Restaurants in Amman
-
A
Hashem Restaurant
A legendary place that overflows into the alley, Hashem is incredibly popular with locals for felafel, hummus and fuul (fava-bean paste). A filling meal with bread and mint tea costs around JD1. As one reader extolled: ‘nothing but bread, hummus, fuul and felafel, but everything is fresh and dirt cheap. We love this place!’
reviewed
-
B
Tannoureen Restaurant
Worth the trek for good Lebanese food, especially mezzes (try the spinach and pine-nut pie) and salads, but it also does a wide selection of Western dishes, grills and fish. Reserve a table in the bright and airy conservatory. The restaurant is easily missed - look for the green wall.
reviewed
-
C
Reem al-Bawadi
Reem al-Bawadi is a huge restaurant complex popular with tour groups and Jordanian families. It's a bit far from the centre but is a good option if you want to try some upper-end Jordanian and Lebanese food. Menu includes a wide range of mezze and grills, giving you a chance to explore beyond the normal felafel and hummus dishes. You can eat on brass tables in the cavernous main halls or in Bedouin tents, either way the live music gets things going.
The Reem has a traditional bread oven and is perhaps better for couples. If you're headed to Tawaheen al-Hawa, look for the windmill symbol on the wall as there's no English sign.
reviewed
-
D
Vinaigrette
This stylish but affordable restaurant is located on the top floor of the AlQasr, and in keeping with the hotel’s boutique theme, offers gourmet sushi and salads – build your own salad and sushi combo, or let the house choose for you. Mellow jazz complements the superb views over the city, making it a great place for a light dinner before hitting the dance floor downstairs at Nai.
reviewed
-
E
Fakhr el-Din
The highly recommended Lebanese food and elegant, classy setting in a 1950s villa make this a great place for a minisplurge. In addition to the extensive à la carte selections of hot and cold mezze and meaty mains, there's also a good set menu (minimum four people), which is good value. Alcohol is served. It's about two blocks behind the Iraqi Embassy in Jebel Amman.
reviewed
-
F
Blue Fig Café
Travellers always seem to appreciate the global coffeehouse vibe in this supercool place near Abdoun Circle, which offers an extensive and imaginative mix of world fusion dishes. Throw in some seductive world music and the occasional poetry reading, and you’ve got a winner. And, honestly, where else could you get a ‘Kyoto green tea and mint flavoured crème brulée’?
reviewed
-
G
Bonita Inn
This romantic spot with a rustic farmhouse feel is an excellent choice for European (primarily Spanish) cuisine. The steaks have a citywide reputation, while the paella Valenciana and gazpacho soup are as authentic as you’ll get in the Middle East. Another highlight is the tapas menu, with plenty of calamari, octopus and salads.
reviewed
-
H
Noodasia
The shiny chrome and dark woods of this stylish pan-Asian diner feel like they have been lifted straight from the cooler quarters of Shanghai. However, the menu stretches across the Asian continent, and includes Chinese, Thai and Japanese snacks and main dishes such as green curries, sushi combos and the obligatory Chinese noodle dish.
reviewed
-
I
Al-Quds Restaurant
The Jerusalem Restaurant is famous for its sweets and pastries, but the large restaurant at the back shouldn't be overlooked. The menu is in Arabic, and most waiters can only be bothered to translate a couple of items before getting huffy. The speciality of the house is mensaf, a Bedouin dish of lamb on a bed of rice.
reviewed
-
J
Wild Jordan Café
Grab a bite at this stylish and modern cafe where the emphasis is on light and healthy, with smoothies, wraps and organic salads, plus strong vegie options like the spinach-and-mushroom salad. The glass walls and open-air terrace offer terrific views over Amman, particularly at night.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
K
Books@Café
For a slice of coffeehouse chic and good Western food, this restaurant, bar and cafe is hard to beat. Genuine Italian pizzas and pasta are joined by good salads, and hot drinks are enjoyed by plenty of hip young Jordanians lounging on sofas in corners.
reviewed
-
L
Lebnani Snack
A reliable place for good-value Arabic fast food, such as a cheese and olive sandwich. There's an English menu and good juices too. There are four branches around town, including at Abdoun Circle and a good branch on Ilya Abu Madhi St in Shmeisani.
