Kosher dining's inexorable march to sophistication continues with the debut of Luchana, an Emek Refaim "Italian House" offering kosher Italian fare along with plenty of non-Italian selections in keeping with current culinary trends in Jerusalem. Daily breakfast includes a lineup of salads, bruschette and croissants, along with a "Sicilian breakfast" which, for reasons unknown to modern science, consists of a kosher version of eggs Benedict and an espresso. Main courses draw heavily on simple Southern Italian preparations of local fish and a robust lineup of pasta (fettucini, pappardelle, tortellini, ravioli), gnocchi and risotto. Random asides include ceviche and gravlax.

The wine list is fairly extensive for a kosher restaurant, culled from both the big names in kosher wine (the Golan Heights Winery) and the boutique vintners in the Judean Hills who have begun to cause a stir among oenophiles. More impressive than either the menu or the wine list is the decor - elegant lamps shine down on intimate booths and intricately patterned tile floors, a cozy meeting of modernism and classic bistro ambience.