Rainbow Street (Amman) Travel Guide - Free

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Rainbow Street
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Rainbow Street in Amman pairs historic Jabal Amman villas with cafés, galleries, Jordanian food and views across the capital near downtown.

A Hillside Street with a Strong Sense of Place

Rainbow Street runs along Jabal Amman between the First and Second Circles, linking one of the capital’s oldest developed hills with an easy-to-explore strip of cafés, restaurants, galleries, independent shops and historic houses. Its name is widely associated with the former Rainbow Cinema, while the street itself is formally known as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Street. The setting is distinctly Ammani: pale limestone buildings, steep side lanes, mature trees and broad views towards the lower city create a contrast with the dense streets of Al-Balad below.
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Historic Villas and Contemporary Culture

Much of Rainbow Street’s appeal lies in the way ordinary urban life meets the city’s earlier architectural character. Villas and low-rise houses from Jabal Amman’s formative decades sit beside cafés, cultural spaces and small businesses, although redevelopment has altered parts of the streetscape. The nearby Duke’s Diwan and the older lanes descending towards downtown help place the area within Amman’s modern history, while venues such as Books@Cafe reflect the neighbourhood’s long-standing role as a meeting place for readers, artists, students and internationally minded residents.

Food, Views and Evening Strolls

Visitors come to Rainbow Street for Jordanian cooking, coffee, desserts and relaxed evening walks rather than for a single monumental attraction. Side streets reveal quiet residential corners, workshops and viewpoints over Amman’s limestone hills. The street becomes especially sociable after sunset, when restaurants and cafés fill with conversation, though its nightlife remains more café-based than club-oriented. The walk is short in distance but not entirely level, and exploring the adjoining lanes requires comfortable shoes and attention to uneven paving, traffic and occasional steep gradients.

Best attractions in Rainbow Street

Rainbow Street’s principal attraction is the street itself: a gently curving hillside route lined with pale limestone buildings, cafés, restaurants, bookshops and glimpses between houses towards Amman’s densely built valleys. A walk from the First Circle reveals historic villas, mature trees, small galleries and side lanes where the neighbourhood’s residential character remains visible. The nearby Duke’s Diwan, in the older part of Jabal Amman, adds a significant historic interior and helps connect Rainbow Street with the city’s early twentieth-century development. Books@Cafe has long represented the area’s literary and cosmopolitan café culture, while nearby cultural and design-oriented businesses bring a contemporary layer. Descending towards Al-Balad offers a changing perspective on Amman’s hills and makes Rainbow Street a useful link between the upper neighbourhood and the older commercial centre, although the route is steep in places.

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Best landmarks in Rainbow Street

Rainbow Street’s most important landmarks are closely tied to Jabal Amman’s architecture and urban history rather than to monumental public buildings. The street’s villas and limestone façades preserve the character of the hill during the early expansion of modern Amman, even where houses have been adapted for cafés, offices or cultural businesses. The name itself recalls the Rainbow Cinema, a mid-twentieth-century entertainment landmark whose memory remains embedded in the street’s identity. Nearby, the Duke’s Diwan occupies a historic house associated with the city’s early twentieth-century elite and offers a tangible connection to Amman’s formative decades. The First Circle is a useful geographical marker at the street’s lower end, while the steep lanes descending towards downtown reveal how the capital developed across hills rather than around a single flat centre.

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Explore Rainbow Street on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Rainbow Street, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Rainbow Street

Dining on Rainbow Street ranges from Jordanian home-style cooking and mezze to cafés serving coffee, tea, pastries and lighter international dishes. Restaurants and cafés occupy converted houses and modern shopfronts, making the built setting part of the experience; terraces and upper-floor rooms can provide broad views across Amman’s hills. Sufra is a recognised address for Jordanian cuisine on Rainbow Street, while the wider Jabal Amman area also offers casual falafel, shawarma, bakeries and dessert shops within walking distance, particularly towards downtown. Books@Cafe contributes to the neighbourhood’s café culture, with food and drinks accompanying its literary and social atmosphere. The scene is more about lingering over a meal or conversation than about a concentrated restaurant district, and menus, opening arrangements and payment options vary between businesses.

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Best bars in Rainbow Street

Rainbow Street’s evening life is centred on cafés, restaurants and relaxed social spaces rather than a dense concentration of nightclubs. After sunset, the street attracts diners, students, families and groups meeting for coffee or dessert, while venues such as Books@Cafe have helped give Jabal Amman an established after-dark cultural and conversational character. Some restaurants offer a more polished evening setting, but the neighbourhood is not primarily a loud clubbing quarter, and nightlife can become quieter away from the main strip. Visitors should remember that Rainbow Street is interwoven with residential lanes: keep noise down when leaving venues, use care on steep pavements and arrange a taxi if returning to another part of Amman late at night. Evening atmosphere varies by venue and season, so current arrangements should be checked locally.

