Traveling around Israel, especially northern Israel, one is bound to come in contact with a tzimmer, Israel's variant of the bed-and-breakfast concept. However, this nearly ubiquitous establishment of the North has yet to really arrive to the capital city. But Jerusalem does have one noted B&B called Little House in Baka, which is indeed as its name might imply, a little house in Baka, one of Jerusalem's lovelier neighborhoods.

And the Little House in Baka is home to a pleasant cafe (and bar by night) named Polly.

Vaguely Continental kosher dairy pasta-focaccia-and-salad restaurants continue to proliferate throughout the city at dizzying speeds, but fortunately for Jerusalemites craving something new, wrinkles have begun to appear in the basic formula - wonderful, encouraging wrinkles, like well-stocked bars with multiple imported beers on tap. A chalice glass full of tap Leffe makes the standard pasta and focaccia so much more exciting, and happily, Baka restaurant Polly has fully embraced that fundamental truth. Built into a venerable stone Arab manor on lovely Yehuda Street, Polly maximizes the verdant charm of its surroundings with a semi-outdoor dining area beneath a ceiling garden, a canopy of leafy vines lending a uniquely sylvan aspect to dinner. And during the winter, diners can retreat indoors to the wood-burning fireplace-warmed dining rooom.

The menu doesn't hold many surprises - salmon carpaccio, fresh garden salads, gnocchi, lasagna, fresh fish and other kosher Italian favorites dominate - but the preparation and presentation are uniformly capable, and the ambience (and liquor selection) is top flight.