Tmol Shilshom In Jerusalem Is The Restaurant Where Food Meets Culture

One of the few destinations where patrons come to feed their stomachs as well as their brains, the bookstore-cafe restaurant Tmol Shilshom in Jerusalem is a great example of the way food and culture can be combined into one superb venue.

What makes Tmol Shilshom unlike any other restaurant in the city is the vintage vibe you get from the moment you walk in. Covered wall to wall with books, the cafe takes you back in time; the chairs, couches, the arches and even the lighting all give a calm and vintage atmosphere. Surprisingly it is a very quiet place, considering its location in the city center of Jerusalem.
Located in the historic Nachalat Shiva neighborhood, and has been around for 30 years and business shows no sign of decline. Tmol Shilshom is known to be frequented by many authors, novelists and poets that have found their start in this small coffee shop. From Israeli authors like David Grossman, Meir Shalev and international novelist Nathan Englander. When people hear that Nathan Englander found his humble beginnings here, it creates a buzz; people ask the managers to tell the stories of what it was like to have all these great authors find their start there. Furthermore, guests like to sit on the historic chairs, snapping selfies to show off later.

The restaurant hosts book launches for young authors and open mic night for young poets, who have found their inspiration at Tmol Shilshom. The venue has become a bedrock of Israeli culture and also serves as a home for those who are looking to create and become a part of that culture as well.
The cuisine offered at the restaurant is based upon a dairy menu, focusing on salads, fish dishes and pastas. Even the plates that these dishes are served on have quotes from Israeli poets, providing customers with extra meaning to what the restaurant stands for. To top it off, the Shakshukah served in the restaurant was rated as the best by some of the top food magazines in Israel.

A meal here is opened with eight types of condiments, including, mango jam, sun-dried tomato cheese, yellow tahini all generously accompany the homemade bread. The spreads are really delicious and diverse, being made from scratch they were unlike any other generic coffee shop condiments. The lasagna is baked to melt in your mouth good, accompanied in a salsa rosa sauce that compliments the dish perfectly. The desserts vary from pies to cakes that are also made in house and are scrumptious to say the least. All in all customers can expect a great meal, splendidly wrapped in a cultural experience.
The place oozes culture and is utterly delicious.
Tmol Shilshom is a perfect combination of food and culture, just what one needs, while looking for something different to do in the city of gold.

Tmol Shilshom Yoel Moshe Salomon 5, Jerusalem Israel +972-2-623-2758

About the author

Yehudah Jacobs

Yehudah Jacobs is a 29 year old food fanatic who is in digital marketing. Trained as a classical chef, and a renowned carnivore. Made the change from the kitchen to the digital world, so he find trendy places to write about and share his recipes. You can find him traveling around Israel, trying to find a good beer while sharing it with his friends on social media and his blog.