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Jerusalem’s dining scene is smaller and more modest than Tel Aviv's, but is steeped in 4,000 years of culinary traditions. Among Jewish residents, more than a century of immigration has infused the local fare with the best of Kurdish, Moroccan, French, Polish, Yemenite, and Italian flavors. On the Palestinian side, most restaura
Jerusalem’s dining scene is smaller and more modest than Tel Aviv's, but is steeped in 4,000 years of culinary traditions. Among Jewish residents, more than a century of immigration has infused the local fare with the best of Kurdish, Moroccan, French, Polish, Yemenite,
Jerusalem’s dining scene is smaller and more modest than Tel Aviv's, but is steeped in 4,000 years of culinary tradition
Jerusalem’s dining scene is smaller and more modest than Tel Aviv's, but is steeped in 4,000 years of culinary traditions. Among Jewish residents, more than a century of immigration has infused the local fare with the best of Kurdish, Moroccan, French, Polish, Yemenite, and Italian flavors. On the Palestinian side, most restaurants rely on a rich heritage of family cooking. On both sides, an elite class of chefs has begun combining the best of local ingredients with advanced cooking techniques and imaginative serving styles.
All this is to say that when you’re in Jerusalem you can enjoy the best of both worlds: hole-in-the-wall eateries brimming with aromatic stews and garlicky hummus or high-end dining rooms serving inspired and elegant riffs on the city’s flavors and produce.
Some cuisine designations are self-explanatory, but other terms may be confusing. A restaurant billing itself as "dairy" will serve meals without meat; many such places do serve fish, in addition to pasta, soup, and salads. "Oriental" usually means Middle Eastern (in contrast to Western), often meaning hummus, kebabs, and stews.
The term kosher doesn’t imply a particular style of cooking, only that the cooks followed Jewish dietary law in selecting and preparing the food. In Jerusalem, where there are many kosher standards from which to choose, the selection can be dizzying. But unless specific kosher standards govern your eating habits, don't worry. Jerusalem is home to dozens of kosher restaurants preparing excellent food. Remember that most kosher restaurants are closed for Friday dinner and Saturday lunch in observation of the Jewish Sabbath. A generous handful of nonkosher cafés, bars, and restaurants remain open all weekend.
Dress codes are pretty much nonexistent in Jerusalem's restaurants (as in the rest of Israel). People tend to dress casually—jeans are perfectly appropriate almost everywhere anytime. A modicum of neatness and modesty (trousers instead of jeans, a button-down shirt instead of a T-shirt) might be expected in the more exclusive establishments. In conservative neighborhoods, women will feel more comfortable covered up. If you brought the kids, you're in luck: nearly every Israeli restaurant is kid-friendly, and many have special menus and high chairs.
This is where Jerusalemites go to have a loud, raucous good time and eat great Israeli food all in one fell swoop. It's all about the twists on local meat dishes, especially the meat-stuffed ravioli and asado risotto. Be sure to check out the hidden bar, Jacko's Son, behind the "fridge of Tequila bottles." It's tough to score a reservation, so call way in advance.
Sink into one of Menza's retro-style banquettes or take a seat around a robust wooden table for a deliciously prepared meal in this lovely café between downtown and Machaneh Yehuda market. Israeli breakfast or brunch dishes like croque monsieur are served as late as 1 pm, but be sure to stop by again in the evening to try the creative versions of bistro classics such as seared tuna niçoise salad. The menu also lists vegan options.
In this elegantly clubby version of the 24-hour diner, you can enjoy a wide variety of breakfast options, from the traditional English breakfast of bacon, sausage, baked beans, and a sunny-side-up egg, to the classic Israeli breakfast of eggs, cheeses, and fresh vegetables. Later on you can sample the house-made pumpkin tortellini or the famous French toast. There's a discount when you dine on weekday afternoons. There's a good kids' menu that's served fast to keep little ones happy.
Jerusalemite Daniella Lerer combines her family's Sephardic culinary traditions with modern Israeli cooking techniques and personal favorites from two decades in the business. Reservations are a must for Friday dinner and on Saturday, when there are often live performances outside. Starters include pickled herring, boyikos (cheesy biscuits), and pastelikos (dumplings stuffed with seasoned ground meat). Main dishes include sufrito (braised dumplings with Jerusalem artichokes) and shrimp in wine and lemon. For dessert, look for the traditional sutlach, a cold rice pudding topped with cinnamon, nuts, and halva. Barood's other face is its well-stocked bar serving more familiar fare like spareribs and sausages, along with homemade citrus schnapps and 20 other flavors of schnapps.
31 Jaffa St., 9422108, Israel
02-625–9081
Known For
Tucked-away location in a hidden alley
Sufrito (braised dumplings with Jerusalem artichokes)
Hebrew for "Sea Dolphin," this lively eatery serves some of the city's best seafood. The decor is pleasant enough—pale yellow stucco walls, recessed wine racks, arched windows, and an outdoor patio—but the food is what draws the mixed clientele, including plenty of families. Start with appetizers like the excellent wild roasted eggplant with tahini and pine nuts, then move on to the shrimp in a mushroom-cream sauce or the drum fish in a tasty broth. You can also experiment with the generous seafood platter for two that includes crab, scallops, and calamari.
This kosher cousin of the popular Downtown restaurant welcomes you with a large display of fresh vegetables and an open taboon oven where the focaccias are baked. The inventive menu offers eight different focaccias, including an excellent roast beef variety. For starters, try the Peruvian-style chicken strips blanched with mint and seasoned with lime and cilantro, or the beef carpaccio with arugula. Other good choices include the veal bruschetta served with rib-eye skewers, sweetbreads, and grilled portobello mushrooms; or the fish fillet baked with a crust of panko bread crumbs. The menu has several vegetarian options as well.
Steps from the Old City, this East Jerusalem landmark has been in business for decades—a thank-you note from President Jimmy Carter proves it. Traditional fare like stuffed carrots and onions, or musakhan chicken cooked in sumac and onions, show Palestinian home cooking at its finest. Starters like the hummus or the eggplant spread are reliably executed. If owner Zuheir Izhiman is around, ask him to share his years of local lore.
Down the block from the Machaneh Yehuda produce market, Agrippas Street has some of Jerusalem's best-known greasy spoons. Loyalists claim that Steakiyat Hatzot, which means "Midnight Grill," actually pioneered the local favorite known as Me'orav Yerushalmi, or Jerusalem mixed grill—a substantial and delicious meal-in-a-pita of cumin-flavored bits of chicken hearts, livers, and other organ meats. A bulging pita sandwich, eaten standing up, will set you back about 54 shekels; you can also sit down at a table in the well-decorated dining area and pay about twice that amount for skewers of grilled meat, duck breast, or fish. There are plenty of vegan and children's options.
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