I just looked back through my archives because I thought I had posted a blog about eating at Finks restaurant in Jerusalem. I cannot find the link so I guess what I have to say may be a trifle irrelevant now.
Unfortunately, I just heard that Finks closed down this week. Anyone who has been there will be sad to see it go, but I must admit I honestly think it serves them right.
You see Finks was an amazing bar/restaurant. It was a mainstay in Jerusalem for more than 50 years. The atmosphere and history on the walls made it a very special place to go sit quietly and soak in Jerusalem. Walking into Finks was like a step back in time. As soon as that door shut - the world outside, the busy streets of Ben Yehuda and King George were all but a faint dull noise in the background as you were absorbed by the colorful display of 1950's and upwards memorabilia covering the walls, from the unchanged decor to the half empty dusty bottles of liqueur that have graced this bar for so many generations.
Finks was already famous for among other things, turning away Henry Kissinger when he requested the place all to himself. As a hang-out for many foreign reporters and journalists during Israel's colorful wartime history, and more recently for it's Goulash. About a year and a half ago it became Kosher so it was without hesitation that I took my husband there on his Birthday last year for dinner.
When we were seated (there are only five tables) we were offered a selection of, what we were assured was, the finest collection of quality single malt whiskeys in Israel. We had what I would like to consider a fairly modest meal, Tomato soup and liver pate on toast for starters, followed by beef stroganoff and one of their famous goulashes, apple pie with ice-cream, tea and coffee. Oh and of course I ordered a diet coke.
When presented with the bill I was a little taken aback to discover that we had run up a bill of over 450 shekels. The whiskey we had ordered was priced at 90 shekel, my diet coke (you may want to sit down for this) was 20 shekel, 15 shekel for a cup of tea… etc
I mean COME ON!!! The food was OK and the atmosphere was charming – but 15 shekel for a tea bag and some hot water??? Not wanting to make a scene on my husband's birthday – we paid the bill and left. But we never went back and we decided never to go back. So it does not surprise me, even though it saddens me, that Finks is now closed.
Often we go out and are presented with ridiculous prices for food and drinks and we NEVER SAY anything. I know that restaurants put their prices up when the Intifada was at its strongest. I know that in most restaurants in Jerusalem you are asked to pay an additional 2 shekel per person for the added security. But last time I checked I was not earning any more money than I was 2 years ago. I am starting to wonder where these restaurants get off and how they think we can continue to keep supporting them at such ridiculously inflated prices. I know if I am presented again with a 20 shekel diet coke, I am going to make the decision to just stop eating out. Which is a real shame because sometimes I just can’t be bothered cooking.
