We managed to find a place for lunch in machneyuda by sheer luck - someone had canceled, you need to order a month ahead and for a good reason. The restaurant has two entrances and no sign, to be exact a really tiny sign you see only when you are at the door so take the address with you. The spaces are not connected so it's like two small restaurants. We got into the second one and got a place on the bar. The place is really nice, simple design but with a really happy atmosphere with loud music. You can see the open kitchen which is nice.

The bartenders are really friendly and the service is really fastSince we stayed at the Brown hotel that is located just behind the market we could both drink so we got a glass of wine and a cocktail. Both were good.

We took the Tasting menu which gives you several servings with different dishes from the kitchen - they ask you if there are things you don't eat (wife is a vegitarian,  I eat everything and both don't like very spicy food) and then you are at the hands of the kitchen and these are good hands :)

Each serving consists of 3-5 dishes with a nice presentation, excellent taste and nice size.

First serving had:

• Nablus gate salad:  amazing many different flavors in your mouth.
• Tuna sashimi:  disappointing the tuna was not very good but the gravy was good.
• Baked green papers: just that.
• Ancient Kurdish pastry - really nice for a vegetarian dish.
• Fish tartar: excellent, really really tasty.

Second serving had:

• Polenta: really good. - Sea food plate-arisa: rally nice and fresh.
• Some tartar that was amazing.
• Another salad with nuts and cheese that was very good.
• Ravioli filled with cornflour that was excellent.

Then we got the meat serving - nice soft slices with a bone next to it and mash potato and mash yam. I asked to have it made some more so they brought a hot pan for me to do it which made a perfect slice

Another dish was a filet with foie gras on top that was perfect!and to make the vegie happy a risotto which was excellent!!.

Then when you think you can't fit anything else in they bring out the desserts. Luckily desserts go to another stomach :). I don't know what was on that tray but it was great!

All around it's a great place with really really good food with surprising combinations and a great value for your money.

Really hard to get there by car and even harder to find parking so use the Jerusalem light train - it's a 2 min walk from the Machne Yhuda station.