TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS - Jerusalem and the Holy Land - page 272

AMMAN Wild Jordan

Δ © \\
Othman bin Affan St, off Rainbow St, below 1st Circle, Jabal Amman Tel [phone] l Map C3
A wonderful wholefood café/restaurant attached to the offices of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
(RSCN). The building is perched on a hillside overlooking Downtown Amman, with spectacular views from its open
terrace. All the food is organically produced and sourced locally - salads, wraps, smoothies and minty iced lemonade.
AMMAN Fakhr el-Din Δ © ˚ \\\
40 Taha Hussein St, between 1st and 2nd circles, Jabal Amman Tel [phone] l Map C3
Quite simply one of Jordan's loveliest restaurants, and one of its best. An elegant 1920s town house, on a quiet
residential street, has been beautifully restored and converted into a formal Arabic restaurant of the highest quality.
The meze and grills are impeccable, as is the service. Reservations are essential: in summer, book a table on the terrace.
AMMAN Noodasia Δ \\\
Abdoun Circle Tel [phone] l Map C3
Highly acclaimed Asian restaurant, in the heart of the Abdoun buzz. The building design is smart and contemporary,
with exceptionally well-prepared and presented food to match, ranging from Szechuan staples to Thai dishes and
sushi, all very authentic. Afterwards, roam the bars and cafés of Abdoun for something sweet or a nightcap.
AMMAN Tannoureen © ˚ \\\
Shatt al-Arab St, Umm Uthaina, West Amman Tel [phone] l Map C3
Vying for the title of Jordan's best restaurant, this is an outstanding place to sample the finest of Lebanese cuisine
in an elegant, formal setting. The meze are exceptionally good, the mains cover the range of grills and fish and the
desserts, if you make it that far, are out of this world. Service is warm, smooth and courteous.
AQABA Ali Baba

7 Δ © ˚ \\
Princess Haya Circle Tel [phone] l Map B7
Situated in a great location, on a bustling corner overlooking Aqaba's main Princess Haya Circle, Ali Baba is a long-
established, informal local restaurant, generally packed with both Aqabawis and tourists sampling Lebanese cuisine,
chatting and watching the town go by. The fish and seafood are notably good and the service is genial.
AQABA Floka

\\

Al Nahda St, 77110 Tel [phone] l Map B7

In the centre of town, the street behind the Aqaba Gulf hotel is lined with interesting cafés and restaurants.
Alongside the Alcazar Hotel stands Floka, a great little fish and seafood restaurant. Choose from the catch of the
day or pick Arabic specialities from the extensive menu.
AQABA Bourj al-Hamam 7 Δ © ˚ \\\
At the InterContinental Hotel, King Hussein St, North Beach 77110 Tel [phone] l Map B7
Aqaba's big hotels all have excellent restaurants, but the InterContinental's Bourj al-Hamam is exceptional, offering
exquisite Lebanese specialities alongside the hotel's pool and palms, looking out to the beach and the Red Sea. The
meze are superb, as are the fish specialities. The restaurant in the InterContinental in Amman is as good.
AQABA Royal Yacht Club Δ © ˚ \\\
Off the main corniche, 77110 Tel [phone] l Map B7
Off the main Princess Haya Circle, a side-road (with staffed gates) leads down to the marina, where you will find this
wonderful restaurant. Catered by Romero of Amman, it offers a range of Mediterranean cuisine, from fish and
wood-fired pizza to salads and Arabic meze , in a formal, airy space on the waterfront, with spectacular views.
DEAD SEA Mövenpick

7 f Δ , © ˚ \\
Dead Sea Rd, Sweimeh, 11180 Tel [phone] l Map C4
Dining at the Dead Sea is a case of picking a hotel. The Marriott and the Kempinski both have excellent restaurants
and terrace cafés, but the Mövenpick is perhaps the most atmospheric and offers exceptional quality. Try the lavish
Mediterranean buffets at Saraya, in the main building, or Luigi's, a great little Italian on the resort's “village square”.
MADABA Haret Jdoudna Δ © ˚ \\
King Talal St, 11181 Tel [phone] l Map C4
On a journey north or south through Jordan, or a trip out of Amman, it is worth the detour to Madaba to try this
splendid, traditional Arabic restaurant, occupying a historic building in the town's old quarter. The setting is perfect,
with tables dotted around an old courtyard home, and the food - meze , grills, fresh-baked bread - is exquisite.
PETRA Mövenpick 7 © ˚ \\\
Wadi Musa, 218101 Tel [phone] l Map C5
Dining in Wadi Musa is mostly quite ordinary. For something special, head to the Mövenpick: on one side of their
beautiful internal atrium is the Saraya restaurant, offering extensive buffets; on another is the Maqaad bar; and
opposite is the formal Liwan restaurant, Wadi Musa's best, with a high-priced menu of Mediterranean specialities.
UMM QAIS Resthouse Δ © ˚ \
Umm Qais Tel [phone] or book through Romero in Amman [phone] l Map C2
Umm Qais - once the Roman city of Gadara - is located in the northernmost corner of Jordan. Within the ruins, an
Ottoman school has been beautifully converted into a splendid restaurant. The menu is simple - salads, meze , grills,
pasta - but the location is exceptional, on a high plateau overlooking the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights.

Key to Price Guide see p272 Key to Symbols see back cover flap