Food to Try in Dana: Eating at Jordan's Remote Nature Reserve

Dana is one of Jordan’s most remote inhabited villages, perched on the edge of the country’s largest nature reserve. Its food scene matches its character: limited, honest, and shaped by what can be produced locally or brought in from outside. This is not a place to come for restaurant variety. It is a place to come for wild landscapes, and the food — simple Jordanian cooking with highland produce — fits the setting.

Eating at the RSCN Dana Guesthouse

The RSCN Dana Guesthouse restaurant is the primary eating option in the village. It serves a straightforward Jordanian menu — mezze plates (hummus, labneh, murabba, olives), grilled chicken and lamb, rice dishes, and fresh flatbread. Dinner runs approximately JOD 8–14 per person as of 2026. Breakfast is available for guests and is a standard Jordanian spread: eggs, labneh, bread, jam, olive oil, tomatoes.

The restaurant also serves non-guests, and it is worth noting that this is the easiest place to get a reliable meal in Dana. Turn up, eat, pay. No reservations necessary for individuals or small groups, though calling ahead is sensible if you are a larger party.

The kitchen makes good use of local herbs — za’atar, sage, mint — and the olive oil served with bread is from nearby producers. These small details make the food better than the menu description suggests.

Eating at Feynan Ecolodge

Feynan Ecolodge serves communal meals included in the room rate, eaten together with other guests in the lodge’s main dining room. The food is consistently described as one of Feynan’s better qualities by guests: salads using greens from the lodge’s small garden, Jordanian mezze plates, grilled meat and fish dishes, soups, and local bread baked in a clay oven. The kitchen works with whatever is available given the lodge’s remoteness — no daily market runs, provisions ordered in advance.

The communal nature of meals is part of the experience. Guests eat together at shared tables, and the absence of phones and screens — there is no signal at Feynan — tends to produce genuine conversation. If this sounds appealing, it is. If you want to eat alone and quietly, manage expectations accordingly.

Non-guests cannot easily eat at Feynan given the logistics of reaching it. The lodge is 14 km on foot from Dana village or accessed by 4WD via a longer route.

Local Products Worth Trying

Za’atar and wild herbs: The Dana highlands and surrounding areas produce wild thyme, sage, and other herbs that appear in local cooking and can sometimes be bought dried from local families or the RSCN visitor centre shop. Dried za’atar mixed with sumac and sesame seeds is one of the most versatile Jordanian food souvenirs.

Wild honey: Beekeeping has a long history in the Dana region. Local honey — darker and more intensely flavoured than commercial varieties — occasionally appears for sale at the RSCN shop or through local families. Ask at the guesthouse if you are interested.

Dried figs: The Dana valley has cultivated fig trees that produce fruit in late summer. Dried figs from the area are sold locally and are worth picking up if available.

Local olive oil: Olive production is not centred in Dana itself but in nearby villages in the Tafila governorate. Oil from these producers sometimes appears at the RSCN shop and is noticeably better quality than supermarket olive oil.

Family-Run Spots in the Village

A few families in Dana village offer tea, coffee, and basic snacks to visitors — particularly those waiting to begin or ending a trail. These are informal arrangements rather than structured restaurants. Expect sweet tea, instant coffee, perhaps some flatbread with olive oil or za’atar. Payment is usually a modest tip or a fixed small sum.

The village is tiny — perhaps a few dozen inhabited houses — so “finding a restaurant” means asking at the RSCN guesthouse or the visitor centre for what is available on a given day.

Practical Notes for Food Planning

Bring provisions for hikes. The reserve trails have no food vendors. For anything beyond a short walk, bring enough food and water from the guesthouse or from supplies you brought with you. The RSCN desk can advise on what is available to purchase.

Plan meals around accommodation. If you are staying at the Dana Guesthouse, the attached restaurant handles your meals adequately. If you are staying at Feynan, meals are included and sorted. If you are wild camping or in a private guesthouse, plan ahead and bring what you need.

The general store in the village is small and stocks water, biscuits, tinned food, and basic snacks — not a full grocery shop. For anything beyond emergency supplies, stock up before arriving. For a guided King’s Highway tour that includes Dana, meals, and transport, browse Jordan tour packages.

More in Dana

• Things to Do in Dana
• Where to Stay in Dana
• Jordanian Cuisine Guide
• Hiking Dana Biosphere Reserve

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