Oman is bursting with activities to do and things to see, and at the end of a long day exploring you might find yourself in need of a strong drink. However, it can be a little hard to find a good martini in Muscat.

A Google search or exploration of Tripadvisor can seem confusing and could lead you to disappointment in numerous venues.

However, do not be deterred, because I have done the research. I visited several different bars to find out which one served the best, most reliable martini in town.

The answer (at the time of writing) is the Crowne Plaza overlooking Qurum Beach.

How to get there

The easiest route of course, is to simply stay at the hotel itself which has nice facilities and wonderful views. It might not be within everyone’s price range though and I am the martini socialist so I’m going to provide alternative options as well. If you’re staying elsewhere the hotel bar is open to non-residents.

You will need a taxi to get there. You can flag the white and orange taxis down in the street (old school New York style) or ask someone who looks official or professional who will likely be able to point you in the right direction or use the official taxi app on their phone (mobile data can be expensive for foreign SIMs in Oman). Many hotels also have taxi drivers outside.

Confirm the price of your journey in advance and bring cash. If you’re in the Muscat area it shouldn’t cost more than 5-10 Omani Riyals (and might even be a few Riyals lower – depending on the driver).

Most taxi drivers are infinitely honourable, professional and proud of their country but you don’t want to be caught out.

My Journey to the Venue

My solo travel city breaks tend to involve excessive caffeine and extensive exploration on foot.

After a qahwah-fueled rampage around Muscat and Muttrah in the morning I had a lovely afternoon at the national museum.

I then visited the charming modern art gallery that is Beit Muzna, former residence of the beloved aunt of the also very much beloved Sultan Qaboos (peace be upon them).

Both buildings are wonderful spaces with history, heritage and a real, authentic feel for what Oman is. Beit Muzna also does good coffee where you can sit, enjoy the art and the space itself with the trickling of water from the refreshing indoor fountain.

After that, I decided it was time for a pre-dinner drink. I also wanted to catch the famous view from Qurum as the sun sets over the Gulf of Oman. And of course, I had been in search of a good martini since my arrival in the country. The other venues I had tried had so far failed me.

What fabulous luck, therefore that the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which overlooks Qurum beach, has its own bar, auspiciously named “Dukes”.

Martini fans the world over will of course know this reference to the London establishment, so the Crown Plaza has set itself a high bar against which to compete.

The Venue

The bar was first opened in 1978 during the early years of the Omani Renaissance, and was clearly popular – especially with expats – for years. It was renovated in 2023 so is now much larger than before.

The interior is dimly lit and styled as a European-style club house with a saloon bar, dark, leather furnishings, a faux brick wall, television for sport and an extensive whisky selection. It looks British in style. It’s also comfortable, friendly and that perfect Omani-esque blend of being both intimate but also respectfully distant.

It has a television for sport, which is not martini compatible, but is otherwise a comfortable setting, especially if you want somewhere to relax with company.

Move on from the interior, however, to the outside seating area. It’s utterly perfect for the violet hour, especially around the less hot months. Arrive before the sun starts to turn colour for sunset (I got there by 4pm in late February) then enjoy the best show in the house.

Make sure you have sunscreen on because the sun can still burn, even at the most perfect time of the day. Sunglasses might also be useful,  although as an observation, sunglasses don’t seem to be commonly worn by Omanis.

The Service

The staff were friendly and attentive. They were knowledgeable about all things on the menu, the array of whiskies on the wall, and – critically – things that weren’t explicitly on offer.

They knew about hot toddies for example, but that’s not what I was there for. It’s good to know though!

Martinis used to be on the menu but they were taken off for some reason. Nonetheless customers continue to order them on a regular basis – for obvious reasons including the setting plus, of course, the name of the venue.

It’s a common occurrence around the world that when you order a martini when one isn’t on the menu, you are confronted with a worrying array of looks and questions. They are perplexed and confused by what you are looking for. Bar staff around the world seemingly still don’t know.

Their misunderstandings can sometimes even result in a glass of vermouth served with ice which, while refreshing as a pick-me-up, is simply not what one is looking for. The worst, of course, is a lukewarm gin with expired vermouth which is sadly commonplace – even in some reputed cocktail bars (which I shall not name).

This did not happen in the Omani Duke’s Bar. Indeed the staff were reassuringly quick to respond to my request with all the reassuring questions. The gin of choice is Gordon’s and the vermouth is Martini Bianco.

Yes, yes, dry fans might complain about the Bianco part, but this is export strength Gordon’s and they only use a tiny bit of the vermouth. They also have dry vermouth behind the bar if you want to specify.  I ordered it house-style and was shown to a table outside.

I was then served salted nuts on the side before my drink arrived. Little touches speak volumes around the world.

