The best restaurants Muscat

Finally the serious things, understand fresh fish as we like it! Thank you to the Turks who have been running this succulent inn for ages and delight their happy customers with these firm, tasty and grilled (yes, just grilled!) flesh with the good taste of not drowning the flavours under sauces. Calamari, swordfish, big shrimps, the catch of the day is eaten with a salad, rice, fries. For those who got the wrong address, choice of meats and pizzas. Democratic prices to seduce the local Omani as much as the VIP.

Launched by two French women a few years ago, the Frenchie table managed to survive their departure, now under local management. Still this elegant, chic-simple, very welcoming setting, and it's true that we insist, because with its neighbour Bait Al Luban, this address denotes in this popular and harbour district. Appetizing, the menu offers, for lunch or dinner, a wide choice of fish and even lobster, of an irreproachable freshness, since directly chosen at the fish market just opposite!

It's THE palace's beach restaurant, away from the complex and as close to the water as possible: a spotlight! Let the chic, minimalist charm of this contemporary rectangular room and its terrace do the rest. Even inside, the interplay of huge bay windows lets you flirt with the waves. The menu features seafood and Premium meats served with a choice of sauces and accompaniments. The open-plan kitchen, outdoor lounges and marine-inspired decor create an elegant atmosphere that can also be enjoyed at the bar for a refined aperitif or after-dinner drink.

The Restaurant naturally follows the hotel's graphic charter, pure and elegant, with a predilection for the color white. You can enjoy fine food in an open-air patio, amidst palm trees, or in the subdued atmosphere of a superb room with a contemporary decor. Following the trend of open kitchens, the brigade is busy working live, orchestrating a menu of fusion cuisine and its wide choice of Asian, Arab, Indian or European dishes. For the sweet finale, succumb to the visual torture of the pastry counter. French, of course!

It doesn't get any fresher than this canteen, which sits opposite the fish market and offers seafood and catch of the day in its refrigerated display case. You come in, choose (a few presentation plates help you to get the idea), have it weighed and decide on the cooking and accompaniment (selection of salads, mezzés, rice...). Then, instead of the white and blue air-conditioned dining room, we prefer the terrace surrounded by a fence for privacy. It's simple, clean and friendly. Local!

Perched a few floors up, Brezza, with its bay windows in the room or its terraces open to the sea air, is an ode to the mineral beauty of the sublime bay of Bandar Jissah. The view, the view, the view! And also a pleasant and light marine menu, led by the talented Italian chef Cristiano Goattin: tuna tartar with saffron, oysters, seafood platter to share, lobster risotto, etc. Upstairs, the rooftop bar offers an even more panoramic view to start or end the evening in the sky. Nice wine and cocktail list.

The cowhide tapestries immediately set the mood for this warm, elegant steakhouse. A la carte: first-rate meat. Attentive waiters and a passionate chef come to the tables to present the different cuts and their ideal cooking, mainly over a wood fire. On Thursday evenings, it's impossible to miss the exceptional Gaucho Night, when you can sample several pieces of marinated meat cooked on large skewers.

Built 140 years ago, this superb House of Incense (Bait al Luban in Arabic), identifiable by its majestic cut stone façade, stands facing the fish market of Mutrah. The interior is that of a traditional oriental house, rich and refined, with its precious carpets and worked woodwork. Flagship of the Omani culture, the menu includes and revisits all the culinary specialties of the country and this part of the world. You can eat seated on the oriental-style floor or on the terrace facing the bustling port. An address not to be missed!

A balcony overlooking the sea like no other, this is one of the capital's finest culinary settings, perched in the fresh air on the spur of the Crowne Plaza. From the top of the cliff, you can see the whole city, miles of beaches and thousands of stars. A musical lounge atmosphere (DJ) for a panoramic drink overlooking the lights of the Qurm promenade or a fine dinner in the breeze, by candlelight. From Fine de Claire oysters to Japanese sushi and Angus beef ribeye, the menu features fusion cuisine, accompanied by a fine Cape wine.

It is a large and beautiful wooden house, extended by a terrace as close as possible to the sea: the most romantic table of the immense Shangri-La complex and its multiple gustatory proposals. If you want to dine at the water's edge, you might as well enjoy fish and seafood from local fishing, accompanied by Omani products or prepared in the Omani way. Shrimps, mussels, lobster, fish... can be eaten according to taste and mood, as you can choose your own way of preparation. In a democratic concern, a corner of the menu is dedicated to carnivores.

