Cellar Bar (American Colony Hotel)

The Cellar Bar is the hotel bar of the American Colony Hotel, at 1 Louis Vincent Street in the Sheikh Jarrah area of East Jerusalem, Israel. It occupies stone-vaulted rooms beneath the historic hotel, a nineteenth-century building long associated with diplomats, journalists and aid workers, and the vaults give the bar a cool, low-lit and intimate character that is very different from the lively market bars on the western side of the city. The crowd is mixed and international: hotel guests, foreign correspondents, embassy and NGO staff, Palestinian and Israeli professionals and well-informed travellers, mostly aged thirties and older. The mood is quiet and conversational rather than rowdy, and smart-casual dress is typical, though no strict door code is described. The specialty is wine and cocktails, with a selection of wines and mixed drinks suited to the setting; prices are high ($$$), reflecting the hotel venue and the shaded courtyard garden nearby. Music is subdued background material, as the bar is designed for talking rather than dancing. The bar operates in the evenings daily and, unlike the many venues in West Jerusalem, it stays open on Shabbat, which makes it one of the few quality options on Friday night and Saturday. There is no cover charge. Reservations are not normally required for drinks, but guests planning to dine at the hotel or visit with a larger group can check with the hotel in advance. Bottle service is not part of the culture. The hotel is a short taxi ride from the Old City and Damascus Gate, and from downtown West Jerusalem; taxis and ride apps are the usual way to arrive and leave, particularly on Shabbat when the light rail and buses do not run. Visitors should consider it a relaxed place for a late-evening drink with good atmosphere rather than a destination for dancing or high-energy nightlife.