Alibi a hideaway culinary journey in the heart of Amman

Alibi Restaurant is a new establishment nestled in the heart of Jabal Amman’s 2nd Circle and surrounded by competitive restaurants in the culinary scene. اضافة اعلان

I have been meaning to try this place out for quite some time now, having heard a lot about it. Alibi is a modern international cuisine restaurant with a slight Arabic influence and many signature dishes.

Prior to my visit, I checked their pictures online, and the food and beverages seemed to be very fresh, in the sense of concept and flavors, which made my expectations rise even higher. I was looking forward to experiencing and enjoying the menu.

Alibi has an indoor and outdoor seating area that is heated enough for this pre-spring weather; indoors, it is a tad more upscale than the terrace. Yet, overall, the restaurant’s ambience is relaxed and friendly.

Before digging into the food experience, I want to highlight the friendliness of the service staff and their attentiveness to the table.


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

I appreciate a server who is not too attached to the table yet available when you need them. The servers are competent young professionals with a friendly approach. Even though you can order through your phone by scanning the QR code, putting your table number, and choosing the menu items you would like to have, I still enjoy the human interaction factor in restaurants, asking questions, and hearing their recommendations.

Another signature of this place is the cocktail menu. The variety of cocktails with unique twists and beautiful and elegant presentation makes this place excellent for sharing appetizers and after-work cocktails outing.

With some debate, and based on my indecision when choosing from the variety of food items, we ordered the goat cheese cake salad, gourmet fattoush, chicken souvlaki’s, black-cod mini tacos, butternut squash risotto, wagyu beef sliders, and dessert, of course.

The goat cheese cake has a crisp hazelnut base with homemade onion jam, similar to the caramelized onions used for the traditional musakhan dish. The sweetness of the onions and the creaminess of the cheese pair well with the nutty notes of the hazelnut base. The dressing on the salad was very light and brought the overall dish together. This is a great go-to appetizer for those who like goat cheese.


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

I ordered the gourmet fattoush to see how this traditional salad can be elevated creatively. I agree that the presentation of the dish was beautiful, and the crouton rolls and the molasses in the vinaigrette are not a very old idea, but the croutons were a little too dry and hard to chew on, so maybe let them soak a little bit with the dressing before consumption. Other than that, the salad was freshly tossed, and the vinaigrette gave that sour kick you would look for in a fattoush salad.

The chicken souvlakis are served on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and ktipiti (roasted red pepper with feta cheese sauce). The pita bread is homemade, which is not common in a restaurant nowadays. This chicken was very tender, and the overall taste with either or both sauces would make you want to go for the second piece right away.

The black cod tacos are served in a wonton, with miso cream, red chili, and scallions. The black cod is a gourmet fish with a rich, buttery flavor and delicate, silky texture.


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

The dish was presented on a glass display plate covered in a cloche that releases all the smoke at the table when being served. Picture worthy, yes. The miso, a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermented soybeans, brings a flavorful base to the fish. I would recommend an acidic touch to the tacos, by an aioli or a light vinaigrette, to bring out more of the fish’s buttery flavor and enhance the overall dish.

The main course arrived with the perfectly medium-cooked sliders served with the caramelized onions from the previous dish, brie cheese, and sesame brioche bun. All are served with homemade fries, which in technical aspects have a few tedious steps to do before the final frying step to get the soft inside and crispy outside fries. Yet, the fries were crispy and seasoned nicely.


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

Traditionally, the risotto should be cooked “al dente”, meaning it has a little bite. In Jordan, we are used to having all pasta or risotto items cooked fully; otherwise, we consider it undercooked. The risotto was creamy, cheesy, sweet from the squash, and beautifully plated with microgreens and dried cherry tomatoes. I would personally elevate this dish more by infusing rosemary or thyme into olive oil and drizzling it on top of the plate to give it a little bit of an oomph.

I was not going to go for dessert this time, after the amount of food consumed, but then, again, dessert goes straight to the heart, or so my friends told me. So we had the chocolate volcano dessert with vanilla ice cream. Even though this dessert has been on the menus for years, I liked the amount of fresh berries on the plate. If you think of this dish, you would agree that the plate gets messy with the chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream toward the end. Imagine using that sauce as a dip for fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Yum!


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

Alibi has done a great job presenting its food and beverage items and their creative menu choices and innovative ideas from every corner of the world. The service, which is an essential factor in any guests’ experience in the restaurant, was amicable and pleasant.

This place is a perfect hideaway spot for a middle-of-the-week meal, date night, or small get-together with friends.


(Photo: Alibi’s facebook account)

Its weekend brunch is another experience that I will be going back to try after I burn all the calories from the dinner.

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