My standing Jerusalem restaurant (and bar) recommendations

In the interest of contributing some knowledge back to the internet-at-large — and emerging from total online obscurity — I have recently begun contributing some reviews to Google Maps — as well as to Quora.

At the time of writing, I have authored 177 Google Map reviews, earning myself the grand title of Local Guide Level Six in the process.

These range wildly in tone and star-rating.

Some heap lavish praise on favorite institutions such as Rendez-Vous; others decry the inexplicably popular Sushi Rehavia chain, describing it as “a poor and tasteless attempt at pan-Asian that gets nothing truly right, but which covers everything in rivers of oil.”

This lofty status has won me access to Google’s local guide platform (Local Guides Connect) and I plan on holding a Jerusalem guides meetup at some point in the near future.

While I have a lot of good things to say about Google Maps, I have found that the platform consistently refuses to accept perfectly good edits. Many other users have reported this difficulty but our voices seem to be going ignored.

I’ve tried, without success, to add missing local synagogues, falafel eateries, and my favorite coffee supplier in East Jerusalem (the well-known and fantastic Sandookah Coffee at the corner of Salah ah-Din and Suleiman).

So without further a-do, here are my standing recommendations for some excellent food (and drinks) in Jerusalem.

(I should also disclose that I own and operate Jerusalem Happy Hours and Jerusalem Falafel Trail. Neither, clearly, are in active development, and both are primarily for my own reference).

Below: Jerusalem Falafel Trail. For the live Google Map, click here. If you want to contribute to the mapping effort, drop me a line.

Favorite Jerusalem Restaurants

Jerusalem has a million and one falafel and shawarma joints. Lest the below mislead you, know that I subsisted on a diet of predominantly falafel and burekas for the best part of four years and know the city’s falafel scene intimately. These will always be my favorite quick munches (and check out Jerusalem Falafel Trail for my map).

Unfortunately, from time to time, we all have to deal with visiting family and relatives whose idea of fine dining does not consist of shoving fried chickpeas doused in tahini and amba down one’s throat — after procuring them from a hole-in-the-wall next to the shuk. In such circumstances, I reach for the following list:

?? French:

Rendez-Vous (Baka, $$)

I visited this restaurant last night and already plan on returning next week. This is a lovely little French-run (and patronized) eaterie located in the Baka neighborhood of the city (abutting Emek Refaim and the German Colony).


?? Italian:

Al Dente (Ushiskin, $$)

A gorgeous Italian trattoria style dairy restaurant located just off Bezalel street. Delicious fish and pastas.

Anna Italian Café (Agan St. $$)

A charming Italian located within the Beit Ticho (Ticho House) complex. Lovely atmosphere and their white pizza is highly recommended.


“Garden Center” Cafés:

Deli Garden (Nayot, $)

OK, so “garden center” mightn’t be an established cuisine yet, but this is a terrific and under-discovered sandwich and deli outlet located within the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens complex.


? Falafel

My favorite falafel institutions in the city are:


? Mexican

Taco Luis

Mexican is far from my favorite cuisine, but I’m told, by those that know it, that this is pretty good — although I didn’t find the stuffing-packed burritos I was hoping for. When I went they had a 3 for 95 NIS deal. They also serve agua fresca (hibiscus-infused water) which was a treat for me!

Quesadillas Ascencio

This place is the real deal. The abuela that runs it barely spoke a word of Hebrew when I first tried it and now has the basics down.


Some Other Favorites

  • Happy Fish in Mamilla
  • Cohen’s Deli, Rehavia
  • Gevinazh, Baka
  • La Piedra — second best pizza in the city, in my opinion — after Rendez-Vous. But a wider menu.
  • Eucalyptus — personally, I think it’s over-rated, but they have some interesting dishes and for the ambiance alone it’s worth a visit.
  • Fish n’Chips, Mahane Yehuda — not the best fish and chips you’re likely to taste in your life, but it hits the spot when an onslaught of grease-laden calories are required.
  • Aricha Sabich: Sabih is nowhere near as popular in Jerusalem as it is in Tel Aviv, but if egg and eggplant is what your stomach is calling for, this is the place to go get it.
  • Darna: Authentic homemade Moroccan food. A little expensive but excellent.
  • Pepitos: nice Mexican sandwiches. In the shuk.
  • Ishtabach: Kurdish pastries. Decent.

Urgently Needed (And Absent) in Jerusalem!

  • Indian food
  • Chinese food
  • Takeaways of both

What I Don’t Like

  • All Asian restaurants in the city: I’m not a sushi guy, but do love Thai food. Almost all Asian food in Jerusalem (actually, make that Israel) is terrible in my opinion — possibly because it tends to be cooked by a Filipino worker who fits the bill as “Asian looking enough” for the requirements of the owner and clientele but who doesn’t actually hail from the country whose cuisine he is cooking. In other words: the low standard of Asian restaurants in Israel is actually a tangible effect of the demographics of Israel’s foreign worker population and its strict visa requirements which preclude traditional ethnic restaurant-owning ethnic groups from staying here long enough to open restaurants — let alone hand them down to successive generations. Included in this category: the Japanika and Sushi Rehavia chains.
  • Jacko’s Street. Not a fan.

? My Favorite Bars in Jerusalem ?


As mentioned in my Ireland/Israel comparison post, I am partial to an evening spent at a tavern / bar / watering hole.

As I mentioned in the same post, Jerusalem is not exactly bursting at the seams with bars — particularly once you move out of the city center.

Fortunately, there are a few excellent ones all of which I heartily recommend.

