There are many excellent restaurants in Amman, Jordan, but it was difficult to choose a restaurant by reviews alone. So my Traveling Companion made friends with some hotel employees of the St.Regis to get some personal info about local eateries. Sufra Restaurant got the thumbs up from just about everyone.
Sufra is located in the trendy Rainbow Street neighborhood area. The restaurant looks small, but once you get inside, it opens up to several dining areas where patrons sit cosily together.
The menu is sophisticated, and so, we relied on what we recognized for starters….like green beans in a lemony tomato sauce, velvety hummus topped with ground lamb, a generous jar of tangy, green olives, and freshly baked hot bread.
For his second course, my Traveling Companion took a leap of faith and ordered something totally unfamilar, a traditional lamb and rice dish topped with a jameed sauce, almonds and pine nuts called mansaf.
I stuck to the tried and true mixed grill.
We ended it all with hibiscus flower tea.
Although the ambiance and food experience at Sufra were wonderful, the real heart of this restaurant is in the bread. The bread is beyond excellent and all because of this adorable man, whose name I never learned.
His only job was to make the bread, and he was the only one making it. He, indeed, had the spotlight as the oven was in a glassed in space with street windows and in full view of one of the dining rooms. It was evident from his smile that he loved his job, and he loved the interest of the patrons.
My interest was rewarded by an invitation into that special space where I got a closer, warmer look at the oven.
Warm smiles all around meant that my table got a few extra loaves of baked treasure directly from the oven.
Nothing finer!!!!
See you later, The Unseasoned Traveler
Jackie's Junkets 
This restaurant would have made my tummy happy too. Jackie, I could live by bread alone 😀
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OMG this looks so good, Jackie! We will have to go to a Middle East or Turkish restaurant. Moby Dick (Iranian) has bread like this.
Now that you “outed” your “traveling companion” with a picture in your last post, why not name him? There must be a reason.
Ellen
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Absolutely charming. And, delicious. Thank you!
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What a wonderful restaurant experience!
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That looks like a wonderful evening. Minus the lamb, of course. 😉
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What a romantic place. I LOVE the photo of your baker.
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Wow I can feel the warmth of the restaurant just looking at the decor!! The hibiscus tea brings back a souvenir of one great evening👍Charming!!! Gisele
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Oh that bread looks special and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
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The bread looks so good! Thank goodness, the blog doesn’t come with smells included or I would really be salivating.
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Jackie the bread looks amazing! So glad you and Bruce got to experience this!!
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