Jerusalem Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Jerusalem - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Jerusalem - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
This upscale hotel is an elegant 19th-century limestone building with cane furniture, Armenian ceramic tiles, and a delightful courtyard. The Mediterranean menu is very good, with twists on local favorites such as avocado-stuffed kubbeh or an Oriental mazza of local salads, as well as tourist-friendly fare that includes the hotel burger and Wiener schnitzel, harkening back to the hotel's German roots. There's nothing quite as delightful as a light lunch or afternoon tea in the cool lobby lounge, at the poolside restaurant, or on the patio under the trees, making for a well-earned break.
Jerusalem is famous for its Kurdish kubbeh soup, made with softball-size meat-and-semolina dumplings, and Azura is the perfect place to try this classic dish. Tucked away in a plaza off the Machaneh Yehuda market, the cavelike kitchen is packed with massive pots simmering on kerosene burners. Try the velvety beet kubbeh soup, or the tangy hamusta soup made with lemon and chard. Delicious hummus is made daily, and on some days the oxtail stew has the pungent flavors of the market. If weather permits, grab an outdoor table to watch groups of old Iraqi men drink coffee and play backgammon on the benches nearby. The restaurant closes when the food runs out, so don't arrive too late.
On a quiet alley off the main East Jerusalem thoroughfare, this white-tablecloth restaurant in a hotel by the same name has long been popular with journalists, NGO workers, and local families, who flock here for pizzas from the olive-wood-burning brick oven and Palestinian favorites. High wooden ceilings, stone walls, and a simple outdoor garden create a lovely setting perfect for groups of any size. Enjoy a glass of wine or local beer along with the tasty mansaf, a regional lamb dish cooked in yogurt; or the mulukhiya, an earthy vegetarian stew served over rice. Save a little room for the complimentary Arabic sweets and hot tea served at the end of the meal by friendly waiters.
This venerable pastry shop and café run by Itzik and Keren Kadosh is known for its array of airy croissants and inventive pastries, with an annual focus on doughnuts made during the Chanukah season, filled with fruit-based creams and topped with handmade confectionary.
Locals flock to Café Yehoshua at breakfast, lunch, and dinner for its Israeli take on American diner food. The menu includes everything from tahini pancakes to spaghetti tossed with shrimp. A laid-back yet vibrant atmosphere and a location just a few minutes' walk from the prime minister's residence make it a great spot for quality people-watching in one of Jerusalem's quaintest neighborhoods. In good weather, the rooftop dining area lets you enjoy the fresh air. Evening is a great time to stop by for a drink and a bite-size burger.
Locals rejoiced big time when this casual kosher spot opened, bringing with it a menu of creative street food (not to mention Jerusalem’s best artisan bread and meat purveyors). It's all complemented by craft Israeli beers and signature cocktails in a vibrant and loud "America in Israel" atmosphere. Get the duck fries, sliders, and a range of options on the "taco bar" menu, and then chomp in disbelief that the food is so delicious and kosher at the same time.
This Tunisian hole-in-the-wall offers pillowy hand-rolled couscous, slow-cooked stews, and zingy tuna and egg sandwiches, served outside on tiny tables or packed up to go. There is no menu, just whatever owner Motti Hadad is cooking in the closet-size kitchen.
Consistently ranked among the country's best burger places, Iwo's was founded by a butcher and serves expertly grilled patties on pillowy rolls. Black-and-white-tiled walls evoke American diner traditions, but this is a sleeves-up, self-service destination. You can top your burger with sunny-side-up eggs, crispy bacon, grilled onions, and a rainbow of sauces. The veggie portobello option is just as good, and there are several salads as well. It's a great place to start or end an evening with a burger and a beer.
Nadi has great food all day but shines in the morning, when the breakfast plates come crowded with mouthwatering spreads of sun-dried tomato, olive tapenade, local cheeses, tuna, and tahini, all meant to be slathered on fabulous sourdough bread. Other offerings are delicious, colorful salads; earthy asparagus and spinach pasta; shakshuka made out of tomatoes, spinach, or beets; croissant sandwiches; quiches; and fresh coffee.
The name—a Hebrew literary phrase that translates roughly as "yesteryear"—is a clue to the character of the place. A tiny passageway leads to a rear courtyard and an iron stairway, which takes you up to this funky restaurant and bookstore in two separate rooms on the top floor of a 19th-century house. Hosting Hebrew (and occasionally English) poetry readings, lectures, small art exhibitions and modest book parties, T'mol Shilshom has long been a popular spot for folks who enjoy lingering over a novel. No meat is served, but choose from a tempting selection of salads, pastas, and fish dishes. Desserts are luscious, and the array of hot drinks served in chunky ceramic mugs is always welcome on a rainy day.
