Rajeen Armenian Restaurant, Amman

Rajeen restaurant is located on Rainbow street, facing the huge Rotana Cafe. It's an Armenian restaurant serving a large choice of specialities combining  Middle Eastern food with an Armenian influence. Pass by the big bread oven up to the first floor where the experience all starts.

To get a glimpse of the area, Rainbow Street originally named Abu Bakr al Siddiq street, is a public space in the historic area of Jabal Amman, near the center of downtown Amman, Jordan. The street runs East from the First Circle to Mango Street, and contains several landmarks including the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the British Council building, as well as the headquarters of theJordan Petroleum Refinery Company and the cinema after which the street is renamed. It is also home to sites of Jordan's history, such as the al-Mufti House, the residence of King Talal and the home of former military commander and Prime Minister Zaid ibn Shaker. Starting in 2006, Rainbow Street was transformed into a heritage attraction point by the Greater Amman Municipality.

The pluses:

• Nice cozy decoration with walls all covered with mosaic
• The restaurant, located on the first floor, has two levels making it look bigger
• I like its set up - a couple of round tables seating up to 7 guests each
• The balcony has a view to the crowded Rainbow street where Amman's youth crowd gathers on week-ends
• The wooden chairs and tables covered with leather place mats add a fine touch to the restaurant
• The food is very good
• Dinner starts with a shot of cucumber soup offered to all, and ends with a shot of grenadine- rose water. I loved the idea.
• They have tasty homemade pita bread

• Pomelo Salad: Lettuce, pomelo, mushrooms, white cheese
• Rajeen Tabbouleh: fresh parsley, lentil, pineapple, lemon, fresh pomegrenades
• Hummus
• Sajyet eggplant and meat
• Sajyet Rajeen: Sauteed chopped meat in olive oil, spices and green pepper
• Rainbow shawarma: marinated slices of beef filet, olive oil, all on a shish served standing plate
• Kastaleta
• Freekeh bilfukhara: Smoked wheat cooked with fresh cream and parmigiano cheese
• Lahme bilajeen slices
• Fried balls of chicken

 

The food is good and quirky:

Food is very tasty. The ideas and the mixes are full of surprises keeping you wondering after every bite. Salt, pepper, spices and condiments all blend perfectly to make you say: Mmmmmm! Imagine a Tabbouleh with pineapple and pomegranates, or a salad of lettuce and pomelo or even chicken balls fried with nuts. Every single plate has a unique touch differentiating "Rajeen" from all other restaurants around. The tastiest plate is the meat slices spicy loaf. Even the simplest, Hummus, is prepared without garlic and tastes great.  Please make sure to taste the cucumber soup: It is to die for. The special plate I loved the most is the individual Shawarma shish served on a stand, where each guest can enjoy the Rajeen shawarma taste individually. Just imagine the huge Shawarma rolling shish in a single plate.

 

• The restaurant is too Arabic. I didn't feel any Armenian touch around: The music, decoration and waiters' uniforms should have had a more Armenian touch to it
• Waiters are somehow rough, working in a frustrating attitude
• The menu is full of spelling mistakes

Overall I love this place and will surely ask my hosts to take me there again, whenever I am in Amman.