3 Best Restaurants in Oman

Run by a former fisherman who personally selects the restaurant's fresh seafood selections from the Mutrah market each morning, this is the best place in town to sample the incredible local catch. The popular restaurant has expanded to a large building facing the parking lot (so there is rarely a wait), but the smaller original dining room just behind it is quieter with a bit more ambience. An order of the mixed mezze, which includes hummus, babaghanoush, olive tapanade, and a spicy tomato puree, comes with long, thick loaves of fresh-baked Turkish flatbread and makes a great accompaniment to grilled fish and prawns. The house salad, dressed with a light vinegar, is excellent as well. The knaffe, a dessert of slightly salty cheese topped with sweet fried vermacelli, paired with a cup of strong Turkish coffee provides the perfect finish to a meal here.

This run-down restaurant has no ambience: the dark dining area offers plastic-covered tables while a leaky air conditioner keeps the space reasonably cool. But what it lacks in decor it makes up for in an unusual menu item: cuttlefish biyrani. This spiced, layered rice dish of South Asian origin is wildly popular in Oman, and the giant squid known as cuttlefish is a local specialty. And it's something to savor: well-seasoned rice topped with cashews and raisins, layered with tender cubes of cuttlefish dressed in a luscious, mildly spicy masala. One order is more than enough for two people.

Near the souk, this no-frills restaurant serves fantastic local seafood, grilled to perfection alongside a curry dipping sauce and a simple chopped salad. It is best to request whatever was freshly caught that day, which will typically include cuttlefish, a giant squid, and kingfish or tuna. Ask for an order of flaky parata bread to round out your meal.