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The area extends from the Machaneh Yehuda market and Nachla'ot neighborhood, through the central Downtown triangle, to King David Street. The range is vast, from funky budget or takeaway joints to upscale fine-dining specialists, from Middle Eastern food to European cuisine, and several surprises in between. Nonkosher restaurants do a roaring trade on Friday night, after the Sabbath begins, when their kosher counterparts are closed and the city streets quiet.
When aficionados of local standards like garlicky hummus, skewered shish kebabs, fried chicken schnitzel, and bean soup argue hotly about the merits of their favorite eateries, Pinati—which means "corner" in Hebrew—comes up as a leading contender. It's now a chain, but this simple downtown spot remains a convenient place to rub shoulders with locals while eating expertly prepared food. Not for long, though: your table will soon be in demand, and you will have to share at peak times.
Cholent is a dish that evolved from necessity: Jewish law forbids cooking on the Sabbath, and so observant Jews often start a stew on Friday that will be ready the following afternoon. Every Jewish community has its own recipe, but in Jerusalem the best place to try cholent is in the ultra-Orthodox quarter of Me'a She'arim, where on Thursday nights locals crowd into Deitsch for a plate straight out of Poland. You'll be served a rich brown stew with a few vegetables and a dumpling. Dress modestly, and expect to be the only patrons not wearing black and white.
It's hard not to wolf down these pita sandwiches stuffed with seared entrecote, osso buco, or fried red mullet, and there's crispy cauliflower too. Shots of arak are available as well, on the house.
Share a long wooden table with university students at this restaurant named for a soup pot and enjoy an ever-changing menu of hearty soups and stews served with white bread, butter, and pesto. Shakshuka (a tangy dish of eggs, tomatoes, garlic, and onions), interesting salads, and other vegetarian and vegan options complete the menu. There's a piano in the corner, a box of old records, and a chandelier made of spoons. In winter, ask about live jazz in the evening, usually Wednesday.
The sign is only in Hebrew at this hole-in-the-wall stand, which features what many say is the best sabich in the city. The Middle Eastern street food staple has thin slices of fried eggplant combined with hard-boiled egg and your choice of greens, wrapped in a laffa (flatbread) or stuffed into a pita, then topped with tehina and/or amba, a tangy, pickled mango sauce. If you haven't yet been introduced to sabich, this is is the place to be initiated. The hours? Until the eggplant runs out. There are vegetarian and vegan options.
All walks of life share elbow space at this casual eatery's long bar inlaid with Armenian painted tiles. The hummus here is especially tasty and is served from morning until well after midnight.
Locals swear by this deli's inexpensive sandwiches, which come piled high with smoked meats, exotic cheeses, or pickled herring. Meat and dairy are prepared in separate kitchens, so you have an unusually wide range of choices for a non-certified kosher eatery, and it offers vegan-friendly options as well. It's also a great place to pick up a fresh pastry, a bottle of wine, or a block of cheese, which you can enjoy at one of the deli's few street-side tables. They'll pack a picnic as well.
This cozy restaurant bar pays special attention to vegetarian and vegan entrees, alongside carefully concocted cocktails. The Jerusalem Mix, a tempeh and portobello mushroom dish served on a grilled pita with tahini is a wonder. Be sure to order the polenta fries.
