The best restaurants Madaba

Haret 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.

Located not far from St. George's Church, this café is known for its excellent fresh fruit juices and simple, inexpensive dishes. Housed in an old house, the restaurant offers a large room with stone walls decorated with reproductions of ancient mosaics that are the pride of the city. Between two mouthfuls of mustabal or two sips of cold beer, you can also admire a mosaic portrait of King Hussein. We like the colourful benches with big cushions, perfect for a break.

At 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.

In the stone and wood decor of an old house converted into a restaurant, one can taste good local specialties, accompanied by a pleasant service. Popular with Madaba's wealthy families and youth, the restaurant is appreciated for its tasty food and old-fashioned tavern decor. We like the wooden tables and the benches covered with Bedouin fabrics. The restaurant is located in an alleyway on the edge of the city's archaeological zone, between the museum and the Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist. We recommend it!

The restaurant is located in one of the city's oldest houses. The chef draws on his Lebanese and Egyptian origins to offer original dishes. Don't be put off by the presence of a (friendly) pusher on the sidewalk; the food served here is well worth the effort. The "Jordanian Potery" speciality is a mixture of chicken and vegetables simmered in an earthenware jar. A vegetarian version is also available.

Located in the tourist area of the Archaeological Museum, this restaurant may not be the best table in Madaba, but it serves quite decent food and the staff is lovely. The house specialty is sajiyeh, a lamb (or chicken, and sometimes even beef, though it's less available in these parts) dish cooked over a wood fire in shreds with onions and peppers in a clay dish. Don't be put off by the busloads of tourists who arrive here and let yourself be tempted.