Macheneyuda, Jerusalem

As a foodie, I try to seek out the best places to eat when I am traveling. So, when I had one night in Jerusalem, the quest was on. Through research and word-of-mouth, the restaurant that was the "must go-to" was Machneyuda. When we arrived in Jerusalem and checked into the hotel, I asked the front desk to check on a reservation that I had tried to make online before we left. Although the restaurant is five years old, they were quick to tell me that if I didn't have a reservation, I wasn't going to get one. But, I asked them to call anyway and we were able to get a table for two (after all, it was a Tuesday night). Machneyuda is just outside the Machane Yehuda market. We arrived to the restaurant that was already bustling. The restaurant has a Mediterranean charm with wooden crates filled with colorful fruits and vegetables and wine bottles, Italian tomato cans, olive oil and other ingredients line the walls. Most of the tables were full, music was playing and the restaurant was full of energy. We were taken upstairs to the second floor where we had two counter seats along the railing overlooking the restaurant.