Entertainment

Amman’s nightlife thrives during the months of summer. When the sweltering days give way to the serene, cool evenings, nocturnal enthusiasts will find fulfillment on dance floors or in restaurants. Most of Amman’s major hotels have late-night fests. On the far side of Shmeisani (about twice as far as the Ambassador Hotel, on the same road) is the Middle East Hotel, which hosts an excellent disco ("Talk of the Town") on Monday and Thursday nights. The revolving, mirrored ball suspended over the dance floor evokes memories of Elvis and John Travolta. The crowd of mixed Jordanians and foreigners is mostly in their late twenties and the times range from techno to reggae. Amman’s younger youth (late teens, early twenties) party at the brand-new Scandel, in the basement of the San Rock Hotel (Sixth Circle).

Mirrored walls, black upholstered booths, and purple neon lights made this the hottest spot in summer ‘93- Also out by Sixth Circle, the Amra Hotel has a fairly lively nightclub on Fridays and Saturdays, for an older crowd than is found at the Middle gast or Scandel. Cover charge at these places is usually around JD5 (some include a complimentary soft drink or beer) and drinks cost JD1.500-3.500. The Ef Cesar Restaurant on Jabal al-Weibdeh offers more traditional Jordanian music and dancing- but few affordable comestibles.

For those who enjoy mellow band music and a sedate, outdoor atmosphere, Graffiti, at the Shepherd Hotel (Second Circle, Omar Bin al-Khattab St., opposite the south gate of the Islamic college) is the place to be. The crowd is a mixture of foreigners and natives in their twenties (cover charge JD2). The Celler, in the basement of Al-Qasr Hotel (Shmeisani, between the Ambassador and Nefertiti Hotels), is a more expensive option featuring sax and piano players alternating with the latest music videos. (Cover charge JD5.)

At first glance, the city center seems to lack the traditional Middle Eastern constellation of cafes and tea nouses. Look up: they’re mostly perched on second floors. One of these is the downtown Hilton Cafe (across the street from the Cliff Hotel), overlooking the royal intersection of King Hussein and King Faisal St. (above the Seiko watch sign). There’s a crowded and noisy alfresco hangout on the second floor. You can learn the local card games over a cup of Amman’s sludgiest Arabic coffee (lOOfils and up) and entertain your suddenly acquired best friends by choking on the dense charcoal and tobacco smoke of a narghila QOOfils). There is a “boys’ club” atmosphere (whatever that means), and though foreign women are welcome they are likely to cause a stir. (Open daily 8am-l lpm.) Babiche Cafe and Geneva in Shmeisani serve coffee, drinks, and pastries. Reem Al-Bawady (Tla’ al-Ali, Al-Ubeel circle) offers fruit-flavored tobacco for smoking on a narghila outdoors in traditional camel-hair tents.

During the late afternoon and early evening, Amman’s central souk (market) becomes the city’s most happening spot, swallowing several blocks southwest of Al-Husseini Mosque. Most people rest between 2-4pm (se?-vice and buses become scarce), but cafes allow homeless budget travelers to linger over coffee in the shade. Try Maatouk’s, outside the souk, on Third Circle (coffee 200fiIs).