Austrian Hospice, Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

Although not quite German, the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem is a must if you should ever make it into the Holy City. In the buzzing, noisy and narrow streets of the Old City this place of German cleanliness, order and precision is outstanding in many ways.

Besides the beautiful rooms that should be booked long in advance, it features a Vienna style Kaffeehaus on the entrance level. Under the views of the Austrian Kaiser on the wall you can enjoy some truly great filter coffee in style. Try it together with an Apfelstrudel and you’ll understand why the Hospice has to be part of Leibspeise. For the real hungry ones they usually offer some proper food as well, like Kässpätzle.

Take your drinks and the paper slip with your order number outside and make yourself comfortable in the beautiful garden, they will bring you the food later on. Sit on one of the two towers in front of the entrance (like on the picture) and enjoy the food, the beautiful view and the silence.

If you enter the city through Damascus gate in the north, try to keep going straight through the dirty market roads and past the obtrusive shopkeepers until at the intersection with the famous Via Dolorosa you will see a huge walled building on the left with a massive metal door. You have to ring the bell and they will usually let you in.

Leibspeise thanks Mario for this contribution to Leibspeise and agrees with him that although not German an Austrian tavern also belongs to this blog.

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