The Habibti's Guide to Jordan

By: An Jimenez

Reference: 1 Jordanian Dinar equals 1.41 US Dollar

Places to Visit

1. Rainbow Street - one of the oldest areas of Amman, a one-way street with many shops, restaurants, and cafés

2. Downtown Amman (Al Balad)

3. Amman Citadel

4. Jabal Weibdeh – beautiful neighborhood district, home to some of Amman's startups, new restaurants, and artsy crowds

5. Petra – a city carved out of stone, one of the seven wonders of the world, take JETT bus (about 10 JD/person one way), hike to Monastery (1 hour uphill) for incredible view, can get ripped off from the vendors selling trinkets and camel/donkey rides

6. Dead Sea - lowest point on Earth, 45 minutes from Amman, look for Panorama restaurant for great views, if staying the night: Kempinski Hotel (130 JD/night), if day use only: Dead Sea Spa Hotel (25 JD)

7. Wadi Rum - protected desert wilderness in southern Jordan, booked stay with Obeid's Bedouin Life Camp, paid for Jeep tour and dinner, breakfast provided (200 JD total for four people, one night)

8. Abdali Boulevard – the “modern downtown” of Amman

9. Jerash - one hour away by Careem, ruins of the walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa, Hadrian’s Arch, the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, and the huge Forum’s oval colonnade

10. Abdoun - residential area of Amman, one of Amman's centers for nightlife

Note: those marked with an asterisk (*) are highly recommended by us

Places to Eat

1. *Sufra - on Rainbow St., formal dining, JD 15/person, highly recommend the special for the day and the fatteh

2. *Jafra - Al Balad, casual, JD 7/person, recommend the clay pot dishes

3. Rumi – Weibdeh, tea and coffee, Chai Karak, must go during off-peak hours

4. *Al Quds - Al Balad, offers traditional dishes such as Mansaf (meat + rice + yogurt)

5. *Falafel Al Quds - Rainbow St., JD 1/person, an iconic falafel sandwich spot

6. *Abu Jbara - falafel sandwich, JD 1/person, sandwich has more ingredients than Al Quds (personally prefer Abu Jbara over Al Quds)

7. Shawerma Al Dayyaa - casual, JD 3/person

8. *Hashem - one of the oldest restaurants in Jordan, must-visit, outdoor seating, no plates or utensils, falafel, pita, hummus, ful, muttabel, fatteh, fresh veggies

9. *Shams El Balad - Al Balad, brunch food, JD 10/person, our favorite restaurant in Amman, order the flatbreads, grilled haloumi, salads, and omelet

10. Turtle Green Tea Bar - Rainbow St., tea and light snacks, order the matcha latte and chai masala

11. *Firefly Burger - Rainbow St., best burgers in Amman, JD 4/person

12. *Wild Jordan Cafe - healthy options, order the meal of the day for a great deal (JD 10/person), smoothies and brownie dessert recommended, beautiful view of all of Amman

13. *Gerard Ice Cream - Rainbow St., extra dark chocolate, mint chocolate chip, must try in waffle cone

14. Jabri - traditional Jordanian dishes such as Mansaf, Al Balad

15. *Habibah - iconic dessert place in Al Balad, must try their knafeh (traditional Palestinian dessert made with cheese pastry soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup)

16. Jungle Fever - café on top of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Amman, museum is free to enter, great views and drinks

17. *Al Sufara Bakery - traditional, old-school bakery, pay by the weight, must try everything here (JD 3/person for a lot of bread)

18. McDonald's - better than in the US, order the Big Tasty

19. La Calle - rooftop bar/café, go on Tuesday night for the best brisket burgers in Amman (JD 6/person)

20. *Cafe Italia - Abdali, nice deal for fantastic Italian food, order the ravioli and salad

21. Four Winters - liquid nitrogen ice cream

22. *Oliva - Weibdeh, hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant, order the pizza and the pasta, (JD 7/person)

23. *Joz Hind - Italian restaurant in Weibdeh, changes menu every day based on ingredients (JD 8/person), one of my favorite restaurants (An)

24. Shack Juice - Rainbow St., cheap and good smoothies and juices, try the Mango Avocado and Strawberry Kiwi

25. Patisserie Fayrouz - Weibdeh, good selection of cookies and cakes, can get a huge cake for less than JD 15

26. *Fakhreldin - one of the best restaurants in Amman (JD 25/person)

27. *Books@Cafe - one of our favorite spots in Amman, 50% off drinks from 5-8PM, 50% off certain menu items every day, karaoke night every Tuesday from 10-12am with DJ Moe - sing for a free drink, really good smoothies and hot chocolate

28. Strada Cafe - Rainbow St., fast WiFi, great location, nice atmosphere

29. Aima's Ice Cream Parlour - Al Balad, egg waffle ice cream, good for sharing

30. Treats and Beans - waffles, crepes, and other desserts, waffles are delicious - ask for chocolate on the side

31. Dahab - huge portions, reasonable price, formal dining, order the passionfruit slush

32. *Yoshi - upscale Japanese restaurant, everything here was out of this world

33. Ali Baba - Aqaba, order the grilled haloumi sandwich

34. Chocoholic Cafe - delicious hot chocolate, incredibly thick, good for sharing

Miscellaneous

1. TAJ Mall

2. Mecca Mall

3. Galleria Mall

4. City Mall

5. Abdali Mall

6. *CLSTR - pop-up club in downtown Amman