restaurant review: machneyuda in jerusalem

Prior to visiting Israel, Mr. Sazy Rock and I have asked friends, who have recently and/or frequently visited Jerusalem, to give recommendations for a "must-try" restaurant in the city. An overwhelming amount of them recommended Machneyuda, a restaurant near the famous Mahane Yehuda market (or simply called, "the Shuk"). Online research also revealed positive reviews of Machneyuda.

Machneyuda's kitchen.

We double checked Machneyuda's provenance because, in addition to trying out one of Israel's famous restaurants, we wanted to take out our new friend, Noga, who had been so kind about giving us excellent recommendations in Jerusalem and elsewhere, introducing us to fascinatingly smart people at the Volcani Institute (a premier agricultural research facility in the country), inviting us to fun parties, and generally just being a wonderful person. The word-of-mouth recommendations and our double work by researching online proved helpful because when we informed Noga that we would like to take her to Machneyuda, she was thrilled.

So, off we went.


The Scene

Machneyuda was loud and buzzy. It definitely had a great energy. All the tables were taken (and, in fact, I had to make reservations months in advance) and the diners upstairs appeared to be having a great time dancing. The restaurant's space itself was small and we were cramped in a corner. Somehow though, that did not bother me at all. The open kitchen was filled with pots and pans, which in turn, were filled with food bubbling.

The Food


The dishes were mostly served in a wooden plank to be shared by everyone at the table. The quality of all the ingredients served was very high.

The first course was a pumpkin and sweet potato soup with ravioli stuffed with goat cheese. 

Pumpkin and sweet potato soup.

The second course was a plank full of the following:

• Fried sea bass with pickled cauliflower   

• Tuna carpaccio with Jerusalem artichoke  

• Tuna sashimi with bulgur and pomegranate 

Sea bass, tuna carpaccio and tuna sashimi,

The third course was a plank full of the following:

• Tartare shwarma with tahini and yogurt 

• Beef carpaccio with Parmesan  

• Beef tatami with fennel and olives  

Shwarma, Beef Carpaccio and Beef Tatami.

The fourth course was a polenta with mushrooms and asparagus, and sprinkled with truffle oil and Parmesan. Apparently, this was Machneyuda's signature dish. Although it was served lukewarm, the texture was nice.

Polenta.

The fifth course was a sea bass with garlic and onion confit. The fish was perfectly seared with crisp skin. The fried calamari with tahini was delicious where the squid was perfect and not rubbery.

Sea Bass and Calamri.

The sixth course was a plate of the following:

• Lamb t-bone with chimchurri and root vegetables - fantastic and fatty.

• Entrecôte steak - perfectly cooked medium rare.

• Bone marrow - had to send one back because needed more roasting; otherwise, it was good and rich.

Lamb, Steak and Bone Marrow.

The seventh course was a plank containing a trio of foie gras with with chocolate, fried vermicelli and filet mignon. 

Foie Gras.

The dessert course consisted of the following:

• Homemade twix - very sweet 

• Bavarian cream - light with crunchy Rice Krispies-type texture 

• Lemon tart - definitely sharp

We ended our meal with a beautiful Israeli ice wine from the Golan.

Ice Wine.

The Service

The server was friendly and attentive. And the food came appropriately spaced. 


The Price

Our meal was not cheap. Including a bottle of wine, arak and the dessert wine for the three of us, the bill came just under $350. But, as you can see, we were served a lot of food and drank well.


The Verdict

It's definitely worth it to dine at Machneyuda once. The cooking and the ingredeints were top notch. With all the delicious (and cheaper in price but not in quality) food options in the Shuk, however, I think once is more than enough. 


Another, and the most important, reason our meal was definitely worth it was the fact that Machneyuda allowed us to have a great time with new friends over a sumptuous meal.