The 6 Best Pizza Places in Jerusalem (2026)

Updated August 2026 · 6 picks

The best pizza in Jerusalem is at the wood-fired kosher dairy restaurants in the city centre and the German Colony, with market slices around Machane Yehuda for a fast lunch and the Old City and East Jerusalem counters open on Shabbat. Kosher dairy certification means no pepperoni — the toppings are vegetarian. Six, below.

1. The city centre wood-fired restaurants — Around Jaffa Street and the centre

Proper dough, a hot oven and market vegetables — the best pizza in the city.

₪₪₪ Upmarket

The serious pizza in Jerusalem is at the wood-fired kosher dairy restaurants in and around the city centre, where the dough is fermented properly, the ovens run hot, and the toppings come from Machane Yehuda a few streets away.

Because these places are certified dairy, they are entirely vegetarian, and the menus lean into it — roasted eggplant, za'atar, labneh, olives, artichoke, several cheeses at once.

They are sit-down restaurants rather than takeaway counters, generally open late in the evening, and closed from Friday afternoon through Shabbat.

Good to know: Order something with roasted eggplant or za'atar — the local toppings beat the imported ones.

Google Maps Website

2. The Machane Yehuda slice counters — Machane Yehuda market

A fast slice in the middle of the market, for the price of a coffee.

₪ Budget

Machane Yehuda and the streets around it have slice counters serving the quick lunch version — a square or a wedge, reheated, eaten standing up between market stalls.

It is not the best pizza in Jerusalem but it is the most useful: cheap, fast, and available while you are already in the market doing something else.

The market's evening transformation brings better options as the bars and restaurants open, so it is worth distinguishing the daytime slice from the night-time meal.

Good to know: Ask them to put it back in the oven — reheated properly it is a completely different slice.

Google Maps Website

3. The German Colony restaurants — Emek Refaim, German Colony

Sit outside on Jerusalem's nicest street and take your time.

₪₪₪ Upmarket

Emek Refaim in the German Colony is the most pleasant restaurant street in Jerusalem — nineteenth-century stone buildings, trees, pavement tables — and several of its dairy restaurants do very good pizza.

It is the family option: comfortable, unhurried, easy with children, and close to the old railway park path for a walk afterwards.

Combine with the Smadar cinema at the end of the street, which is Jerusalem's oldest and one of the few places open on Shabbat.

Good to know: Book on a Thursday evening — Emek Refaim fills up and the outside tables go first.

Google Maps Website

4. The Old City and East Jerusalem counters — Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter

Open seven days, cheaper, and the only Shabbat option in the city.

₪ Budget

The pizza and flatbread counters around Damascus Gate, on Salah al-Din Street and inside the Old City operate every day of the week, including Saturday, which makes them the practical answer when west Jerusalem is closed.

The style overlaps with manaqish — flatbread with za'atar or cheese from a hot oven — as much as with Italian pizza, and both are worth ordering.

It is also considerably cheaper than the west Jerusalem restaurants, and the bakeries alongside are excellent.

Good to know: Order the manaqish alongside the pizza — cheese and za'atar from the same oven, for less.

Google Maps Website

5. The Nachlaot and Nachalat Shiva places — Nachlaot and Nachalat Shiva

Small neighbourhood restaurants in the prettiest lanes in west Jerusalem.

₪₪ Mid-range

Nachlaot, the warren of small nineteenth-century courtyard neighbourhoods beside Machane Yehuda, and Nachalat Shiva, the restored pedestrian lanes off Jaffa Street, both hold small dairy restaurants doing pizza well.

These are neighbourhood places serving a local crowd rather than tourists, and the rooms are small and the pace is unhurried.

Both areas are worth walking regardless — Nachlaot in particular is the most atmospheric residential quarter in west Jerusalem.

Good to know: Walk Nachlaot's lanes before dinner — it is the best street-level architecture in the new city.

Google Maps Website

6. The chain pizzerias — Citywide

Not exciting, but open late, everywhere, and reliably kosher.

₪₪ Mid-range

Israel's pizza chains have branches across Jerusalem and they are the fallback: predictable, delivered, open late on weeknights, and certified kosher, which matters to a large share of the city.

They are entirely vegetarian for the same certification reasons as everywhere else, and the vegan cheese options are standard rather than special-order.

Include them for coverage. If you have a choice, the wood-fired restaurants above are a different food.

Good to know: The most reliable late-night delivery in Jerusalem, and closed for the whole of Shabbat.

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Why is there no pepperoni pizza in Jerusalem?

Kosher law separates meat and dairy, so a certified pizzeria with cheese cannot serve any meat at all. Almost every kosher pizza place in Jerusalem is therefore fully vegetarian, and the toppings run to vegetables, olives, mushrooms, eggplant, tuna and a range of cheeses instead.

Where can I get pizza on Shabbat in Jerusalem?

The Old City, Damascus Gate and East Jerusalem, where restaurants operate seven days. Nearly all kosher-certified places in west Jerusalem close from Friday afternoon until after sundown on Saturday. Hotel restaurants serve guests but with a limited Shabbat menu.

What does pizza cost in Jerusalem?

Roughly ₪15–₪25 for a slice and ₪55–₪90 for a whole pizza at a sit-down restaurant. The wood-fired places at the top end run higher. Slices from market and street counters are the cheap lunch option and are usually reheated rather than fresh.

Is the pizza actually good?

At the better wood-fired places, yes — properly made dough, good Israeli cheese and vegetables from the market, cooked hot and fast. The vegetarian restriction is less of a limitation than it sounds when the produce is this good. The chain and slice end is ordinary.

Is pizza kosher for Pesach?

No — wheat dough is exactly what is prohibited, so kosher pizzerias close for the week of Pesach entirely or switch to a matzah-based product. This catches visitors out every spring. Non-kosher and Arab-owned restaurants continue as normal.

What about gluten-free and vegan options?

Both are widely available. Israel has a strong vegan food culture and vegan cheese is standard at many places; gluten-free bases are common at the larger restaurants. Ask when ordering — neither is an unusual request in Jerusalem.

1. The city centre wood-fired restaurants — Around Jaffa Street and the centre

2. The Machane Yehuda slice counters — Machane Yehuda market

3. The German Colony restaurants — Emek Refaim, German Colony

4. The Old City and East Jerusalem counters — Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter

5. The Nachlaot and Nachalat Shiva places — Nachlaot and Nachalat Shiva

6. The chain pizzerias — Citywide

Frequently asked questions

Related lists

The 7 Best Historical Synagogues in Jerusalem (2026)

The 7 Best Hostels in Jerusalem (2026)

The 6 Best Cinemas in Jerusalem (2026)

The 6 Best US Tax Accountants in Jerusalem (2026)

The 7 Best Tours in Jerusalem (2026)