PRACTICALITIES In most Israeli cities, especially Tel Aviv and inAA Jerusalem’s Nakhalat Shiva neighbourhood, you will see people eating at all hours of the day, seated outside at cafés and restaurants or walking along the street with a pitta or boureka. In the evening, people tend to eat late, and spend a long time over their meals. Eating is a big social and family event, with children accepted in many restaurants. Dining, when possible, is alfresco, and restaurants often stay open until after midnight, especially during the summer.
However, restaurants are not always open all week, especially the Jewish ones.
These always close for Shabbat (sundown on Friday until after sundown on Saturday), as well as for Yom Kippur, Shavuot, and the first
The restaurant in the Arabesque American Colony Hotel (see p273)
Dining outside in the spectacular setting of Petra (see pp220–31)
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KOSHER RESTAURANTS The Jewish dietary laws of Kashrut (literally, fitness), t determine many of the eating habits in the Holy Land. To the outsider these can prove very confusing, especially as you will find that all types of restaurant can be kosher, not just the Jewish ones. This is especially true in Jerusalem, and the more Orthodox parts of the country. In the rest of Israel, however, more secular Jews do not always adhere to dietary laws, and it poses less of a problem to the visitor.
What these laws mean in practice is that meat considered impure (such as pork, rabbit and horse meat), as well as certain types of seafood (anything without scales and fins), cannot be eaten at all.
Animals that are permitted for consumption have to be slaughtered according to Jewish religious practice and
salads and grilled meats, plus traditional specialties such as mansaf: lamb on a bed of ff rice sprinkled with pine nuts.
You may also be offered maqlubbeh, which is steamed rice pressed into a small bowl then turned out and topped with slices of grilled eggplant.
Otherwise, places like Amman have plenty of international restaurants, cafés and takeaways.
Food in the Sinai resorts tends to cater to the tastes of package holidaymakers.
Most restaurants are attached to hotels and favour Italian and other safe international cuisines. Genuine Egyptian cuisine is rare, although the fish and seafood can be excellent.
large, flaky-pastry pancakes, stuffed with a variety of fillings.
Aside from Israeli fare, you can also find restaurants serving more international food, including French and Italian (which tend to be very expensive), and Chinese, Thai and Korean. There are also the usual fast-food chains. Such a selection of restaurants is far more limited if travelling in Jordan or Sinai, however, as most are found in the hotels.
Café culture in Israel is huge, and if you are after something cheaper and less substantial, then cafés offer salads, pizzas, club sandwiches and simple pasta dishes that will provide a tasty light meal. Cafés are also great places to sit and soak up the local atmosphere, and join in with Israeli life.
cleansed of all traces of blood before cooking.
Furthermore, during Passover a kosher restaurant cannot even serve any leavened food, such as bread or pastries.
The major complications of these laws revolve around the fact that meat and dairy produce can never be eaten together in the same meal. Dishes are consequently based on either one or the other, with many of the resulting problems deftly overcome through the use of a range of dairy substitutes.
VEGETARIAN FOOD As a vegetarian visiting the Holy Land, your dining options are surprisingly varied. Kosher restaurants serve all types of dairy-only food, such as creamy pasta and yogurt- based dishes, as well as many potato dishes and salads.
Secular restaurants also have a large number of vegetarian options. Much of the cuisine is based around pulses, which are found in anything from houmous to hearty bean stews.
Roasted and stuffed vegetables also feature widely, along with a variety of savoury pastries.
For a quick vegetarian snack, thefalafellis hard to beat.
JORDAN AND SINAI Jordanian food is a mix of the Lebanese-Syrian-Egyptian fare common throughout the Middle East, mixed in with local Bedouin cuisine. Expect lots of good, freshmeze,
Sidewalk restaurants in Nachlat Shiva, Jerusalem
Elvis American Diner(see p274) Bourj al-Haman Intercontinental
restaurant, Jordan(see p280)
The Flavours of Jerusalem and the Holy Land
The cuisines of the Holy Land are as varied as its people.
Over the centuries, the region has embraced rich culinary traditions from around the Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. More recently, dishes brought by Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia have appeared, and a growth in travel to East Asia has resulted in the food from this region becoming hugely popular. The local dining scene has co a long way since the spartan communal dining halls of th earlykibbutzim, and recently an increasingly sophisticate gastronomic culture has transformed the restaurant scene.
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Shashlik and kebabare, respectively, pieces of meat and spiced ground meat grilled on a skewer.
