There’s some serious mixology going on at this bar, with owners Daniel and Ben offering a friendly yet intimate service to their patrons. Every cocktail you’ll drink here is creatively made, and beautifully presented, and the Carribean decor (pineapples and palm trees) is great fun too! Try the ‘Red Nose’ (gin, rum, clover bitters, hot chilli syrup and smoked paprika...)
Look around - you'll see small pools of water, strange-looking algae and astonishing rock formations not to mention clusters of Poplar trees in abundance. And then, before you know it, the canyon walls will have "closed in" on you and the sight before your eyes will make you sigh - an enormous pool of water, at the end of which is a waterfall of over 15 metres high...
The building itself was designed by Ron Arad, one of Israel’s most acclaimed architects and industrial designers and, in itself, is worth taking a look at. Consiting of five sinuous bands of varying shades of weathered steel, they come together to form a ‘visual key.’ As Arad intended, they bring the visitors into the building, through it and then out, and the bands act as a cord...
This 1920’s-style ‘Speakeasy meets Great Gatsby’ is uber-hip, with the bar staff as well-dressed as they are expert at mixology. Bellyboy Bar markets itself as a unique concept bar, with cocktails served in seashells and bathtubs (yes, I know it sounds bizarre but you have to see it to believe it!) and chasers served to guests out of a baby stroller that tours the lounge...
Located on 223 Dizengoff, this has got to be is one of the most stylish and atmospheric cocktail bars in the area. With its jazz and swing background music, and waiters in suspenders and bow ties, it’s designed to look like a New York ‘Speakeasy’ during Prohibition Era. Renown for its drinks, the professionally trained are all experts in ‘mixology...’
Today, it is run under the auspices of the Archbishop of Vienna but endeavours to be known as a meeting ground for different peoples - after all, it lies in close proximity to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western (Wailing) Wall and the the Dome of the Rock, all extraordinarily holy places for Christians, Jews and Muslims...
Falafel in Israel isn’t just these little balls though - it’s also a dish in its own right, and usually served in a pitta bread, stuffed with all sorts of delicious salads and sauces. These might include picked vegetables, as well as fried aubergine slices, tomatoes and onions and tahini - a creamy sesame seed paste...
The house has an enormous library - and I mean enormous - with over 20,000 books. Ben Gurion spoke and read several languages, and his tastes were eclectic (reflected in his volumes of books). The house also showcases quite a few interesting letters to and from the man himself to Churchill, Einstein, etc.
Neve Tsedek was, in fact, the first Jewish neighbourhood built outside the port of Jaffa, as far back as 1887. With people desperate to escape overcrowding, they moved south and built colourful buildings with low roofs. Soon, the area was attracting a host of artists and writers (including the Israeli Nobel Prize- winning author Shai Agnon...)
Located in the ‘Prenzlauerberg Triangle’ between Schönhauser Allee, Knaackstrasse and Kollowitzstrasse, it was consecrated in 1827 and for over half a century was the only burial ground available for Berlin’s Jews. Today, it is nothing more than a haunting reminder of the horrors of the holocaust for, put simply, there are no relatives to tend the graves.
This is all about cutting out the ‘middleman’ — matching those who need something with those who have it. You have a car and I don’t? I can lend mine to you. You have a toolkit and I want to do some DIY? I can borrow yours. Put in its most simple form, it’s about ‘unlocking’ underused or undervalued assets and putting them to good use...
Still, the area has a lot of character, beautiful architecture, and a vibrant nightlife (particularly in the summer, when people spill out into the streets). With its punk rock vibe, small independent stores, endless art galleries and array of cheap eateries (in particular Turkish restaurants) it’s popular hasn’t really waned...
Sasaki, I discovered, as I read on, owns almost nothing. It wasn’t always this way…a while back he was a typical typical Tokyo professional - stressed, anxious, and permanently exhausted. He needed answers and decided to begin with stripping down his possessions……until he was left with almost nothing...
