Up until a few years ago, a culinary tour of Jerusalem including dishes more complex than authentic hummus or foods cooked over a kerosene stove was unheard of. The recent revival of the Mahane Yehuda Market, however, has turned this situation on its head, and has contributed to the city’s new image as a top-ranking culinary destination.
At the same time, the market’s new positioning has made it a place where some well-known central figures overshadow their peers. As a result, we tried to elegantly ignore these inalienable assets in order to discover as many new gems as we could. Resisting temptation wasn’t always easy, and at times we did succumb, but our main goal was to discover new, exciting places.
The thing about the market is that its enormous popularity means that it’s very crowded on Fridays and before holidays, and the market is closed on Saturdays and on holidays. To really enjoy it, it’s best to come on a weekday, just like real tourists. It’s worth clearing your calendar to surrender to two gluttonous days in Jerusalem.
First stop: Brunch at Trattoria Haba
119 Yafo st., Jerusalem
It’s hard to ignore the impressive arched structure housing the restaurant and its magnificent design that correlates perfectly with the Jerusalem environment, with an extra dollop of welcoming, charming European chic. The diverse patrons told us about how vastly popular and loved the restaurant is by the locals. The Jerusalem Haba family established one of the local flagship bakeries at the exact same location. Not long ago, the building was renovated while being strictly preserved to add remarkably delightful design flair.
There aren’t many places like this in the city that combine pastries baked on the premises with a coffee shop and a restaurant with charming, well-designed spaces, each offering a unique experience.
The Parisian entrance counter serves patrons who pop in to buy a pastry to-go or a quality loaf of bread to take home just as they did when it was just a bakery, but with style. Upstairs, you’ll find people sitting with their laptops and solemn businesspeople conducting work meetings. In the central seating area, you’ll find countless granny carts demonstrating that this is the place to be for a sweet hiatus from shopping. In the small patio alongside the stalls, you’ll feel that you’re an integral part of the market.
Chef Michael Katz is responsible for the interesting menu that includes some unexpected brunch options.
We ordered the ‘Baguette and cheese breakfast’ – a sourdough baguette baked on the premises, a quality Israeli cheese spread, first-rate tahini topped with silan (date honey), fresh fruit and dates, all served with a rich cup of coffee and a mimosa. We ordered seconds of the home-cured trout Benedict served on blanched spinach, toasted challah and hollandaise – a superb local version of the classic salmon Benedict.
For dessert, we had a perfect salted caramel éclair, and we were on our way!
Second stop: Our first coffee at the Coffee Roastery
32 Etz HaHaim st., Jerusalem
The Coffee Roastery stall is situated inside the Mahane Yehuda Market at the most picturesque address in Israel – the corner of Etz HaHaim (Tree of Life) and Ha’Afarsek (The Peach). This is the Jerusalem branch of Yafo’s Cafelix, and at Yaki Eichler’s charming destination you’ll find one of the best cups of coffee Israel has to offer, roasted on the premises and served alongside excellent desserts and pastries. They also offer coffee beans and ground coffee mixes sold by bulk. Even though we’d just had a cup of coffee at Haba, our legs led us to the Roastery without having planned the detour. The place is expertly designed and stands out among the other merchant market stalls, ultimately causing us to feel sincerely obligated to sit and try their coffee.
One long espresso for the road, and a promise to ourselves that we’d be back with an emptier stomach. For dessert, Yaki gave us a warm recommendation for our next destination – go to the Basher Deli, and tell them that Yaki sent you.
Third stop: Small tastings at Basher Fromagerie
53 Etz HaHaim, Jerusalem
Following Yaki’s recommendation, we arrived at the Fromagerie’s acclaimed flagship stall. In truth, it’d been a long time since our last visit, and we were happy to see that there was a second gallery floor where people could sit with a glass of wine to enjoy the finest cheeses available in Israel. We used our “Yaki sent us” card, and like magic, the friendly man who welcomed us started juggling raw materials from the window to serve us small, delicious delicacies – a slice of bread with truffle butter, a sprinkling of olive oil, pickled, spiced cherry tomatoes, and a teaspoon of indulgent mascarpone with a surprisingly delicious amarena cherry.
By this point we were growing tired, and the mandatory vacation siesta was calling our names. We bid farewell to all the wonderful foods the place had to offer, and as we finally began to leave the market we decided to taste the Khachapuri dishes before checking into the place where we’d be staying.
Fourth stop: The Khachapuriya
5 HaShikma st., Jerusalem
On our way to the Shukenyon parking lot on Agrippas st., we stopped to pick up a Khachapuri Megruli for the road, not before the woman working the stall made us promise to heat the pastries according to her precise instructions. We’re always happy to find places that take the take-away issue with appropriate seriousness! For people like us with time on our hands, it’s always best to stop and eat the local delicacies on the premises. And be patient, because the line for the coveted khachapuri, prepared on the spot for each customer individually, can be a bit tedious. It’s well worth the wait. Let us point out that right next door you’ll find the known and loved Mousseline Ice Cream Parlor, and the lines for these two spots tend to merge for those who enjoy both pastry and ice cream.
