Rumi Cafe
Rumi Cafe occupies one of Rainbow Street's most atmospheric buildings, a restored Ottoman-era stone house with arched ceilings, thick walls, and a terrace that cantilevers over the hillside with a panoramic view of Amman's eastern hills. The interior is furnished with vintage pieces: mismatched chairs, old bookshelves, brass lamps, and low tables covered with mosaic tiles. The terrace, holding roughly 30 seats, offers what may be the best nighttime view on Rainbow Street, looking across the valley to the illuminated Citadel and the Roman amphitheater. Hookah is central to the experience, with a selection of flavored tobacco prepared by attentive staff. The drink menu starts with Arabic coffee and tea, transitions through wine and arak, and includes basic cocktails. The food is light: mezze plates, flatbreads, and small dishes suited to sharing. Named after the 13th-century poet, Rumi attracts a crowd that matches the reference: artists, writers, academics, and thoughtful professionals who prefer conversation to noise. The evening builds slowly here, from quiet coffee at sunset to wine and hookah by 22:00.
What to Expect
You step through an old wooden door into a stone-walled room with low ceilings, vintage furniture, and soft lighting. Through the back, the terrace opens to the city view. Hookah smoke drifts through the air. The music is quiet, and the conversation is the soundtrack. The pace is deliberately slow.
Contemplative and warm. The stone walls, candles, hookah smoke, and city view create a setting that encourages you to slow down and stay.
Arabic classical, oud recordings, jazz, and ambient at very low volume. The music supports the atmosphere without demanding attention.
Casual. The bohemian crowd wears whatever they want. Comfort over fashion is the norm.
Hookah lovers, couples wanting a romantic terrace with views, anyone seeking conversation in an atmospheric setting, literary and artistic types
Cash preferred (JOD). Cards accepted with a minimum spend at some tables.
Price Range
Arak 4-6 JOD, wine 5-8 JOD per glass, beer 3-5 JOD, cocktails 6-9 JOD, hookah 5-8 JOD, mezze plates 3-6 JOD
Arak ~$5.60-8.45/~5.20-7.80 EUR, wine ~$7-11.25/~6.50-10.40 EUR, hookah ~$7-11.25/~6.50-10.40 EUR
Hours
15:00-00:00 daily, until 01:00 on Thu-Sat
Insider Tip
Arrive before sunset to claim a terrace table for the view. The hookah is excellent here; don't skip it even if you're not a regular smoker. The arak with cold water and ice is the drink that matches the setting best.
Full Review
Rumi Cafe is the soul of Rainbow Street. While other venues on the strip cater to specific functions, pub, restaurant, music venue, Rumi creates an experience that's harder to categorize. It's a cafe that becomes a bar. It's a hookah lounge that becomes a conversation salon. It's a viewpoint that becomes a reason to stay all evening.
The terrace is the centerpiece. Looking east across the valley, you see Amman's hills stacked with buildings, the Citadel lit up on its ridge, and the amphitheater's stone seats catching the streetlights below. It's a view that reminds you this city has been inhabited for thousands of years. Watching it from a stone terrace, hookah pipe in hand, arak on the table, you feel connected to something larger than a night out.
The hookah is worth ordering even if you don't normally smoke. The preparation is careful: good coals, quality tobacco, clean pipes. The staff check and refresh the coals without being asked. Among Rainbow Street's hookah options, Rumi's is the best.
The drinks are secondary to the atmosphere but competent. The arak, served the traditional way with cold water that clouds the spirit white, is the right drink for this setting. The wine list is short but drinkable. The cocktails are simple. The Arabic coffee, served strong and aromatic in small cups, is a better choice than you might expect at a bar.
The crowd gives Rumi its character. On a given evening, you might sit next to a Jordanian poet, a French diplomat, an American journalist, or a local art student. The conversations that develop at adjacent tables are part of the experience. The venue attracts people who think and talk as recreation.
The limitation is energy. If you want music, dancing, or a party atmosphere, Rumi is the wrong venue. The pace here is contemplative. Some visitors find it too quiet. Those who connect with the atmosphere rarely want to leave.
The Neighborhood
Rumi Cafe is on the main Rainbow Street strip, near Canteen Gastro Pub. The other Rainbow Street venues are all within a 5-minute walk. The First Circle and its restaurants are just downhill.
Getting There
On Rainbow Street (Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Street), Jabal Amman. Look for the old wooden door and the stone facade. Taxi from downtown costs 1-2 JOD. From Abdoun, 3-4 JOD.
Other Venues in Rainbow Street
Canteen Gastro Pub
Craft beer bar and gastropub on Rainbow Street with a rotating tap list featuring Carakale and other local brews. Pub food, sports screens, and a lively atmosphere that draws expats and young Jordanians.
Jafra
Live music venue and cultural space near Rainbow Street hosting Arabic folk, oud performances, jazz, and contemporary Jordanian bands. The courtyard fills on warm evenings and the sound carries through the stone walls.
La Calle
Latin-inspired bar and restaurant with cocktails, tapas, and salsa nights on weekends. The colorful interior and upbeat music create a contrast to the more subdued venues on the street.
Corner's Pub
No-frills pub near the Rainbow Street area with cheap beer, pool tables, darts, and a loyal crowd of expats and English-speaking Jordanians. One of the most unpretentious bars in Amman.