Ma'an Governorate is Jordan's largest governorate by area, encompassing the legendary rose-red city of Petra, the dramatic desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, and the historic market town of Ma'an city. This southern region is home to some of the ancient world's most extraordinary monuments, carved by the Nabataean civilization over two millennia ago. From rugged desert canyons to Crusader-era castles, Ma'an offers an unparalleled journey through layers of human history set against spectacular natural scenery.
The culinary traditions of Ma'an Governorate are rooted in Jordanian Bedouin cooking — generous portions of slow-cooked lamb, fragrant rice dishes, and a rich tradition of mezze. The signature dish is mansaf, a celebration feast of lamb cooked in fermented dried yoghurt (jameed) served over rice with flatbread. The region's proximity to the ancient Incense Road means spices feature prominently, including cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and sumac. In Wadi Musa, restaurants range from authentic Bedouin tents and family-run kitchens to international hotel dining, with increasing options for vegetarians and those seeking fusion cuisine.
Must-try dishes
Iconic dishes that define Ma'an.
Mansaf
Jordan's national dish — lamb slow-cooked in fermented yoghurt (jameed) served over saffron rice with nuts and flatbread
Where to try: Al Qantarah Restaurant or any local family restaurant, especially on Fridays
Price: JOD 5-15
Maqluba
An inverted rice dish ('upside down') layered with vegetables, chicken or lamb, and aromatic spices
Where to try: Al-Wadi Restaurant or Petra Moon Restaurant
Price: JOD 5-8
Zarb
Bedouin underground barbecue — lamb or chicken slow-cooked in a buried clay oven for 4-6 hours
Where to try: Bedouin Tent Restaurant or any desert camp
Price: JOD 12-15
Musakhan
Roasted chicken with caramelised onions, sumac, and pine nuts on flatbread — the national dish of Palestine widely enjoyed in Jordan
Where to try: Nakheel Restaurant, Wadi Musa
Price: JOD 6-8
Knafeh
Hot cheese pastry soaked in rose-water syrup with shredded wheat crust — Jordan's favourite dessert
Where to try: Desert Rose Sweets, Wadi Musa
Price: JOD 2-3
Top restaurants
Handpicked picks for the best dining experiences.
Cave Bar
One of the world's most unique drinking and dining venues, the Cave Bar is set inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean tomb carved into rose-red sandstone at the Petra Guest House. Stone walls, candlelight, and ancient carved niches create an unforgettable atmosphere for evening drinks, Jordanian mezze, and light meals.
Known for: Atmospheric Nabataean cave dining and cocktails
Petra Guest House, Petra Entrance, Wadi Musa
Al Qantarah Restaurant
A well-regarded restaurant near the Petra entrance serving generous portions of traditional Jordanian food including mansaf, maqluba, and grilled meats. The friendly service and authentic recipes make it a favourite with both locals and tourists seeking a genuine taste of Jordanian hospitality.
Known for: Traditional Jordanian mansaf and maqluba
Tourism Street, Wadi Musa
Petra Kitchen
A unique dining experience in which guests participate in cooking their own Jordanian meal alongside local women from the Wadi Musa community. The evening begins with an introduction to Jordanian spices and ingredients, followed by a hands-on session preparing traditional dishes, culminating in a shared meal around a communal table.
Known for: Interactive cooking class and communal Jordanian dinner
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Red Cave Restaurant
A popular mid-range restaurant in the heart of Wadi Musa serving a broad menu of Jordanian classics, grilled meats, and international dishes. The terrace seating offers pleasant views over the town and the restaurant stays open late, making it ideal for post-Petra dinners when many other establishments have closed.
Known for: Grilled meats and traditional salads
Main Street, Wadi Musa
Wranglers Pub & Restaurant
The liveliest evening venue in Wadi Musa, Wranglers serves burgers, pasta, and snacks alongside a full bar with local Jordanian beer, arak, and imported spirits. Popular with tour guides, expat workers, and travellers seeking a familiar atmosphere after long Petra days. The pool table and sports TV add to the convivial feel.
Known for: Evening drinks and pub food in a relaxed setting
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Basin Restaurant — Inside Petra
The only full-service restaurant inside the Petra Archaeological Park, the Basin is located at the far end of the colonnaded street near Qasr al-Bint. It serves a daily buffet lunch including Jordanian salads, stews, grilled items, and desserts, making it convenient for visitors deep inside the site who do not want to walk back to the entrance.
Known for: Only restaurant inside Petra — convenient buffet
Inside Petra Archaeological Park, near Qasr al-Bint
Silk Road Restaurant
A reliable restaurant in Wadi Musa named after the ancient trading routes that passed through the Nabataean kingdom. The menu features generous portions of traditional Jordanian food including hummus, falafel, grilled kebabs, and slow-cooked lamb, with vegetarian options clearly marked and friendly service throughout.
