The Beit Ticho annex of the Israel Museum has always been a tranquil oasis in the heart of downtown Jerusalem, as well as the home of a well regarded restaurant. While the building was undergoing significant and lengthy refurbishment in recent years, the restaurant Little Jerusalem reinvented itself as Piccolino in Nahalat Shiva, and a search began for a kosher restaurant that would replace it. Fortunately, when Ticho House reopened this spring, tradition was preserved: there is a small park that is a welcome patch of green just a block from busy Yafo Road, and a new cafe named Anna that serves Italian cuisine.
- Anna is more than just a restaurant, however, it is a business with the added dimension of giving back to society. Backed by the Dualis Social Investment Fund, whose flagship restaurant is Liliyot in Tel Aviv, Anna employs at-risk youth and trains them in a respected profession, with the active involvement of a staff social worker.
The restaurant is so new there is still not a single sign anywhere; Anna occupies the entire second floor of the museum, including an al fresco seating area on the veranda, plus a room for private functions. The kitchen, however, is in the hands of seasoned professionals, formerly of the vaunted Machneyuda group—experience that is reflected both in the quality of the food and the excellent service.
Spinach ricotta ravioli
As we perused the bilingual menu and wine list—which is more extensive than one expects from a dairy restaurant in Jerusalem—we munched on grissini and sipped white sangria. The thin breadsticks were served with dips of crème fraîche and zesty pesto, both swimming in olive oil, while the sangria was served in a small carafe jampacked with chunks of fruit and fresh mint.
Our pasta choices were the spinach ricotta ravioli and the pumpkin risotto. According to the menu, the ravioli was simply “aglio e olio”—but in fact it comes with grilled tomato, cherry tomato and onion, which complemented nicely the fat pillows of well seasoned filled pasta. The risotto, meanwhile, was redolent of pumpkin both in pieces and puréed, and enhanced with leeks and shaved pecorino, adding up to a creamy and delicious entrée.
Pumpkin risotto
For dessert we sampled the tiramisu—piled particularly high with frothy whipped cream—and the chocolate cremeux, layered atop chocolate cake and accompanied by slivered almonds and cocoa crumble. The excellent desserts, washed down with freshly brewed cappuccino, reinforced our impression that whether you are in the mood for a good meal or just dessert and coffee, Anna certainly fills the bill.
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