Tmol Shilshom

Tmol Shilshom is a kosher dairy cafe set inside a bookshop at 5 Yoel Moshe Salomon Street, in a quiet alley off Jaffa Road in the Nachalat Shiva neighbourhood of downtown West Jerusalem, Israel. The name, borrowed from a novel by S.Y. Agnon, nods to the literary character of the place: shelves of books fill the rooms, and the cafe has long hosted readings and cultural events. A tree-shaded courtyard offers outdoor seating away from the bustle of the pedestrian streets. The kitchen serves Israeli dairy cooking, and the weekend breakfast is a local favourite, built around a large Israeli breakfast spread and shakshuka, eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce, plus dairy pasta for lunch and dinner. As a kosher dairy venue it serves no meat. The dining room is cosy, bookish and relaxed, with mismatched furniture and an easy atmosphere; there is no dress code and noise levels are moderate. Beverages include coffee, tea, a selection of Israeli wines and beers, and its evening trade attracts a quiet, conversational crowd. Prices are moderate ($$), and the rating is around 4.4. Reservations are advised for dinner and for weekend breakfast, when the courtyard fills with locals. Opening hours are roughly 9:00AM to 11:30PM Sunday to Thursday, until mid-afternoon on Friday, with the cafe reopening after Shabbat ends on Saturday night. That Saturday-night opening makes it one of the livelier places in town once the Sabbath concludes. Its position among the galleries, bars and restaurants of Nachalat Shiva makes it easy to combine with a stroll toward Zion Square or the Mamilla promenade.