STREET FOOD Stalls and storefront eaterie offer a varied array of chea nutritious and relatively healthy “fast food”. Falafell an excellent option for veg tarians, as are houmous an bourekas, a filo pastry from the Balkans filled with salty kashkaval cheese, potatoesl spinach or mushrooms.
Somewhat less well known
issabih, an Iraqi speciality that consists of potato chunks, fried aubergine (eggplant), a hard-boiled egg, salad, tahina(sesame paste), hot sauce and chopped parsley, served in a pitta. A carnivore favourite is shwarma, the local, often turkey-based, version of gyros or doner kebab. Griddled meats such asme’urav yerushalmii(a mixed grill of chicken livers, hearts and other offal) are served in, or with, a pitta.
MEZE OR SALATIM A meal typically begins with a large selection of starters (meze in Arabic, e salatimin Hebrew). Middle Eastern restaurants serve meze either e as a starter or as a full meal.
Dishes you are likely to encounter include houmous (chickpea/garbanzo paste with olive oil, lemon and garlic), tabouleh (cracked wheat with masses of chopped mint and parsley,
Fish seller’s stall at Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda market
g
DISHES AND SPECIALITIES OF THE HOLY LAND you’ll run across in the Holy Land e from stuffed grape leaves and ansaff(rice and lamb with a sour
ghurt sauce), sometimes called the ational dish of Jordan, to gefilte fish
nd chicken soup with matzo balls, voured by Jews with roots in rn Europe. Popular Palestinian pecialities include meze salads and e mac-flavoured meat dishes such as ussakhan. About half of Israeli Jews
a and Africa, which is why the ants often feature Moroccan couscous, fiery fish dishes from Libya, doughy malawah (pan-fried bread) and jahnoun (a heavy, slow-baked bread roll) from Yemen, andkubbe (or e kibbe) from Iraq – e also a Palestinian speciality.
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ON THE MENU BaklavaHoney-soaked chopped nut and filo pastries.
Cholent Sabbath lunch stew of beef, potatoes, carrots, barley, onions and beans.
KnafehPalestinian pastry of cheese, crunchy wheat threads and very sweet syrup.
Kugel Egg noodle casserole, either sweet or savoury.
LabaneSharp, spreadable white “yoghurt” cheese, often preserved in olive oil Za’atar Seasoning mix of hyssop, sesame seeds and salt.
Zchug fiery red or green Yemenite condiment.
Jerusalem salad is a meal in itself with olives, féta, and sometimes pomegranate andza’atarrsprinkled over.
Tilapia, or St Peter’s Fish, is popular around the Sea of Galilee, simply grilled and served with lemon slices.
Falafelare deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas (gar-rr banzos) served stuffed into a pitta bread with salad.
Market trader offers the superb fresh produce of the Holy Land
tomato, cucumber oil and lemon),babaghanoush (aubergine baked for a smoky flavour and then puréed), along with pickled vegetables and olives.Kibbe (cracked wheat and minced meat croquettes with onions and pine nuts) are among the few non-vegetarian dishes.
FRESH FRUIT
The Bible is filled with refer- ences to the produce of the land, and today the Holy Land grows not only ancient favourites such as grapes, pomegranates, figs and dates, but also citrus fruits, which have been exported to Europe under the Jaffa labels, since the 19th century. The largest type of citrus is the pomelo, a thick-skinned fruit that can grow to the size of a volley- ball and is a speciality of the
Jericho area. The fragrant Galia melon was developed in Israel. Watermelon is often eaten with chunks of salty Bulgarian cheese, similar to féta. Widely available exotic fruits include persimmon, kiwi and passionfruit.
LOCAL PRODUCE Israel has long been known for its excellent selection of cheeses, but in recent years a growing number of so- called “boutique” dairies has been setting ever-higher standards with their goats’
and sheep’s milk products.
These go extremely well with classic Mediterranean specialities such as olives and extra virgin olive oil, produced with great pride by both Jews and Arabs. In both the Galilee and the Negev, travellers will often come across family-run roadside eateries where local farmers sell their own produce, such as delicious honey.
Dried red peppers in the market at Shuk Levinsky, Tel Aviv
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What to Drink in Jerusalem and the Holy Land
Jews and Arabs alike adore coffee but have different ways of making it. It will be offered to you at any hour of the day or night. Teas of many kinds and herbal infusions are also popular. However, the hot, very dry climate makes water of the utmost importance. It is advisable to carry a bottle of it with you at all times and drink some before you feel thirsty to avoid dehydration.
