Apr 2001
In this issue:
Raising the bar
High above Rainbow Street, Cantaloupe adds some gastronomic chic to the more traditional charms of Jebel Amman
Issue: Jan, 2010
It’s possibly the first time a Ferrari 458, a Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Gallardo have simultaneously graced Rainbow Street, Amman’s slightly contrived quarter of cafés, creativity and curio shops. But in early December, the trio formed a decorous curve opposite Balian Ceramics on one side and Batata fast-food place on the other. And unless the owners fancied a box of French fries, it’s reasonable to assume they had all pointed their supercars to Cantaloupe, the stylish restaurant-cum-lounge that is already hitting the right notes with the city’s well-heeled.
Perched high above La Calle, the relaxed bistro-bar that has been a Rainbow Street staple since it opened nearly three years ago, Cantaloupe has set about offering a more sophisticated 1st Circle experience. From the chiselled entrance to the elevator ride that delivers the diners to the white-leather, teak and glass interior designed by Yusuf Madenat, the ambience is immediately refined and intimate – although the staggering 360-degree views over Downtown, the Citadel and Jebel Ashrafieh offer a formidable rival for your attention.
“The idea was to create a casual dining experience with an inexpensive menu, but something that was still high-end,” says Zeid Shukry, part-owner and director of operations, who has been managing restaurants in Cairo for more than 12 years. “This part of Jebel Amman doesn’t really have anything like that, and I would argue it’s a first for Amman as a whole – there are nice restaurants, but nothing with much atmosphere. We wanted good food with a mood, basically!”
The menu is a reasonably familiar blend of superior starters – carpaccio beef, fish cakes, buffalo tenders – to a diverse collection of mains, from the rural charms of shepherd’s pie to sumptuous steaks and grilled whole sea bass, served with chilli tomato sauce. The Oreo cheesecake provides a fitting, if possibly unnecessary, conclusion, while the extensive wine list – we opted for the Espirito de Chile Merlot – ensures it all goes down swimmingly.
The concept was based on the British gastro-pub, which combines the informality of a pub with the cuisine of a bistro. It’s not, Zeid is keen to point out, a club. “We’re done by 1am,” he laughs. “But that’s what we want, to give people a different option, somewhere modern and stylish.” With hardly a seat available in the first month of opening, it’s certainly an option most of the city seems keen to exploit – whether or not you employed a $250,000 Italian sportscar to do so.
