Hamra Restaurant and Sheesha Lounge

Hamra sits on the rooftop of Fraser Suites Muscat, a serviced apartment building on 23 July Street in Al Khuwair, and it offers one of the most popular ways to spend an evening in Oman: a long meal and a shisha pipe under the open sky. The space mixes Mediterranean and Arabic design, and the rooftop position gives views across the city lights, which makes it a pleasant alternative to the hotel bars for anyone who prefers a shisha evening.

The menu focuses on Arabic specialities. Expect aromatic grilled meats, mezze platters to share and a choice of desserts, along with a selection of international dishes. The shisha list covers a range of traditional flavours, and many guests settle in for a few hours with mezze, grills and a pipe. It is an easy place to spend an evening with friends or family, and the all-day hours mean it also works for a late lunch.

Hamra opens every day from 11am to 1am. Prices are moderate. The best time to visit is from October to April, when rooftop evenings are comfortable; in summer, come late, when temperatures drop a little. Book ahead for larger groups at weekends. Dress is casual but modest.

Shisha culture is a big part of nightlife in Muscat, and lounges like this one are where many residents spend their evenings, often long after dinner. It suits groups of friends, families and visitors who want a relaxed rooftop evening without the formality of a hotel lounge. Ordering a spread of mezze and a mixed grill to share, then a pipe afterwards, is the classic way to spend an evening here. Opening hours change during Ramadan, so check ahead if you are visiting then. Non-smokers should ask for a table away from the busiest shisha seating.

Fraser Suites is in the Al Khuwair district, a short taxi ride from Qurum, Shatti Al Qurum and the Grand Mosque. The Radisson Blu, with its Lazy Lizard pool bar and O'Malley's pub, is close by for anyone wanting a licensed bar afterwards, and Turkish House on Al Hadiqa Street is nearby for a seafood dinner.