Known for: Traditional Jordanian and Arabic cuisine
Tourism Street, Wadi Musa
Cleopatra Restaurant
A well-priced restaurant on Wadi Musa's main street offering a mix of Jordanian and international dishes. Popular for breakfast with travelers preparing for early Petra entry, the Cleopatra serves excellent fuul medames, eggs, Jordanian flatbread, and fresh-squeezed juice that provides perfect fuel for a long day of walking.
Known for: Early breakfast for Petra-bound travellers
Main Street, Wadi Musa
Restaurants by cuisine
Browse picks grouped by cuisine type.
Jordanian
Friends Restaurant Wadi Musa
A casual, affordable restaurant popular with budget travellers staying in Wadi Musa's hostels. The menu is wide-ranging from pizza and pasta to traditional Jordanian dishes, and the portion sizes are generous. The rooftop seating is a highlight, offering pleasant views over the surrounding hills.
Known for: Budget-friendly meals for backpackers
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Al-Saraya Rooftop Restaurant
A rooftop restaurant in Wadi Musa offering 360-degree views over the surrounding mountains and valley, best enjoyed at sunset with a cold drink. The menu focuses on grilled meats, mezze, and Jordanian classics, and the atmospheric setting makes it popular for romantic evenings and special celebrations.
Known for: Sunset rooftop dining with panoramic views
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Petra Moon Restaurant
The in-house restaurant of the Petra Moon Hotel, serving a reliable mix of Jordanian and international dishes in a comfortable setting. The Jordanian buffet dinner available on certain evenings is a highlight, featuring over 20 dishes from different regions of the country.
Known for: Jordanian buffet dinner
Petra Moon Hotel, Wadi Musa
Shoubak Castle Café
A simple café at the entrance to Shoubak Castle serving tea, coffee, cold drinks, sandwiches, and light snacks. The terrace has extraordinary views over the castle walls and surrounding pine forests, making it a wonderful place for a refreshment break during a castle visit or road trip along the King's Highway.
Known for: Castle-view refreshments
Shoubak Castle entrance, Shoubak, Ma'an Governorate
Al-Arabi Restaurant Ma'an
A popular local restaurant in Ma'an city serving traditional Jordanian food to locals and transit travellers. The portions are large, the prices are low, and the homemade hummus and falafel are considered some of the best in the governorate. A great stop for authentic food away from the Petra tourist trail.
Known for: Authentic local Jordanian food in Ma'an city
City Centre, Ma'an City
Al-Madinah Restaurant
A straightforward local restaurant in Ma'an city serving grilled meats, kebabs, shawarma, and traditional rice dishes to a predominantly local clientele. The restaurant is known for its charcoal-grilled lamb chops and its friendly atmosphere where travellers can mingle with local Jordanians.
Known for: Charcoal-grilled meats in Ma'an city
Main Street, Ma'an City
Nabataean Nights Rooftop
A charming rooftop mezze bar in Wadi Musa serving cold appetisers, dips, and grilled items under the stars with views toward the Petra hills. Excellent for sharing food over a long evening, with hookah (shisha) available alongside a range of soft drinks, local beer, and arak.
Known for: Rooftop mezze, shisha, and stargazing
Upper Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Bab Al Siq Terrace
A café and terrace restaurant at the entrance to the Siq serving breakfast, sandwiches, and Jordanian snacks to early-morning Petra visitors. The terrace faces toward the Siq entrance and is one of the most photographically rewarding spots for morning coffee in the entire region.
Known for: Early morning breakfast at the Siq entrance
Siq Entrance, Petra Archaeological Park
Nakheel Restaurant
A family restaurant in Wadi Musa popular with Jordanian weekend visitors and families from neighbouring towns. The menu centres on traditional Jordanian dishes including mansaf (served on Friday), musakhan (chicken and onion flatbread), and fresh salads. Seating is both indoor and outdoor in a landscaped garden.
Known for: Family Jordanian dining with garden seating
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Rum Stars Restaurant
A restaurant in a Bedouin camp setting on the outskirts of Ma'an Governorate serving traditional Jordanian desert cooking including zarb (underground barbecue), grilled lamb, and rice dishes under an open sky. Popular for group dinners and corporate events seeking an authentic Bedouin experience.
Known for: Open-air zarb Bedouin feast under the stars
Desert outskirts, Ma'an Governorate
Jordanian Traditional
Al-Wadi Restaurant
A family-run restaurant offering authentic Jordanian home cooking including slow-cooked lamb, lentil soup, and seasonal vegetable dishes. Al-Wadi is popular with Jordanian families visiting Petra and with guides who bring their clients here for an authentic culinary experience away from the tourist-facing restaurants.
