2 Best Restaurants in Oman

The East African island of Zanzibar was part of the Sultanate of Oman up until 1965, when many, like the owner of this casual eatery, returned to Muscat. The vibrant red walls of the dining room are covered with old photographs and paraphernalia from Zanzibar, and the kitchen turns out authentic, home-style Afro-Arabian specialties. Ask your server what is on offer, and he will lead you to the small kitchen to see hot pots of daily specials, which will likely include beans, cassava, and spinach simmered in coconut milk, spice-encrusted fried fish and chicken, and fresh chapati bread. Request a mixed plate to sample them all. After your meal you will be served complimentary light Omani coffee spiced with cloves and a plate of sweet, dried dates. This is one of the best lunch values in town.

Just across the main road from the Nizwa Souq, this restaurant serves wonderful Zanzibari dishes like coconut curried shrimp, fried chili and potato puffs called kachori, and fluffy, cardamom-scented mandazi bread. It also serves a strange combination of "international dishes" like pizza and pasta, which are best avoided.