Israel now produces a lot of wine of medium to high quality, but it tends to be expensive. Beer is available in all the areas covered in this guide, but neither the Israelis nor the Arabs consume large quantities, preferring to go to cafés or coffeeshops for socializing.
Elaborate Arabic coffee set Tea with fresh
mint leaves
BEERS AND SPIRITS
Many restaurants and cafés have draught beer, most of which is locally produced. The main Israeli beers are Maccabee, a slightly bitter, light lager, and Goldstar, which is reminiscent of British ale with a dash of malt. Taybeeh, similar to light, south German beer, is found in the Palestin- ian regions, East Jerusalem and some Israeli bars. Carlsberg is
produced in Israel and Heineken in Jordan, both under licence, while most other major European brands are imported, especially into Israel.
Spirits are less widely available, but are always sold in hotel bars throughout the region. The common- est is arak, the typical Mediterranean distillate of anise.
Enjoying outdoor café life on traffic-free Lunz Street in Jerusalem
Goldstar beer
COFFEE AND TEA
strong and aromatic because of the spices, in particular the cardamom, added to it. It is served in tiny cups holding only a few sips. If you do
not specify little or no sugar, it always arrives heavily sweetened. To avoid a gritty texture,
allow the sediment to settle in the cup first.
Arabic tea (shai) is more aromatic and stronger than Western-style tea and is also drunk without milk and with a lot of sugar. In restau-
rants it is often served after a meal with fresh
mint leaves (naana).
In Arab coffeehouses, if you want Western-style tea, ask for shai-Libton; in Arab or Jewish establishments, for Western-style coffee ask forness(short for Nescafé).
In Jewish areas, coffee and tea are drunk in European- or American-style cafés. The most widely available type of coffee is filter coffee, which is always served for breakfast in hotels.
Many places also offer espresso coffee, but it is almost always rather weak. For a real espresso, you must ask for a katzar (strong coffee). What is called cappuccino almost always has a huge amount of whipped cream added to it. Tea is almost invariably served in tea-bag form, and caffeine-free herbal tea(zmachim)is be- coming increasingly popular.
Tea and coffee in Arab areas are drunk in coffee- houses(qahwa), which serve nothing else – except sometimes traditional water pipes (nargileh) to accompany the drink. Arabic coffee (also called qahwa) is WATER AND SOFT DRINKS
In the entire area described in this guide, bottled mineral water is readily available everywhere. Although tap
water throughout Israel is safe to drink, it is more advisable to drink bottled water because it tastes better, especially in the Red Sea
area, where tap water is so heavily chlorinated that it is unpalatable.
Always make sure that the bottle is sealed when you buy water.
Bottled fruit juice is also popular, but remember that even juices that are sold as “natural” are really long- life juices produced on an industrial scale. Fruit juices freshly squeezed in front of you, especially citrus and pomegranate, are very good. All non-alcoholic beverages except for freshly-squeezed juice are almost always served very cold and with a lot of ice (which may be made of heavily chlorinated water), so if you don’t want your drinks this way, remember to say so when ordering.
Bottled water
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WINE
Although the middle east was the home of grape cultivation and wine-making, the first two modern wineries in the Holy Land were founded in the mid-19th century.
They belonged to Baron Rothschild (at Zikhron Yaakov, not far from Caesarea) and the Salesian fathers (at Cremisan,
near Bethlehem). The Salesian estate is still operating. For years it was the only producer of good, dry white wine, but its standards were later matched by the Latrun TrappistTT monks’ winery, which has French vines and uses French wine-making techniques.
The number of vineyards then increased steadily and wine quality has improved dramat- ically since the early 1980s. The main wine areas are now: Golan and Upper Galilee at around 500 m (1,640 ft) above sea level, with ideal volcanic soil; Lower Galilee, the Jezreel Valley,VV the Mount Carmel region and Sharon, which are lower and more humid; Samson, the coastal plain south of Tel Aviv; and the hills of AA Judaea, which have poorer terrain and are very dry. A number of experimental vineyards A in the Negev Desert are now in production.
The largest producers are the Carmel Winery, based in Zikhron Yaakov, whose Mizrachi
“Private” series is especially good, and the Golan Heights Winery, based in Katsrin, whose main labels are Golan, Yarden, Gamla and Tishbi.
Wines from small producers such as Kibbutz Tsora can be excellent.
Jordanian and Egyptian wines are very poor value for their price and, in both countries, imported wine is prohibitively expensive.
