Thank you @theworlds50best for the recognition. We are honoured to place #30 on the 2026 MENA 50 Best Restaurants list, and beyond proud of our Chef and Managing Partner, @chef_sara.aqel for being crowned this year’s Best Female Chef.
We proudly share these accolades with you, our guests, and the local community of producers and farmers who make it possible to do what we do at Dara Dining every day.
Thank you for hearing our story; we will continue to champion local produce, homegrown stories, and share our approach to dishes cooked with love and grit.
Cheers, to many more great moments over food and memories!
Dara Dining by Sara Aqel in Amman bags the Highest New Entry Award 2025, sponsored by Lavazza.
Set in a lovingly restored villa from 1958 in the heart of Amman, Dara Dining by Sara Aqel offers its guests Mediterranean flavours, wines from regional producers and community-driven values. Dara, which means home in Arabic, was born from the vision of its co-founders, Lana Alamat, Maher Mouasher and chef Sara Aqel.
Before coming back to her native Amman, Chef Aqel’s professional journey had taken her through established and emerging culinary destinations including Paris, Hong Kong and Dubai. Her return to Jordan was driven by her belief that the country’s natural resources and passionate local producers could rival the best the world has to offer.
“In Jordan, we have everything we need to create and innovate — four seasons, amazing produce and passionate farmers. I’m back to showcase that. It’s time to realise our potential, create memorable experiences, and bring our community to the table.”
Aqel has crafted a menu that honours local ingredients, seasonal produce, and the craftsmanship of Jordan’s small-scale farmers. From house-made pastas and wood oven pizzas to signature dishes like the seasonal bounty salad, an eggplant creation inspired by moussaka, Dara Dining’s menu changes with the seasons, offering guests a chance to experience Jordanian produce at its best.
Dara Dining collaborates with local artisans and community groups, using plates made by the Women of Iraq al Amir cooperative, dairy products from small-scale producers and even rock salt sourced from Azraq. From the food and wine to the decor and service, the restaurant celebrates the depth and diversity of Jordan’s culinary offerings.
#MENAs50Best #MiddleEast #NorthAfrica #Foodie #Foodstagram #FoodNews #Chef #Restaurant #Food #DiningOut #FineDining #Foodies #Amman @dara.dining@lavazzaofficial
عكوب, Akkoub
A wild thistle native to west Asia, harvested in early spring across Palestine, Jordan, Syria , and surrounding regions. Known for its tender heart and earthy, artichoke-like flavor.
Its significance goes beyond the plate. In فلسطين (Palestine), akkoub has become a quiet symbol of resistance: foraging it is tied to land stewardship, seasonal memory, and the right of Palestinians to access and preserve their native landscapes. Restrictions imposed on harvesting wild plants such as akkoub and za’atar have made these ingredients even more politically charged—turning the act of picking, cooking, and sharing them into an assertion of cultural identity, heritage, and resilience.
Our celebration of spring this year is to be able to plant and harvest and present Akkoub on our menu in a dish that aligns with us.
From Beirut with love: join Ziad and Simon for a second edition of a bar takeover on Thursday May 21 for incredible cocktails and great beats - brining a taste of their Gemmayze cocktail bar to Amman.
Buy your tickets now 🔗 in bio
40JD ++ includes 2 cocktails and 4 bar snacks
So this happened in Japan !
As part of @wagyumafia 10 years celebration. 🎉 we collaborated to bring bits of Jordan to Tokyo.
The fact that Wagyu Mafia wanted to introduce chefs from around the world as a give back to the community aligns so much with our values.
We got to showcase produce from multiple producers and farms in Jordan to make this happen.
What an honor to live and see the change they created in the dining scene.
Itterasshai ❤️🤍🌻
📸 @icchan_1976
There is something timely about Spaghetti al Limone, with lemon butter folded through the pasta, basil scattered over the top, and parmigiano melting in while still warm.
Spring calls for a softer kind of indulgence.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #SpaghettieAlLimone
Looking for somewhere to spend the evening? Spring has finally arrived in Amman, making it the perfect time to step outside.
Our garden is ready for dinner, wine, and spring air under the open sky.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #PremiumFoodQuality #Spring
Our Spring Menu has arrived, bringing fresh new dishes inspired by the colours and produce of the season.
Among the new additions, Fish of the Day Crudo is dressed with tabbouleh cream, pickled turnips, jalapeño, and olive oil for something light, vibrant, and beautifully balanced.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #FishoftheDayCrudo
‘Jordan has been one of the places where two things came to pass very early on – olive oil and bread.’
Most people come to Jordan for Petra and the desert. They leave talking about the food. The olive oil alone – pressed from Nabali olives, one of the world’s oldest cultivars, grown in Jordanian soil for millennia – is reason enough. Add a wine scene that is quietly transforming, bread that has been perfected over centuries, and you begin to understand why this country’s table is unlike anything else in the region.
We spent a day at a family olive farm in the Jordanian hills, learning how Nabali olives are harvested and pressed: stripped from the trees, sent immediately to the village press, and turned into some of the finest oil you will ever taste.
Then to @daradining in Amman, where a wine tasting and food pairing class – ceviche, baked feta, charcuterie, pear cake – opened a window into one of the most considered dining experiences in the Middle East. Dara imports every bottle of wine themselves, visiting every winery before a single case is bought. That level of intention shows in the glass.
Jordan’s food scene is having its moment. We’d argue it’s long overdue.
Full guide to Jordan’s dining scene in this week’s newsletter and nearfarmag.com, link in bio.
📸 by @chefanie.2
Our Moussaka from Gaza quickly became one of your favorite dishes when we first opened our doors in August 2023, before the genocide and relentless turbulence of today.
We find ourselves in the midst of war again, but spring waits for no one.
Inspired by our regenerating land, we refuse to be stalled by dark times so we are creating and recreating: a reimagined Dara signature dish!
Our doors are open, we’re here with you, looking forward to a new season.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #Moussaka
Spring in the city. 🌸🌿
Introducing “Amman’s Spring”, a sneak peek of our new seasonal menu. Fresh, vibrant, and exactly how this season should taste.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #PremiumFoodQuality #Spring #foulakhdar
At the heart of Dara is a desire to go beyond traditional labels. It’s not about just cooking specific regional dishes; it’s about capturing the nostalgia and the pure feelings that a single, perfect ingredient can evoke.
We believe food should bring back memories. This is the core of who we are.
#DaraDining #Amman #AmmanRestaurant #PremiumFoodQuality #Nostalgia
