I am not one to complain, but if there is something that does bother me about Amman, or Jordan in general, it’s that wherever you go you end up inhaling second-hand smoke (not to mention smelling like an ashtray). Though the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF) is trying to promote the smoke-free movement with their “Smoke-Free Zone Certificate” program which they launched in 2014, as a way to “encourage companies, institutions, and restaurants to provide a healthy and smoke-free environment for their employees and customers and is a practice of communal commitment”, it’s still hard to find a place in Jordan to have a drink or bite to eat without a smoker in sight.
There are many reasons why I don’t smoke, but a main factor is of course to avoid the life-threatening effects, but the problem is that just being surrounded by smokers is harmful to the health… Did you know second-hand smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and hundreds are toxic and about 70 can cause cancer? Source: Center for Disease Control
Because of this, and the fact that the KHCF 2016 list of Smoke-Free Zone Certificate winners only included one restaurant, I decided to investigate places in Amman that I can go without having to worry about smoke.
Below you will find a list which I will continue to update as I find more of tobacco-free spots across the city (I really hope this list gets longer quickly!) And don’t worry, I’ve made sure my list doesn’t include the places with these so-called “non-smoking sections” which are always conveniently one table away from the smoking section.
Smoke-free Restaurants
in Jabal Amman
- Wild Jordan – Local Cuisine
- Shams el Balad – Local Cuisine (Vegetarian)
- Uchi Sushi – Japanese
in Abdoun
- Primal – Paleo, Healthy
- Pepper & Pine Co. – Healthy
- The Eatery Co. – Healthy
- Melograno – Italian Cuisine
- Little Italy Pizzeria – Italian Cuisine. Comment: only the lower level is smoke-free
- Wox and Company – Indian, Japanese, Chinese
- Foodsmith (Taj Mall) – Grille
- Fatty Dab’s Burger Shack – Burgers
in Weibdeh
- Jasmine House Art & Food – Italian Cuisine & Art Gallery
in Shmeisani
- Il Terrazzo (Marriot Hotel) – Italian
- The Sushi Den – Japanese
- Trattoria (Qasr Metropole Hotel) – Italian
in Abdali
- Colours Restaurant (Landmark Hotel) – Regional and International Cuisine
Smoke-free Dessert Shoppes
- Four Winters – Ice cream – Abdoun and The Boulevard (Abdali) locations
- The Cake Shop – Sweets – various locations across Amman (Abdoun, Dabouq, Al Rabieh, Khalda, 7th Circle)
- Hala’s Treats – Sweets – Abdoun
- Cereal Killer Cafe – Cereal – Abdoun
Smoke-free Coffee & Tea Shoppes
- Rumi Cafe – Primary location: Weibdeh. Secondary location: on the second floor of the Shoman Foundation Library
- Mindhub – Al Rabieh
- Caffé Strada – Jabal Amman & Abdoun
- Fann wa Chai – Weibdeh
- The Good Book Shop – Jabal Amman
- Kaffeine – Jabal Amman
- Indoor Cafe – near University of Jordan
- Starbucks – various locations around Amman
- Costa Coffee – various locations around Amman
- Oggi Cafe – Dabouq
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – Dabouq location completely smoke-free.
- Boutique Bakery – Weibdeh
- Books@Cafe – Abdoun
- Mint Lobby Lounge (Landmark Hotel) – Abdali
Other Smoke-free Establishments
- Shoman Foundation Library – Jabal Amman
- German Jordanian University – School – Amman Madaba Street
- The Amman Marriott (Lobby) – Hotel – Shmeisani
- Carakale Brewing Company – Brewery – Fuhais
Do you know of other smoke-free locations in Amman? Comment below!
I believe Melograno in Abdoun is also smoke-free!
LikeLike
Added 🙂
LikeLike
Also Boutique Bakery in Jabal Weibdeh is a smoke free cafe.
LikeLike
Thanks for the tip! I’ll add it 🙂
LikeLike
Hello Chelsea, Landmark Amman Hotel’s main restaurant “Colours” is a smoke-free restaurant 🙂 also the Mint Lobby Lounge is a smoke-free place as well
LikeLike
Thanks Rima 🙂 I’ll add them now
LikeLike
Thank you so much for this list!!!
So helpful, keep up the good work and hopefully we’ll get more & more places to be added to the list 🙂
LikeLike
You’re very welcome! Let me know if you find any places that aren’t on the list!
LikeLike
Da Esmat isn’t smoke-free anymore. It is full of smoke.
LikeLike
Ugh! That’s sad to hear. I’ll write them to confirm & see if they can go back to being smoke-free!
LikeLike
Last time I’ve been to Crumbz dabouqit was smoke-free
LikeLike
Every time that I’ve been there’s one big room and they split it smoking & non-smoking. Next time you go can you ask if it’s now all non-smoking? That’d be great if it is!!
LikeLike
I always ask them if the cigarette smoke has been notified of this and is making U turns back into the smoking section!
LikeLike
hahahah!
LikeLike
Thank you Chelsea! This was really helpful. The smoking issue in Jordan is really irritating, and unfortunately the country seems to be not so very helpful with preventing smoking indoors. I struggle to find non-smoking restaurants, especially when my baby is joining. I’ve been deceived many times after making phone calls with restaurants who would claim they had non-smoking sections and were are completely separated. Eventually they are all open spaces where smoker would be a wall or a few seats away.
LikeLike
Hi Rand. Thanks for the comment! I definitely agree Jordan needs to get up to speed with not allowing smoking indoors! It cracks me up that they have smoking and “non-smoking” sections under one roof. As if smoke is a solid that won’t spread to the other section… I really hope I can add more places to the list ASAP!
LikeLike
Hi Chelsea!
Great list! Could we please add Sushi Den , Wadi Sqra Street, Trattoria Italian at the Qasr Hotel and La Terrazzo, Italian at the Marriott Hotel!
There is also Strada Cafe at the first circle and I heard the Wayne coffee after being smoke infested has become smoke free. Magnolia cafe is also a smoke free bakery.
It is great that the choices are increasing, yet there isn’t a single Arabic food restaurant that isn’t smoke infested, sad reality
I believe non smokers, even smokers with children should exert more pressure on the restaurants to implement the smoke free law! Why is it the trend that if 10 people go out, one of them being a smoker, in general, the needs of the smoker are catered for while putting everyone s health at risk!
Keep the list growing!
LikeLike
The eatery co in Abdoun is also smoke free.
LikeLike
100% smoke-free? 😀
LikeLike
Thanks for the comment and the new places to add! This is great news to see the list grow (even if slowly). I hope we get some Levantine restaurants that are smoke-free soon. I always write them to put pressure on them and I hope more people do too! 🙂
LikeLike
Our cafe – Kaffeine, in downtown Amman is also completely smoke free 😊
LikeLike
This is great news!! Adding Kaffeine to the list 😀
LikeLike
Please add Raqmu coffee shop as nonsmoking downstairs . It s near 7th circle and Al Hussein Society next to Circassian Women s Association. Thx for the list.
LikeLike
Hi there Kathy. I am a bit wary to add anything that isn’t 100% smoke-free because it seems places all smell like smoke even if one floor isn’t. In your experience, is it actually smoke-free…no smell downstairs?
LikeLike
Indoor café in queen Rania st. is 100% non smoking area.
LikeLike
Thanks for the tip! I’ll contact them to add them to the list 🙂
LikeLike