The best breakfast in Amman is going to vary depending on who you ask. This list of Middle Eastern breakfast foods and local breakfast places in Amman will leave your taste buds satiated, wherever you choose to dine.
Best Breakfast in Amman
Mannaqesh
Mannaquesh (also often spelled Mannaesh) is a breakfast pizza in Amman and a popular Jordanian food at just about any time of day. Traditional mannaqesh is a round dough topped with zaatar (thyme mixture with salt, sumac, and sesame seeds) and olive oil and baked in a fire oven. You can also try an array of different options depending on the restaurant. I like halloumi (a salty cheese), eggs and dried meat. I usually order all three types for just a few JD.
The best place to have mannaqesh in Amman is listed below. It is also included in this popular Amman food tour
Fuul (Fava Beans)
Fuul is another staple and is fava beans mixed with lemon, chillis, and garlic. Every restaurant makes theirs a little different. Often breakfast buffets in hotels will have fixings on the side to add to your fava beans. They are often served in a tall ceramic tear drop shaped container with a long spoon.
Baklava
If you have a sweet tooth, Baklava is a perfectly acceptable breakfast food (or after dinner treat).
Falafel
You cannot visit the Middle East without trying falafel and it is a cheap eat snack. Whether you have it at Hashem Restaurant (one of the most popular restaurants in Jordan) with a spread of mezze (appetizers) or in a falafel sandwich, it is a popular snack food in Jordan.
Falafel is made of chick peas and deep fried.
Zait and Zaatar with Bread
A basic breakfast in Jordan can be bread with olive oil and a blend of zait and zaatar. You will see locals eating this in hotel breakfast buffets!
Eggs and Cheese
Hard boiled eggs and hard cheeses are also popular breakfast items in Jordan.
Hummus and Labneh
Almost a daily staple, hummus is served with every meal in Jordan. You will find it in breakfast buffets and at almost every lunch and dinner restaurant. After fresh hummus with deep green olive oil, you will have a hard time going back to store-bought hummus at home.
Labneh is similar in texture to sour cream or thick yogourt but tastes like cream cheese. It is popular on bread with breakfast and is often served alongside hummus.
Olives
Arabs love their olives, and Jordanians will have olives or pickled veggies with just about any meal!
Fatteh
Fatteh is one of my favorite things to eat in Jordan and it is a mixture of chick peas, tahini and bread. It is then served with nuts on top. Often it is seasoned with garlic and lemon.
Where to Eat Breakfast In Amman
Breakfast in Jordan is big business. Bring your appetite! Most of these places you will also find listed in the best places to eat in Amman guide.
Hashem
Known for:
- Excellent Food for just a few dollars
- Serving the King and the Royal Palace
- Open 24 Hours
- Oldest Restaurant in Amman serving typical street food
- Its Listing in Lonely Planet
What to Expect
White deck chairs and a small restaurant await you when you arrive to Hashem. Line ups at meal times mean it must be a great spot! Hashem Restaurant has a vegetarian menu only and for only a few dollars you will walk away fully satisfied.
A full table of appetizers including hummus, baba ganoush, foul (mixed fava beans with lemon and garlic), and falafel
How to Get Here:
Hashem is the most famous restaurant in the Amman and is located in the main downtown core
Abu Jbara
Known For:
- Excellent Hummus and Fateh
- Cheap Prices
- Attentive Staff
What to Expect
A typical sized, casual middle eastern restaurant, with outside and inside seating. It is a local favorite and a steady stream of locals eat here from morning until night. It is clean and inviting. Their staff is attentive and dishes appear almost instantly after ordering. Make sure you try the fateh, which is a mixture of bread and chickpeas and covered with pine nuts and olive oil. You can also get foul and moutabel.
If you want to add some meat to your meal, the staff will prepare hummus with shwarma from the shop next door. All you have to do is ask. Order “shai bi na’na” – tea with mint – to go with your meal. Even in the hot of summer, this refreshing tea tastes excellent with your meal.
How to get here?
