Old Jerusalem Restaurant

Old Jerusalem Restaurant Restaurant Review:

A massive mural of the Old City spills across one wall of the narrow dining room packed with plain tables. Visiting the bathroom means walking through a tiny kitchen bristling with fryers and shwarma spits. The best dishes are as unrefined and appealing as the setting: ful, or mashed fava beans whipped with olive oil and fortified with lemon and garlic; shaved lamb or small, crusty onion-and-pine nut-stuffed falafel balls rolled up in lavash with tahini and pickles; and mousakhan, a Palestinian preparation of chicken roasted on a sumac-soaked flatbread. A bonus spread of bakdounsia dip, hot pita, green olives, pickled turnips and Turkish-style tomato-chili relish accompanies each substantial order. The last item is utterly addictive---a lively, uncooked tomato sauce crunchy with raw, sweet onions and thin discs of sliced jalapeños. Those who enjoy suds with their shwarmas, take note: Old Jerusalem neither sells alcohol nor permits customers to bring in their own.