Amman is one of the easiest cities in the Middle East to eat well in, because the best food is simple, cheap and served in places that have not changed in decades. You do not need a reservation or a plan for most of it. You need an appetite, a little cash in Jordanian dinars and the willingness to eat standing up, sharing plates and tearing bread. This guide covers the dishes to look for, the districts to eat in and a few habits that will help you.
Breakfast like a local
The classic Amman breakfast is a spread of hummus, fuul (slow-cooked fava beans dressed with oil, lemon and cumin), falafel, olives, fresh vegetables and warm bread, shared across the table with sweet tea. Downtown has counters that have served this meal for generations, and one of the best known has been serving Arabic breakfasts for more than six decades with a largely vegetarian menu. It is good value and a good introduction to the local way of eating. Go early, expect to share a table and do not be surprised to see the street fill up by mid-morning.
Kunafeh and sweets
Kunafeh is the city’s signature dessert: a layer of soft cheese under shredded pastry or semolina, baked until crisp, soaked in sugar syrup and cut into a hot square. One famous Downtown shop sells only kunafeh and has done so for more than seventy years, and the line out the door is part of the experience. Eat it hot, with a glass of tea or Arabic coffee to cut the sweetness. Around the souks you will also find baklava, halva, dates and sweet shops selling by weight.
Falafel, shawarma and street food
For a fast lunch, falafel sandwiches stuffed with pickles, tomatoes and tahini are cheap and filling, and shawarma stands turn spits of chicken or lamb on nearly every corner. Street vendors and coffee kiosks sell snacks and drinks, and the streets around Downtown and Abdali give you the most everyday picture of local eating. The Suleiman Al Nabulsi Street area near Abdali, a couple of blocks from the boulevard, is a good place to see this side of the city.
The big plates: mansaf, maqluba and musakhan
Mansaf is Jordan’s national dish, lamb cooked in a sauce of dried fermented yogurt and served on rice with nuts, and it is traditionally eaten at weddings and gatherings. Maqluba, the upside-down pot of rice, vegetables and meat, and musakhan, roasted chicken with onions and sumac on flatbread, are the other dishes worth looking for. They are home-style dishes, so book a cooking class or an invitation to a home if you want to taste them at their best. Restaurants in Downtown, Jabal Amman and Abdoun serve them, often on weekends.
Coffee, tea and juice
Cardamom-scented Arabic coffee is served in tiny cups, and sweet tea with fresh mint is poured at every opportunity. Fresh juices, including lemon with mint, are a cooling stop on a hot day. Accept a cup when it is offered, and signal that you have had enough by gently shaking the cup.
Where to eat by district
Downtown is for the old counters, sweets and street food. Rainbow Street and Jabal Amman are for terraces, cafés and a broader restaurant mix, and the Amman food tour that starts from there is a good way to taste many dishes in one evening with a guide. Abdali Boulevard has a polished, international range with plenty of outdoor seating. Jabal al-Weibdeh has small, bright cafés near Darat al Funun.
Tips and etiquette
Eat with your right hand when you are tearing bread, and share dishes rather than ordering one each. Alcohol is available at many restaurants and hotels but not everywhere, so ask if it matters to you. During Ramadan, many places close for the day and open at sunset, and eating in public in daylight is discouraged, so plan around it. Tap water is not generally drunk by visitors, so use bottled water. Carry small notes, as many small counters do not take cards, and tip a little when you are happy with the service.
A simple food plan
Spend one morning at a breakfast counter, one afternoon with kunafeh and tea in the souks, and one evening on Rainbow Street with a food tour. That covers the main flavors of the city without a single reservation.