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Best nightclubs in Rainbow Street

Rainbow Street’s evening life is centred on cafés, restaurants and relaxed social spaces rather than a dense concentration of nightclubs. After sunset, the street attracts diners, students, families and groups meeting for coffee or dessert, while venues such as Books@Cafe have helped give Jabal Amman an established after-dark cultural and conversational character. Some restaurants offer a more polished evening setting, but the neighbourhood is not primarily a loud clubbing quarter, and nightlife can become quieter away from the main strip. Visitors should remember that Rainbow Street is interwoven with residential lanes: keep noise down when leaving venues, use care on steep pavements and arrange a taxi if returning to another part of Amman late at night. Evening atmosphere varies by venue and season, so current arrangements should be checked locally.

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Best shops in Rainbow Street

Shopping on Rainbow Street is small-scale and independent rather than dominated by department stores or large malls. Visitors will find bookshops, gift shops, design-led businesses, handicrafts, clothing, jewellery and food products among cafés and restaurants, with the selection changing as premises change hands. Books@Cafe is particularly associated with the neighbourhood’s literary identity, while shops and cultural businesses around Jabal Amman often draw on Jordanian design, Arabic books, locally made objects and regional craft traditions. The street is also a useful place to browse before continuing downhill towards Al-Balad, where the commercial atmosphere becomes more traditional and densely packed. Rainbow Street itself is better suited to considered browsing and locally themed purchases than to a single concentrated market experience, and stock and opening arrangements vary between independent retailers.

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Rainbow Street essentials

Getting There
Rainbow Street is easiest to reach by taxi or ride-hailing service from other parts of Amman, with the First Circle providing a useful orientation point at the street’s lower end. Visitors arriving in downtown can travel up towards Jabal Amman by road or walk uphill from the Al-Balad area, though the climb is demanding in warm weather. The neighbourhood is not served by a dedicated tourist transport system, and local bus information can be less straightforward for first-time visitors than a taxi. Ask for Rainbow Street, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Street or the First Circle, and confirm the exact destination if visiting a venue on a side lane.
Getting Around
The main stretch of Rainbow Street is manageable on foot, but the surrounding terrain is hilly and several connecting lanes rise sharply or descend towards downtown. Pavements can be narrow or uneven, and crossing busy roads requires care. Walking is the best way to notice the villas, small shops and changing views, while taxis are practical for reaching nearby parts of Jabal Amman or returning after dark. Wheelchair users and visitors with limited mobility may find the gradients, kerbs and irregular surfaces challenging. Carry water in warmer months and allow more time than the short map distance might suggest.
Safety
Rainbow Street is a busy visitor and local gathering area, particularly around cafés and restaurants in the evening. Use ordinary precautions in crowded places, keep personal belongings secure and take care when stepping into the road, since traffic shares much of the hillside environment with pedestrians. The main street is generally easier to navigate than its quieter side lanes after dark; visitors should choose well-used routes and arrange transport rather than wandering unfamiliar slopes late at night. Respect residential privacy, avoid blocking entrances for photographs and take extra care on steep or poorly even pavements.
Emergency Situations
In Jordan, call 911 for urgent police, fire or medical assistance, and state clearly that you are in Rainbow Street or Jabal Amman, giving the nearest circle, business or visible landmark. International visitors should keep their accommodation address and passport details accessible, as location descriptions can be more useful than a street number on steep, irregular lanes. For non-urgent medical needs, ask accommodation staff or a local pharmacist to direct you to an appropriate clinic or pharmacy. In a serious emergency, follow instructions from Jordanian authorities and avoid obstructing access for emergency vehicles.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress relatively modestly when moving beyond cafés and restaurants, particularly near residential streets and religious or cultural settings. Ask before photographing people, private homes, shop interiors or staff, and do not climb on historic walls or treat old buildings as photo props. In cafés and restaurants, queue patiently where necessary and check whether service charges are included before tipping. Keep voices low near homes after evening dining, dispose of rubbish responsibly and avoid blocking narrow pavements. Public displays of affection should remain discreet, and visitors should follow local guidance when entering cultural venues.
Local Tips
Rainbow Street is best understood as a starting point for exploring Jabal Amman rather than as a single destination to cross quickly. Begin near the First Circle, walk along the main street and then investigate selected side lanes before descending towards the older city. Pair the visit with the Duke’s Diwan or a walk towards downtown, checking the exact location and access arrangements in advance. The most atmospheric conditions often come in the late afternoon and early evening, when the limestone buildings catch the light and cafés begin to fill. Bring cash as well as a card because payment practices vary between small businesses.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
Helloمرحبا[marhaba]
Goodbyeوداعا[wada'an]
Yesنعم[naam]
Noلا[la]
Please/You're welcomeمن فضلك[min fadlik]
Thank youشكرا[shukran]
Excuse me/Sorryعذرا[aathir]
How are you?كيف حالك؟[kayf halik?]
Fine. And you?بخير. وأنت؟[bikhair. wa ant?]
Do you speak English?هل تتحدث الإنجليزية؟[hal tatahadath al'injlizia?]
I don't understandلا أفهم[la afham]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseأريد أن أرى القائمة، من فضلك[urid an ara alqaima, min fadlik]
I don't eat meatأنا لا آكل اللحم[ana la akl allahm]
Cheers!في صحتك![fi sahtak!]
I would like to pay, pleaseأود أن أدفع، من فضلك[awad an adfaa, min fadlik]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!النجدة![alnajdah!]
Go away!انصرف![ansarif!]
Call the Police!اتصل بالشرطة![atassil bialshurta!]
Call a doctor!اتصل بطبيب![atassil bialtabib!]
I'm lostأنا ضائع[ana dayi']
I'm illأنا مريض[ana mareed]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...أريد شراء...[urid shira...]
I'm just lookingأنا فقط أتطلع[ana faqat atatl]
How much is it?بكم هذا؟[bikam hatha?]
That's too expensiveهذا غالي جدا[hatha ghali jiddan]
Can you lower the price?هل يمكنك خفض السعر؟[hal yumkinuk khafd alsaaar?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?كم الساعة؟[kam alsaaah?]
It's one o'clockالساعة الواحدة[alsaaah alwaahidah]
Half past (10)الساعة والنصف (10)[alsaaah walnusf (10)]
Morningصباح[sabah]
Afternoonبعد الظهر[ba'd aldhuhur]
Eveningمساء[masa]
Yesterdayأمس[ams]
Todayاليوم[alyawm]
Tomorrowغدا[ghadan]
1واحد[wahid]
2اثنان[ithnan]
3ثلاثة[thalatha]
4أربعة[arba'a]
5خمسة[khamsa]
6ستة[sitta]
7سبعة[sab'a]
8ثمانية[thamania]
9تسعة[tis'ah]
10عشرة[asharah]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?أين...[ayn...]
What's the address?ما هو العنوان؟[ma hu al'awn?]
Can you show me (on the map)?هل يمكنك أن تريني (على الخريطة)؟[hal yumkinuk an tureeni (ala alkharitah)?]
When's the next (bus)?متى يأتي الحافلة القادمة؟[mataa yaati alhafilah alqadimah?]
A ticket (to ....)تذكرة (إلى ...)[tadhkirah (ila ...)]

