Omani food is quieter than its Gulf neighbours: slow-buried shuwa lamb, salted-lime shuwa broth, rosewater halwa stirred for hours in copper pots. Three days take you from Mutrah's 5am fish auction to Ruwi's Indian curry canteens and Qurum's sea-facing tables.
The Snøhetta-designed fish hall opens at dawn — kingfish, hamour, sardines and blue swimmer crab auctioned from 5am, with the calmer retail floor running to noon. Upstairs terrace overlooks the dhow harbour. Whole kingfish around 2-3 OMR/kg.
An Omani restaurant in a restored 140-year-old merchant house above the corniche. Order shuwa (lamb buried and slow-cooked 24-48 hours), mashuai (kingfish over rice), and camel meat harees. Mains 5-9 OMR; open noon to 11pm daily.
Past the frankincense sellers, the covered lanes hide dates stalls, dried limes (loomi), bezar spice blends and Omani halwa cut from copper pots. Vendors offer tasting spoons of rosewater, saffron and pistachio halwa with kahwa.
A tiny old-town café where kahwa arrives in a dallah with cardamom and rosewater, served alongside dates and sticky halwa. Karak chai runs 200-300 baisa a glass, the Omani afternoon ritual before evening prayers empty the lane.
Forty minutes west of Muscat, Barka's family halwa kitchens stir sugar, ghee, rosewater, saffron and nuts in copper mirkah pots over wood fire for three-plus hours. Watch the stirring, taste warm halwa straight from the pot, buy by weight.
Modern Omani cooking: camel biryani, shuwa spring rolls, frankincense ice cream and a fish mashuai with dried-lime rice. Mains 6-12 OMR, open 11am-11pm. The kitchen reworks village recipes rather than Gulf hotel standards.
Sacks of khalas, fardh and khenaizi dates sit beside limes, bananas and Omani honey from Jebel Akhdar. Vendors slice open date varieties for tasting; a kilo of premium khalas runs 3-5 OMR, sidr honey far more at 20-40 OMR.
Cushioned majlis seating under palms and lanterns, with mixed grills, shuwa, mandi and shisha. Evenings fill with Omani families from 8pm; expect 8-15 OMR a head. Kitchen serves until midnight, later at weekends.
Muscat's South Asian quarter runs on 300-baisa paratha, chana bhatura, idli and masala chai served from 6am. Bhavan and Woodlands-style canteens fill with workers before 9am; a full breakfast rarely tops 1.5 OMR.
Expat and Omani workers queue for chicken shawarma wrapped with garlic toum, pickles and fries for 500-700 baisa, plus fresh mango and avocado juices. Stalls run from noon until 2am along the strip behind the ministries.
Beach-facing tables serving the morning's catch — hamour, sultan ibrahim and kingfish grilled with lemon, served with rice and salad. Expect 8-14 OMR for a whole fish; the terrace catches the sea breeze after 4pm.
Alcohol in Oman is licensed to hotels only. The Intercontinental's bars pour cold Omani-brewed beer and cocktails with a sea-facing terrace; expect 4-7 OMR a drink. Duke's Bar has live music most nights from 9pm.