I just returned from a trip to Amman, Jordan. I’ve flown through the Queen Alia Airport a few times but this was the first trip in Jordan that I’d actually have some time to explore the country. Considering that Amman is the country’s biggest city, I made it my mission to find what (if any) gay nightlife that I could. And as luck would have it, I learned the city has at least one bar, which some have called a gay bar in Amman. Not too shabby!

On my second night in town, I made my way down to Rainbow Street (appropriately named, no?) to Books@Cafe. The bar wasn’t actually so gay on the outside, in fact you just enter through a bookstore (with lots of books & magazines in English). Upstairs, there’s a restaurant/balcony with a lot of shisha in the front, and a trendy bar in the back. On the day I visited, there were quite a few cute guys hanging out around the bar. It’s not technically a gay bar in Amman, but is largely considered a place where everyone can feel safe and comfortable.

Books@Cafe isn’t just for gay locals and the gay expats in Amman, either. It’s just a great bar and restaurant with a friendly atmosphere. It’s not something you might expect to find in a Middle Eastern country, but if Amman is just one thing, it’s a surprising city.

Looking for more gay travel info on Amman? Try these:

• Khalid’s Gay Guide to Amman
• Exploring Amman’s gay spaces
• LGBT rights in Jordan (Wikipedia)