Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Having a fabulous dine-out experience during Eid holidays has become some sort of a ritual for locals and expats residing in the Sultanate, and with more restaurants opening up around town, there is no better way than immersing yourself in culinary adventure from around the world, tickling your taste-buds and giving them a treat to remember.
In Muscat, the restaurant culture is expanding, with a variety of cuisines dishing up mouth-watering delicacies from Japanese sushi rolls, to South American fire-kissed ribs, and everything in between. This Eid, plan your outing at one of these three must-try diners where you will get a taste of the food culture of Oman, Italy, and the island of Zanzibar while having a good time with family and friends.
Omani Cuisine at Dukanah Café
This place is perfect for those who want to relive the olden times of Oman. The restaurant is celebration of Oman’s traditions and homemade flavours, with an interior similar of that of ancient forts, giving you a raw, muddy, and woody colour palette in a time-honoured atmosphere.
Aside from the decorative charms, the place offers staple dishes that can be found in a typical Omani household, which guarantees an exciting experience for expats, and a journey of reminiscence for the locals. Dishes such as lentils and beans cooked from Omani-inspired recipes, and served with Omani flat bread; and shakshooka, a mix of scrambled eggs, peppers, mushrooms, and a touch of coriander leaves. The legumes are to die for, perfectly seasoned to be indulged with the crispy, flaky flat bread.
For sweets lovers, there’s a ton to choose from, from date-syrup drenched breads, to date-infused treats. To quench your thirst, they offer some of the most interesting drinks that are traditionally popular including fresh rose petals and dried lemon.
+968 2450 2244
Azaiba, Muscat (Behind GMC showroom)
Italian Cuisine at Gustoso
Pizzas and Pastas are notorious for being calorie-dense and cheesy; unfortunately that is not authentic Italian. Dining at Gustoso will give you a glimpse into these healthy and hearty dishes of Italy. The place is spacious and adorned with contemporary touches that spark a good deal of appétit.
On their menu, you can try their crispy, thin-crust pizzas, topped with tangy tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, which comes in squares and tastes heavenly. Pastas here are the real deal; they are crafted by Italian chefs and prepared in-house for the diners. Their pastas are have a few drips of sauce, without a ton of toppings, and bathed in olive-oil goodness, with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and oregano leaves. In short, they are pure, simple, and utterly delicious. You can taste the difference once you take a bite at this pasta bar in Qurum, and you are promised to come back for more.
+968 9739 7871
Qurum Gardens Complex, Qurum
Zanzibari Cuisine at Zanzibar Island Restaurant
Given the beautiful historic ties between Oman and Zanzibar, the Omani traders came back to the Sultanate and brought a taste of Africa along with them, and at this African join you will get to explore history through their extensive selection of vintage photographs and paintings that represent the relationship between the two nations. In other words, the place is a museum of culture.
What sets Zanzibari cuisine from that of Oman is that this cuisine has some of the creamiest creations in the world of food, and that is probably because of their ever-ending love for coconut cream, peanut butter, and palm oil in their staple dishes.
Make sure to try Zanzibari specialties like mohogo, a mild, creamy dish of white cubes of the starchy root vegetable cassava simmered in coconut milk with hot chillies; kisamvu, a green mushy dish made from cassava leaves blended and cooked with coconut milk, palm oil, or peanut butter; and maharagi, a rich curry dish made of kidney beans cooked with coconut milk and mixed vegetables. You can savour these dishes with either chapatti bread or plain rice.
+968 9236 2213
Al Ghubra (nearby Porsche Showroom)
