Neighborhoods

The Old City

In the Bazaars & Near Damascus Gate--While there are not many restaurants in this area, you can find many Arabic pastry shops, places grilling whole chickens (which can be carved and packed in aluminum foil for takeout), and fresh juice bars. Wander from Damascus Gate along Suq Khan es-Zeit Street, which bears to the right at the fork.

Jewish Quarter--This part of the Old City is home to a number of kosher fast-food spots on Jewish Quarter Road, where you can have a bowl of soup (usually made from powder) or a slice of kosher pizza or quiche. I like a bagel shop at the Seven Arches, near the Burnt House. On Jewish Quarter Road you'll also find two (nonkosher) old-fashioned Arabic-style bread bakeries where you can buy warm, freshly baked pita and big sesame bread rolls, which are tasty to snack on as you explore the Old City. Ask the baker for a tiny, free package of zatar (local spices) to flavor the bread in the traditional Middle Eastern style.

West Jerusalem

Agrippas Street & Mahane Yehuda--Walk a few blocks up Agrippas Street and you'll find yourself surrounded by no-frills restaurants and holes-in-the-wall places serving generous portions of grilled meats, shashlik (chunks of meat on a skewer), and kabobs (which in Israel consist of ground meat on a skewer).

South Jerusalem

Hebron Road--The magnificent hillside overlooking the Old City has developed a number of lively restaurants and cafes. The beautiful stone Haas Promenade, or Tayelet, that winds along the hillside comes with its own cafeteria and an elegant restaurant, as well as out-of-the-way spots on the grass where you can bring your own picnic. Just before twilight is an especially nice time to come, when the Old City and the Judean Hills sink into a powdery mysteriousness. To get to this neighborhood, take bus no. 5, 6, 7, 8, 21, or 48 to the railroad station, or bus no. 4, 14, or 18 and ask for the stop nearest the Cinémathèque.

Border of East & West Jerusalem--Shimon Hazadik Street, a quiet, once-residential street of stone bungalows running just off Highway 1, is becoming a new restaurant row. It's easily accessible to both West and East Jerusalemites, being just a few doors east of Highway 1, the unofficial dividing line between the two halves of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Courtyard

The quaint, somewhat hidden Jerusalem Courtyard, filled with some of the city's best-loved restaurants, can be reached through the covered gate just east of 31 Jaffa Rd., and also from the broad covered stairs at the end of Rivlin Street. There are security guards at both entrances to the courtyard.

Off & On Shlomzion HaMalka Street--Shlomzion HaMalka Street, running south for 2 blocks from Jaffa Road to David Street, is lined with very stylish restaurants and bars. Since 2001, it's become the most stylish dining address in town. Restaurants here pride themselves on not having "quaint" Old Jerusalem architectural style. Late on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights the establishments of the street morph into a wall-to-wall party. Each bar has its own style, personality, and special food offerings -- Jerusalem not being a town of heavy drinkers. Just party-hop and prowl. Look for Sol Tapas Bar, serving over 70 tasty tapas each night; and Osho, probably the most upscale bar in Jerusalem, with an elegant menu and vast selection of drinks. Adjacent streets are also filling up with excellent eateries. The following are some of the best dining bets.