Galaxy Formation 2008

A Personal (incomplete) Dining Guide to Jerusalem

Important: Most places in Jerusalem close on Fridays during late afternoon and do not open till Saturday night. This applies to the following places, unless stated otherwise.

Restaurants and Coffee Houses

Coffee and light meals

Lavan
One of the most pleasant cafe-restaurants in the city is located in the Cinematheque Complex (just across the street from Mishkenot Sha'ananim Guesthouse). The outside patio has a view of the Old City walls. The Italian vegetarian cuisine is very good. A great supplement to a good film. Open on Weekends!

Caffit, Hillel, Aroma (The German Colony, Emek Refa'aim)
The three trendiest places in the German Colony, all located on Emek Refaim street. At least 3 more places for coffee and light dining are within walking distance. If you don't like one you can always choose another.

Pituim
Rachel Imenu 4. (just off Emek Refa'aim) Phone: (02)-5662899
The name means "Temptations", and it refers not to the dairy menu but rather to the amazing cakes and pasteries which are among the best to be had in the city. An Excellent place for a coffee and dessert.

Hakol La-Ofe (everything for the baker)
Agripas Street (in the Mahne Yehuda market)
Known to be an experience. Its a baking supply stored turned coffee shop, located in the middle of the Machne-Yehuda market.

Authentic Jerusalem (Blue-Collar) Food

Pinati, Ta'ami
Ta'ami: Near the top of Shamai street
Pinati:
Every visitor to Jerusalem has to eat at one of these places at least once. Jerusalem's citizens are divided on many issues, one of them being which of these two hole-in-the-wall institutions serves better humus. Open only for lunch, you are seated with others at one of the small tables and the protocol is to leave as soon as you finish. The urban legend is that the original owner (who died from being over stressed) used to shout at the customers "chew, don't talk!", this is not the case today. Humus is the first course (humus with meat can be a main), shakshuka (fried eggs with tomato sauce), Musaka (eggplant with meat), a wonderful meatball in tomato sauce served with rice and beens. Don't ask too many questions and be specific when you order (if you ask for a meatball, you will get a bare plate with one meatball). You won't get better humus anywhere in the world.

Zigmund
29 Gaza St. Phone: (02) 563-9212
Named after the famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Frued, whose stern visage overlooks the kitchen, this small mushroom-shaped food stand is Jerusalem at its essence. Excellent Shakshooka (fried eggs in spicy tomato sauce), basic sandwhiches and salads, French crepes for dessert and fresh fruit juice. Homemade Couscous on Tuesdays. Always an interesting experience.

Ethio
Elishar street 5, near the Hillel Cafe on Jaffa street, across from Zion square, (City Center) Phone: 02-6223992
Authentic inexpensive Ethiopian restaurant. Both meat and veggie dishes are available. Most dishes are based on "Injera" bread, a gluten-free flat bread of unusual taste which is a staple of Ethiopian food, and are served with a variety of meat and veggie dips and toppings. Try the "shiro".

Mifgash Chatsot
Agripas street (Near Mahne Yehuda market)

Humus places in the old city
Locals frequent Abu Shukri for truly delicious Arabic humus. It is located down the Via Dolorosa Street. If Abu Shukri's is too busy and you are starving, you might want to try Lina's up the Via Dolorosa street. Again, open only for lunch, it isn't too clean but the humus is great.

Food Deliveries to the Campus

Spaghettim
A full menu in Hebrew can be found online http://www.spagetim.co.il/.

Sakura - deliveries till 23:00, (02)-623-5464

Chilly's Pizza - Best Pizza in Jerusalem, Hillel St. (02) 625-4040, Open (almost) 24/7.

Iwo Burgers - Excellent Hamburgers - two places on Hillel st. and Emek Refaim. (02)-622-2513

Joy Express - Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, meals etc. 1-800-200-477

Food Hubs

There are several areas in Jerusalem which have a high concentration of restaurants

German Colony - Emek Refaim
This single street serves as the 'Main Street' of the German Colony and is full of restaurants, coffee-shops, fast-food, shops and stores plus an excellent art-house movies theatre (with its own cafe, where else can you see a movie with a cup of coffee or beer?). One of the liveliest streets in the city, especially on Friday mornings and Saturday night. About 10 minutes walk from the Mishkenot Guesthouse.

Machne Yehuda Market
Theres no better way to get to know a city and its inhabitants than visiting its markets and this is especially true in Jerusalem. In recent years, the market has undergone something of a transformation with boutiques, chic shops and restaurants opening alongside the produce and fish stalls. From a culinary aspect, there are many low-brow options (falafel, shwarma), ethinc cuisine (Iraqi, curdish, Indian, etc.), as well as more upscale options.

Rehavia - Gaza St.
Along the length of the Rehavia Neighbourhood "main street" - Gaza St. (so named since it lies on the old road to Gaza), one can find several excellent bars and restaurants that fit all tastes and pocket-sizes, whether its sushi or shakshooka, humus or shrimps, beer or coffee, you can find it all here.

City Center
As in any city, the city center in Jerusalem is lively and active. Even on Friday nights, one can find many open restaurants and bars, though Saturday night is the busiest. Ben-Yehuda and Zion square have a more "touristic" bent, Nachlat Shiva'a has many small pearls hidden in the alleyways and Feinglod court houses several excellent resaurants in a very small space.

Ein-Karem
This small outlying neighbourhood, built on the mountainside is very picturesque with its old houses narrow streets and monestaries, surrounded by forests (or at aleast what israelis think of as forests). Its location outside the city means that most places are open on weekends, and this makes it a favorite for families at that time.

Activities

The Jerusalem Cinematheque
11 Hebron Road. Phone: (02) 672-4131
Perched on the slopes of Mount Zion and facing the walls of the old city, Jerusalem's two-screen art house cinema is an institution. Its regular program includes foreign and specialty films along with general releases, typically screening four different films daily. A film schedule in English is available online at http://www.jer-cin.org.il/.

The Israel Museum
Near Givat Ram. Phone: (02)
http://www.imj.org.il/.