The Imperial, one of Tel Aviv’s most acclaimed cocktail bars and a fixture on global “best of” lists, is set to close at the end of the month after 13 years of operation.
Opened in 2012 by bartenders Dror Alterovich, Bar Shira and Gilad Livnat, the intimate bar on the corner of Hayarkon and Trumpeldor streets gained international fame for its high-end cocktails and underground atmosphere, eventually ranking as high as 17th on The World’s 50 Best Bars list and earning repeated recognition as the best bar in the Middle East and Africa.
The closure is due to a planned redevelopment of the building that once housed the Imperial Hotel. The structure is slated for demolition as part of a long-delayed urban renewal project complicated by its proximity to the U.S. Embassy. Alongside the Imperial, all other businesses in the building will also shut down, including LP restaurant, La Otra and 8ball, a snooker bar opened just six months ago.
“This isn’t the end, it’s just the finish,” the Imperial team wrote in a farewell Instagram post. “Thirteen years ago, three ambitious bartenders launched a bar with a very different vision of what a bar could be.”
“When we started, no one believed people in Israel wanted cocktails made with rum, tequila, gin and liqueurs — drinks that went beyond vodka Red Bulls and shots,” they wrote, recalling early skepticism from alcohol distributors and industry leaders.
Over time, however, the Imperial drew global attention. “We made it our mission to get on The World’s 50 Best Bars list,” the owners added. “We started inviting bartenders, bar owners and journalists from around the world — and soon, people started talking about what was happening in Israel. Eventually, we were traveling abroad to represent Tel Aviv and our little bar at international events.”
Even after the closure, the group will continue operating Bushwick, another bar they run in Tel Aviv’s Nahalat Binyamin neighborhood.
The final service at Imperial and 8ball is expected in the last week of October. Until then, both venues will remain open as usual.