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Books@Cafe — Not all heroes wear capes
By Zeid Odeh, Jordan News
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With this beautiful
summer season’s heat that is melting away every bit of patience, we are
comforted by friends coming back to Amman for holidays and vacations.اضافة اعلان
We decided during Eid to go for breakfast, and with my friends’ quick decision-making process over what they wanted, I patiently turned the car around three times for different locations based on preferences, to finally realize that one wanted breakfast, one wanted brunch and the third wanted hookah, she has a two-year-old going through the terrible twos, so I would not really judge her.
Although I would have paid them to tell me the difference between breakfast and brunch, knowing that they would not really get it right, I gracefully smiled and tried to find a spot that would serve everyone.
I suggested Books@Cafe knowing that it serves breakfast, and brunch, and has hookah early on in the day, so there we went.
Books@Cafe is a restaurant and bar located off Jabal Amman’s 1st Circle. The concept of the place was to merge books and arts with food, so once you enter, you notice a small art exhibition displaying works of local artists, as well as different books that you can purchase. That making this venue a unique place for promoting local talent and supporting and appreciating art.
Once you walk into the restaurant after going up the stairs, the vibes are different. There as those who work on their computers quietly, those who are there for drinks and to catch up with friends, and families with kids.
The ambiance of the restaurant is somehow modern, with colors and a big window that overlooks some of Amman’s skyline. There are several outdoor seating areas; I heard they opened up their terrace in the back recently.
The place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Jordanian breakfast, international breakfast, pastas, pizzas, desserts, alcoholic drinks and smoothies.
We ended up sharing the breakfast platter, shakshouka, falaflel flatbread, and manakeesh with turkey and cheese.
The breakfast platter consists of a manakeesh of your choice — we chose cheese and zaatar — eggs of your choice, potato wedges, toast, and some vegetables. This was a sharing item for two people, which is a great option if you want something to munch on.
I love the dough they use for their manakeesh. It is crispy on the outside, has a little bit of sweetness to it and is topped with a good amount of ingredients. It is perfectly baked and pretty addictive. It would really help if they sliced it, to help the guests share more easily. We ordered another manakeesh with turkey and cheese that was as good in texture.
Shakshouka is an egg-based dish with a tomato and vegetable stew all baked in the oven. It is a super-rich and tasty dish if you want something that you can eat with a piece of bread on the side, or even spread on toast. The tomato stew was neither thick nor too watery, and was perfectly seasoned. I recommend having the eggs slightly runny to give the whole a custard feel that complements the overall experience.
The falafel flatbread is a great invention consisting of homemade falafel served with a tahini, cucumber and tomato salsa and topped with arugula. The creativity of this dish, even though all the items are very simple, shows that the chef is looking at things from outside the box. Get a slice, smash the falafel on the bread and enjoy every piece of it.
I would like to mention their other food items that were a highlight during previous visits, such as the shawarma, the pasta, and the salads. The combination of Arabic ingredients and international concept fits perfectly with the overall theme, especially that many foreigners visit this place during weekends and especially for breakfast time with the family.
The service can be a little slow, but it is very hospitable even when they are accommodating different needs. They never fail to impress with their selection of food items and their creative combination of local and international dishes.
I recommend Books@Cafe to locals for breakfast or lunch with friends, even to families who want a quiet space for breakfast at weekend, and to visitors from out of town looking for a place that satisfies every need.
Read more Good Food
Jordan News
We decided during Eid to go for breakfast, and with my friends’ quick decision-making process over what they wanted, I patiently turned the car around three times for different locations based on preferences, to finally realize that one wanted breakfast, one wanted brunch and the third wanted hookah, she has a two-year-old going through the terrible twos, so I would not really judge her.
Although I would have paid them to tell me the difference between breakfast and brunch, knowing that they would not really get it right, I gracefully smiled and tried to find a spot that would serve everyone.
I suggested Books@Cafe knowing that it serves breakfast, and brunch, and has hookah early on in the day, so there we went.
Books@Cafe is a restaurant and bar located off Jabal Amman’s 1st Circle. The concept of the place was to merge books and arts with food, so once you enter, you notice a small art exhibition displaying works of local artists, as well as different books that you can purchase. That making this venue a unique place for promoting local talent and supporting and appreciating art.
Once you walk into the restaurant after going up the stairs, the vibes are different. There as those who work on their computers quietly, those who are there for drinks and to catch up with friends, and families with kids.
The ambiance of the restaurant is somehow modern, with colors and a big window that overlooks some of Amman’s skyline. There are several outdoor seating areas; I heard they opened up their terrace in the back recently.
The place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Jordanian breakfast, international breakfast, pastas, pizzas, desserts, alcoholic drinks and smoothies.
We ended up sharing the breakfast platter, shakshouka, falaflel flatbread, and manakeesh with turkey and cheese.
The breakfast platter consists of a manakeesh of your choice — we chose cheese and zaatar — eggs of your choice, potato wedges, toast, and some vegetables. This was a sharing item for two people, which is a great option if you want something to munch on.
I love the dough they use for their manakeesh. It is crispy on the outside, has a little bit of sweetness to it and is topped with a good amount of ingredients. It is perfectly baked and pretty addictive. It would really help if they sliced it, to help the guests share more easily. We ordered another manakeesh with turkey and cheese that was as good in texture.
Shakshouka is an egg-based dish with a tomato and vegetable stew all baked in the oven. It is a super-rich and tasty dish if you want something that you can eat with a piece of bread on the side, or even spread on toast. The tomato stew was neither thick nor too watery, and was perfectly seasoned. I recommend having the eggs slightly runny to give the whole a custard feel that complements the overall experience.
The falafel flatbread is a great invention consisting of homemade falafel served with a tahini, cucumber and tomato salsa and topped with arugula. The creativity of this dish, even though all the items are very simple, shows that the chef is looking at things from outside the box. Get a slice, smash the falafel on the bread and enjoy every piece of it.
I would like to mention their other food items that were a highlight during previous visits, such as the shawarma, the pasta, and the salads. The combination of Arabic ingredients and international concept fits perfectly with the overall theme, especially that many foreigners visit this place during weekends and especially for breakfast time with the family.
The service can be a little slow, but it is very hospitable even when they are accommodating different needs. They never fail to impress with their selection of food items and their creative combination of local and international dishes.
I recommend Books@Cafe to locals for breakfast or lunch with friends, even to families who want a quiet space for breakfast at weekend, and to visitors from out of town looking for a place that satisfies every need.
Read more Good Food
Jordan News
