The Captain's Restaurant where I had mensaf. The hot yoghurt is on the right. The bowls at the top contain mezze.

We ate mainly in our hotel, but made a trip to the fish restaurant illustrated here. We were made very welcome and felt we were closer to the authenic Jordanian scene than staying in the hotel. Note that it is considered quite normal to smoke throughout a meal.

The table was laid with mezze - bowls of cold snacks such as hummus or salads with tasty bread. I had a dish called mensaf (alternatively spelled mansaf) which was lamb on a bed of rice with pinenuts. It came wrapped in very thin pancakes and a bowl of hot yoghurt. Although yoghurt is served with many Jordanian dishes, this was the first time I had seen it hot. The idea is to pour some of the yoghurt on the rice, then eat some lamb with the yoghurty rice. It tasted much better then it sounds!

Alternative eating places include an "English pub" called the Rovers Return, and McDonalds.

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