The Drink Itself

The first martini came beautifully chilled, shaken and garnished with olives. I wasn’t offered the choice of a twist which I would’ve preferred but it was extremely tasty and as refreshing as a cold Falaj (traditional irrigation channels bringing water from the mountains).

All I could recommend is perhaps using Omani olives because the natural produce in this stunning country is delicious. Nonetheless, the olives were tasty.

The “tears” of condensation on the glass signify the temperature of the drink so while the glass and gin weren’t kept in the freezer the hardworking staff had clearly shaken the drink sufficiently with ice. This was not Duke’s London style but it was still cold after a warm day in Muscat.

The glass came with a stylised stem which I really don’t like. I am very much a traditionalist in the glassware department.

If I’m presented with a stem like this my response is akin to Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development when she is confronted with a curly fry.

Nonetheless I persevered.

By the way, I would recommend ordering water on the side for hydration purposes.

This is especially important if you’ve been careering around for the day on nothing but coffee and dates.

The bar sits in the light of the sunset and while the drink might be as fresh as a blast of the Arabian sea on your face, you don’t want to get dehydrated.

The Second Glass

When I ordered the second martini I asked if they had glasses with a more classic stem which of course they did. They were far too big for a sensible martini so they weren’t filled full at all, which doesn’t feel satisfying in the hand, but the overall size of the drink that they poured was correct – I would guess around 120-130ml.

I also asked if they could make it with lemon, which can sometimes spark conversations along the lines of “lemon juice?” or “lemonade?” (the horror!) but the Crowne Plaza staff clearly do this on a regular basis. The garnish was also refreshingly simple: pared from the fruit, expressed into the glass and trimmed rather than being left too large or arranged into a cacophony of aesthetic. It was ideal.

The Vibe

Apart from the absolute silencing glory of an Arabian sunset the vibe was lively enough to be stimulating but quiet enough to be relaxing. The bar overlooks the swimming pool but by that time of day the noisier children had moved on.

There was a mixture of westerners and Omanis drinking at the venue. The beautiful Omani couples enjoying a peaceful drink together for sunset really completed the place for me – it was a subtle and romantic endorsement of the bar from an elegant and sophisticatedly understated society.

It was also interesting that most of the Omanis – who presumably weren’t residents at the hotel – left not long after sunset. The main show was over. It was time for dinner elsewhere.

Alternative Venues

Honourable other mentions for a drink in Muscat include Sama Terrazza, which resembles the perfect martini bar with it’s rooftop vistas and good service, but does not actually serve martinis, despite having vermouth on display at the bar – perhaps for decoration?

For non-alcoholic refreshment, the Thai restaurant in the Hotel Centara (in Ghala district) serves delicious smoothies if you want a sugar fix without the booze. It was also popular with Omanis. There are other bars but many resemble pubs, which are absolutely fine, and indeed very comfortable when you’re far from home, but they’re not classic martini venues.

Overall

The Qurum Crowne Plaza serves the best martini sofar (that’s an Omani pun by the way – I’m sorry). I would implore management to return the drink to the menu, and I would recommend they update their martini glassware for the appropriate size and stem-type.

Keeping the glasses plus the gin in the freezer will also make it much easier to pour these drinks and the finished product will be much colder and extensively more refreshing in the heat. Otherwise, the next time I’m in Oman this is the venue I will return to for my silver bullet.

The Last Word

Finally, a little reminder that all of the above, the experiences and civility and beauty of Oman all being made available to an ajnabi like myself, are thanks to a great man.

The late Sultan Qaboos bin Said (peace be upon him) was raised in the south, trained in Britain and oversaw the great Omani renaissance when he came to power in 1970, presiding over one of the fastest GDP growth rates of any country – in the world – for many years.

There was a man who knew how to steer a country and his legacy will last forever. You can read his obituary in the Guardian here.

Upon his passing, the reigns were passed to his cousin Sultan Haitham who within days of his ascension was faced with the global disaster of the Coronovirus pandemic. As the whole country adjusted to the painful reality of life without Sultan Qaboos – a man in charge for the entirety of the lives of most of the population – Sultan Haitham tactfully handled both the big crises and the little details of keeping everything going in this very special country.

Note that there is a no photograph rule in the Crowne Plaza bar. I was allowed to circumvent it as I was early and there wasnt anyone there but it got fairly busy pretty quickly.

If you’re too far from the Crowne Plaza

If you have a freezer, your own gin and glasses you can of course make your own martinis at home using this guide here (and here also in Arabic). This approach is applicable anywhere from Musandam to Salalah but you need a license to purchase alcohol in the country or will need to bring in your own duty free alcohol and even glassware.

Enjoy!