Restaurants in Jordan
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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
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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
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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
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Ali Baba Restaurant
With its wooden awning, leafy cannas and potted palm trees, this favourite still draws the crowds. It has a large outdoor seating area wrapped round the corner facade and offers a large menu of mezze, grilled meats and fish, including sayadieh (JD8). It’s a sociable place to come for breakfast, a fresh juice or a cake between meals, but it really comes into its own in the evening.
reviewed
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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
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Royal Yacht Club Restaurant
With views of the marina, this elegant, wood-panelled restaurant is the place to savour a romantic sunset and mingle with Aqaba’s nouveau riche. The mostly Italian menu includes Mediterranean favourites like crab, avocado, shrimp and artichoke salad, mussels Provençale, and homemade vegetarian pasta. Reservations are recommended. Above the restaurant is a bar which closes around 11pm.
reviewed
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G
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
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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
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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
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J
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
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K
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
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Rum Gate Restaurant
A fine selection of dishes is offered in the buffet between noon and 4pm (popular with tour groups); outside this time, the restaurant is a buzzing meeting place for guides, weary hikers and independent travellers who congregate over a non-alcoholic beer (JD2) and a chicken sandwich (JD4.500).
reviewed
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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
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Al-Saadi Restaurant
In the downtown area, this is one of the better places for Jordanian staples including roasted lamb and chicken, felafel, humus and fuul. Although it’s a cheapie, the dining area is pleasant enough and the service is decent – perfect for a quick and informal meal.
reviewed
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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
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Gérard's
As soon as you get a whiff of this sweet, hot and sticky place you'll be hooked. It's all about hot waffles, ice cream, shakes, crêpes, frozen yoghurt and iced coffees. Think Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise - all bad but, oh, sooo good.
reviewed
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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
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Q
Al-Shami Restaurant
In a lane between Raghadan and Zahran Sts, the Shami is another cheap place recommended by readers. The menu (printed in English outside) is quite extensive and the air-conditioned dining area upstairs has good views.
reviewed
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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
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Shanghai Restaurant
There are several decent Chinese restaurants in town including the good-value Shanghai Restaurant
reviewed
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Kir Heres Restaurant
A cut above the rest, this award-winning restaurant is a surprise find in Karak. The chef (and owner), Saddam, is from Karak and he has a passion for food, reflected in the inventive menu. There are ostrich steaks (JD7) and chicken dishes prepared with local herbs (JD5.550). Vegetarians can choose from dishes including fried haloumi (salty cheese; JD2.250), and mushrooms with garlic and thyme (JD2.250). The owner laments that people take fright at the smart tablecloths, serviettes and tasteful interior of draped kilims and imagine the prices will be prohibitive. The secret is out, however, among the discerning palates of Karak, and a reservation is necessary at weekends. …
reviewed
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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
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W
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
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Lebanese House
A five- to 10-minute walk from Jerash’s centre, this is a much-loved favourite for local families, with outdoor seating and a kids’ play area. The menu here (as its name implies) is decidedly Lebanese, and offers a broad range of mezzes including everything from frogs legs to shinklish (tangy white cheese). Culinary daredevils can try a pair of hot and buttery cow testicles, washed down by a glass of local Machereus white wine. Maybe just stick to the basics…
reviewed
