The Finjan - the middle eastern coffee pot - is the symbol of warmth and hospitality. The restaurant is aptly named for the warmth and hospitality that you will find when you visit this restaurant. Hafinjan specializes in authentic home cooked, Middle Eastern specialties, with ingredients fresh from the nearby market and prices so low you won't ever want to cook food at home again.
Hafinjan is located at the edge of Nachlaot near the Machane Yehuda shuk, Jerusalem’s central market. The restaurant attracts tourists and Israelis who like a good meal. In addition, many neighborhood residents of Kurdish, Iraqi and Moroccan heritage visit HaFinjan for authentic ethnic cuisine. In many ways Hafinjan is a Nachlaot neighborhood restaurant.
Despite HaFinjan’s reasonable prices the restaurant does not compromise on the freshness and quality of their food. The restaurant takes advantage of its closeness to the market for the best and the freshest ingredients. The menu offers 7 types of Humus, staples like Shakshuka and Rice and Beans as well as delicacies like Fish in spicy sauce, stews and Sofritto. The daily specials are also worth checking out with exotic dishes from a number of Middle Eastern Jewish cuisines
The Food
You will find the requisite Middle Eastern hummus with different combinations of beans, falafel, tahina and meat, at the ridiculous price of 18-22 shekels including pitot. Be sure to try the Masbacha - coarsely ground humus - you may not find that in many restaurants.
The rest of the menu is standard for a Middle Eastern style restaurant . Dishes are slow-cooked on kerosene burners. Since the foods are always ready to serve - there is nothing to prepare or reheat, you can think of this as a kind of fast-food. The service is good but note that a sudden onslaught of lunchers or a tourist bus will take the "fast" right out of the fast-food.
On the menu you will find schnitzel, meatballs, rice and beans and a different special each day. Some Middle Eastern specialties include Sofrito: the Sephardic take on goulash or stew soul food if you are Sephardic, plain delish for the rest of us.
Not much to talk about in the way of desserts, but for the ludicrous price of 4 shekels don't miss the baklava - the classic sweet Middle Eastern pastry. There is also fresh fruit in season, and of course, coffee (only Turkish) and tea with nana (mint) - is there any other way?
Getting There
The restaurant is two blocks from the shuk. You will find ample parking in the shukcanyon, opposite.
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