Simple, tasty soups, lovely salads, like going back in time to the 60s. Love this place. Unpretentious and friendly. Always saw lone diners here who felt comfortable as I saw the same person several times on our trips here.
- Price $$$$
- Free Wi-Fi
- Outside Seating Area
- Vegan Friendly
- Infant Friendly
- Take Away
Fine Casuale Food with a homely touch and an authentic Jerusalem atmosphere
Hamarakia has been one of Jerusalem’s most beloved “food institutions” for over 16 years now. The restaurant is located on a side street, in a quiet corner at the city center, and it is known for its unique atmosphere and delicious soups. The restaurant is eclectically designed and soup is served in colorful bowls. Hamarakia feels like a living room where you can enjoy fine food, meet all sorts of people, watch intimate live shows, and dive into that Jerusalem mood.
At the Hamarakia, the food has 3 main features: it needs to be fresh, it needs to be of the highest quality, and the taste has to be absolutely divine. All dishes are cooked on the spot, served hot and made of the freshest raw ingredients. The service is great and the staff is professional. The food is served in a homely spirit, and the prices are affordable for everyone.
So what’s on the menu? The soup menu changes daily. If you’re lucky, try the bean soup, leek soup, tomato soup, and lentil soup. There is also an extremely good homemade hummus, a Jerusalem shakshuka, labane (strained yogurt) with eggplant, a variety of salads, and a French crepe as a sumptuous dessert. You can also find an impressive alcohol menu with draught beer, arak, whiskey, vodka, ciders, mulled wine and cava.
TripAdvisor Reviews
Based on 94 traveler reviews“Convenient and good”
“Dissapointing”
Decided to try Hamarakiya as it’s listed in lonely planet but should’ve known better, as there tips aren’t the best more often then not these days. We ordered 3 dishes: shakshuka (praised in the guide), eggplant and focaccia. Shakshuka was bland and sour, literally canned tomatoes with egg. No seasoning whatsoever. The focaccia was...
MoreDecided to try Hamarakiya as it’s listed in lonely planet but should’ve known better, as there tips aren’t the best more often then not these days. We ordered 3 dishes: shakshuka (praised in the guide), eggplant and focaccia. Shakshuka was bland and sour, literally canned tomatoes with egg. No seasoning whatsoever. The focaccia was not a focaccia but just a white bread with some mozzarella on it. Bland and tasteless. The eggplant saved the night but was also mediocre at best. Overall we expected way more but left disappointed.
Less“Great Soup!”
We went with the lentil soup (עדשים כתומים), and found it to be very delicious and filling. The pesto that comes with the bread is great -- very herby, not the usual stuff. Fun place, very quirky and charming decor.