Where to stay in Amman Jordan: Jabal Al Lweibdeh, a vibrant, diverse neighborhood that has it all.

Street art is all over Jabal al Lweibdeh and greatly adds to the cityscape

Introduction to Amman

The Dead Sea and Petra inspired us to add Jordan to our around the world itinerary and Amman, the capital city, was the natural starting point for a week in Jordan.  I had no idea what Amman would be like and I’m not sure I had even seen a picture of the city before planning the trip.  When booking a place to stay in Amman, my primary motivation was finding a place within walking distance of the major attractions.  Beyond that, I knew nothing about the various neighborhoods.  Despite this lack of foresight, we somehow ended up in an amazing and absolutely perfect neighborhood, Jabal Al Lweibdeh (aka Weibdeh, or Paris Square)

Here is why you should stay in Lweibdeh:

1. Location: 

This neighborhood is situated on one of Amman’s seven hills and is centrally located between downtown and Jabal Amman, where many historic sites are located.  Paris square (which is actually a circle) is located within the center of the neighborhood.  If you are willing to walk up to 30 minutes (and you should be because this is an interesting and pleasant neighborhood to walk in) it is within walking distance of the Citadel, the Roman Theater, Rainbow Street, the Gold Souk, the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, and the Jordan Museum.  

2. The vibe:

According to Culture Trip, this is a  “highly favoured area for professional and alternative youthful minds” and that really comes through as you sit in any of the many cafes or wander the streets admiring the abundant and diverse street art.  There is an exciting feeling in the air.  All day cafes that serve amazing food, solid espresso, and high quality cocktails are filled with students and twenty somethings engaged in animated conversation from morning until after midnight.  Art galleries are scattered throughout the neighborhood and there is a diversity of restaurants, coffee shops, and juice bars.  This is all happening within an architecturally ancient part of the city and this mix of modern and antiquity is what gives this unique neighborhood its special feel.

The Dali Space with its retractable Roof which allows it to adapt to the weather and temperature throughout the day.

3. The restaurants: 

There is a wide range of restaurants to choose from.  From tiny falafel joints to upscale seafood restaurants and everything in between, there is a plethora of dining options at any price point.  

Street art on the walk up from Jabal Amman to Jabal Al Lweibdeh

4. The street art and art galleries:

Amman has some of the best street art I have ever seen.  We loved wandering the streets and finding hidden gems and giant masterpieces.  We never timed it right to visit any of the galleries but I would add that to my itinerary if I had a do-over.

A monumental mural on the side of a building as seen from the Roman Theater

5. The convenience:

With multiple small but sufficient supermarkets, decent liquor stores, bakeries, a pharmacy, and the plethora of dining options you can find anything you need within a 5 minute walk.  

The kids relaxing in the library and cafe of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts

6. It’s quiet and not crowded: 

Downtown Amman can be a little overwhelming.  This neighborhood has plenty to do, but is still quiet at night and has a calm feeling.  

The view from the top of the Dali House at night

Where to stay in Jabal Al-Lweibdeh:

Dali House: This place was perfect!  For 65 JOD a night, we rented a 3 bedroom apartment with a kitchen, sitting area, and two bathrooms.  All of the staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. There was private parking at the hotel and they helped us to arrange anything we needed.  Equally as perfect is the adjacent restaurant by the same name.  We ended up eating 3 meals there and having cocktails on a couple occasions.  The food is excellent and affordable.  The ambience is perfect by day and by night.  It was super convenient to have this as an easy option right nearby.  I can’t say enough good things about this place and would absolutely recommend staying here when you visit Amman.

If you choose to stay somewhere other than the Dali House, I suggest trying to find something as close as possible to Paris Square, which is a nice, central location. Al-Shariaah College Street and Al-Bauoneyah Street are also both good options.  

Our favorite restaurants:

Dali Space: Everything we tried here was fantastic. They have the absolute best Mouttabal (smoky eggplant dip) I have ever tried.  I generally discourage the kids from getting American food abroad but I let them try the cheeseburgers and chicken fingers at Dali House. Even these were delicious. The chicken fingers were clearly made fresh, not frozen and the burgers were big, juicy patties.  There is a mix of indoor and outdoor seating and this place even has a retractable roof so that they can adapt to the moving sun and changing temperatures throughout the day.  The vibe is magical and you can always find a good restaurant by looking for a place filled with locals.  As in all of Jordan, however, the restaurants allow smoking and there is a shockingly strong smoking culture.  There will be people smoking everywhere you go and this is my one complaint about the restaurant.  The service is also typical of Jordan and unrushed.

The Dali Space has indoor, outdoor, and hybrid seating, with food, draft beer, wine, cocktails, and Hookah

Alzamer: I still cannot believe how cheap the food is here.  They offer homemade falafel served in a variety of ways.  You can get a falafel pita with fries, hummus, and pickled veggies for 1.50 JOD.  A serving of falafel is 0.40 JOD.  It is all made fresh to order and delicious.  Don’t skip the hot sauce.  It isn’t too hot and is a necessary condiment.  

The Coffee Room: Solid espresso drinks and friendly service.

There are tons of other restaurants nearby.  We also tried Olivia’s pizza which was good but not great.  We liked the two places above so much that we just stuck with them the rest of the time!

Selfie at the Temple of Heracles in Amman Jordan with the Jabal al Lweibdeh in the background

Final thoughts on where to stay in Amman:

If you are planning a trip to Amman, I highly recommend staying in the Jabal Al-Lweibdeh neighborhood!  You won’t regret it.  Share your favorite restaurants and experiences in the neighborhood in the comments below!