Known for: Authentic Jordanian home-cooking
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Dana Guesthouse Restaurant
The restaurant of the RSCN-operated Dana Guesthouse serving wholesome Jordanian cooking using locally sourced ingredients from the Dana valley. Breakfasts feature seasonal jams, yoghurt, and fresh bread; dinners offer slow-cooked dishes using vegetables grown in the reserve's gardens.
Known for: Locally sourced Jordanian cooking in the nature reserve
Dana Village, Ma'an Governorate
Hayat Zaman Village Restaurant
Set within the beautifully restored traditional Jordanian village complex of the Hayat Zaman Hotel, this restaurant offers a refined take on classic Jordanian dishes. The setting — stone-walled dining rooms with arched ceilings and lantern lighting — is among the most atmospheric in the region.
Known for: Refined Jordanian cuisine in a traditional village setting
Hayat Zaman Hotel, Wadi Musa
Café
Treeclimbers Café
A charming independent café on the Dana village edge, run by a local Jordanian family and serving excellent Arabic coffee, herbal teas sourced from the reserve, and homemade cake. The terrace overlooks the dramatic canyon of Dana Biosphere Reserve, making it one of the finest views from any café in Jordan.
Known for: Canyon-view café with reserve-sourced herbal teas
Dana Village, Ma'an Governorate
Siq Café
A small café inside the Petra visitor center complex serving coffee, herbal tea, juice, and light snacks. An ideal first stop for visitors collecting their tickets before entering Petra, or a final break before boarding transport back to Amman. The café sells Jordan Pass information and can assist with booking.
Known for: Pre-Petra coffee and snacks at visitor center
Petra Visitor Center, Wadi Musa
Bdoul Bedouin
Um Sayhoun Village Kitchen
A community-run kitchen in the former Bedouin settlement of Um Sayhoun adjacent to Petra, operated by women from the Bdoul tribe who once lived inside the ancient city. The simple but flavourful menu draws on centuries-old Bdoul cooking traditions including slow-cooked goat, herb-infused rice, and spiced tea.
Known for: Authentic Bdoul Bedouin cooking from Petra community
Um Sayhoun Village, near Petra entrance
Bedouin Traditional
Bedouin Tent Restaurant
A rustic restaurant inside a traditional Bedouin tent near Wadi Musa, serving authentic Bedouin dishes cooked over open fires and in underground zarb ovens. The experience is as much cultural as culinary, with traditional music, Bedouin storytelling, and endless cups of cardamom-spiced Arabic coffee.
Known for: Traditional Bedouin zarb underground barbecue
Outskirts of Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Fusion
Gallery Restaurant
An upscale restaurant attached to one of Wadi Musa's boutique hotels, the Gallery serves creative dishes that blend Jordanian ingredients with Mediterranean cooking techniques. The wine list includes Jordanian wines from the Zumot and Jordan River vineyards alongside Lebanese and European labels.
Known for: Creative Jordanian-Mediterranean fusion with local wines
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
International
Movenpick Petra Dining
The fine dining restaurant of the Movenpick Resort Petra offers an elegant setting and a menu that blends European and Jordanian culinary traditions. The breakfast buffet is considered one of the best in the region, and the evening à la carte menu features innovative takes on traditional ingredients including Jordanian lamb, local herbs, and regional wines.
Known for: Upscale Jordanian-international fusion
Movenpick Resort Petra, Tourism Street, Wadi Musa
Italian
Hani's Pizza & Pasta
A casual pizzeria in Wadi Musa providing a welcome change from Jordanian food for travellers craving something familiar. The wood-fired pizzas, homemade pasta, and fresh salads are reliably good, and the relaxed atmosphere with free WiFi makes it a popular working spot for digital nomads staying in the area.
Known for: Wood-fired pizza for homesick travellers
Main Street, Wadi Musa
Jordanian Pastry
Habiba Bakery Wadi Musa
A traditional Jordanian bakery in Wadi Musa producing fresh khubz flatbread, cheese-filled fatayer, sesame ka'ak cookies, and other baked goods from early morning. The bakery is the best place to pick up supplies for a Petra picnic at affordable prices.
Known for: Fresh-baked Jordanian bread and pastries
Wadi Musa market area
Jordanian Street Food
Siq Street Food Stalls
A cluster of informal food stalls near the Petra visitor center selling freshly grilled corn, shawarma, falafel sandwiches, and Jordanian sweet pastries. These stalls cater to visitors arriving at and departing from Petra and offer the most affordable food in the Wadi Musa area.
