Jerusalem

JERUSALEM UNDER A NEW LIGHT

Dynamic, young, vibrant. With the ease that only those who have been through history for thousands of years can afford, Jerusalem has changed.

Long a destination for pilgrimages and marathons among monuments, now it is more and more a destination for fun. Where to discover contemporary art, trendy cuisine and immerse yourself in the sparkling nightlife.

Sometimes, all under the same roof, in new places like HaMiffal, collective of artists, restaurant, bar.

It breathes a new air into the city, it is felt from the arrival, taking the fast train (inaugurated in 2018) that in less than half an hour connects the Ben Guiron airport to the Yitzhak Nevon passenger terminal in the center of Jerusalem, a masterpiece of engineering built at 80 meters depth.

Opposite are the sites of the Jerusalem Gateway, the most ambitious renewal plan in the city. A neighborhood destined to become an avant-garde cultural and entertainment hub with only pedestrian and cycle paths.

Whether you are looking for a gourmet restaurant, a bistro for an informal meal or a place to have a quick snack, in Jerusalem no expectations are disappointed.

The culinary scene is in great turmoil, so much so that the city has stolen from Tel Aviv the most trendy food festival in the country, Open Restaurant, next edition November 19-23.

A forge of a talented chef Jerusalem is teeming with venues that reflect the latest international fashions. Young and multitasking spaces perfect for casual consumption, such as Ofaim Farm Cafe, in a historic stone building in Beit Hakrem, a bar shop that sells products from the family farm in the Arava desert. Its classic is the bourekassant: croissant paste filled with poached egg and goat cheese.

At the Shraga Café, between the townhall square and the Mamilla shopping center, there is an atmosphere between an artist’s atelier and a house of friends. Among coffee tastings, aromatic pastries, preserves and homemade liqueurs, the menu plays with colors and offers a range of sandwiches like Yellow, with Dutch cheese, Blue with herbal and pesto of olives, Silver with herring

Tmol Shilshom, in a picturesque alley of Nachalat Shiva, is popular with writers and poets: it hosts literary readings and musical events, but it is above all famous for the shakshuska fried eggs with spicy tomato and pepper sauce.

Two pairs of young chefs contend for the new Israeli cuisine. Moshiko Gamlieli and Itamar Navon reign at the refined 02, restaurant within the Hotel Inbal, where they aim to raise the standards of Kosher cuisine. Unforgettable their slow-cooked frayed lamb, also the chicken marinated in harissa and date sauce.

The other couple, Uri Navon and Assaf Granit, is known for the Machne Yuda and the neighboring Yudale Bar, both on the edge of the market from which the restaurant takes its name.

The young and secular soul of the Holy City is revealed in the evening. The effervescent city nightlife starts at the German Colony, with a Wine Flight, an aperitif with Israeli and kosher wines selected by Wine Temple, a refined wine shop in a Templar palace from 1874.

The younger and underground environments are two addresses, 500 meters from each other. HaMiffal is a multi-purpose space, a bit of a coworking, a little art center and a little cafe with a kitchen, behind the luxurious Waldorf Astoria.

Mazkeka is a non-profit organization for art that offers a stage to innovative artists in the field of music, new media and cinema. Workshop with recording studio by day, in the evening open to the public for numerous concerts.

Before going to sleep, don’t miss the show of high-definition images projected on the walls of the old city, which tell the story of David against Goliath, while the speakers spread the soundtrack of the Night Spectacular show by the French composer Etienne Perruchon. An enveloping multisensory experience that leaves you speechless