Breakfast Fit For A King At Jerusalem's Most Iconic Hotel

As I walked past the pink limestone— or "Jerusalem stone" as it is popularly known—facade of the Jerusalem's iconic King David Hotel and into its marble-tiled lobby, I noticed a number of flags of varying nations on display. I was informed that the visitation of some international dignitaries was the reason for the row of oriflammes. This welcome was a microcosm of what the King David Hotel stands for in Jerusalem: the iconic hotel, owned by the Dan Hotels Group,  boasts a plethora of celebrity and notable guests, including British prime ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, American presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Charles: the Prince of Wales, and even the legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Located on King David Street in the center of the modern city, many are wooed by the hotel's enviable views of the Old City and Mount Zion, while others are intrigued by its roster of famous guests. For the varying reasons that one might find themselves a guest at the hotel, what all do discover is that the King David also offers an well-developed culinary landscape to boot, being home to La Regence— one of Jerusalem's foremost fine dining restaurants—and serving a drool-worthy "Israeli breakfast" buffet every morning in its grand dining hall.  

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Israeli breakfast is a unique type of breakfast served at many hotels in Israel and in Jerusalem.  It is characterized by being a kosher—dairy and meat cannot be served in the same meal to keep kosher and so Israel breakfast never includes meat but often does fish—sprawling spread of comestibles, typically served buffet style.  If there is anywhere to experience this brunch-style meal in Jerusalem, the King David is it. Here,  both buffet and a-la-carte breakfasts are done with a certain refinement and decadence of a bygone era that mirrors the historic nature of the city, with dishes, using natural and fresh ingredients, originating from Arab, Jewish, North African, and Mediterranean origins.

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Imagine something of a high-end farmer's market, where guests can pick their own produce and leave the chef's to do the rest. On-the-spot, freshly-squeezed juices pressed from mostly local organic fruits and vegetables, an embarrassment of organic cheeses, dried fruit, olives, six different varietals of olive oil and of course Shakshuka (a dish of Middle Eastern and North African origins consisting of eggs poached in a fresh tomatoes and aromatic spices): all of these and much more are to be indulged in during breakfast at the hotel. Such a hearty breakfast is just the fuel one needs to take on a walking tour of the old city, the walls of which are only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. Evidently, breakfast  at The King David is a true journeyman's meal, and yet, one must attest, it is just as much a banquet fit for a king!