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Sufra

Amman

Comforting, downsized Jordanian home cooking

What’s the deal? Sufra is in an early 20th-century villa in one of Amman’s oldest and most charming neighbourhoods. The vibe is homey, laid-back and welcoming. Enjoy sitting in one of its cosy rooms, on the open-air terrace, or in the charming garden by the Damascene fountain. You can’t miss the vitrine-style bakery, where you can watch freshly baked puffy pittas emerging from the oven.

A taste of the locality: Jordanian cuisine offers flavour-packed home-style cooking and is usually served in huge portions, but at Sufra diners will find this traditional food in smaller sizes, which allows them to try even more dishes.

On the Pass

Hassan Mezal

Pastry Chef

Dunia ALhusseini

What to order: Sufra specialises in clay-pot cooking, or fukhurat, which is said to impart a very distinct flavour. Try the lahmeh pot, loaded with lamb, potato and onion. The family-style menu includes a selection of other Bedouin dishes, such as sajeyet jaj, where shredded chicken is cooked over open flame with onion and pine seeds; and fattet magadem, a traditional Levantine casserole of lamb trotters, topped with flatbread crumbs and fresh vegetables. The kitchen also offers a special menu in the spring that includes seasonal delicacies prepared with wild local ingredients such as mallow, gundelia, hedge mustard and peppercress.

Other ventures: The Romero Group is owned by the Gousouss family, which runs eight restaurants across Jordan, including a guest house and restaurant located within Umm Qays, an archaeological site of Ancient Gadara that dates back to the Decapolis period (first century BC).

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