My 86-year-old mother and I were brought here in Elias Restaurant in the Mar Elias Monastery compound for lunch by our tour guide after our visit in Bethlehem. The restaurant’s stone interior was charming and gave us that feel of being inside a historic structure. True enough, it was built in the sixth century as evidenced in the ageing but well-kept stone wall. Mural paintings of iconic stories in the Bible added color (and fun) to the atmosphere. During our visit, there were not too many customers, and we were able to have our own table. Mode of service was “cafeteria” style. The food served was local, and the servings were big. My mother had beef slices and fries, and I had ground beef (more of like a big burger patty), plus all the add-on veggies and stuff. We actually enjoyed the food. And although we were already full, we sort of “forced” ourselves to finish as much as we could to avoid throwing leftovers. My mother, in general, was very picky when it comes to foreign food, but she liked what she had. As for the price, well, everything was expensive in Israel, so it did not really matter.

Our tour group stopped for lunch at the Elias Restaurant adjacent to the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Monastery. The interior was charming with stoned arches and colorful paintings. Cafeteria-style food provided a variety of selections that seemed to satisfy everyone in the group. Unfortunately, the Monastery was closed. According to Christian tradition, the prophet Elijah rested here after fleeing from Jezebel.