There are not many restaurants in Jerusalem like Link that can say they
have been open 7 days a week for the past 15 years. Link was opened in
1997 just off King George Street by brothers Yehuda, Dudu and OferAslan.
The brothers had run a successful small neighborhood café,
Moments, on Aza Street in Rehavia and wanted to continue the
neighborhood feel and atmosphere of the place. When the pair saw the
restaurant's current space with its charming old building and
tree-filled courtyard, they were sold.
An
oasis of quiet and calm just off one of the main streets in the center
in Jerusalem, Link is popular for its unique space as well as for its
food and attentive service. "It's all about the people," says Yehuda.
"We come from the customer-focused perspective rather than the all too
common ‘take it or leave it’ approach."
In fact, the best part
of Yehuda's day is the evening, he says, when all the administrative and
managerial jobs of the day are taken care of and he can look forward to
an evening of chatting to clientele, many of whom are familiar faces
and regulars.
The
restaurant is big on welcoming everyone but has one rule; namely that
everyone behave as a human being with politeness and respect. In fact,
Yehuda prides himself on the fact that Link is a place where people of
all backgrounds, ethnicities, political views, ages etc can sit together
and have a meal. Link is a favorite with politicians, journalists,
media crew and UN workers in town.
The menu ethos is simple: Food
that people like to eat. Yehuda believes in offering something for
everyone and people stop by for a full meal and also just a salad,
drink, beer or coffee and dessert. Although he re-invents the menu from
time to time, there are several dishes that have remained by popular
demand: the chicken wings, chicken schnitzel and meatballs in fresh
tomato sauce (Yehuda's mother's much loved recipe).
Link
is all about loyalty. Many of the regular customers and its staff have
been around since the restaurant was founded 15 years ago. About a year
ago, Link opened a branch in the residential neighborhood of Mevasseret
Zion with the same menu and same welcoming atmosphere. Many of the
restaurant's clientele used to drive into Jerusalem especially to eat at
Link, and joke that the new branch has saved them massively on fuel
costs.
Address: 3 Hama’aloth Street, JerusalemPhone: (02) 625-3446(Not Kosher)
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