Ultimate Guide for Muscat Nightlife- Night Market, Restaurant, & Relax

Muscat is not only the capital of Oman, but also one of the most exuberant cities of the country. The nightlife here is worth experiencing at least once in your lifetime. From uptown bars with pumped up music to waterside cafes with relaxed ambience – Muscat nightlife has got it all for you. If you find yourself in the city for a Muscat shore excursion, there are some things you must not miss out on. 

Here are some of the best ways to spend a night in the Omani capital and make the best of the time. 

• Hit the nightclubs

Muscat is home to some of the snazziest clubs and they all come alive with great music and electrifying ambience come nightfall. The options are not endless, but the options available are quite exquisite. Rock Bottom Café gets the biggest crowds, while Club Safari has a great setting to relax. For a more elite experience, you can hit the Al-Ghazal Pub at InterContinental Hotel featuring a huge bar, private lounges, pool tables, and live music. For the best drinks, the Left Bank is an ideal choice. They serve the funkiest cocktails and host a ladies special night on every Monday. 

• Take a walk along the Mutrah Corniche

The Mutrah Corniche is a 3-km seafront promenade along the Gulf of Oman that touches the old fishing port. Elegant beautification with fountains dot the path, while restaurants and cafes line the sidewalk. The morning time houses a cacophonous fish market at the promenade. But the evening makes way for relaxed strolls or bike rides along the breezy gulf as crescent-shaped mountains, grandeur of mosques and white-bricked buildings loom over the Corniche. 

• Shop at Mutrah Souq

No vacation is complete without souvenir shopping. Located in the heart of Mutrah Corniche, the Souq fits every stereotypical narrative of an Arabian market ever. There are shops lining both sides of the maze-like streets and there is chaos galore all around the market. Believed to be more than 200 years old, the market used to trade with merchants from India and China at one point.

Now it is a potpourri of shops selling everything from Omani handicrafts and pottery, to garments, utensils, perfume oils, leatherwork, incense-sticks, spices, jewellery, and many more items. If you are a shopper with keen eyes, you might spot a traditional Omani musket from the time of the Dhofar wars or a vintage khanjar (dagger) at one of the shops. 

• Enjoy a sip of coffee

Muscat cafes and coffee shops are famous for their quaint ambience and fresh coffees. Some of the best ones that you can explore are Mani’s Gourmet Café, Moorish Café, and Tche Tche Café near AL Qurum Beach. Mutrah Souq has a number of cafes to sit and relax after a shopping spree at the night market.

Halwa Lounge and Cake Gallery serve mouth-watering desserts and confectionaries along with freshly brewed coffee. If tea is more down your alley, then Chado Tea Lounge serves a wide variety of tea – both hot and cold. They also have a great serving of Moroccan coffee – one of the best in town.

• Visit the Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is the centre or art and culture in Muscat. Located on Sultan Qaboos Street in Shati Al-Qurm district, they stage has hosted some of the most renowned artists around the world including famous cellist Yo Yo Mama, soprano Renee Fleming, and singer Pandit Jasraj.

The opera offers a wide range of programs of performance arts every evening, upholding a rich cultural and artistic diversity in its display. If you are an enthusiast of dance performances, orchestra, stage plays, and musical concerts, this is the place for you to visit in Muscat. The complex of the Opera also has a restaurant and retail shops under its roof. 

There are several cruise excursions in Muscat offered by Arabian Shore Excursions that will bring you closer to the excellent opportunity of experiencing the Omani capital at night time.