Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
#3of 9 places to visit in AmmanAmman, Amman Governorate, Jordan
Also known as Hashem Restaurant Downtown · Wast al-Balad
Quick answer
Opening hours: 09:00–22:00. Entry is free. Allow 2 hrs. Best time: Breakfast at 08:00-09:30.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read
- Opening hours
- 09:00–22:00
- Al-Balad shops trade roughly 09:00-22:00; Hashem Restaurant is reported open 24 hours, with the morning breakfast rush the busiest period.
- Entry fee
- Free
- Time needed
- 2 hrs
- Best time of day
- Breakfast at 08:00-09:30
- Best months
- Mar – May, Sep – Nov
- Address
- Prince Mohammad Street (Hashem Restaurant) and King Faisal Street, Downtown Amman, Amman, Jordan (street-level postal code not published)
About Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) is free to walk at any hour as of 2026, and Hashem Restaurant on Prince Mohammad Street serves a set breakfast of hummus, ful and falafel that reportedly costs a few dinars per person. Downtown Amman is the oldest continuously used part of the city, a grid of stone buildings, stepped alleys and market streets stretching from Hashemite Plaza past the Al-Husseini Mosque to Souq Al-Sagha, the gold market. Hashem Restaurant, reported unchanged since 1952, is the reference point for the neighbourhood's street food. Downtown Amman also adjoins the Roman Theatre, so one walking route links the market, the mosque, the theatre and breakfast.
Best time of day: Breakfast at 08:00-09:30. At Hashem, then souks in the late morning; evenings after sunset are best during summer and Ramadan.
Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant timings
Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant opens at 09:00 and closes at 22:00. Those hours hold on Saturday and Sunday too.
- Opening hours
- 09:00–22:00
Mon–Sun 09:00–22:00 - Al-Balad shops trade roughly 09:00-22:00; Hashem Restaurant is reported open 24 hours, with the morning breakfast rush the busiest period.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: Many shops shut on Friday mornings for prayer and reopen around midday; hours contract during Ramadan and food is often served only after sunset.
Opening hours compiled from international.visitjordan.com and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard ticket | Free |
| Concession (student / senior) | Free |
| Children | Free |
Walking through Al-Balad is free at all hours, as of 2026. Hashem Restaurant has no menu and no entry charge; a shared table of hummus, ful, falafel and tea was reported at about JOD 7 in a recent traveller account, so budget roughly JOD 3-7 per person and verify at the counter. Souk purchases are bargained.
Prices compiled from international.visitjordan.com and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
- Very busy
07:30 - 09:30
Breakfast Rush at Hashem
Office workers and travellers fill the alley tables at Hashem Restaurant; queues form at the counter but move quickly.
Busy09:30 - 12:00
Souk Morning
Shops open, the gold and spice streets are busy but walkable, and Hashemite Plaza is quiet.
Moderate12:00 - 15:00
Midday SlowdownBest time to go
Heat and Friday prayers empty the streets; many smaller shops close and restart in mid-afternoon.
Quiet18:00 - 22:00
Evening Promenade
Families and young Ammanis fill King Faisal Street and the plaza after sunset, particularly on Thursday and Friday nights and throughout Ramadan.
Very busy
History of Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
Downtown Amman grew from a village around the ancient stream and Roman forum to Jordan's commercial centre after Emir Abdullah I made Amman the capital of Transjordan in the early 1920s. The Al-Husseini Mosque, rebuilt in 1924 at Abdullah I's initiative on a site tradition links to an earlier mosque, anchors the district with a pink-and-white stone Ottoman-style facade. Souq Al-Sagha, the gold market, and King Faisal Street's clothing and spice shops occupy stone-built shopfronts from the mid-20th century, and Hashemite Plaza opened in front of the Roman Theatre as a public forum. Hashem Restaurant is described in traveller accounts as serving essentially the same short menu since 1952, from tables set in an alley off Prince Mohammad Street.
Rules & etiquette at Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
Downtown Amman is a working market district, so dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered), especially near Al-Husseini Mosque, which is not open to non-Muslim sightseeing. Photographing shopkeepers and women requires permission. Friday prayers empty the streets late morning, and many shops shut until early afternoon. Bargain in Souq Al-Sagha and the clothing stalls, but not at Hashem, where the prices are fixed.
Hashem Restaurant has no printed menu: staff bring a standard spread of hummus, ful medames, falafel, mutabbal and mint tea, and the price is tallied at the counter. Eating is done with flatbread rather than cutlery. Tipping is not required at Hashem, and a small round-up is normal. Pickpocketing is uncommon but reported in dense Friday-afternoon crowds.
Tips for visiting Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
- 1
Downtown Amman works best on foot from Hashemite Plaza, past the Roman Theatre, along King Faisal Street to the Al-Husseini Mosque and then to Hashem Restaurant. Go to Hashem early, before the 09:30 rush, when the alley tables fill with office workers and travellers, and ask for the falafel and the ful together. Order mint tea with the meal.
- 2
Downtown Amman also has kunafa Nabulsiya and other sweets in the shops around the mosque, sold hot by the tray. Wear shoes for stepped alleys and avoid the steeper Jabal al-Qal'a stairs after dark. Taxis to the Citadel cost only a few dinars, and ride-hailing works everywhere; fixed-price fares for tourists near the plaza should be declined in favour of the meter. Hashemite Plaza, next to the Roman Theatre, is the simplest meeting point and a fixed reference for taxi drivers.
How to reach Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant
We haven't pinned Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant's exact position yet; the map shows the other places in our Amman guide. Use the address below or the directions link.
Prince Mohammad Street (Hashem Restaurant) and King Faisal Street, Downtown Amman, Amman, Jordan (street-level postal code not published)Directions in Google Maps
From Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
40 km · 60-80 min
JOD 3.3-3.4 by Airport Express (reported, as of 2026), plus roughly JOD 2-4 by taxi; official airport taxi around JOD 22.50 (last confirmed early 2024)
From Abdali (Boulevard and bus hub)
3 km · 10-15 min
Roughly JOD 2-4 (metered taxi or app price)
From Ras Al-Ain (BRT terminal)
1 km · 10-15 min
Free on foot or roughly JOD 1-2 by taxi
Nearest airport
From Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
about 35 km south of central Amman, 45-60 minutes by Airport Express bus or 40-50 minutes by taxi.
Nearest station
From Ras Al-Ain BRT terminal (Amman Bus Rapid Transit)
about 1 km; Amman has no metro or passenger rail.
Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) and Hashem Restaurant FAQs
Is Downtown Amman free to visit?
Yes. Downtown Amman (Al-Balad) has no entry fee and is open at all hours, as of 2026, though individual shops and museums keep their own hours and charges.
Is Hashem Restaurant open 24 hours?
Yes, according to traveller listings, though the morning breakfast rush is the busiest and best time to eat. Verify at the counter, since Ramadan hours can differ.
How much does a meal at Hashem Restaurant cost?
About JOD 3-7 per person, as of 2026 and based on a recent traveller report of roughly JOD 7 for a shared table. There is no printed menu, and the bill is tallied at the counter.
What should I see in Downtown Amman besides Hashem?
The Roman Theatre, Hashemite Plaza, the Al-Husseini Mosque exterior and Souq Al-Sagha. All are within a 10-minute walk of each other, and Amman Citadel is a short taxi ride uphill.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