reviewed
-
M
R&B Shawerma
Not your average sliced-meat stand, the shwarmas here come in three sizes - 6, 10 and 12 inches - and come in Chinese, chicken and cheese varieties. The fries are good too.
reviewed
-
N
Shanghai Restaurant
There are several decent Chinese restaurants in town including the good-value Shanghai Restaurant
reviewed
-
O
Tawaheen al-Hawa
Reem al-Bawadi and Tawaheen al-Hawa are two huge restaurant complexes popular with tour groups and Jordanian families. They're a bit far from the centre but are a good option if you want to try some upper-end Jordanian and Lebanese food. Both menus include a wide range of mezze and grills, giving you a chance to explore beyond the normal felafel and hummus dishes. You can eat on brass tables in the cavernous main halls or in Bedouin tents, either way the live music gets things going.
The Reem has a traditional bread oven and is perhaps better for couples. If you're headed to Tawaheen al-Hawa, look for the windmill symbol on the wall as there's no English sign.
reviewed
-
P
Romero Restaurant
Without doubt the best Italian restaurant in town: upmarket, formal and a stone’s throw from the InterContinental Hotel. The salads are imaginative (chicken, mushroom, orange and pine nuts in a honey balsamic dressing), as are the steaks, seafood (red snapper and mussels) and a wide range of pasta and risotto. Desserts are predictably wonderful – crêpes with crème de banana, Grand Marnier and Cointreau, or homemade hazelnut and vanilla ice cream. Reservations are recommended.
reviewed
-
Q
La Terrasse
This Shmeisani standard offers high-end European cuisine in pleasant surroundings emphasising low-key luxury. The wine list is extensive, with labels representing Jordan and much of the Mediterranean rim (JD20 to JD25 a bottle). Most nights after 10pm the tiny stage is given over to live Arab singers and musicians, making it a popular venue for well-to-do local families.
reviewed
-
R
Diwan al-Sultan Ibrahim Restaurant
The Diwan comes highly recommended by wealthy locals and expats for its high-quality Lebanese food. Among the meals are frogs legs with garlic and coriander, and deep-fried brains (the last being something of an acquired taste). The fresh-fish selection is good, the batrkh (roe) is popular, and there are good salads and some Western dishes.
reviewed
-
S
Ristorante Casereccio
An unpretentious and casual pizza and pasta place just off the trendy Abdoun Circle attracts a mixed crowd, though everyone is here for the same reason, namely savoury pizza. Of course, if you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth, be sure to save space for the Nutella-stuffed pizza with strawberries – it’s as delectable as its sounds!
reviewed
-
T
Abu Ahmad Orient Restaurant
This excellent midrange Lebanese place has a nice outdoor terrace that bustles with life during the summer months. The standard grilled meats are all present here, but the real highlights are the hot and cold mezze – try a buraik (meat or cheese pie) or the yalenjeh (stuffed vine leaves).
reviewed
Advertisement
-
U
Whispers
A short walk from the Sheraton, Whispers is a good choice for quality Western food. The contemporary décor is fun (baby sharks circle the huge fish tanks eyeing up all the customers' steaks), it has a good bar and there's one of the best salad bars in town. Vegetarians will like the tofu scramble.
reviewed
-
V
Jabri Restaurant
Jabri is famed as a pastry place, and you certainly shouldn’t miss the chance to stock up on a kilo or so of baklava and/or other local delicacies. However, the restaurant is also pretty good value for money, with attentive service and decent food that will only set you back a few dinars.
reviewed
-
W
Houstons
A popular American-style family restaurant that gets good reviews from homesick expats. True to its Texan moniker, Houstons specialises in Tex-Mex dishes and margaritas, but it also does steaks, burgers and has a good salad bar – if you’re from the States, you know the deal!
reviewed
-
X
Habibah
This legendary shop is your best bet for Middle Eastern sweets and pastries. Sweet tooths of all ages line up for honey-infused, pistachio-topped and filo-crusted variations on the region’s most famous desserts. There is another branch on Al-Malek Faisel St.
reviewed
-
Y
Reem Cafeteria
There are hundreds of shoebox-sized shwarma dives in Amman but few that have the punters queuing down the street at 3am. Even the royal family are rumoured to have dropped in here for a late-night kebab. And if it’s good enough for them…
reviewed
