More than a decade after opening the vegetarian restaurant Tzemach in Jerusalem, the Machneyuda Group, led by chefs Assaf Granit and Uri Navon, is shifting direction. The group plans to relocate the vegetarian restaurant to a new site and open a new kosher meat restaurant called Steakiya in its place at the Mahane Yehuda Market within about two weeks.
The restaurant will operate as a pop-up inspired by Jerusalem’s traditional skewer houses, a once-popular local dining culture the group hopes to revive.
“There are no places like this left in Jerusalem,” Granit told the Israeli news site ynet. “The market used to be full of them — Sami, Sima, Morris, Haim Piro — and they all closed. One even claimed to have invented the steak-in-a-pita. That was how we used to go out in the city — charcoal grills, the smell, the steak in pita. That’s missing now, so we decided to bring it back.”
Granit, who operates restaurants across Europe and Israel, said the decision reflects a return to something simple and local. “‘Tzemach’ was amazing, but right now, without tourists or tourism, it’s less relevant,” he said. “And yes, it was vegetarian, but now it’ll be nice to do the opposite — go back to meat.”
According to Granit, Steakiya will be a classic skewer restaurant, featuring real skewers grilled over charcoal, a menu printed directly on placemats, and “the kind of atmosphere and music we know how to create.”
Menu items will include hummus (NIS 32), French fries (NIS 32), arayes — grilled pita stuffed with minced meat — (NIS 42), skewers (NIS 48–78), and steaks by weight, including prime rib, tomahawk, picanha and beef fillet (NIS 58–82 per 100 grams). Desserts will feature malabi, chocolate mousse and Bavarian cream.