A List of Recommendations of the Best Restaurants and Street Food in Jerusalem.
I get asked a lot about my favorite restaurant in Jerusalem and my response is always the same. I don’t have one favorite; I have several favorites. The same applies to the best restaurant in Jerusalem. It totally depends on what you are looking for. The type of food, atmosphere, location, and so on. Having said all that, there are certain categories that come up frequently that have very straightforward answers. So, here is my list of the best restaurants and best street food in Jerusalem.
Best Burger in Jerusalem
Since it opened, Golden Burger (Kosher) on Hillel Street has become my favorite burger. The combination of the slightly toasted brioche bun with the 100% Entrecote beef patty, seared with the signature house sauce to create a caramelized flavor is delicious. It is a takeaway restaurant, so if I am looking for a sit-down burger experience, then I go to Josef Burger on Agripas.
Read more: Top 10 Burgers in Jerusalem
Best Cafe in Jerusalem
One of the most popular cafes in Jerusalem, Naadi Cafe (Kosher) is known for its great breakfasts, and fresh and creative salads, and also has interesting pasta and fish dishes for dinner. The cafe is located in the city center, with a large outdoor seating area.
Best Coffee in Jerusalem
The coffee game in Jerusalem keeps getting better and better. I am a cold brew fanatic and the best I have found so far in Jerusalem is from Sybaris in Rehavia. I also buy my ground beans from them. I also really like the coffee from Roasters but their cold brew is not as good.
Best Dessert in Jerusalem
Arale Crepe (Kosher) is a tiny store near the shuk that serves one dish in a variety of flavors. The crepe is wrapped into a cone shape, filled with ice cream, and topped with creme brulee with melted sugar on top. It is pure indulgence.
Best Friday Night Restaurant in Jerusalem
HaSadna is the sister restaurant of Machneyuda (closed on Shabbat), with a kitchen that specializes in aged meats, but there are plenty of fish and vegetarian options on the menu. I like sitting at the large bar where you can watch the bar staff prepare a variety of great cocktails.
Read more: Top 10 Friday Night Restaurants in Jerusalem
Best Fries in Jerusalem
Just Meat (Kosher) is a meat sandwich restaurant on Ben Hillel Street, off Ben Yehuda. Although I love the meat sandwiches, it is their fries that really shine. There are a few secrets to their success. They are double fried, then dried off and well salted.
Best Hummus & Falafel in Jerusalem
Hummus Ben Sira (Kosher) is a simple hummus restaurant popular with young locals and tourists alike. The falafel balls have an incredible crunch to them and are full of flavor.
Best Kosher Restaurant in Jerusalem
Jacko’s Street is one of my favorite restaurants in Israel (not just kosher ones). It is my go-to place for taking out-of-town guests and even those who don’t eat kosher are impressed by the creativity of the menu and energetic atmosphere in the restaurant – it epitomizes the expression “fun-dining”.
Read more: Jerusalem Top 10 Kosher Restaurants
Best Non-Kosher Restaurant in Jerusalem
If you are looking for an interesting Israeli culinary experience, Machneyuda is a must-visit (if you can get a booking). The menu combines high-end dining with homestyle cooking and changes daily, but the style, ambiance and essence stay the same.
Read more: Top 10 Non-Kosher Restaurants in Jerusalem
Best Pizza in Jerusalem
Craft Pizza (Mehadrin) has a stall in the shuk and a restaurant in town. Both serve great pizza with a lovely sourdough base and flavorful sauce. I love the Umami pizza with a white sauce base, mushrooms and truffle oil. I also love the pizza from Anthony’s Pizza but it is not a fun place to sit and eat and they do not sell by the slice.
Read more: Top 10 Pizza Places in Jerusalem
Best Shawarma in Jerusalem
Mitzle (Kosher) is a meat street food restaurant on Yafo Street near the Shuk, with local Jerusalem and Turkish influences. The shawarma is a mixture of veal and lamb meat, cooked on an open flame and served in freshly made, paper-thin laffa bread. There is a trend right now for gourmet shawarma and this is the best I have tried so far.
Best Steak in Jerusalem
Black Iron (Kosher) is a steakhouse bar on Agripas near the shuk. The menu is focused on Wagyu steaks and dry-aged steaks in a variety of cuts. I love the Wagyu Denver Cut and Rump steaks for the texture and the dry-aged Prime Rib for the juicy flavor.
Best Steakiah in Jerusalem
Hatzot (Kosher) is one of the original steakiah (meat grill) restaurants near the shuk. Before the main course arrives, the table is covered in a selection of freshly made salads and dips, along with pillowy fresh pita bread, all of which can be refilled as much as you like. The meat skewers are well cooked and seasoned with a secret spice mix. Hatzot claims to have invented the famous Jerusalem Mixed Grill. The restaurant has a separate takeaway window along with street-side tables for grabbing a quick bite.
Best Vegetarian in Jerusalem
Tzemah is the vegetarian restaurant of the Machneyuda group with inventive vegetarian dishes, such as eggplant brulée, camembert focaccia, cabbage shawarma and mushroom shashlik. The restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch.
Best View in Jerusalem
The restaurant with the best view in Jerusalem is Rooftop Restaurant (Kosher) in the Mamilla Hotel. The view over the Old City is incomparable and the menu is always fresh and interesting with mostly Mediterranean dishes with a Middle Eastern influence. The Veranda meat grill restaurant on the terrace of the David Citadel Hotel also has a lovely view overlooking the Old City but neither the view, nor the food and service are comparable to the Mamilla Rooftop. The rooftop of the Notre Dame (Not Kosher) pilgrim guesthouse has a restaurant with spectacular views of the entire eastern side of the Old City. The service is impeccable and there are some great dishes on the menu, but I prefer to go for cheese, wine, and starters at sundown.
For more information about my favorite Israeli food and the best restaurants in Israel, check out these posts:
- Top 10 Israeli Cookbooks
- Top 10 Kosher Restaurants in Tel Aviv & Herzliya
- Top 10 Israeli Chefs Worldwide
Follow Debbest on Facebook, Instagram and subscribe to this newsletter to receive regular updates on the Foodie Israel scene.
Categories: Top 10
