Al Quds Restaurant

Restaurant · Traditional Jordanian and sweets$Downtown, Amman

A busy Downtown sweets shop with a large, good-value dining room at the back, known for mansaf, maqluba and traditional Arabic desserts.

At a glance

Type: Traditional Jordanian and sweets
Area: Downtown, Amman, Jordan
Price: $ · Budget

Good to know

Bakery and sweets counter
Dining room

Why we recommend it

Al Quds Restaurant on King Hussein Street is one of the classic places in Downtown Amman to try traditional Jordanian food at local prices. At the front it is a sweets and pastry shop, its counters stacked with Arabic desserts, and behind it a large, plain dining room serves typical Jordanian dishes to a steady stream of local families, workers and travellers.

The house speciality is mansaf, Jordan's national dish of lamb cooked in a sauce of jameed, dried fermented yoghurt, and served on a bed of rice. Mansaf is traditionally a dish for celebrations, shared from a communal platter, so this is a good place to try it without needing an invitation to a wedding. Maqluba, the upside-down dish of rice, vegetables and meat, often appears on the menu too. For dessert, try layaly lubnan, a semolina pudding with a caramel-style syrup, or pick something from the pastry counter on your way out.

The restaurant suits budget travellers, families and anyone who wants to eat where local people eat. Prices are moderate and the atmosphere is unpretentious. The menu is in Arabic, so it helps to know the names of the dishes you want before you arrive.

Lunch is the traditional time for mansaf. Arrive with an appetite, as a plate of mansaf is filling. If you only want something sweet, the counter at the front is a good alternative to Habibah for picking up a box of pastries to take back to your hotel.

The restaurant is on King Hussein Street in the heart of Downtown, a few minutes' walk from the Grand Husseini Mosque, Hashem Restaurant and the souks, and within easy walking distance of the Roman Theatre. It fits naturally into a day exploring the old centre, either as a hearty lunch after the Citadel or as a stop for sweets in the afternoon.

Be aware that this is a different business from Al Quds Falafel on Rainbow Street, despite the similar name. If you want a full introduction to Jordanian food in one day, start with falafel and hummus at Hashem in the morning, have mansaf here at lunch and finish with kunafa at Habibah in the afternoon.