Food Review- The Chedi Muscat (2/3)

Seafood, seafood, seafood!

The Chedi has 9 different places for dining, including The Restaurant, which is the central place that serves breakfast inside the main building, the Beach Restaurant, an award-winning beach-front restaurant specializing in exquisite seafood, and several pool cabanas and lounges that serve lighter fare and overlook some of the most scenic views at the hotel.

Baked on the premises- macarons are light and fluffy

Live cooking stations at The Restaurant

We had breakfast and lunch at The Restaurant. Breakfast was quite busy, but during lunch not as much, with quite a few business patrons.  Chefs cook at open stations during main meal service, including a baker’s station which is always fun to watch.

Breakfast is more about the atmosphere than the food itself.  You wake up feeling like you are at a resort and the weather was lovely so it was very uplifting. A standard breakfast buffet with made-to-order hot items cooked live by the chefs in a first-class setting – what better way to start your day!

Arabian mezze starter

Fried snapper fillet with Thai sauce

For lunch we ordered the hot mezze for appetizer which includes grilled halloumi, prawn, falafel, kibbeh spinach fatayer and cheese roll. This dish wasn’t made for sharing as there was only one piece of each item, but tasted good. We then each had the fried snapper fillet with spicy Thai sauce which comes with jasmine rice and a small salad. This was yummy as it was medium spicy and the sauce was delicious. We ordered our dessert for takeaway - millefeuille and raspberry cheesecake. Total tab for this was  52 OMR.

I ordered room service for dinner (vegetarian pizza, followed by chocolate and cappuccino ice-cream). The pizza wasn't much to write home about and was very greasy, the veggies had been sauteed and a couple of slices crusts looked like they had been doused in oil.  Even if I did like crusts which I don't, this was a total turn off.  Red hot chili flakes made it somewhat better but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Greasy pizza, anyone??!!

The ice-cream on the other hand was lovely - the chocolate was really deep and the cappuccino flavour was just right. The texture was gelato like. If you are going there, make sure you try the ice-cream!

Home-made chocolate and cappucino ice-cream

It took around 40 minutes to get my order delivered, although they had said 25-30. But the waiter was really pleasant and when I called for tray pick up they were very prompt. Tab was around 15 OMR.


If u stay in a suite they can do private bbqs for you at 50 OMR surcharge per person plus the price of food.

We ate lunch at the Serai Pool Cabana, which is only worth it if you get an outdoor table (we waited around 20 minutes or so while seated inside).  We ordered the gnocchi which was too soft and the whole chargrilled snapper which is delightful. It came on the bone with a chili garlic and onion marinade and was soft and fleshy - not fishy at all. The meat literally melted off the bone and I would order this again and again if I could!

The Serai Pool Cabana

Gnocchi with truffles

The star of the show- whole chargrilled snapper with chili

On our last night, it was my friend’s birthday and we managed to get a late booking at the Beach Restaurant, which is the Chedi Muscat’s award- winning restaurant. We had tried to get a booking the night before and they were fully booked, so if you are going, I recommend you book in advance and ask for a table outside. We were only able to get a table indoors but as it was night-time anyway, there wasn’t much of a view to enjoy. 

The Beach Restaurant exterior, overlooking the beach

Inside the Beach Restaurant

Appetizers menu at the Beach Restaurant

Bread basket consists of homemade olive bread and Rosemary sun- dried tomato bread

Dining to the backdrop of the sound of ocean waves, this could have been one of my most memorable meals! The menu is quite fancy with oysters, different types of caviar, and a section of different whole fishes for main courses; we ordered the lobster thermidor and the Omani prawns as main courses, with a side of potato croquettes. The prawns were juicy, buttery and succulent, and came on a bed of greens which was a bit odd for a main course but ended up working well. The lobster was huge and chunky and came with a really spicy sauce on the side but was just a little bit overcooked. The croquettes were a creamy whipped potato in batter and were nice and sweet. Portion size was very generous and the service was outstanding.



Lobster Thermidor with spicy sauce





The MOST delicious Omani prawns

I had informed the restaurant about my friend’s birthday and at the end of our meal, they brought us a slice of chocolate passionfruit cake with a small candle. The cake had several layers which is really complex to make, but the sourness of the passionfruit overpowered the taste. If I were to go again, I would order the chocolate platter from the funky dessert menu which consisted of around 7 different chocolate-based items.





Chocolate passionfruit cake served at The Beach Restaurant



This meal was pricey, at over 60 OMR for two main dishes, but considering the quality of the seafood, I’m not complaining.   If you are visiting this hotel, The Beach Restaurant is an absolute must-stop destination.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

Some of the awards won by The Chedi Muscat for its dining include:

• Oman Today's Restaurant Award | 2011, 2010  The Beach Restaurant Best Fine Dining
• Oman Today's Restaurant Award | 2011, 2010, 2009 The Beach Restaurant Best Service
• Oman Today's Restaurant Award | 2011, 2010 The Beach Restaurant for Best Ambiance
• Wine Spectator | 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008  Award of Excellence
• Oman Today's Restaurant Award | 2010  Best Middle Eastern, 2nd Place- The Arabian Courtyard

Stay tuned for our last review of this series, The Chedi Spa!