  • HaTaklit / “The Record”: HaTaklit is my favorite pub in the city. There’s outdoor seating and — after their offerings were removed from the menu for a period — they have thankfully re-established ties with the chipper next door. All this means that you can order from HaTaklit’s menu and their staff will deliver while you sit next door. I have great memories of watching the World Cup (and hanging out in general) here. There’s a daily happy hour too (currently 16:30 – 21:00 but check with the bar if you are interested) and the bar has both Guinness and Murphy’s on tap! Quite amusingly, the bar is something of a “known entity” among the UN and diplomatic community in the city, although I’ve no idea if the bar itself even knows this itself. It has the international vote. And it has mine.
  • Horko: If, like me, you are fond of occasionally pretending that you are no longer a carefree student without adult responsibilities, then Horko is definitely the place to soak up some of that nostalgia and atmosphere. It has three beer taps, including Emek HaEla’s excellent Triple Belgian — which is over 9% but somehow still manages to taste mildly sweet. This hole-in-the-wall is located just a few hundred meters from HaTaklit — which is partially why I designed a pub crawl which ties the two together. They have a small snack menu with things like popcorn and edamame too.
  • Beer Bazaar: Beer Bazaar is an American stronghold — but don’t let that put you off visiting (just kidding). This is located in the Mahane Yehuda market and has a decent selection of craft beers — plus a terrific indoor seating area.
  • Beer Market Jerusalem: I have to give a shout out to this underdog craft beer place that recently opened in the shuk and which is run by a very cool (and enthusiastic) fellow immigrant. I really hope they stay open — for both selfish reasons and for the betterment of the shuk which unfortunately has been filled with a bunch of trashy bars blaring loud music recently. It’s a small institution, but they have a wider tap selection than Beer Bazaar and sell beer for takeaway too.
  • 1868: If cocktails are more your thing, then Zuta’s, located within 1868, is my recommendation. Gatsby’s Cocktail Room is a well-known haunt too — although I prefer a little natural light while I drink my mojito.

I’m also fond of:

  • Besarabia: There’s something truly unique about drinking horseradish-infused vodka in an underground bar filled with Russians in Jerusalem. If I ever need to hide out from society for a period, this is probably where you will find me.
  • Freddy Lemon’s. Another shuk favorite. Quite hilariously this grungy shuk bar had a moment of fame before the last election when the prime minister decided to give an oration from it. The New York Times has the photo.
  • Mike’s Place: Another popular one with the Americans. Have a few comfy places to sit outside.

Of course, this post wouldn’t have my name on it if I didn’t also tell you what bars I don’t like:

  • Irish” pubs. Like the aforementioned Asian restaurants, all Israeli-owned “Irish” pubs I have visited have been universally terrible (in my opinion, of course!). Included: Dublin and Patrick’s. There’s only one decent, authentic Irish bar in the country, and that’s Molly Bloom’s in Tel Aviv.

Israeli “Irish” Bar vs. Irish Irish Bar — Some Guidelines


As a courtesy to all operators of bad Irish bars in Israel, I have provided the following table which should give some guidance as to how to create an authentic Irish bar experience.

I present this ‘about me’ page as my qualifying credential — along with the fact that I have spent plenty of hours in both institutions.

Aspect?? Real Irish bar?? Fake/Israeli Irish bar
MenuAlcohol is the center of the menu and establishment. Food is an accompaniment.Food and snacks are at the center of the menu. Alcohol is an accompaniment.
ServiceOne proceeds to the bar and shouts an order to the barman or barwoman. After waiting for a period, one then takes one’s drinks and uses one’s innate power of locomotion to take oneself, and oneself’s drink to a vacant table (or one drinks at the bar)One is immediately accosted by a “server” who may or may not be interested in serving one depending on the mood / hormonal state of said server. The server then inserts him or her-self as an unnecessary intermediary between one’s good self and the bar staff.
MusicOmer Adam and Moshe Peretz’s delightful hit “She Only Wants to Dance” is placed on a decade-long loop. It’s played loud enough that you can hear it from anywhere within a 200 meter radius of the bar — because, you know, it’s so quintessentially “Irish”.Thankfully, nobody has ever heard of Omer Adam, Moshe Perets, or their summertime smash hit “Rak Rotsa Lirkod”
TippingOne does not have to tip for one’s “service”. Given that the staff are paid at least the national minimum wage, one also doesn’t need to feel guilty about this.When the cheque for one’s night at the bar arrives, it will come emblazoned with the following letters, usually in bold and with an underscore for added effect: “DOES NOT INCLUDE SERVICE”.

One is expected to add 10 to 15% of the price of one’s tab for the privilege of having had one’s pints of beer shuffled between the bar and one’s seating area.
PriceAn average bar’s menu for a chetzi (500ml measure) begins at €8The most expensive pint in the country costs €8 (30 NIS at today’s rate).
Serving measuresDrinkers almost always buy a “pint”, which is a 568ml ml measur—A normal beer is a “slish” (third: 330ml).
— A “pint” is either a “chetzi” (half: 500ml) or an American pint (473ml).
ChasersPints often come with a free “chaser”, which is a slightly smaller shot measure than a shotNobody has ever heard of a “chaser”
FreebiesBarmen sometimes get drunk and pour customers’ free rounds of chasersBarstaff have the business acuity to know that doing this would be a slippery slope ending in the bar’s bankruptcy
TechniquesNobody knows how to pour a proper pint of stout.Every barman knows how to pour a proper pint of stout.
NatureThe bar is a place for drinking and socializingThe bar is a mix between a bar, a restaurant, and a teenage nightclub blaring Rak Rotsa Lirkod on repeat

Need further recommendations? Visiting Jerusalem? Drop me a line and I’d be happy to answer specific questions.