At Link restaurant in Jerusalem people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and political views come together.
By ITRAVELJERUSALEM.COM TEAMLink restaurant(photo credit: itraveljerusalem.com)
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.(itraveljerusalem.com)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).(itraveljerusalem.com)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, Jerusalem Phone: (02) 625-3446 (Not Kosher)