History of Rainbow Street

The Growth of Jabal Amman

Rainbow Street belongs to Jabal Amman, one of the hills that expanded as modern Amman developed during the late Ottoman period and, especially, after the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921. The hill attracted government officials, merchants and established families, and its villas, gardens and low-density streets contrasted with the older settlement around the Roman Theatre and the downtown valley. The neighbourhood’s limestone houses and broad plots preserve traces of that early twentieth-century phase, even though later construction and commercial conversion have altered much of the original residential setting.

A Capital Takes Shape

During the British Mandate and the early decades of the Jordanian state, Jabal Amman became closely connected with the institutions and social life of the expanding capital. Roads and the development of the city’s central hills made the area more accessible, while houses gradually accommodated offices, diplomatic functions and local businesses. Rainbow Street’s position between the First and Second Circles gave it a practical connection to Amman’s emerging central districts. The street’s present mixture of residences, cafés and cultural venues reflects this gradual change from an upper-hill residential quarter into a prominent urban corridor.

The Street and Its Namesake

The name Rainbow Street is linked to the Rainbow Cinema, a cinema remembered as part of Amman’s mid-twentieth-century cultural life. The road is formally Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Street, but the cinema’s name became the one used by residents and visitors. This association places the street within a period when cinemas, cafés and public meeting places were important features of the capital’s social landscape. Although the cinema is no longer the street’s defining attraction, its name survives as a reminder of Jabal Amman’s role in Amman’s modern entertainment and commercial culture.

From Residential Hill to Cultural Corridor

From the late twentieth century onwards, parts of Rainbow Street and the surrounding hill acquired restaurants, bookshops, galleries, cafés and offices, joining the area’s historic houses to a more contemporary cultural economy. The transformation was gradual rather than uniform: some lanes remain residential, while others have seen renovation, commercial pressure and changing property uses. Institutions and restored historic buildings nearby, including the Duke’s Diwan, helped sustain interest in Jabal Amman’s architectural heritage. Today Rainbow Street is recognised less as a formal historic district than as a distinctive urban strip where older Amman and its café culture meet.

Rainbow Street in Photos

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