After our wait, which included another quick tour of the market, we finally received our khachapuri – a Georgian cheese pastry, and the Megruli – the yeast pastry version topped by a layer of crispy cheese.
Fifth stop: The Tur-Sinai Organic Farm
1 Ze’ev Tur-Sinai st., Emek Ha’Arazim, Jerusalem
With full stomachs and full bags from Khachapuriya, we hopped into our car and drove to the Tur-Sinai Organic Farm located in the magnificent Emek Ha’Arazim. Just a short 20-minute drive from the market area, and we felt as if we’d entered a different time zone, complete with green scenery and a herd of Bambis crossing the winding road leading up to the farm. An exclusive bed-and-breakfast awaited us, ecologically constructed and faced with local stones with a huge round skylight and a luxurious mudbrick bathroom – the perfect location for total relaxation.
The place has an interesting history beginning in 1952, when an orchard farm with various types of fruit trees was developed in Jerusalem’s western gateways. Cherries, peaches, plums, apricots, apples and more began to fill the empty land. The farm was established from private funds and from a joint initiative by the Torczyner family in the United States and the Tur-Sinai family in Israel. The innovative project was run by Ze’ev Tur-Sinai, a young agronomist who’d graduated from the Kadoorie Agricultural School, and his wife Sima, who’d graduate from the Nehalel Agricultural School. The couple aspired to grow new types and species of fruit trees that had never been grown in Israel before. Surely, the crops from the farm yielded thousands of tons of fruit and supplied a significant portion of young Israel’s fruit production. The idea, its implementation and its establishment were granted praise and encouragement by Israeli heads of state and by the JNF (Jewish National Fund).
In the early 1980’s, agriculture in Emek Ha’Arazim was abandoned entirely, and its last green remnant is the Tur-Sinai family’s agricultural farm spread across about 30 hectares of land. A variety of about 200 types and species of fruit trees are grown according to organic grove methods that gradually ripen year-round. The location is home to several stunning resort units as well as a garden for functions, conferences and seminars. We immediately surrendered to the relaxed pace of the resort and settled in for a long, sweet siesta.
Sixth stop: The bar at the Adom Restaurant
4 David Remez st., the First Station at the Old Train Station complex, Jerusalem
צילום: יואב גורין
To be honest, we had big plans for that evening. We’d planned on eating dinner at the Adom Restaurant – an established Jerusalem institution that was recently revived at a new location in the heart of the Jerusalem Station. Dinner would be followed by a trip to the market’s Yudale Bar, Mahane Yehuda’s young, lively bar. But Waze had other plans for us, and we ended up getting lost in depths of Emek Ha’Arazim and were late for our dinner reservations. When we finally arrived, we were steered towards to the bar, which seemed like a fun, upgraded option.
The bar is situated in a closed ‘aquarium,’ and we were surprised to see that they permitted smoking. While we don’t belong to the heavy smokers’ crowd, the ventilation was excellent and the smokers’ floor was very low, allowing us to sit comfortably. After a brief consultation with the menu and with the barman, we decided to split appetizers with a seafood flair – ceviche, crab ravioli, and a bowl of clams among others dishes. Despite the generous wine menu, we decided to stick with the house recommendation of the bar’s expert cocktail specials. Boom! What an excellent series of decisions.
צילום: אדום
The bar, the food, the lighting, the drinks, the medley of foreign languages dancing through the air – everything was precise, joyful, and electrifying. We ditched all our other plans and surrendered to the barman’s juggling hands and to the delightful dishes coming out of the kitchen.
צילום: אדום
Seventh stop: Breakfast on the terrace and a tour along the spice and medicinal plant trail
Tur-Sinai Farm
Toting a slight hangover, we woke up to breakfast. The chilly outdoor air didn’t stop us from sitting in our pajamas bundled up in blankets on the nearby terrace to enjoy our meal facing the breathtaking scenery.
Before leaving this special place, we went on a short tour along the spice and medicinal plant trail. We heard beautiful, moving stories about the people who’d established the farm and about the owners’ many future plans. We picked medicinal plants for delicious tea, and after drinking our tea we were ready to move on. Our allotted 24 hours were almost over.
Eighth stop: Our second coffee at the Coffee Roastery
32 Etz HaHaim, Jerusalem
Before driving home, we remembered a promise we’d made to ourselves to return to the Roastery for another cup of coffee and for the seductive desserts. We looked at the time and decided to treat ourselves to another couple of hours at the beloved market. Within twenty minutes and after spotting two stray Bambis safely crossing the road, we reached our promised coffee and at its side, Canneles that were nothing less than superb – crispy, caramelized pudding cake, a sweet end to an exhilarating experience.
Photos by: Rotem Dalal
