Nadine Toukan
The independent film producer with an insatiable taste for travel shows Matthew Teller around her home town
Frosti
The best ice cream and frozen yoghurt ever, hands down! Two scoops on a sugar cone picks me up every time. My choice depends on my mood – and, yes, it does matter which flavour is on top. Shmeisani, +962 6 586 4237
National Gallery of Fine Arts
An escape for all of my senses. I lose myself in the framed stories on the walls. My favourites are the works by Ali Jabri and Mohammad Khalil. Upstairs, looking out from the terrace, you can see a web over Amman made up of wires, spires, crosses, crescents… Jabal Al-Weibdeh, +962 6 463 0128, www.nationalgallery.org
Cups & Kilos
Sitting on a stool on the pavement, waiting for my drink from this coffee shop, I’m never bothered by the rushing, honking cars. Funny how an iced caramel caffioca mocha makes everything all okay. Jabal Amman, +962 6 567 2034
Flower of Life Bookshop
This is a place in which the air is fresh and crisp, and the gentle smell of incense makes you lose your sense of time. The selection of books here seems to have been so carefully hand-picked and I always find something to walk away with. Abdoun, +962 6 592 1838
Old View Café
This wonderful café is where I come for views over Amman. I linger over cups of tea and zaatar manaqish, while the sound of classic Arab crooners fills the evening air. I remember childhood tales of jinns that used to keep me awake at nights. 1st Circle, +962 795 310 380
Oraib Toukan
Tucked away in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, Oraib Toukan’s photographic studio is the perfect place for contemplation and inspiration. Fast wireless internet means I can sit here and share my stories with the world, while I muse on the tales of “once upon a time” at the Citadel across the valley. Jabal Al-Weibdeh
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