My favorite location of Abu Jbara is located off the second circle. It has a blue sign and is on the left hand side of the road if you are coming from the second circle. About a block or two from the circle, close to a big sweets shop! There is parking on the street.
You will also find other locations in Amman.
Amra Bakery
Known For:
- Mannaqesh and Pizza
- Take out Style
What to Expect:
A small pizza place with just two tables to eat in. From morning to night you will see a constant stream of locals picking up manaqesh and other pizzas. Their menu is only in arabic and you will not see the tourists stop here (unless they are with a guide who fancy’s the place). Order the zaatar and halloumi for sure!
How to Get There:
Wild Jordan
What to Expect
With stunning views of the city, Wild Jordan is a gift shop and cafe with food and drinks with locally produced goods supporting locals. Managed by the RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) it is marketed to locals and international visitors as a sustainability project in the country.
Price-wise, Wild Jordan is on the high end for coffee.
Other Popular Places for Breakfast in Amman
- Dimitri’s Coffee
- Jubran next to Rotana Hotel
- Zatar and Zait
- Pancake and Waffle House in Abdoun
- Blue Fig – expat’s fav
5 Things to Bring with You to Jordan
I have always been a guide book person and physically having that book in your hand as you plan your day, in addition to blogs like this one, can help immensely. Pick up a Lonely Planet Guide to Jordan (or the kindle version) before your trip to Jordan.
Whether you want to keep the sun off your head or want to show a little modesty, a scarf goes a long way in Jordan any time of the year. You can bring one with you or pick up one when you arrive, but don’t leave your hotel in the morning without it! It can serve as a hat to keep the sun off your head and neck in the summer and can add some warmth in winder and can offer modesty to cover shoulders for women.
A Grayl Water Bottle is something I recommend for every traveller, not just those going to the Middle East. Some people say the water is safe to drink from the tap, others say it is not; it is not something I am going to chance. And Jordan has a HUGE garbage problem. The streets, the forests and even the desert are littered with plastic bottles.
If you consider drinking at least 1-2 big water bottles a day while you are there, think of how much plastic that creates when every visitor and the population’s 9 million people do the same. With a Grayl, you can filter any tap water (or actually any water source) and have clean drinking water in seconds. Since most people travel with water bottles already, consider one like this with a filter so that you are not just pouring from big water bottles to small. It might sound expensive, but when you compare it to spending a few dollars per day on water while you travel (and do not forget how expensive the water is inside airports), you will pay for this very quickly.
Kleenex or Wipes are another thing to put on your list. Jordan’s public washrooms (and even restraint or hotel lobby washrooms can often be unstocked. Unless you are good with a bidet sprayer, bring yourself some kleenex or wipes just in case! You will find that most washrooms in tourist sites and rest stops have an attendant that will give you toilet paper and paper towel for a small tip. Usually half a dinar is fine.
In Jordan, the plumbing is not set up to handle toilet paper. Every bathroom (even hotels) you should use the garbage can beside the toilet for your toilet paper and any sanitary products.
Motion Sickness Pills might be needed if you are prone to motion sickness and plan on traveling by bus or in the back of the car. There are many windy, hilly and bumpy roads in Jordan. Sea Bands might work for you if you are prone to motion sickness.
More Jordan Travel Resources
While you are in Amman, check out top things to do in Amman and where else to eat.
For the foodies, while in Petra, check out what to eat in Wadi Musa.
If you have just begun the planning, check out 101 Things to do in Jordan to give you some inspiration on the places you want to make sure you have time to see.
Rental Cars are very popular in Jordan, get a quote on renting a car before you arrive.
If you are working on a self-drive itinerary or plan to see the country independently, there is a guide on getting around in Jordan.
If you are thinking of booking a tour, or wondering how much hassle a self drive itinerary can be, check out this post I have on the best Jordan tours to book.
Lindsay fell in love with Jordan when she first visited in 2016. She now goes back every year to explore more of this special place. Lindsay is also the owner of Amman Food Tours, a social enterprise that is women-owned and hires local female guides. This project provides meaningful employment for women in Amman.