Eucalyptus: A fantastic Jerusalem restaurant's journey - review

I have a long history with Eucalyptus. More than 30 years ago (I started writing restaurant reviews at age five if you must know) my husband and I wanted to meet foodie friends Sharon and Elizer Shenhav, who live in Moshav Beit Zayit. They suggested a small restaurant called Eucalyptus in Talpiot, named for the Eucalyptus tree growing in the center of the restaurant, which chef Moshe Basson actually planted more than 60 years ago.

When I arrived, I thought someone had made a mistake. The place was tiny, with tables covered with red and white oilcloth. It looked like an Israeli version of a diner. But as soon as the food started arriving, I knew that Eucalyptus was the real deal.

I’ve followed the restaurant in its wanderings since then and am a big fan of the current location opposite the walls of the Old City at the top of Chutzot Hayotzer. If you can, and it’s not too cold, dining outside is highly recommended. The atmosphere is wonderful as the Old City lights come on, and there are blankets draped over each chair if you get chilly.

Eucalyptus: Still going strong in Jerusalem years later

The appetizers are heavy on vegetables, which is Moshe’s style of cooking in any case. We started with a freshly baked focaccia (NIS 36) with several dips including a delicious pesto. Tempting as it is, do not fill up on bread.

The table next to us seated a group of tourists from Germany. Anna, our waitress, spoke to them in fluent German and to us in fluent English. It turns that Anna and her husband left Russia a year ago, soon after the war broke out. They are both doing MA degrees in Israel and learning Hebrew.

We tasted almost all of the appetizers on offer and each was better than the next. The fire-roasted eggplant (NIS 58) has long been one of my favorites, along with the roasted eggplant topped with raw tahini and aged pomegranate syrup. We also tried the oriental ceviche (NIS 69) with fresh fish, fruit, cilantro, and lemon. Because it was made fresh, they were able to accommodate my onion aversion and I enjoyed the ceviche immensely.

One of the most interesting appetizers is a macaroon (NIS 55), a bright pink cookie stuffed with pate over a wild berry cream. Don’t miss it.

Another original dish are the fish shwarma profiteroles made from pastry filled with fresh fish, amba aioli, and tomato cream (NIS 66).

You could easily make a meal of the appetizers, as I did, or at least thought I was doing. When Anna came and said, “Now I’m going to reset the table for the main courses, I looked at her in disbelief. I didn’t think I could eat another bite.

Luckily my dining companion was my son Netanel who, at 22, had just come home from Hawaii to surprise me for the chagim (and to sell lulav and etrog sets). Luckily for me, he has a prodigious appetite and a good palate.

So, he tasted the maklubah (110 NIS), an “upside-down” casserole of rice, vegetables, and saffron, with pieces of chicken and the asado (NiS 139), slow-cooked beef ribs in jus, soy sauce, and wine, served with root vegetables – and pronounced them all excellent. The only dish that wasn’t perfect was a few slices of ribeye steak that were a little overcooked.

To end the meal on a sweet note we shared a platter of mini-desserts that were quite delicious, including poached pears, basbousa (semolina cake), and a special malabi. Worth every calorie.

• Eucalyptus
• Top of Chutzot Hayotzer
• Hours: Sun.- Thu. 6-11 p.m.
• Reservations online: the-eucalyptus.com/reservations/
• Kashrut: Tzohar
• Accessibility: The restaurant is not handicapped accessible.
• The writer was a guest of the restaurant.