Before Ubhar, the curious people of the papilla had to inflict Bin Ateeq to taste the local recipes, so eat on the ground, lying in the cushions, in front of the TV. The fruit of the heritage consciousness of beautiful youth, Ubhar changes gears, dusting off the typical Omani cuisine and succeeding in reformulating matrah paplo with Batinah dried silt or camel biryani. We'll even find the shuwa which is revisited in wrap! The frame is modern, trendy without excess and it's very good. Come without hesitation.

More than a simple dinner, you'll enjoy the authentic experience of rigorous cuisine that brings Chinese gastronomy to life. Trained at the right school, the battalion of chefs brilliantly dramatize the specific dishes of the eight main regional cuisines: from Shanghai to Canton. From excellent roast duck to a selection of dim sum, the menu is varied and also offers a choice of menus for the undecided. Less elegant than the red-and-black dining room and its dark wood Asian furniture, the terrace is a pleasant option on fine evenings.

Soi means street in Thai, a name that suits this beautiful table installed at the edge of the Kempinski hotel with a direct opening on one of the boulevards of the Al Mouj district. If the menu reflects the culinary scene of Bangkok, one eats in the calm of a cosy room dressed in wood, or, better still, on the intimate terrace of the inner courtyard. The menu offers a tasty selection of the best of Thai cuisine and in fact, everything is delicious, making this restaurant one of the best Asian restaurants in the city. Attentive service.

Some people remember the time, twenty years ago, when there were few or no coffee shops in Muscat: D'Arcy's was already there, like an Anglo-Saxon coffee shop. A success that lasts, from breakfast to the evening, with a strong contingent of expatriate women in earl grey chat, but also a lot of Omanis - a pleasant mix. At any time of the day, in a decor of yellow and sky blue candy boxes or more pleasantly on the terrace, you can eat good salads, good club-sandwiches, fish & chips as in the country... and sweet treats on the go.

This unmistakable "citadel" stands with its crenellated ramparts in the Ministries district at the northern entrance to the city. Its size and architecture are reminiscent of a real fortress, but no, it's just an imposing reproduction. It houses a huge restaurant divided into a large central courtyard, surrounded, like a walkway, by a succession of plush rooms of different sizes, where you can have a meal in private, and why not sit on the floor on carpets in Arabic style. The cuisine is local, the Omanis are there, as an introduction to the country.

Gentleness, authenticity and regularity. We come to taste generous dishes made with fresh home-cooked products. We enjoy a fish chosen directly from the stall and served grilled or cooked in the oriental way with chips, salads, hummus... It is the strong point of the house even if the carnivores also have some for their account. There are two options for settling in: a large air-conditioned room or the pretty terrace when the weather is mild, a little sheltered from cars and to be preferred. Unbeatable quality/price ratio and efficient service.

A refined setting, a pretty terrace overlooking the beach and a hushed interior, the stage is set for this restaurant serving authentic Italian seaside cuisine. Chef Daniele, an Italian of course, revisits her classics, harmoniously blending local ingredients with local produce. Enjoy scallops, pea cream and tomato tartar, homemade ravioli stuffed with braised lamb/aubergine/smoked mozzarella, tiramisu or panna cotta for a sweet note... Hmmm! But no pizzas.

The name immediately indicates the origin of the table as well as that of the chef: here we are in Iran. And since in this country, we like to share dishes, we opt for a menu - a way to discover at least 8 typical flavors of this beautiful cuisine. On the menu, the names of the dishes(Khoresht-e-bamiya, Ash-e-adas, etc.) are already a form of travel, but you can also discover some classics of Omani cuisine (The taste of Oman). The room, typically oriental, is cosy but prefer the terrace in good weather with a breathtaking view on the capital.

The room, classic and cosy, is in itself a form of travel. We are in Italy, in the refined interior of a Tuscan villa. From traditional pasta and pizza to other specialties of Italian gastronomy, the chef and his brigade concoct a solid and tasty local cuisine based on quality products imported from the country. The restaurant has won several awards and is one of the most popular in the city in its category. On sunny days, you can opt for a romantic dinner on the balcony under the stars.

Welcome to the temple of tiki-culture, the Polynesian-pop trend that set America on fire from the 1930s to the 1950s with its wahines, ukuleles and flower necklaces. A fusion menu with exotic influences, from wok or Thai beef carpaccio to Caesar salad, via the famous wood-fired dishes. The mixology menu is as diverse as the arm's length, and features the famous Mai Tai, a cocktail invented by the brand's creator - rum-curaçao-orchard-lemon to be sipped directly at the counter!