In January 2021, Michal Bouton and Anna Shapiro unveiled Amita. Both esteemed pastry chefs with previous careers in restaurant kitchens, they sprouted a bakery from the garage fields on the border between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. The location, formerly an inn for British officers, features white walls, a triangular roof, and a round skylight that now acts as a beacon for a line of eager customers.
Their baking draws inspiration from the seasons, the Austro-Hungarian baking tradition that dominated the local scene at the start of the 20th century, pastries brought here by Jewish immigrants from the Ottoman Empire, as well as Jewish baked goods they’ve encountered in London and Paris. In a short time, the duo has already made their mark — one that will have a last impact in Tel Aviv.

Sweet pastries at Amita Bakery. Photo by: Noam Preisman

“Anyone who has tasted their cheese and anchovy pastry, Jerusalem artichoke borek, miso sponge cake, or their pink cake with the tantalizing interplay of sour hibiscus and vanilla cream concealed within the yeast dough will find themselves yearning for more. And these cravings can only be satisfied at Amita,” says Hila Alpert.