Ishtabach, like other places on this bustling street on Mahane Yehuda's outskirts, is a crowded, hip and lively nighttime spot, but nowhere else offers the same delicious (and filling) shamburak (Kurdish pastry stuffed with various meats or vegetables) served with unique sauces like garlic jam. Come hungry for the siske filling – beef that’s been slow cooked for more than 15 hours.
It was the owner's Kurdish grandmother (look for her photo above the bar), who inspired this version of shamburak.