BUKHARA RESTAURANT
Read moreThe rather short menu of this restaurant is displayed at the entrance, so you know what it is all about before you even sit down. In good French, we could call this address a rotisserie. The grilled chicken is served with rice (byriani, mandi or bukhari) in the Middle Eastern style. In addition, the house serves grilled chicken brochettes (sheesh tawouk) or kebabs. Bukhara is a nice change from the usual falafel and hummus, while still offering the pleasure of regional flavours. The dishes can be taken away.
TAWAHEEN AL-HAWA
Read moreWe fell in love with this establishment that transports you to a Bedouin tent in the middle of Amman. The bourgeois society of Amman meets with family and friends to share an excellent meal around large tables. The service is adorable and will not hesitate to give you some recommendations if you don't know what to take. You will be able to taste the farashee, the Bedouin bread as thick as lace, prepared in front of your eyes by an old woman at the entrance of the restaurant. Save room for the pastries for dessert.
FATATRI
Read moreYou have to get past the fast-food look of this restaurant to discover the succulent Egyptian specialties it has in store. On the menu: fatayer, a dough made of flour, water and salt, worked to become thin and transparent. This multi-layered dough that crunches like a mille-feuille is filled with haloumi cheese, chicken or original mixes like "mushroom and rosemary". For dessert, don't miss the fatayer with date syrup and sesame cream. We still remember it!
HASHEM RESTAURANT
Read moreYou can't set foot in the old city without hearing about Hashem. The restaurant became famous the day King Hussein stopped there to eat some falafel. Tourists and locals alike flock to this canteen at all hours of the day and night. The fuul (bean purée), falafels or hummus are served in small portions on plastic plates. It's a no-frills place, and not very good, but its terrace is mythical. So, you too will go there to form your own opinion.
HARET JDOUDNA
Read moreHaret Djoudna is a little more than a restaurant. It is a group of old houses that have been renovated and transformed into a tourist complex with handicraft shops, restaurants and cafes. Al Sarayat is one of the good restaurants, not only in this complex, but in Madaba. It serves fine Jordanian cuisine in the beautiful garden courtyard. The speciality of the place is the sawani, chicken cooked with wild thyme, the zaatar. You can also come here to have a drink and smoke hookah while enjoying the music played in the evening.
REEM AL-BAWADI RESTAURANT
Read moreThis very famous restaurant in Amman is unfortunately a bit far from the center. But the taxi ride to get there is worth it, especially since the fares are really cheap. All the standards of Arabic cuisine are served here: mansaf, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, kebabs... The decor is pleasant and you can take place under the big Bedouin tent or in the garden. The atmosphere is really nice, especially for a group evening.
ALIBABA RESTAURANT
Read moreThis central establishment, with its terrace popular with the local bourgeoisie, offers a very varied menu. The menu includes fresh fish specialties and Middle Eastern dishes that can be accompanied by local beer or wine. Now is the time to try the Jordanian white wine Machareus. It is a good match for grilled fish or fried calamari. And if you're craving a rare beef, the restaurant offers a pepper steak. The wooden and bamboo setting is pleasant and warm and above all not stuffy.
RED CAVE RESTAURANT
Read moreLocated not far from the Visitors' Centre, this restaurant serves local cuisine prepared with locally sourced products (whenever possible), especially meat. The setting of the room is pleasant with its arches and exposed stones, as well as the terrace which allows you to get some fresh air on sunny days. The menu proposes some Bedouin specialities which are out of the ordinary like the bamia bil lahem, a meat simmered with okra, tomatoes, cinnamon, garlic and coriander. You can even drink a beer... without alcohol!
SUFRA RESTAURANT
Read moreThis restaurant caters to the business and expatriate clientele of Amman in a chic oriental style. The courtyard-garden is absolutely adorable and you can sit under large parasols. The restaurant serves high-quality regional dishes that differ from the classic mansaf or maqlouba. Try the "jaj machi" made of rice and stuffed chicken or the "sayadiya" made of fish and rice. The food is very hearty and the service is impeccable. This is one of the best places in Amman, run by the same team as Romero.
SANDSTONE RESTAURANT
Read moreThis establishment is appreciated by groups… and is included in all French guides. Attention to what you tell your neighbours could well understand! Indeed, the quality of the kitchen has deteriorated and we are now serving very disappointing dishes, frozen fries, preparation without interest… we prefer to enjoy a buffet not too expensive and get on! The framework is without interest. It is the only one of the 3 establishments in this category to serve alcohol. Bedouin music in the evening.
