Mike's Place is a controversial bar for Jerusalem's young English-speaking Jewish community, dividing between two immigrant schools of thought (assimilation vs. segregation), inspiring both revulsion and devotion. Some Jerusalem Anglos avoid it as if its crowd of American students and hippied-out religious immigrants carried the bubonic plague, while others swear by it.

Fundamentally, it's not important, especially if you're not interested in Jerusalem Anglo immigrant politics. What you need to know is that Mike's Place features live music nightly at 22:30 downstairs in a cave-like venue, a five-hour happy hour from 16:00 until 21:00, pool, big sports monitors, an appealing stone construction and a lot of unhealthy bar food, including some of Jerusalem's only Mexican food. There is also a quieter semi-outdoor seating area near the entrance.

As far as drinks go, it's as standard as Israeli bars come, but it's really more about the music. You may want to avoid Mike's Place on Purim and certain other holidays when it hosts parties for much of the Anglo population of Hebrew University and the city's yeshivot, unless you like drunk and rowdy young crowds.