There’s a street not far from Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem where several very trendy, upscale restaurants can be found. Among them sits Gabriel. We had heard several positive reviews from friends, and were eager to try out this place. When the opportunity arose*, we hesitated only slightly before setting out to our Holy City for good food and an evening of animated conversation.

The price on a menu sets my expectation, not the description. Gifted writers can make car tires sound delectable, but what a restaurant charges for food should be a reflection on both the quality and the preparation of the dish.

Buckle up. This is going to be harsh.

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Up a flight of thirty or so stairs on Emek Refaim is La Boca, a Latin-inpired restaurant in Jerusalem. With its comfortable, high-backed leather chairs and deep brown tables, the restaurant held the promise of a good meal. And it delivered, mostly.

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Along Emek Refaim are a motley collection of restaurants ranging from fast food to haute cuisine. Sushi Bar Rechavia trends towards the higher end of the spectrum. My wife and I enjoyed a quiet dinner for two at this busy restaurant. We were fortunate to have our meal sponsored by dear friends of ours. Not to seem ungrateful, the restaurant was overall a pleasant and delicious experience. When billing as a high-end restaurant, though, consider that your clientèle are more discriminating, and therefore expectations are higher. While this might seem like nit-picking to some, it is nothing more than my professional evaluation, and not a review. It is perhaps how I would do things.

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Selena is an upscale restaurant on Emek Refaim. If this seems to be a trend in my restaurant posts, well it’s because this is a very popular restaurant street in Jerusalem. We were seated right away, and a pleasant waitress told us the specials, then took our order after about ten minutes of our deliberations. The ambiance was nice with soft jazz playing in the background without being overpowering, and it was warm in the restaurant, which was a relief from the cold December night. We noticed that the restaurant’s clientèle were all English-speaking.

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Moshava 54 is a casual, family-friendly restaurant in the German Colony on Emek Refaim in Jerusalem.

The interesting gimmick of Moshav 54 is how the menu  is organized. Rather than the usual appetizer, salad, entree categories, the menu is sorted by price from 20 shekels up to, you guessed it, 54 shekels. There’s a wide variety of bistro-style dishes on the menu, appealing to a wide variety of diner’s palettes, styles and budgets. It also gives you a reasonable idea of what the portion is going to be like, which is a good thing whether you’re out for a full dinner or a quick bite. (more…)