The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in our nation’s capital is one of the most highly regarded hospitality properties not only in this country but in the entire region. In 2015, it was named Best Hotel in the Middle East by Conde Nast Travel & Leisure – catapulting the hotel to the stratospheric ranking of #7 in the world (and eclipsing all its sister Waldorf Astoria properties in the process).
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Now again, in 2023, The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem was voted one of the five best city hotels in North Africa and the Middle East by readers of Travel + Leisure Magazine, making it the only Israeli hotel on the list. This is its fourth win in this category, having also won in 2017, 2018, and 2020.
Consideration in these surveys was given to five criteria, among which food was one. It is not certain what weight was given to the hotel’s dining options versus its guest units, amenities, and service (see an overall review by this writer here), but it is certain that The Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem’s culinary offerings deserve recognition in their own right. This is all the more remarkable because the hotel’s kitchens adhere to the strictest religious standards of kashrut – i.e, mehadrin.
The person who bears the ultimate responsibility for feeding the hotel’s hundreds of guests and other visitors 24/7 is Executive Chef Itzik Barak Mizrachi. Clearly, Mizrachi is more than up to the task: he has been one of only five Waldorf Astoria chefs invited to submit a dish to be judged worthy of the title Taste of Waldorf, and he is frequently called upon to cook at The Waldorf Astoria Berlin – as well as other sister properties worldwide when kosher events are planned.
One does not check into a hotel primarily to eat, but it is good to know that it is a place one can rely on when no one feels like going out into the city. For example, if one arrives tired and hungry at check-in time – sometime after 14.00 – it is likely to be tempting to partake of afternoon tea, served in the Waldorf’s dairy restaurant, King’s Court.
Afternoon tea follows the famed British high tea model and boasts its own menu, featuring three different categories of tea: black, green, and herbal infusion. Each category, in turn, lists three different varieties, ranging from the familiar Earl Grey in the first category to chamomile and fruit flavors in the last.
Accompanying these hot beverages is an interesting and rather quaint contraption encasing three small hourglass timers, each containing a different color of sand, matching its respective category of tea. The instructions are to flip the device over and wait until the ancient technology signals that your tea has been steeped for the precise number of recommended minutes. This elegant touch adds a welcome if offbeat, dimension to the timeless tea ceremony.
While one waits for the sands to trickle down, a three-tiered tray is delivered to the table, bearing traditional refreshments: four kinds of tiny sandwiches, two kinds of scones and no fewer than six kinds of pastries. Altogether, there is certainly enough sustenance to tide one over until dinnertime.
Interestingly, the best “sandwich” was an open-faced delicacy sans bread at all: an outstanding egg salad and smoked salmon tartlet. Favorites among the pastry selection include the caramel eclair with chocolate frosting, and mini-cheesecakes topped with pine nuts.
As expected, the scones come with their usual accouterments: butter, jams and cream. On the other hand, the cream is not clotted, as one might anticipate, but rather a chiffon and slightly sweet whipped texture – because, we are informed, the ultra-strict supervisor of the hotel’s particular scrupulous religious dietary laws has ruled clotted cream not sufficiently kosher. Even Chef Mizrachi himself could not understand this reasoning, although he has been forced to abide by it.
When dinnertime approaches, there are several options: a meal in the self-same King’s Court, where no meat is served; fine dining in the Palace Restaurant; or drinks and small plates on the property’s fourth-floor Garden Terrace. This latter al fresco bar is an ideal venue on a summer’s eve, as it catches Jerusalem’s cool evening breezes; unfortunately, even though the capital remains quite warm in September, the Garden Terrace is set to close at the end of August, so it is best to take advantage in the next few weeks.
The surroundings of the Garden Terrace are enhanced by meticulously landscaped greenery and shrubbery, partially draped in sparkling lights, while the atmosphere benefits from the strains of a pleasantly rhythmic eclectic soundtrack. The small bar is nonetheless well stocked and serves several creative specialty cocktails alongside the classics – as well as mocktails, draft and bottled beers, and wine, either by the bottle or the glass.
Although complimentary nibbles accompany these drinks, they are best enjoyed when also partaking in a selection of small and intermediate-sized dishes curated by Chef Mizrachi. Noteworthy among these are Cauliflower Tempura on a bed of tahini, Sea Fish Cigar with a gazpacho dip, Jerusalem Mix grilled chicken piled on a pita, and Beef Kebab.
Since desserts – such as a chocolate ring cake, or basbousa (honey-sweetened semolina cake – are also on the Garden Terrace menu, it is certainly possible to put together a satisfying supper, as dusk and nightfall on Jerusalem.
A more substantial dinner, meanwhile, is served in the hotel’s signature
Palace Restaurant, across the main lobby from King’s Court. Chef Mizrachi, a native son of the Holy City, defines the food here as “Jerusalem-inspired cuisine.”
Not surprisingly, therefore, a gourmet meal here starts off with a copper platter overflowing with mezze reflecting Jerusalem tastes. Two kinds of bread – Jerusalem bagel and olive rolls, both baked in-house – are surrounded by plates not only of the usual spices and dips, but also two eggplant dishes, and two particularly innovative tastes: almond labaneh and garlic confit with tamarind.
In his work, Chef Mizrachi draws upon not only his Jerusalem upbringing but also his ancestral roots – such as in the exotic dish Cheega, a Turkish version of beef tartare served in lettuce wraps. Similarly, the delicious Short Rib Tortellini comes with a Middle Eastern twist, as the slightly sour taste of hamusta – as in the well-known kubbe soup – comes to the fore.
Another truly original main course on the Palace menu is the delectable Duck Confit with Stuffed Dates Tempura, sweet potato and grapes, which must be tasted to be described. Not to be outdone, one of several lamb dishes is the succulent Saddle of Lamb Nabulsiye (think, the Samarian city of Shkhem), encrusted with burghul and served alongside three versions of cauliflower.
Naturally, a restaurant of this caliber boasts a more than adequate wine list, with international kosher vintages available by the glass as well as the bottle. There are also rotating special “wines of the month” worthy of attention.
There are only three desserts, all the creations of the Waldorf’s dedicated pastry chef. Making sort of a reprise here is the pareve version of a [smaller] house specialty served at afternoon tea: a disk of intense dark chocolate, elaborated with rosettes of chocolate mousse and toasted hazelnuts.
A feast at the Palace calls for, if not a post-prandial constitutional, an entire good night’s sleep to digest. Because in the morning, still more enticements beckon the Waldorf guest: a lavish breakfast buffet, in the best of Israeli deluxe hotel tradition – boasting an entire room adjacent to the seating area containing tables laden with cheeses, salads, smoked fish and hot dishes.
And this is not all: there is a large selection of baked goods – breads, bagels, baguettes, burekas, pastries, and more – not to mention the individually delivered eggs, French toast or pancakes made to order. Plus, never fear: a variety of healthy smoothies and fresh-squeezed juices are on hand to wash everything down, before the crowning touch of richly brewed coffee, with or without cakes and cookies.