Machane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem – Visitors Guide

Machane Yehuda Market is the most famous market in Jerusalem. It is popular among locals and tourists looking to buy and taste food.

Note: sometimes, Machane Yehuda Market is spelled as Mahane Yehuda Market, and locals call it Machane.

Preface

In recent years Machane Yehuda has become a popular tourist attraction with plenty of tours and workshops. Today this marketplace incorporates not only standard food stands and utensils stores. But there are also many restaurants and food kiosks. And at night, pubs open their doors.

Map

Machane Yehuda Market is spread over between Machane Yehuda and Etz Hayyim streets. And there are also places to the west, at HaEshkol Street and others.

Map of the area:

Directions for drivers: Link to Waze and Link to Google Maps
Directions for public transport: Link to Moovit

Interactive map of the area:

Directions

You can reach Machane either by car or by public transport. I would suggest public transportation, as finding free parking is almost impossible in this area (at least I never did). If you decide to drive there, then you can use the Shuk Parking Lot and Klal parking (both located near Ki’akh Street 2, on opposite sides of the street), Agripas parking (HaRav Shmuel Baruch 4), Einin parking (Ovadya Somech street 3), and there are many others. But you should know that parking is not cheap, and expect to pay 18 – 25 NIS per hour. Thus, if you spend around three hours at the market, the parking will cost ~80 NIS.

Update: during August 2019, we used the market parking lot at Agripas 4, and the fee was: 20 NIS per the first hour and 5 NIS per every additional 15 minutes. And the total can be at most 60 NIS. So for a 2.5-hour stay, we paid 50 NIS. So, yes, it is one of the most expansive parking-wise areas in Israel.

My preferred way to reach the market is by public transport. You can take Jerusalem Light Rail, CityPass, to the Mahane Yehuda station. It is located close to the market’s entrance. When I come from outside the city, I usually use the free parking at Ammunition Hill and take the light train (part of their Park & Ride initiative). Other Park & Ride stations and Light Rail also stop at the central bus station. So this covers most scenarios.

Tip: take a backpack with you. Carrying products will be much easier, especially if you are reaching by public transport. I always take a backpack, even when my wife says that we do not need anything :)

Opening Hours

Sunday – Thursday: 8:00 – 19:00.
Friday: 8:00 – 15:00 (can be earlier, depending on the season).

On Saturdays and holidays, the market is closed. But on Saturday evening, though the market is closed, most of its cafes and restaurants are open.

When To Visit The Market?

There are two options. If you prefer a calmer and quieter visit, come during the weekdays. Not too early and not too late. 10:00 to 16:00 should be ideal. If you prefer a more authentic visit, seeing all the locals who come to shop, Friday morning (between 9:00 and 12:00) is the time for you. Keep in mind that Friday is the busiest time, and there will be a lot of people. But there is a higher chance for street artists. So everything has its ups and downs.

Since plenty of good restaurants and food stalls exist, we prefer combining a visit with a meal (usually breakfast or lunch).

Restrooms

There are several public restrooms in the market. But since some of them are women only while others are men only, and I usually do not visit alone, I only have one option. The biggest restroom (both for men and women) is located near HaEshkol and Machane Yehuda streets. The simplest way to find it is to walk along HaEshkol Street, and at HaEshkol 6, you will see a restroom sign. You will reach the restroom by following the sign into the small alley.

Restaurants

There are many restaurants not only in the market itself but nearby as well. And I will present some of my favorites.

Note: as time passes, restaurants’ food quality can change (especially as owners and chefs change jobs). Thus, I suggest checking the latest reviews online before any visit.

Hachapuria

Our favorite place is Hachapuria at Mahane Yehuda Market, 5 Ha-Shikma Street.

The general concept of hachapuri (hacha means cheese, and puri means dough) comes from Georgia, but it differs in taste and style from region to region. This bakery offers a classic khachapuri, an acharuli–filled with cheese and topped with a fried egg–and a magaruli–yeast dough with a layer of cheese on top, crisped in the oven.

The proprietor, Tango, noticed that Israelis had embraced Turkish burekas and decided to enrich the city’s culinary offerings with the amazing taste of Georgian burekas. Hachapuria makes these pastries fresh, without margarine, just like Tango’s mom has been making them for years. It’s recommended to order the pastries ahead because every pastry is made specifically according to the customer’s request.

Here is a photo of a traditional Georgian dish, the Khachapuri.

It may not look big here, but in all my attempts, I can barely finish my Khachapuri. Cheeses and butter inside the Khachapuri fill you up pretty quickly. This small place is very vibrant and has a young and energetic atmosphere.

Pasta Basta

Pasta Basta is situated at the market on 8-12 HaToot Street.

Chaim and Shir are two good friends who moved to Jerusalem four years ago. They fell in love with Machne Yehuda and decided to open a pasta restaurant. The idea behind Pasta Basta is high-quality pasta – made on the spot – at a low price so anyone can enjoy it.

At Pasta Basta, only high-quality raw materials are used; some of them come straight from the market, and some are imported from Italy. The pasta is prepared every morning in front of the customers. Sauces and desserts are also made on the spot. Among some of the unusual flavor combinations: red pesto (using sun-dried tomatoes) with goat cheese, or coconut milk with curry and roasted peppers cream. Desserts include tiramisu, panna cotta and more.

Pasta Basta is a good default option if you are traveling with kids. My daughters are not the only one who loves pasta and cheese. ;)

Ishtabach

Istabach is located a little further away at HaShikma 1. And it is a small Kurdish restaurant.

We ate there only once and loved it. Moreover, some of my readers recommended this place, as well. So check them out.

Jerusalem Bourekas

On a recent visit, we found a new place. They are selling Bourekas.

This bourekas is similar to the one we had at Levinsky Market. And it is also delicious. Here is what a serving looks like.

Machneyuda

Machneyuda is a chef restaurant. It was established by Assaf Granit, Yossy Elad, and Uri Navon, three well-known Jerusalem chefs. The restaurant is located at Beit Ya’akov Street 10.

We tried getting in without reservations, but it was fully packed. Thus, I suggest booking a place in advance if you are interested. You can book a table on their site.

Jachnun Bar

Most of my readers are probably asking what Jachnun is. So here is a little preface:

Jachnun or Jahnun is an Israeli-Jewish pastry, originating from Adeni Jewry, and traditionally served on Shabbat morning.

Jahnun is prepared from dough which is rolled out thinly, brushed with shortening (traditionally, clarified butter or samneh), and rolled up, similar to puff pastry. It turns a dark amber color and has a slightly sweet taste. It is traditionally served with a crushed/grated tomato dip, hard boiled eggs, and skhug (a type of hot sauce). Those with a sweet tooth like to unroll the Gachnun, spread strawberry jam, before rolling it back up and serving it Jam roly-poly style.

Source: Wikipedia

Jachnun Bar is situated inside the market at HaEgoz Street 30.

Mousseline

So far, we have focused on the main dishes. Besides restaurants, many places offer desserts, and Mousseline ice cream is one of them. Mousseline is located about 100 meters from Hachapuria at 2 HaArmonim Street. And along with traditional flavors, they have some unique ones like black sesame ice cream, Matcha tea ice cream, wasabi, saffron ice cream, and others. I took the Matcha ice cream and loved it.

Urbun

I want to mention one more place we visited recently for people with a sweet tooth. It is located at Ha-Shikma Street 5 and is called Urbun – Fresh Hot Buns. If you love sweet pastries, check them out.

And here is the coffee I received on a Friday morning (I do not remember where). It had the cutest drawing saying: “Good morning.”