Must-see restaurants in Jordan

  • Hashem Restaurant

    Amman

    You haven’t tried falafel until you’ve eaten here. This legendary eatery, more than 50 years old, is so popular with locals and visitors that there’s…

  • Sufra

    Amman

    Housed in a lovely old villa with a terrace garden, this really is the place to eat well, and Sufra is about as good as it gets when it comes to…

  • Al Quds

    Amman

    We'll happily vote for this tiny, spotlessly clean place on Rainbow St as one of the best falafel spots in Amman. Tasty sandwiches (with tomato and…

  • Rosa Damascena

    Amman

    Rosa Damascena brings a welcome taste of Syria to Amman. The variety of hot and cold mezze is mouthwatering – make particular space on your plate for dips…

  • Jasmine House

    Amman

    Jasmine House is well-named, as the scent of the blooms on the terrace make dining a fragrant experience. The restaurant, in a 1950s villa, takes…

  • Reem Cafeteria

    Amman

    There are hundreds of shoebox-sized shawarma (meat sliced off a spit and stuffed in a pocket of pita-type bread with chopped tomatoes and garnish) kiosks…

  • Zuwwadeh Restaurant

    Amman

    Highly popular with Fuheis locals and discerning expats from Amman, the ambience at Zuwwadeh is lively and warm. The food is delicious, especially the…

  • Umm Qais Resthouse

    Umm Qais

    Without doubt one of the best parts of visiting the Gadara site is pausing to take refreshment at the Umm Qais Resthouse, perched atop a small hill in the…

  • Joz Hind

    Amman

    This tiny restaurant is one of Lweibdeh's gems, and you won't mind sharing at one of the large tables on the communal verandah when the meals come. The…

  • Al Mandi

    Madaba

    Al Mandi knows the adage: do one thing and do it well. Come for an enormous plate of mandi – delicious barbecued chicken with portions of different types…

  • Lebanese House

    Jerash

    Nicknamed ‘Umm Khalil’, this rambling restaurant, a 10-minute walk from Jerash’s centre, has been a national treasure since it opened in 1977. On offer…

  • Al Mohandes

    Aqaba

    This canteen restaurant is as unpretentious as they come, but it's always busy whatever the time of day. Super-cheap bowls of hummus, falafel and fuul …

  • Al Saraya Restaurant

    Wadi Musa

    Serving a top-notch international buffet in an elegant banquet hall, this fine-dining restaurant offers a quality of dishes that matches the general…

  • Romero at Royal Yacht Club

    Aqaba

    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…

  • Al Qantarah

    Wadi Musa

    Wadi Musa's best restaurant specialises in Jordanian food and serves up to 500 people in one lunch sitting. There is no menu – lunch and dinner are buffet…

  • Captain’s Restaurant

    Aqaba

    Serving consistently good-quality seafood, including sayadieh (fish, delicately spiced, served with rice in an onion and tahini sauce) and a delicious…

  • Ali Baba Restaurant

    Aqaba

    No longer quite the star draw with locals that it once was, this evergreen restaurant still pulls in the tourist crowd. The outdoor seating area is a good…

  • Oriental Restaurant

    Wadi Musa

    This main-street favourite offers tasty grills and Jordanian fare, such as mensaf (Bedouin dish of lamb on a bed of rice). The outdoor terrace, bedecked…

  • Haret Jdoudna

    Madaba

    Popular with locals and discerning diners from Amman, and set in a restored Ottoman house, this restaurant is always worth a visit. Sit indoors by a…

  • Nebo Restaurant & Terrace

    Mt Nebo

    The spectacular view and warm welcome from the owners make this restaurant worth a trip to Mt Nebo in its own right. The panoramic windows and the roof…

  • fresh fruits, veggies, and to-go foods on display at Seed

    Seed

    Amman

    In a city with limited health food and gluten-free options, Seed is a quaint oasis offering fruit and vegetable smoothies, salads, soups, sandwiches and a…

  • Bartender Amin serving champagne, with a view of Amman from Cantaloupe's upper terrace

    Cantaloupe

    Amman

    A self-styled gastropub, this restaurant-lounge is a lovely place for a splurge. While you can eat inside, the treat here is the rooftop terrace, with…

  • Shams El Balad

    Amman

    A busy cafe-restaurant that just keeps the right side of hipster-dom with a popular Jordanian meat-free menu. The flatbreads piled high with herb, cheese…

  • Najla's Kitchen

    Amman

    This daytime-only menu is a spin-off from the popular Beit Sitti cooking school next door, but this time the Haddad family cook for you. The set menu…

  • Rakwet Kanaan Restaurant

    Aqaba

    Great-value Jordanian restaurant where you can linger over mezze or get stuffed on mansaf (chicken or lamb over rice with a thick, meaty broth). This…

  • Baba Za'atar

    Aqaba

    If you like bread and cheese, come here. The speciality is manakeesh (baked flatbread with toppings like cheese and minced meat), served piping hot from…

  • Noodasia

    Amman

    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,…

  • Abu Yousef

    Madaba

    Little more than a hole in the wall, Abu Yousef's establishment is part of the fabric of the town, serving fresh hummus and falafel daily to those in the…

  • Pizza Al Reef

    Amman

    Splendid pizza joint with red-checked tablecloths giving an appropriate nod for the decor. Pizza crusts are cooked to thin and crunchy perfection and…

  • Bonita Inn

    Amman

    This primarily Spanish restaurant and tapas bar just off 3rd Circle is a favourite with well-heeled locals, who want a drink and a table of dishes between…

  • Adonis Restaurant & Cafe

    Madaba

    Housed in a beautifully restored typical Madaba residence and run by one of the town’s returning sons, this excellent restaurant has quickly become the…

  • Romero Restaurant

    Amman

    Housed in an elegant traditional townhouse, Romero comes complete with period furniture, Venetian chandeliers, a roaring fire in winter and a delightful…

  • Fakhr El Din Restaurant

    Amman

    Tastefully decorated and with crisp white linen tablecloths, this Lebanese fine-dining restaurant is located in a 1950s house with a beautiful outdoors…

  • Route 65

    Aqaba

    This burger joint brings a decent slice of Americana to Aqaba. Patties are cooked just how you like them, and there are a variety of options to fill your…

  • Blue Fig Café

    Amman

    If you’re wondering where Amman’s fashionable set go to escape their own cuisine, look no further than this glass-and-steel restaurant with a lovely…

  • Volk's Burger

    Amman

    Amman's gourmet burger craze of recent years seems to have blown itself out, but Volk's Burger has stood the test of time. Fat juicy patties and good…

  • Floka Restaurant

    Aqaba

    A friendly, unpretentious establishment, where you choose from the catch of the day (which normally includes sea bream, silver snapper, grouper and…

  • Galsoum's Kitchen

    Umm Qais

    Book ahead to enjoy a traditional north Jordanian meal using locally sourced produce, served up in cook Galsoum's home in Umm Qais. It's a great taste of…

  • Formosa Restaurant

    Aqaba

    For an excellent Chinese perspective on Aqaba's seafood (and with plenty of meat and vegetable options on the menu too), you can't top this cosy, intimate…

  • Al Tarboosh Restaurant

    Aqaba

    A handy pastry shop that offers a great range of meat, cheese and vegetable sambusas (samosas). Order a bag for taking away or sit and eat them straight…

More destinations you need to see