Sep 13

Sep 13 "A Hunt for the Best Strawberry Juice in Amman" by Rachel Simroth

I love strawberries. A scoop of strawberry ice cream, a strawberry milkshake, a strawberry smoothie, or even just plain strawberries.

Within the first few days of being in Amman, I noticed how popular ‘Fresh Juices’ were, usually having their own section on the menu in all cafes and restaurants. A fresh juice here is similar to a smoothie in America, and there are typically a lot of flavors on the menu: banana, mango, lemon, strawberry, and so on.

I was intrigued by both the prominence and variety of juices on these menus, so for the first month in Amman, I ordered a strawberry juice in almost every café I went to. Below are what I think are the top 5 strawberry juices I have tried in Amman so far.

Amman Heart Restaurant & Café - June 16

This place was downtown across from the Roman Amphitheater and it had an amazing view. I went there with two of my friends on a Thursday night and watched the sunset from there. I appreciated the size of this smoothie, and the coolness and thickness of this juice, as a lot of juices here are more watery than I am used to. This was probably my favorite strawberry juice I have had in Amman so far.

A close up of a glass mug of frothy strawberry juice. There is a yellow straw. It sits on a table covered with an embroidered red cloth. — Strawberry juice from Amman Heart Restaurant & Café. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

2. Aristotle - June 14

I went to this cafe with four friends after class one day. I loved the atmosphere here: a little corner shop with lots of plants and natural sunlight coming in. This juice had a more subtle flavor of strawberry yet had a good consistency - it was very good.

A cone shaped glass full of frothy strawberry juice with a black straw. It sits on a tiled tabletop, and all around are books, pencils and laptops. Blurry in the background is a person with a second glass of juice. — Strawberry juice from Aristotle Café. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

3. Haroun - June 12

I walked here after class with some friends the first week of class. It is in Abdoun Circle, which is in the same area as Amideast. This one gets bonus points for putting a fresh strawberry on the glass. This one had a more watery consistency, but I really enjoyed the sweet flavor it had.

A glass filled with bubbly strawberry juice, with a strawberry on the rim and a black straw. It sits on a glass tabletop, and plates and salt/pepper shakers are in the background — Strawberry juice from Haroun. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

4. Yolo Cafe - June 8

This was the first café I went to in Amman and the first strawberry juice I ever had here, so it holds a special place in my heart <3 This smoothie was thicker and I even had some more.

Strawberry juice in a glass cup with a flared base and a red straw. Our of focus are two students writing in notebooks at the table, and a laptop. — Strawberry juice from Yolo Café. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

5. Views Cafe - June 13

One. Of. The. Best. Views. Of. Amman. The glass the smoothie came in was very cool, but this was a little bit too watery for my taste - and it was good - so I drank it in literally 30 seconds. But any drink tastes good with this great view surrounded by great friends.

Strawberry juice in a narrow glass on a glass-topped round table. The table is on a rooftop patio, and a bit of skyline is visible in the background. A waiter with a tray is just off-camera. Across the table is a young man with an iced coffee — Strawberry juice from Views Café. Photo credit: Simroth, 2022.

In Amman, almost every cafe or restaurant I have been to offers at least five different types of these ‘fresh juices’ - like smoothies. While I focused on the strawberry flavor, one of my friends ordered a mango juice at almost every cafe or restaurant. In US cafes and restaurants, I feel there is not as wide of a range of choices for these smoothie-like drinks - you would have to go to a specific smoothie store for this spread. I appreciate the focus on fruit (especially the strawberry!).