A great marketplace! You can find anything you want here and there's a wide range of prices. There are a lot of choices of food (from cheap street food to boutique restaurants) and there are many other small shops with many interesting products.
Two important tips:
1. Watch out for pick-pocketing!
2. Unless you're buying food, Haggle for better prices!
We found all sorts of fabulous food stores selling spices that we never heard of, Halvah (sweet stuff) specialty stores, etc. When it was time to eat we found a place specializing in artisan beers and had some hummus and tahini. My only regret was we didn't bring a bigger suitcase to bring stuff back.
If you manage to get out of the Old City at any point on a visit to Jerusalem, you have to get some snacks and maybe lunch at the Mahane Yehuda. This is the most lively, authentic, delicious, chaotic cultural experience you can have in Jerusalem. Set in between Agripas and Yafo, south of the Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Sharim, and north of the hipster neighborhood Nachlaot, this vibrant market is full of wonderful produce and prepared foods as well as impromptu live bands and small cafe / restaurants. The scene and the choices are dizzying, rich, and varied. You simply can not go wrong by setting a few hours aside to explore this cultural gem. Stay out of Mea Sharim since they don't want tourists and take a stroll through the peaceful winding alleys of Nachlaot afterwards where you will meet friendly locals, and read about Diasporic culture on the many plaques that mark the homes and tell stories of the neighborhood's original inhabitants.
I believe that it deserves a visit. It reflects the Jewish culture of Jeresulam. It is a very lively market with a unique atmosphere. There a plenty of resturant options. Best times to visit would be from 12:00 to 15:30 aprox. If you can go on a Thursday, you will see it very busy!
You can easily reach it by tram.
Mahane Yehuda market is a widely spread market. Some of it is without a roof above it and some with. It is built into some of the old and narrow streets of this quarter. Most of it is open market for every thing you can imagine. From fruits to meat and fish. Some of it is boutique shops from clothes to cheese. And in 3 years or so the market is changing its purpose at night and function as a huge area for bars, cafes and eateries. A must be in attraction!