Yarden
white Chardonnay Muscat
Carmel Mizrachi
g red
Kibbutz Tsora Israeli white wines, especially the Chardonnays
and Sauvignon Blancs, are generally very enjoyable:
often aromatic, sometimes fruity, smooth and full- bodied. Many of the reasonably-priced whites are produced by the Golan Heights Winery.
Israeli red winesare also good, but, with some notable exceptions, tend either to lack body or to be slightly heavy. The grapes most commonly used are Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with many wines being a blend of the last two. Among the wines now produced by a growing number of small-scale, specialist wine makers are the fine Cabernets produced by Castel, and the Margalit reds.
An Israeli Chardonnay
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Choosing a Restaurant
The restaurants listed here have been selected for their good food, atmosphere and location within the Jerusalem area. The symbols cover some of the factors which may influence your choice (see back cover flap for key). For Jerusalem map references, see the Street Finder on pages 156–9; for restaurants further afield see back endpaper.
THE MUSLIM QUARTER THE MUSLIM QUARTER Q THE MUSLIM QUARTER
Abu Shukri ¤ 7 Δ , © \
63 El-Wad St, cnr Via Dolorosa, 97500Tel (02) 627 1538l Map4 D2
This small, simple restaurant, on the main street leading from Damascus Gate into the Muslim Quarter, is renowned for its plates of houmous, topped with whole chickpeas and freshly chopped parsley. It also serves up tahini, freshly baked bread and lots of other dishes. Excellent quality and very reasonable prices.
Quarter Café 7 Δ , © ˚ \\
Tiferet Yisrael St, 97500Tell(02) 628 7770 Map4 D4
Known more for its view of the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives than for its cuisine, this dairy place serves café fare and light snacks. The food is not particularly exciting, but this café is a good stopping-off point in the Jewish Quarter as it is situated just up the hill from the Western Wall.
MODERN JERUSALEM MODERN JERUSALEM MODERN JERUSALEM
Big Apple 7 Δ , © ˚ \
13 Dorot Rishonim St, 94625Tel (02) 625 6252l Map 1 A3
In the pedestrian zone just off Ben Yehuda St, this pizzeria serves New York-style thin-crust pizzas and is especially popular with Orthodox Jewish teenagers from New York who are in Jerusalem to take intensive religious studies courses. The restaurant is open until late and also offers a takeaway service.
Burgers Bar 7 Δ , ˚ \
20 Emeq Refaim St, German Colony, 93105Tell(02) 561 2333
Acclaimed by many Jerusalem old-timers as having the city’s best hamburgers, this popular place also serves up other types of reasonably priced meat dishes. It is situated about 1 km (half a mile) south of the King David Hotel in the atmospheric German Colony, in the heart of a strip of popular cafés and restaurants.
Pinati ¤ 7 Δ , © ˚ \
13 King George St, 94229Tel (02) 625 4540l Map 1 A3
Situated at the spot where Ben Hillel St meets King George St at an oblique angle (hence the name, which means
“on the corner”), this popular eatery has long been regarded by many local connoisseurs as the source of the city’s most delicious houmous – creamy, delicately seasoned, never too heavy.
Rahmo , © ˚ \
5 Eshkol St, Mahane Yehuda, 94322Tel (02) 623 4595l
A Jerusalem institution, Rahmo serves Israeli and Aleppo-style cuisine as well as authentic Jerusalem houmous prepared according to a secret recipe from the owner’s mother. Situated on one of the tiny pedestrianized alleyways in the colourful Mahane Yehuda market, which is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.
Agas ve-Tapuach ba-Kikar 7 Δ , © ˚ \\
6 Safra Square, 94141Tel (02) 623 0280l Map 1 B3
Known in Italian as Pera e Mela in Piazza (The Pear and the Apple on the Square), this venerable Italian restaurant has been serving home-style Italian cuisine, made with recipes from the owner’s grandparents, since 1978. Dishes come from both northern and southern Italy and include antipasti, foccacia, bruschetta and, of course, pasta.
Barood 7 f Δ , © ˚ \\
31 Jaffa St, 94221Tel (02) 625 9081l Map 1 A3
Just off Jaffa St on Feingold Courtyard, this laid-back, stone-built place is known for its Spanioli (Sepharadi) cuisine, as well as its juicy steaks and heavenly chocolate soufflé. The bar is decorated with a surprising collection of bottle openers and offers a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. Hosts art exhibits and live concerts of mellow music.
PRICE CATEGORIES Prices are based on a three-course meal for one including coffee, tax and service.
\Under $15
\\$15–$30
\\\$30–$60
\\\\Over $60
T R A V E L L E R S ’ N E E D S
Key to Symbolssee back cover flap