Restaurant in Amman, Jordan
Amman's hardest table. Book early.
Ranked #36 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, 13C Bar in the Back is the clearest argument for a serious dinner reservation in Amman. The bar-in-the-back format rewards guests who plan ahead: Pearl rates it Near Impossible to book, so secure your table as early as possible. For first-timers, this is the benchmark experience in the city.
If you are planning a special occasion dinner in Amman and want a venue with international credibility, 13C Bar in the Back is your clearest option. It ranked #36 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA 2024 list, which puts it in a different tier from most of what Amman offers. That ranking matters here: it tells you this is a room that has been evaluated against the wider region and held its own. First-timers to Amman's dining scene should treat this as the benchmark experience, the one against which everything else gets measured.
13C Bar in the Back sits on Arar Street in Amman, and the name alone signals what kind of place this is: a bar with a room behind it, the kind of address that rewards guests who know to look for it. For a first-timer, the setup itself is part of the experience. You are not walking into a hotel lobby restaurant or a sprawling terrace venue. This is a more contained, intentional space, and that shape matters when you are deciding who to bring and why.
The address is not a grand statement. It is a deliberate choice, and that restraint runs through what the venue represents. A Google rating of 4.6 across 87 reviews is a solid signal for a room of this type. Niche, award-recognised venues often polarise reviewers, but 13C holds its score, which suggests it is delivering consistently rather than on the strength of a single extraordinary night.
On the question of private or group dining, the bar-in-the-back format is worth thinking about carefully before you arrive. Venues structured this way typically have a front bar area for walk-in or casual visits and a more curated rear space for the full experience. If you are coming for a group occasion, a birthday, a business dinner, or a milestone, contact the venue directly to understand what the room configuration allows. A 50 Best MENA-ranked venue in Amman is not the kind of place where you improvise your group logistics on arrival.
For the first-timer specifically: do not treat this as a drop-in bar. The name suggests informality, but the award context tells a different story. Arrive having made a reservation, and if your group has more than three or four people, flag that when you book. The difference between a well-managed group visit and a disjointed one at a venue like this is almost always in the preparation, not in anything the room itself fails to provide.
On scent and atmosphere, the venue's format, a bar leading into a back room, points toward a more intimate aromatic environment than a large open kitchen would produce. Expect a closer, more enveloping atmosphere rather than a sweeping dining room feel. That is a preference signal: if you want a grand, high-ceilinged occasion venue, this is not it. If you want something more private and considered, it likely is.
Pearl's booking difficulty rating for 13C is Near Impossible. That is not hyperbole. A MENA 50 Best slot at rank #36, in a city where the fine-dining supply is relatively constrained, means demand substantially outpaces seats. Book as far ahead as your plans allow. Amman's dining scene is drawing more international visitors since the MENA 50 Best list expanded attention to the region, and 13C is one of the addresses people arrive specifically to visit.
For further context on what to eat and drink in Amman around this visit, see our full Amman restaurants guide, our full Amman bars guide, and our full Amman experiences guide. If you are combining this with accommodation research, our full Amman hotels guide covers the current options. For those exploring Jordan beyond the capital, Alibaba Restaurant in Aqaba is worth noting for a different register of the country's food culture.
Reservations: Book as far in advance as possible; Pearl rates this Near Impossible to secure, especially for weekends and group visits. Contact the venue directly — no booking platform is confirmed in our data. Address: Arar St 129, Amman 11115, Jordan. Groups: For parties of four or more, communicate your group size at the time of booking to avoid seat or configuration issues on arrival. Dress: No confirmed dress code, but given the MENA 50 Best ranking, smart casual at minimum is appropriate. Budget: Pricing not publicly confirmed; expect a premium relative to the Amman average given its award tier. Dietary needs: Confirm directly with the venue — no dietary policy is confirmed in our data.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13C Bar in the Back | Near Impossible | — | |
| Fakhreldin | Unknown | — | |
| Dara Dining by Sara Aqel | Unknown | — | |
| Sufra | Unknown | — | |
| Shams El Balad | Unknown | — | |
| Alee | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
The bar seating is part of the experience here, not just a waiting area. Given the venue's name and format, the bar is where you want to be. That said, availability at the counter is limited, and with a Pearl booking difficulty rated Near Impossible, securing any seat requires advance planning.
Yes, and it's the clearest choice in Amman for occasions where international credibility matters. Its #36 ranking in the World's 50 Best MENA 2024 gives it a verifiable weight that few venues in Jordan can match. Book as far out as possible and check the venue's official channels to flag the occasion.
For a sit-down dinner with atmosphere, Fakhreldin is the traditional benchmark in Amman and considerably easier to book. Sufra is a reliable option for Jordanian food in a relaxed setting. Dara Dining by Sara Aqel is the pick if you want something more chef-driven and contemporary without the booking difficulty of 13C.
As far in advance as you can manage. Pearl rates this venue Near Impossible to secure, particularly on weekends and for groups. check the venue's official channels through their Arar Street address details or via any confirmed booking channel you can find — there is no publicly listed phone or website in the current record.
The name tells you what to expect: a bar with a room behind it, on Arar Street in Amman. It earned a #36 spot in the World's 50 Best MENA 2024 list, which signals a drinks-led operation with serious intent. Go for the bar experience specifically; if you're primarily looking for a full dinner format, Fakhreldin or Sufra may serve you better.
No dietary or menu information is confirmed in the current venue record. check the venue's official channels before booking if dietary needs are a factor. Given the booking difficulty, it's worth clarifying this at the reservation stage rather than on arrival.
No dress code is documented for 13C Bar in the Back. A venue ranked in the World's 50 Best MENA 2024 typically draws a crowd that dresses with some intention, so neat, put-together clothing is a reasonable baseline. Avoid overly casual beachwear or sportswear to stay consistent with the room.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
