Urban garden cafés and restaurants are a great way to relax and recharge – and take in some sunshine too.
1. Little JerusalemTucked away in a little alley in the Anna Ticho House, this restaurant is one of Jerusalem’s gems. The restaurant has an indoor section as well as an outdoor section, with elegantly laid tables in a country-like garden.
The best part is that the restaurant is just minutes away from bustling Jaffa Street yet feels far removed. The Kosher dairy menu is extensive and includes hearty salads, soups, quiches, fish dishes and pasta with special discounts for senior citizens. Little Jerusalem holds regular musical performances and jazz evenings, and is a great spot on a balmy evening.
Kosher Mehadrin (Dairy)9 Rav Kook Street, City Center(02) 624-41862. Caffit
Overlooking the lake at the entrance to the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens, Caffit is the perfect café to head to on a warm spring day. Though the restaurant offers comfortable indoor seating, the countrified ambiance is best enjoyed on the patio.
Caffit’s Kosher dairy menu offers fresh breakfasts, salads, soups, pastas and more. If you’re in the mood for a salad, try Caffit’s famous Oreganato salad with generous portions of Bulgarian cheese and sweet potato.
Kosher Rabbinate (Dairy)1 Yehuda Bourla, Nayot (Botanical Gardens)(02) 648-0003 3. Café b’Gina
Café b’Gina (garden cafe) is a rarity in Jerusalem with its spacious shaded outdoor seating in a pretty atmospheric tree-filled garden. Characteristic of Baka, the charming area in which the restaurant is found, Café b’Gina is housed in a grand colonial Jerusalem Stone building. The Kosher dairy menu is extensive with freshly-made bread and other special touches.
Kosher Rabbinate (Dairy)74 Beit Lechem Road, Baka(02) 672-08254. Link
Located just off King George Street in an old house with a sun-filled courtyard garden, Link is popular with journalists, media types and foreign film crews. The non-kosher menu offers a mix of local and international flavors with plenty of meat dishes on offer. The restaurant is open till late if you want to grab a late-night bite, coffee or cocktail.
Not kosher3 Ma’a lot Road, Jerusalem(02) 625-34465. Sushi Rechavia
The German Colony branch of Sushi Rechavia is housed in a gorgeous old stone building with a gated Asian-inspired courtyard garden on trendy Emek Refaim Street. The relaxed setting is the perfect place to enjoy authentic sushi, stir-fry, miso soup and drinks like saki and Asian beers.
Kosher Rabbinate (Meat)48 Emek Refaim Street, Jerusalem(02) 563-7777iTravelJerusalem.com is a new online international travel portal
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