Azzahra Street
Jerusalem
Tel. 02-6263771
Open daily from 8:00 - 23:00 hours

The National Palace Hotel was a Jerusalem landmark for many years. It was one of Jerusalem’s better hotels and its restaurants, especially the rooftop one, were the city’s finest eateries, with consistent good quality and fine service.

Several years ago, the hotel’s owners embarked on an ambitious refurbishment plan that ground to a halt soon after commencement for a multitude of reasons, financial being one of them. The hotel’s empty shell stood idle for many years, with the building slated to become another one of those half-finished projects.

The hotel was luckily saved from this fate several months ago when local investors bought the property and began putting the building in order. Their first project was to open the hotel’s famed balcony as a café. Whereas the balcony was an open-air meeting place and watering hole for the city’s prominent personalities, the present locale is a glass-enclosed venue billed ‘for ladies and families only.’

The café is long and narrow, with low tables and chairs on one side and a counter with stools running the length of the other side. There are a few regular tables here and there. Medium-sized LCD monitors hang all over the place, broadcasting popular Arabic music for the most part.

The menu offers a selection of hot and cold beverages, such as a variety of coffees, tea, soft drinks and freshly-squeezed juices such as orange, carrot and lemon. For those who want to have a bite there are a few sandwich options such as cheese, turkey and omelet and a few salads. The choice of ice cream on offer is displayed in a glass case at the entrance. There are also cakes to be had in the afternoon with a cup of tea of coffee.

Wake Up Café is an ideal place to relax over a drink after a shopping spree in