Eucalyptus

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Biblical cuisine with a modern spice.

Moshe Basson is an artist first, and a chef second. Maybe that is why his restaurant, The Eucalyptus, is found in the celebrated artists corner of Jerusalem. Basson has been incorporating biblical ingredients and recipes long before the Australian bloke at Abraham’s tent served chicken legs with date honey and called it hyssop, served with a whiff of camel.

Chef Moshe Basson

Serving up his signature Makluba

Basson set the pace for other chefs like Huiga, Shani and Granit to follow. Decades ago, he would walk the fields and pick herbs and spices and fresh vegetables with his bare hands and it would inspire him to make dishes or add to existing ones. His magic was always locating the same spice and herb somewhere in the Bible - mentioning chapter and verse as only a biblical scholar could - and then fixing up some amazing eats for all to enjoy, fusing together the scholar, the artist and chef he had become.

When you break bread at at Eucalyptus, everything is amazing. Still, I would encourage you to try the stuffed figs, the fattoush salad and the red lentil stew (h/t to Jacob and Esau), when dining in the cold months.

My favorite main dish is by far, the Makluba, a traditional Palestinian dish served upside down and cooked overnight. It is amazing and it is a signature dish. I am a sucker for good pargiyot and these are some fo the best, but the fish and the steak will not steer, (ahem) you wrong.

Eucalyptus will have many English speakers and a smattering of dignitaries dining amongst you. The prices are not for the faint at heart. But, you will be sure to have a unique, not quickly replicated, and absolutely delicious meal that you and the biblical scholars in your family will enjoy! Bring your own Tanakh!