Known for: Affordable street food for Petra visitors
Near Petra Visitor Center, Wadi Musa
Jordanian Sweets
Desert Rose Sweets
A traditional sweet shop in Wadi Musa selling freshly made Jordanian and Levantine pastries including knafeh, baklava, mamoul, and qatayef (in season). The shop also sells homemade date preserves, local honey, and rosewater products that make excellent edible souvenirs.
Known for: Fresh knafeh and traditional Jordanian sweets
Wadi Musa market area
Juices
Petra Juicery
A bright juice bar on the main Wadi Musa street serving freshly squeezed citrus juices, mixed fruit smoothies, and light snacks. A perfect refreshment stop before or after a Petra visit, with seating and quick service. The rose lemonade and pomegranate juice are local specialities.
Known for: Fresh juices and rose lemonade
Main Street, Wadi Musa
Middle Eastern
Oriental Restaurant
A traditional Arabic restaurant in Wadi Musa serving mezze, grilled meats, and freshly baked khubz bread from a wood-fired oven. The outdoor seating area under a vine-covered pergola is particularly pleasant in the evenings when temperatures drop and the lights of the town begin to glow.
Known for: Wood-fired bread and traditional mezze
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate
Organic Jordanian
Feynan Ecolodge Dining
Dining at the remote Feynan Ecolodge is a remarkable experience — a candlelit communal feast prepared by Bedouin women using ingredients sourced entirely from the surrounding area and reserve gardens. No electricity, no menus, just extraordinarily fresh food shared around long wooden tables deep in the wilderness.
Known for: Organic candlelit Bedouin feast deep in the wilderness
Feynan Ecolodge, Dana Biosphere Reserve, Ma'an Governorate
Street Food
Mahmoud's Shawarma
A beloved local shawarma counter in Wadi Musa's market area, Mahmoud's has been serving the best shawarma in the governorate for over 20 years. Chicken or lamb wrapped in fresh bread with tahini, garlic, and pickles — a perfect budget meal before or after exploring Petra.
Known for: Legendary local shawarma at Petra prices
Wadi Musa market street
Food tours & tastings in Ma'an
Eat your way through Ma'an with a guide.
Browse food experiences in Ma'anWe may earn a commission from bookings made through these links.
Street food
Local flavours at affordable prices.
Shawarma
Spiced chicken or lamb carved from a rotating spit and wrapped in bread with garlic sauce, tahini, and pickles
Find it at: Mahmoud's Shawarma and stalls near Petra visitor center
Falafel Sandwich
Deep-fried chickpea patties with salad, tahini, and chilli in flatbread — the standard Jordanian budget meal
Find it at: Street stalls on Wadi Musa main market street
Fuul Medames
Slow-cooked fava beans with olive oil, lemon, and cumin — a traditional Jordanian breakfast
Find it at: Local cafés in Wadi Musa and Ma'an city
Ka'ak
Sesame-encrusted ring cookies, sold by street vendors and bakeries throughout the region
Find it at: Habiba Bakery and market stalls
Fresh Juice
Freshly squeezed pomegranate, orange, carrot, and seasonal fruit juices from roadside stands
Find it at: Petra Juicery and street stalls near Petra entrance
Food markets
Where locals shop and graze.
Wadi Musa Central Market
A small but lively daily market selling fresh produce, spices, olives, dried herbs, and local food products
Hours: 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Ma'an City Souk
The main traditional market in Ma'an city with a food section selling dried goods, spices, grains, and local preserved foods
Hours: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (closed Friday morning)
Dining etiquette & tips
Navigate the local food scene confidently.
Friday is the day for mansaf — many local restaurants only serve it on Fridays
Petra Kitchen cooking classes must be booked at least 24 hours in advance
Most restaurants are alcohol-free — the Cave Bar and Wranglers are exceptions
Breakfast is the most important meal — Jordanian breakfasts are substantial and excellent value
Tipping 10% is customary at sit-down restaurants; round up for café and street food
- Vegetarian
- Many Jordanian dishes are naturally vegetarian — hummus, fuul, falafel, fattoush, and mezze plates. Request 'bala lahm' (without meat) in Arabic.
- Halal
- All meat in Ma'an is halal. Alcohol is available only at a handful of tourist venues.
- Gluten free
- Limited options — rice-based dishes are safe but bread (khubz) is ubiquitous. Communicate dietary needs clearly.
Food budget guide
What to expect at different price points.
| Level | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | JOD 5-10 per meal ($7-14) | Street food, falafel stands, bakeries, and local teahouses |
| Mid-range | JOD 10-20 per meal ($14-28) | Sit-down restaurants with table service and full Jordanian meals |
| Upscale | JOD 30+ per meal ($42+) | Hotel restaurants, Petra Kitchen experience, and fine dining |