At this East Jerusalem bistro, the stone walls are hung with local art and antique musical instruments. In summer, you can enjoy your meal on a lovely patio. The menu emphasizes salads—the tabbouleh is a refreshing mix of parsley and cracked wheat—simple pastas, and heavy-hitting meat dishes. The service is efficient and unpretentious, and the well-stocked bar includes local Palestinian Taybeh beer and wine from Bethlehem, along with European imports. Most Thursdays feature live music.
At this popular kosher chain, the hamburgers are more like cakes than patties. They come with your choice of tasty sauces, and all are made to order. Lamb and chicken wraps and robust salads reflect Israeli tastes. Vegetarians will delight in the portobello burger.
Even though this German Colony institution is part of a chain, it's still quaint with welcoming service. It's well-known for its sweet potato soup and juicy salmon skewers. Morning meals are generous and varied, including classic Israeli breakfast of eggs and salads. The personable staff and the warm, welcoming space make this a favorite spot for locals. There are also charming branches downtown near Mamilla on Shlomzion Hamalka Street as well as at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.
Brothers Aviram and Shlomi Ohana's tiny fish-and-chips emporium in the heart of the Machaneh Yehuda market offers fresh selections direct from their father Haim's seafood stall down the alley. Everything is garnished with a range of tasty dressings and accompanied by great fries. Try classic British-style battered cod, or a range of interesting dishes including tuna, salmon, or whatever today's fresh catch happens to be. There are also good beers on tap. They had to triple the seating area because of the huge demand, so there's plenty of space.
One of the city's few restaurants to flout Passover restrictions on eating leavened dough, this popular haunt has been baking fluffy focaccias for over 20 years. There are many toppings (don't miss the black-olive spread), and some tasty starters (try the mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese or the fried calamari). The chicken livers stir-fried with shallots and fried onions are delicious. There are generous sandwich options, including the sirloin strips. Reserve a table on weekends when families fill the rustic restaurant where most of the seating is in the enclosed outdoor area.
With wooden tables in the tile-floored dining room and under the trees in the nearby square, this is one of the few full-service restaurants in the Jewish Quarter. The modest menu ranges from fresh salads to salmon burgers, and there is beer and wine. Try one of several fish dishes, or just enjoy a coffee while you rest from your tour of the Old City.
With a name that means "Mom," Ima honors the owner's Kurdish-Jewish mother, who inspired many of the excellent traditional Middle Eastern offerings served in this century-old stone house just a few minutes from the Machaneh Yehuda market. This is a great place to try Kurdish kubbeh soups, made with beets or pumpkin and blessed with softball-sized meat-and-semolina dumplings. The modest array of salads includes hummus and baba ghanoush, as well as stuffed grape leaves, stuffed vegetables, and wonderful kibbeh (seasoned ground meat deep-fried in a jacket of bulgur wheat).
Just inside the Jaffa Gate, Nafoura offers a tranquil courtyard for alfresco lunchtime dining. Your table might even lean against the Old City wall. The pleasant if unremarkable interior is a comfortable refuge in inclement weather. Start with the traditional array of salads, enough for two people to share. Focus on the excellent local dishes (hummus, eggplant salad, tahini, and so on). Ask for the kibbeh, delicacies of cracked wheat and ground beef, or the Armenian sausage. From the typical selection of entrées, try the lamb cutlets or the grilled sea bream.
Part of a workshop space for local artists, this landmark café has a fun and funky atmosphere. The menu is rich with sandwiches filled with delectable ingredients like avocado, feta cheese, or grilled vegetables, and they all come with side salads drizzled with a delightful basil dressing. If a sandwich isn't your style, try a quiche or a pasta dish. There's a slew of vegan-friendly dishes as well. At night, Jerusalem's hipsters come to drink beer or arak while discussing politics. A belowstairs performance space offers weekly spoken word events, musical performances, and lectures.
Grab a seat at the bar and sip a Peroni while you watch the young, friendly staff roll out extra-thin pizza dough in this narrow temple to Italian fast food. Toppings are tasty combinations of cheese, vegetables, and meats. If you'd rather enjoy pasta, the cooks will crank out fresh fettuccine on the countertop. There's an abundant supply of red and white wine, and seating is cozy but friendly in this intimate restaurant.
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