Mamilla Rooftop Restaurant: Jerusalem’s Skyline Served Tableside
- Mark Vogel
- Mar 11
- 6 min read
Updated: May 9
Kosher Meat Restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel ✈
On a recent trip to Jerusalem, Israel, I had the opportunity to enjoy a meal at Rooftop, a kosher restaurant at the Mamilla Hotel. I approached the hotel from Jaffa Gate just before sunset, weaving through the limestone colonnade of the Mamilla Mall until an attendant pointed me toward the elevator reserved for the rooftop. The short ride ended in a rush of fresh air and an uninterrupted sweeping view of the Old City wall. From this height the walls look almost close enough to touch, running in a jagged line toward the Tower of David while dusk turns every stone deep gold.
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“Nearly fifteen years after the hotel’s debut, the Rooftop remains a place where the city’s ancient profile and its modern hospitality industry meet each evening around plates of kosher meat and glasses of Israeli wine.”
A retractable canopy of off-white fabric stretches across the terrace, pulled taut over steel beams fitted with discreet spotlights that switch on as daylight retreats. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels form the perimeter and slide open when the weather allows, so the line of sight to the Old City stays clear even from tables set deep into the space. A continuous planter filled with tightly clipped shrubs traces the glazing, creating both a natural railing and a buffer between diners and the drop to Mamilla Avenue below. Seating relies on woven rattan armchairs whose curved backs match the terrace’s relaxed rhythm; muted olive cushions tie the chairs to the greenery at the edge. Every table is dressed in a crisp white cloth, set with heavy stemware and folded linen napkins, and the dark-stained timber floor absorbs some of the evening chill rolling in from the Judean hills.
The Rooftop Restaurant has crowned the Mamilla since the hotel opened in 2009, a project conceived to link western Jerusalem with the strip just outside Jaffa Gate. From its first night the roof was intended to be more than a view deck; it was the hotel’s dining room in the sky, pairing kosher meat cookery with a panorama no ground-floor bistro could match. A refurbishment completed recently in 2025 tightened the interior palette - dark timber, charcoal upholstery, and frameless glass - while leaving the terrace footprint untouched so every seat still faces the walls or the ridge of Mount Zion.
At the western end of the roof a long bar anchors the room. Its front is clad in horizontal wooden slats that echo the terrace flooring, while a seamless slab of pale stone forms the countertop. Slim barstools upholstered in lime green line the length, their color mirroring the chair cushions in the main dining area. Behind the counter, Jerusalem stone is faced with narrow cedar battens punctuated by floating bottle shelves lit from below so that the spirits glow against the wood. Overhead infrared heaters, finished in matte black, tilt downward from the canopy frame to take the edge off cooler nights. Scattered along the tables, small succulent pots lend a quiet touch of texture without competing with the skyline just beyond the glass.
During the 2025 renovation the kitchen changed hands. Simone Shapiro, who had steered the restaurant for several years, passed the pass to chefs Kfir Mysnikov and Ran Nehemia. Under their watch the dining room keeps its Jerusalem Rabbinate certification and a red-meat focus but threads Southeast-Asian flavors through the courses while steering clear of dairy and butter.
The menu has something for everyone. Meals start with bread from the wood-fired tabun - often a blistered sourdough focaccia scented with garlic confit and balsamic glaze, served alongside tomatoes collapsed into their own juices. Raw dishes lean on precise knife work: king-fish pani puri brings sea-bream ceviche and curry-lime aioli in fragile wheat shells; bluefin-tuna tataki arrives barely seared and dressed with plum nam jim; beef-fillet crudo rests in soy-yuzu vinaigrette under mushroom shavings; and ginger-laced tartare de boeuf sits on little-gem lettuce with apple-ponzu for balance. Vegetable plates carry equal weight, from lettuce with citrus and roasted almonds under orange-mustard vinaigrette to beet-and-pumpkin tartare folded with nuts and dried fruit.
Heat takes over further down the page. Veal sirloin lacquered in Japanese miso rests on roasted bone marrow beside fermented-chili relish; short ribs braise for a full day before being tucked into a brioche bun with sriracha aioli; massaman curry coats chicken medallions; and charcoal-grilled royal filet mignon lands beside potato-butter purée and campfire onion. The same grill turns out Sichuan-style sea bass with chili-soy glaze and miso-caramel salmon. Dessert rotates but stays dairy-free: coconut-milk malabi topped with raspberry coulis, halvah semifreddo folded with tahini, and sorbets built around seasonal citrus all move through the slate.
The drinks program parallels the kitchen’s precision. Cocktails range from a gin-and-berry “Scarlett” sharpened with lemon to a Yerushalmi-gin “Letitia” brightened with fresh citrus. An hour-long window at the start of service doubles any of those orders. The wine book focuses almost entirely on Israeli producers from the Judean Hills, Galilee, and Golan Heights, running from crisp Sauvignon Blanc to substantial Cabernet blends before segueing into boutique Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Servers know the vintages well and guide pairings that work with the kitchen’s spice profile without straying from kashrut. A concise page of local craft beers and a trio of non-alcoholic cocktails round out the list.
As daylight fades, the Old City walls reclaim center stage. The Western Wall plaza lights flick on, and the spire of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer cuts a slim shape against a darkening sky. Down on the streets traffic buzzes, yet at roof level the noise softens enough for a live acoustic guitar set to drift across the terrace without amplification. Even in late spring the Jerusalem breeze can feel cool once the sun is gone. Infrared heaters hum overhead, blending into the canopy frame so neatly that most diners notice them only when the warmth reaches their shoulders.
Between courses I asked the manager about capacity. The restaurant seats roughly one hundred fifty when every table is set, though on weeknights they cap reservations at about two-thirds to keep service moving. Private events take over the entire space several times a month; corporate groups like the setting because dessert can coincide with the light show that occasionally plays against the citadel walls.
Beyond its view, the Rooftop merits attention for its place in Jerusalem’s culinary timeline. When the restaurant opened, few local dining rooms pursued high-end kosher cooking with global influences; older institutions tended to stay within tight French or Middle Eastern boundaries. By folding Asian accents into kosher meat cookery, the Rooftop showed that dietary law was no barrier to range. The city has followed suit, and today a visitor can move from aged-beef nigiri in Mahane Yehuda Market to Korean-style fried chicken in the German Colony. Many chefs cite early dinners on this roof as proof such combinations could work in Jerusalem.
Reaching the restaurant is simple. The entrance at eleven King Solomon Street sits three minutes on foot from Jaffa Gate. Diners cross the polished-plaster lobby to an elevator that reaches the roof in under thirty seconds. Reservations are essential during tourist season and Jewish holidays; the hotel’s desk handles phone and online requests. Dress leans smart-casual, and the staff’s unobtrusive manner keeps the atmosphere relaxed even when the last tables are full. On Monday nights a live DJ sets an easy tempo; other evenings rely on the acoustic guitarist whose set carries naturally across the terrace.
I stayed long after I finished my cocktail to watch the city lights settle. Few Jerusalem dining rooms place the city’s long history so tangibly in front of the guest. I left by the same elevator, returning to street level where the hum of Mamilla Avenue felt louder after two calm hours above it.
Nearly fifteen years after the hotel’s debut, the Rooftop remains a place where the city’s ancient profile and its modern hospitality industry meet each evening around plates of kosher meat and glasses of Israeli wine. Its continued popularity shows that even with fresh competition across Jerusalem, a commanding view and carefully executed food still pack the house night after night - demonstrating that some addresses secure classic status simply by doing their work well and refusing to coast on the scenery.
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