I always knew that going to Jordan as a vegan was never going to be the protein-deficient fail that other places have been; the country has a strong armoury of traditional plant-based dishes and I was ready to stuff my face full of hummus, falafel, and the popular bean dish, ‘foul’.
Whilst a lot of these seem to be regarded as side plates, there was always enough to create a meal alongside bread and salad. It’s worth saying that this did (however) get old really fast, especially when you’re doing 9/10-hour walks around Petra.
Amman was a surprising (and refreshing) vegan haven, especially around Rainbow Street and the surrounding area. Leaning into the growing demands from tourists in the area, it was relatively easy to locate local businesses offering vegan milks, full meals, and even plant-based desserts.
In this blog post, I’ve highlighted the wonderful vegan-friendly restaurants in Amman that we came across during our 3 nights in the city – all of which are within walking distance of one another.
Bayt Sara Amman
We stumbled upon Bayt Sara during our first night in Amman and I couldn’t have been happier. Sara specialises in a mixture of Romanian, Italian, and Jordanian food, with a focus on zero sugar and sustainability. Her homemade menu changes daily and delivers healthy, hearty food.
The night we arrived, Sara was serving generous slabs of rich vegan lasagna, as well as vegan chocolate cake (perhaps the biggest piece of chocolate cake I’ve ever been given in my life!). Her menu that evening also offered enormous vegan shawarmas and Hungarian goulash that came with thick, delicious dumplings. Absolutely delicious!
One of the best things about Sara is her passion for animal welfare. A percentage of her profits go to animal welfare projects across Jordan, from feeding stray cats and dogs to educating the local people about sentience and animal welfare. She also works alongside PETA in Wadi Rum, raising awareness about the negative effects of animal tourism here: horse riding, donkey riding, and the stray dog population. They are currently working on a project that swaps out donkey rides for electric cars, which we spotted during our visit to PETRA.
Sara’s passion for animals is unmatched, and her enthusiasm for veganism actually led us to our next spot …
Locals’ House
Locals’ House is a cool-looking two-floor cafe, located right in the middle of the trendy Rainbow Street. Poised right in the centre of all of the action, until recently, Locals sold all sorts of dairy and meat dishes. However, Sara has convinced them to switch out a lot of their vegetarian or meat products for vegan ones (and we were fortunate enough to be invited to this new launch by Sara). They now offer plenty of vegan food and drink options, including some of Sara’s own specialities.
I absolutely loved the vibe here, it gives remote working cafe realness – an inviting plant wall runs up one side, and there’s a larger dining area and comfy lounge upstairs for those that want to stay a bit longer. I could see myself going and sitting by myself all afternoon with creamy oat milk coffees and vegan cake whilst I caught up with work.
V Spectrum Amman
V spectrum is (very conveniently) located right next to Bayt Sara. It’s the brainchild of two ladies named Siwar and Mirna, who are both absolutely adorable, friendly, and warm. Like Sara, they feed the stray cats of the area and in their restaurant, you’ll find a donation tin to help them do so; it’s not uncommon to find a cat sitting outside either of these restaurants waiting for their dinner.
While Sara specialises in heartier Western foods, these ladies have really nailed the vegan Arabic offering and their menu is absolutely enormous (and great for those on a budget!). We had a real problem choosing from all of the different options, everything sounded so delicious. We finally opted for one of their big hot dog shawarmas, stuffed with vegan ‘cheez’ and veg goodness. However, the real standout for me was our second pick – the Mushroom Musakhan, their veganised recipe of the traditional Palestinian chicken Musakhan (it looks a bit like a pizza). Good god! I don’t think I was quite ready for the incredible mix of flavours from this – don’t miss your chance to try it!
Siwar and Mirna were really keen for us to experience local delicacies, and also whipped up a few taster plates, introducing me to pickled garlic – something I’d imagined would be really strong and mess with my stomach. I could not have been more wrong. It was delicious and I could have eaten an entire plate of it (my tummy was truly living its best life).
Hashem Restaurant
Hashem Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in Amman, located in a canteen-like arcade in the Downtown area. At first it, we found the setup a little confusing, struggling to identify which tables were actually part of Hashem’s (and how to order). Ultimately, you just have to battle yourself in, find a table, sit down, and they’ll come take your order.
While Hashem Restaurant is not a vegan or vegetarian venue (they do serve an awful lot of meat), many of the traditional dishes I mentioned earlier are plant-based by default. A helpful local recommend we try the hummus stuffed bread, veggie fatteh and their falafels (renowned for being the best falafel in Jordan).
Wild Jordan
We stopped by Wild Jordan for lunch, and we were not disappointed. The restaurant is part of a Conservation Centre that supports all kinds of conservation work across Jordan and beyond. The building is beautifully designed and feels very modern – think glass museum feels with full views across the city.
We settled into spacious, deep couches and I ordered the vegan-friendly eggplant wraps alongside the almond milk smoothie – an absolute dream after days of salad! It delivered a much-needed (natural) sugar boost. As with everything we tried in Bayt Sara and V Spectrum, I could have fired into this flavoursome eggplant dish every day.
Travelling around Jordan? My post ‘Plan your Jordan road trip: a 6-day tour itinerary‘ provides loads of information around FAQs and many of the best things to see on your Jordan road trip.
As always, if you have more questions about your Jordan trip planning or vegan food in Jordan, drop me a message on Instagram or TikTok! All our advice is free and I love to hear from fellow travellers.
