Lacto
Ovo
Organic
Mediterranean
Juice bar
Middle Eastern
Jordanian
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Farm-to-table concept eatery and grocery store with a vintage feel and large terrace overlooking the Citadel. Has menu in English and free Wi-Fi. Hosts exhibitions from local artists. Reported no longer fully vegetarian Oct 2019. Confirmed closed, Nov 2020 - please let HappyCow know if it reopens.


Venue map for Shams El Balad Cafe
© OpenStreetMap contributors

15 Reviews

First Review by The Hungry Vegan

dan&mia

Points +759

Vegetarian
14 Nov 2019

Nice seating, slightly upset stomach

The carrot dish had a lot of grain and chickpeas, which both could have been cooked more. The dish was also a bit dry. The fried cauliflower and sweet potato appetizers were tasty. We had slightly upset stomachs after the meal.

Globivore

Points +72

Vegan
08 Apr 2019

Innovative Culinary

Wow, where to start. The beetroot falafel was the most unique and flavorful dish I had. The sweetness from the beetroot coupled with the savory of the tahini is a beautiful harmony. Highly recommend this restaurant. Service can be a little inattentive.

Pros: Fusion cuisine

Cons: Expensive for Jordanian food

maynard7

Points +4763

Mostly Veg
31 Mar 2019

Great interesting food

I didn't really know what anything was on the menu so I just read the descriptions of each item and then ordered two that sounded interesting. I ordered a pomelo butter bean salad and some hummus that came on flatbread. Very interesting and well thought out food. The prices are reasonable for the quality, though they add 26% for tax and service. The total came to over US$12 with no drink. Service is good but there are many employees standing around, lurking.

Pros: Truly unique food (for me!), Great flavors

Cons: A bit expensive

Dost-Tauschl

Points +32

Vegan
29 Mar 2019

Super Lokal

Sehr schön zum sitzen, sehr freundliche Personal und vor allem bestes Essen!!!! 😍 😍 😍 Gerne wieder!

Pros: Viele vegane Gerichte

Cons: Keine

danhosk

Points +794

Vegan
27 Dec 2018

Excellent

Great set up here, looks amazing. Food is great and very well priced - everything under 10D. Happy hour 4-8 everyday with 2D hummus/falafel/potatoes etc also great. The guy didn’t seem to understand vegan but most stuff seems vegan anyway. 100% worth coming to.

kenvegan

Points +12874

Vegan
27 Nov 2018

Gorgeous Restaurant / Great View / Superb Food

If in Amman, be sure not to miss this restaurant. Although the place is fancy looking, the food is reasonably priced and delicious. I ordered a potato dish that was delightful.

Listening to the call to prayer while looking out at the panoramic view of the city is such a treat!

This will go down as one of my favorite restaurant experiences in the world.

Updated from previous review on 2018-11-27

Pros: Great view, Excellent food, Great service

Alinta

Points +142

Vegan
07 Nov 2018

excellent restaurant

This place is Devine. One of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The food is fresh, seasonal and extremely vegan friendly, (may as well be vegan!) I highly recommend this place it's a must if you're in Amman.

Pros: gorgeous outdoor area., great service , loads of vegan options, seasonal food.

HollyCow

Points +785

Vegan
07 Aug 2018

Great location and outdoor seating

The food is really fresh and the ingredients come from local farmers. The dishes are nicely decorated. The atmosphere is fantastic in the evening.

Pros: Fresh , Great location

Cons: Expensive

rtiago

Points +560

Vegan
01 Aug 2018

Great place

Really good food, I enjoyed especially the foul and hummus with peppers. The place is really pretty and great views. At dinner they have a different menu and the experience wasn’t as good as lunch

SusanRoberts

Points +992

Vegan
29 Jul 2018

Beautiful place!

Great view and very nice setting! Food is fresh and attractively prepared. Wait staff super friendly. Absolute pleasure!

estefinparis

Points +858

Vegan
03 Nov 2017

Perfect

Beautiful and cosy spot for an authentic Jordanian meal, with plenty of indoor and outdoor space. Popular both with locals and visitors, the food is fantastic, service is great and prices very reasonable. Strongly recommended!

Pros: Many vegan options

OliverWhiteCloud

Points +35

Vegetarian
02 Jan 2017

super cute place

The atmosphere style and whole place is just super. The food is delicious and I have eaten lots of hummus this trip but this is a special one.

strickvl

Points +43

Vegan
20 Aug 2016

Lovely farm-to-table eatery

Went here mid-afternoon on a Saturday. A very relaxed atmosphere, lots of space to sit and friendly staff.
This is a highly vegetarian-and-vegan-friendly restaurant/cafe, with lots of options. In fact, barring the bread and the dairy products, almost everything else is plant-based.
The menu is seasonal, too, so make sure to ask at the counter what's new.

Pros: tasty food, lots of choice, pleasant / relaxed feeling to the place

Cons: half-way up a hill?, not cheap

Vera Peres

Points +3179

Vegan
29 Jul 2016

Fresh, delicious, friendly

This is one of those places where you can easily spend the whole day looking at the scenery and munching on their super tasty and fresh food.

Generally speaking, Middle Eastern food is very tasty and vegan friendly, but here you'll find tasty, local, seasonal, organic in a super welcoming environment. Some combinations with beans are not so easy to find elsewhere and the terrace is the perfect setting to enjoy all of this beautiful food.

The Hungry Vegan

Points +3304

Vegan
20 Jan 2016

What a treasure!

I came here on the first day on my first trip to the Levant. It spoiled me for all the other places I went. They had lots of great local dishes like za'atar flatbread, hummus, moutabal and makdous (see my photo with a bunch of different dishes). I really enjoyed it. It's a cute coffee shop with an English language menu. The outdoor terrace has beautiful views of Amman. It's a great choice for a casual meal.

Pros: Great Views, Inexpensive, Local Cuisine

Cons: none




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