Havita, with locations in the industrial zone and on David Pinkas Street, has gained nationwide fame thanks to TikTok personality Wiki Ezra. Their massive breakfast baguettes, served on trays with fresh vegetables and pickles, taste remarkably homemade.
Top Contenders and Champions
Securing the third spot is Schnitzel Ayala on Yisrael Zangwill Street, famous for serving what is easily the largest schnitzel baguette in the country. Stuffed with five massive pieces of schnitzel coated in a secret, non-breadcrumbs batter that resembles fish and batter, this heavy, open-faced baguette is nearly impossible to hold in one hand. At number two, Shimon Pust has been running his immaculate kiosk on David Pinkas Street for over twenty years. Operating without a printed menu, Shimon serves incredible Tunisian sandwiches alongside the best fried eggplant chips in the city, maintaining a strict policy that no hungry person is ever turned away.
Taking the crown at number one is Time Chicken, which brought the 1990s trend of Asian stir-fry inside a baguette to Netanya in 1995. Now located in the Poleg industrial zone and run by brothers Nir and Ido, the establishment bakes its own dense baguettes from scratch. Customers can choose between chicken or entrecote stir-fried in front of them across four woks, paired with one of twelve signature sauces, creating an unforgettable and nostalgic street food masterpiece.
