Located right off Manger Square in Bethlehem, Peace Center Restaurant is a casual, touristy eatery offering rustic food and drinks. Though the food and service here were nothing remarkable, the restaurant was still a nice place to try some Palestinian dishes. Maqlouba means “upside-down,” and this traditional dish was made with spiced rice mixed with eggplant and cauliflower and served with a roasted chicken breast and yogurt sauce on the side. The chicken was a bit dry, but the vegetables mixed with the rice were savory and flavorful, and the yogurt sauce added a cooling, acidic contrast to the spices. Next, we had the Kidreh, a tender, fatty lamb shank served with yellow spiced rice topped with slivered almonds, also served with yogurt sauce on the side. This rice tasted completely different from the maqlouba and had a stronger spice mixture, but the highlight was the meaty, tender, fatty lamb paired with the yogurt and crunchy almonds.
Best meal of our trip to the Middle East, specifically Israel and Palestine. Service was super friendly and the traditional Palestinian dishes were exceptional. We enjoyed the makloubeh and mansaf which can be ordered with chicken or, our choice, lamb. Took awhile to get to our table because it was cooked to order as it should be. Prices very reasonable for the region and the quality. I'll forever dream of the wonderful, exotic dishes. A foodie paradise.
We wouldn't visit again.
The food was fine, but nothing special, particularly considering the ridiculous prices and fact there are so many other, better, restaurants nearby.
Two mains and a starter with a drink each came to a total of about 260 shekels.
The beer was unfortunately probably the worst I've ever had at a restaurant, just an awful combination of warm, flat and watery.
The servers did seem quite nice, and we were offered a free dessert after the meal.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 3
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 1
After being in Israel for over a week, I wanted some American food. I ordered a cheeseburger and it was delicious and tasted just as you would expect in America. Good service, good food, nice people, reasonable prices.
