Hot town, cold brew in the city

The long and very warm hours of summertime call for the enjoyment of the outdoors; from licking cold ice cream scooped into a cone and munching on ripe red cherries in season to blowing bubbles on the front stoop and breathing in the scents of sunscreen and saltwater on the beach.

There are other pleasures: Digging toes into cool, dry sand, taking a long, thirst-slaking sip of a cold beer, and enjoying the cooling air of an evening breeze. For those favoring a drink, alcoholic or otherwise, it could be time to head to one of the outdoor bars in town, whether overlooking the beach, a beautiful view, or even a city sidewalk, where the breeze may mix with some car exhaust, but the vibe is still easy and relaxing.

Here are our picks for five spots that offer the necessary combination of all of the above.

1) There’s no beach in Jerusalem, but there are views. One of the best is seen from the recently opened rooftop bar and cafe at Notre Dame, the 19th century guesthouse built for French pilgrims to the Holy Land, across from the New Gate. Still functioning as a guesthouse, but with a broadened audience in mind, the spacious rooftop bar offers spectacular views of nearly all of Jerusalem. Take a seat at one of the tables or cozy couch corners, and settle in for an easy spell. The menu includes wines, cocktails, a wide array of cheeses and snacks, as well as coffee and desserts. The food isn’t really the highlight here, but the view more than makes up for it.

Rooftop Wine and Cheese, Notre Dame, 3 Paratroopers Street

2) Just down the road from Notre Dame is a more western Jerusalem hangout, the Rooftop at the Mamilla Hotel, one of four eating establishments at the hotel, if you count their guest-only dining room. What makes the Rooftop unique is its set of views of the Old City and beyond, seen from the cushioned chairs and couches that make up the seating. While the Rooftop is a restaurant, serving grilled meats, pastas and salads, the bar at the entrance is a worthwhile destination for a drink overlooking the city.

Rooftop, Mamilla Hotel, 11 King Solomon Street

3) For those requiring sand underfoot at an outdoor bar, head to one of the beachside bar/cafes situated along the Tel Aviv shoreline. There are several worthy establishments, most offering ample seating on Adironack-like white plastic chairs, along with fairly efficient wait service. One of the more established locales is La La Land at Gordon Beach with slightly upgraded seating, as well as tables and chairs set up near the bar. Be sure to order a hummus with french fries from the expansive diner-like menu to go with your beer, and know that children and families are often around during the late afternoon and early evening.

La La Land, Gordon Beach

*Honorable mention: Sublet Bar is another Tel Aviv beach-facing bar, but higher up, on the third floor of an office building facing the beach. There’s plenty of seating at Sublet, but it gets crowded at night, so head over for an after-work drink, when the sea breezes will blow right onto your chaise lounge chair. Beit Gaon, 6 Kaufmann Street

4) Driving up the coast from Tel Aviv offers the opportunity to stop in at many a beach community, but not all offer beachside seating and live music. Beach Bar at the Caesarea Port attracts tourists as well as locals who come to relax with a drink and enjoy the live music shows that take place every few days in the summer. Most of the seating is on low, cushioned benches shaded by oversized canvas umbrellas, but consider sitting on the bar stools overlooking the wide expanse of beach, just as the sun is setting.

Beach Bar, Caesarea Port

5) When traveling up north or spending a weekend at the Kinneret, be sure to stop in at Grandiose, a lake-facing restaurant/bar on the shores of Israel’s often beleaguered water source. Grandiose offers the typical Israeli restobar menu, but the setting is what makes this place special. The spacious lawn, eucalyptus trees and Shangri-la-like decor overlooking the wide expanse of the Kinneret offer that beach vacation vibe, and no one will look askance at diners dressed in bathing suits and flip-flops.

Shel-Dag Beach, Kinneret, facing Moshava Kinneret, Route 90