Off to a great start

The breakfast buffet at the Inbal Hotel is both a grand and intimate affair.

By RUTH BELOFF
inbal breakfast buffet 311 (photo credit: courtesy)
inbal breakfast buffet 311
(photo credit: courtesy)
It was a cold and blustery Jerusalem morning as I made my way to the Inbal to meet a friend for breakfast. But once inside, the warm ambience and elegant décor of the hotel set the tone for what I knew would be a delightful prandial experience.
Served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m.
in the dining room at the back of the lobby, breakfast at the Inbal (NIS 110) is a cozy, intimate affair.
While the breakfast buffet does not span the entire dining area the way it does in some of the other major hotels, the designated section is so well set up with its sumptuous selection, that it lacks nothing in diversity or space.
What I love about buffets is that you can see what is on offer, choose as little or as much of it as you want, try new things or stick to your familiar favorites. So, needless to say, I was in my element.
For starters, there is a dispenser of freshly squeezed orange juice and grapefruit juice – a welcome change from that sweetened, watered-down liquid that parades as citrus juice in this country.
There is also a wide range of fresh fruit and fruit salad, as well as an assortment of dried fruit.
For those who like vegetables and fish in the morning, there is a colorful array of fresh salads and raw vegetables, and a good selection of tuna, herring, whitefish and smoked salmon – not the thinly sliced variety that comes in a package but little slabs of freshly cut lox. There is also a platter of mini-burekas filled with mashed tuna and sliced egg – something I hadn’t seen before.
For those like me who prefer a warmer start, there is an impressive line-up of chafing dishes filled with breakfast fare to satisfy any palate: oatmeal, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, shakshouka, roasted potatoes, broccoli soufflé, burekas, pancakes and waffles. And if that were not enough, there is a cook on hand to fry up any kind of omelet or sunnyside egg dish you desire.
As for the bread selection, there is a counter dedicated to fresh wholesome breads, rolls, bagels – a toaster – and a wide variety of crackers. There are also several tall dispensers of cold cereal.
Cheeses galore occupy the opposite counter, ranging from platters of sliced cheese and hard and soft cheeses you can cut for yourself, to bowls of cottage and cream cheeses, including low-fat varieties.
And then, of course, there is dessert. What can I say? A tempting assortment of baked goods seals the deal. Danish pastry, chocolate and chocolate chip muffins, slices of cake, cinnamon rolls, cheese soufflé, round chocolate puffs drenched in hot fudge sauce – you name it, you’ve got it. Not to mention a choice of packaged puddings and yogurt. And coffee is served to you at your table by the friendly and accommodating staff.
Although it was too cold to sit outside, in the spring the spacious adjoining patio is open so patrons can enjoy their meal in the sunshine.
Be it basking in the sun or soaking up the warm atmosphere of the hotel dining room, breakfast at the Inbal truly is a delightful way to start the day.
The Inbal also has a lavish dairy buffet brunch (NIS 80) every Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Sofia restaurant, next to the dining room. I haven’t tried it yet, but I can assure you it’s on my list.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.

Inbal Hotel Kosher 3 Jabotinsky, Jerusalem Tel: (02) 675-6666