AL-ARABI RESTAURANT
Read moreThis restaurant, which doesn't look like much, serves hearty and tasty Middle Eastern cuisine at very low prices. It is a very popular meeting place for budget travelers. The setting with stone walls, wrought iron tables and chairs is more than pleasant and in winter the room is heated with a brazier. You can also stop by for a coffee or a fresh fruit juice. You will have no trouble finding this restaurant, it is located just before the Shaheed traffic circle in the street that goes up from the Kings Highway.
ARTEMIS RESTAURANT
Read moreThe first restaurant for tourists opened in Jerash, this family business is now run by the very professional Fadi Sweis. The restaurant is located at the entrance of the city and is a delight for the visitors from outside who make up the majority of its clientele. The buffet is composed of various local dishes such as hummus, mansaf, or keftas. We appreciate the demonstration of artisanal bread making at the entrance of the restaurant and the panoramic view on the site from the terrace. Good value for money.
SYRIAN PALACE
Read moreAnother popular canteen located at the back of the Sherif Hussein bin Ali mosque. It has a pleasant terrace set back from the street, for the days when it is not too hot. The room clearly displays the pretensions of this restaurant with its purple velvet chairs and tables on the beach themes. It is frankly kitsch, but the essential is in the plate. You won't be disappointed. The kebabs are juicy and grilled to perfection, the hummus is perfectly creamy and the portions are generous.
AL-WADI RESTAURANT
Read moreIt is difficult to miss it. In a spacious setting there is a good local cuisine (with specialities such as mensaf) but also pizzas, pasta and vegetarian dishes. The card is long and allows you to vary your menus.
BEIT AL BARAKAH
Read moreLocated right on the Shaheed traffic circle, Beit Al-Barakah is a perfect place if you like to enjoy the bustle of the street while having your meal. Its name means "The House of Blessing" and it guarantees good food at a very reasonable price. Hummus, mansaf, maqlouba, kefteh, kabab, falafel: you will find all the must-try Jordanian dishes on the menu, served in generous portions. The restaurant has a small terrace along the street, perfect during the day for a mint tea with a pastry.
OLD ROMAN RESTAURANT
Read moreThe establishment enjoys a privileged location, as it is situated on the parking lot of the ancient city. The buffet is very extensive, with salads, mezzes, garlic and parsley potatoes and chicken in sauce. Very touristy, the restaurant is inevitably a little less good and a little more expensive than elsewhere, and the staff are a little nonchalant. It's almost an essential stop-off for refreshments after walking around Jerash for several hours. The small terrace under the palm trees is perfect.
AL-TARBOOSH
Read moreThis very small popular restaurant specializes in "pastries". These are not pastries, but pastry turnovers baked in the oven and filled with meat, cheese, spinach... The pastries cost barely 1 dinar and can also be taken away. You will also find the inevitable mezzes as well as grilled meat or fish. There is an air-conditioned room upstairs as well as a tiny terrace and some tables on the street. The sign is in Arabic, but you will recognize it by its large advertisement for Pepsi sodas.
AL-MOHANDES CAFETERIA
Read moreThis is a must for lovers of popular and very cheap Jordanian cuisine. The crowd testifies to the quality of the falafels, hummus and meat. You pay at the entrance, hand over your ticket and wait (for a short time) for the arrival of the sandwich or the dish. The name of the sign is in Arabic, but you can ask anyone to point out this large canteen on the corner of a street. And don't worry, there is a menu in English. The room is hidden by the stainless steel kitchen stand installed in the double window.
AYAR
Read moreAt first sight, it is not the setting of this small restaurant that should seduce you. The garden furniture made of woven faux-jonc, the TV on all the time, and the big pillars in the middle of the room do not give it any charm. On the other hand, the cuisine is prepared daily with fresh products. The mezzes attract a local clientele as well as those from nearby hotels for tourists. The waiters, who all speak impeccable English, will be able to decipher the menu and advise you on the house specialities.
AL-QUDS (JERUSALEM RESTAURANT)
Read moreThe display windows, which are overflowing with pastries, will tell you that you have come to the right place. Crowded with regulars at mealtimes, this is the best place to try the traditional mansaf, a meat dish with fermented milk served with rice. Also try their excellent maqlouba, a stew with layers of rice, vegetables and meat. The popular and inexpensive address is one of the must-try places in the lower town.