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Jun 27, 2024

Muscat Nightlife (Oman) - Best Bars and Nightclubs

  • Author of the post - Thibaud
    Thibaud
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  • 08 MIN TO READ
Muscat Nightlife (Oman) - Best Bars and Nightclubs
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Muscat Nightlife (Oman) - Best Bars and Nightclubs

You shouldn't expect much from Muscat nightlife. There are very few bars, even fewer nightclubs, and you won't find a party atmosphere like in Dubai.

That said, if you are living in the city, or if you are visiting for a few days, you can always find some decent venues to have fun, to meet people, and to drink alcohol.

Just scroll down to learn more about the best party spots in the capital of Oman.

Muscat Nightlife Areas + Hotels

You can click on the map below to see the location of the best bars and clubs in Muscat:

Muscat is a city with several centers, making it rather inconvenient to navigate. Expect to spend quite a bit of time in a car or a taxi every time you want to go somewhere.

For this reason, it is important to choose your hotel carefully. Personally, I would recommend a location near the Sultan Qaboos Highway, ideally near the neighborhood of Al Qurum. It is an upmarket district, near the beach, where you can easily reach shops, malls, and restaurants. It is also within 10-20 minutes from the business district of Ruwi.

For nightlife lovers, the Grand Hyatt Hotel is the best choice as it has three popular bars and clubs inside: Safari Pub, Habana Sports Bar and John Barry. It is quite expensive, but you may be able to find some good deals on Agoda (less than US250$/night). Another plus point is that it's not too far from the airport.

In a similar price range, the Intercontinental is a good choice as well, with two bars: Al Ghazal Pub and Trader Vic's.

Al Qurum Resort has poor ratings, but its location is perfect, it's cheap, and it is in the same building as NV nightclub.

The W Hotel has recently opened and they have a nice pool bar called Siddharta by Buddha Bar. Prices start at US300$/night.

If you need a cheaper option, book the Beach Bay Hotel (US90$ per night). It is across the street from Grand Hyatt.

Also good are the Ramada Qurum Beach Hotel (less than USD80/night) and the Waves International Hotel (USD50 per night).

Note: Hotels in Muscat may not always be guest-friendly. You should remember that it is normally forbidden for unmarried couples to live together. The international chain hotels will rarely enforce the rule, but, still, it is better to be discreet and to make your booking for two people.

Muscat Nightlife Tips

Here are a few things you should know to prepare your nights out in Muscat:

Bring your ID/Passport

You must be 21 to enter a bar or a club in Oman.

Price of Clubbing

Clubbing in Muscat is a bit cheaper than in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. Most bars are free to enter, especially if you are in a couple. The places that charge an entry fee tend to do so on the weekends, usually for men only, and they give you 1 or 2 free drinks. You can expect to pay between USD10 and USD30 for entrance to a nightclub in Muscat.

In a typical expat bar, a beer will cost OMR 2-3 (US$5-8) and a cocktail OMR 3-5 (US$8-13).

Many of the venues listed below will have a happy hour promotion, usually from 5PM to 8PM. Ladies' nights are also a great way to save money. The best ones are in Sheraton (Turbines & Taps) and Trader's Vic on Wednesday.

Dress Code

Since most bars and clubs are located within luxury hotels, you are normally required to dress well. In particular, do not wear shorts and sandals.

When to Party

Weekends in Oman are on Friday and Saturday. Therefore, the best nights for clubbing are on Thursday and Friday. The rest of the week, it can be very quiet unless you go to a specific event.

Weekly and monthly events:

For information on the latest events and parties in Muscat, you can check the following online groups:

If you are into Salsa/Kizomba/Bachata, look at Muscat Salsa Rueda.

Dating in Muscat

Like the rest of the Middle-East, Muscat is not an ideal destination for bachelors. Local women are pretty much impossible to date so, as a man, your only chance is to meet foreign girls.

If you are lucky, you may encounter flight attendants from Oman Air in places like Trader's Vic or NV (they have a crew/hotelier night on Sundays). They are from various nationalities (Thai, Filipinas, Eastern Europeans, etc) and you can certainly interest them as long as you are handsome, smart and/or wealthy.

English teachers are another possibility. I talked to a few in the usual dating apps like Bumble or Tinder.

Finally, you also have thousands of foreign ladies who work as maids, or as shopkeepers/waitresses/receptionists/etc. Many are Indonesians or Filipinas. They rarely go out to bars or clubs, so you'll have to find them online.

The luxury dating website Seeking is popular among local expats who want to meet attractive ladies. It works but it's expensive. It is blocked by the government so you will need a VPN to open it.

Internet Censorship in Oman

Many websites are blocked in Oman, including those about gambling, streaming, and pornography. To unblock them, you can download a VPN like PureVPN. This is the one I use and I'm very happy with it. If you are confused about how it works, please read my article: How to Unblock Websites with a VPN.

Prostitution in Muscat

There are working girls, often Asians, in several expat bars like Safari Pub, O'Malley's, Al Ghazal or Rock Bottom Bar. You may also see them online on Badoo or Tinder.

Best Bars, Pubs, and Clubs in Muscat

Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar in W Hotel

This lounge/bar/restaurant is one of the most stylish nightlife venues in Muscat. It is not always busy, so prefer it for a nice dinner, a date, or to have a few drinks. Friday is their best night as they have a DJ. Check their Instagram page as well for events.

NV Nightclub in Al Qurum Resort

One of the few proper nightclubs in Muscat at the moment, it is a small place that gets somewhat busy on weekends. The crowd is mostly foreign and male. It is open each day of the week and features various events, from African nights to Salsa nights. It is a bit shady so avoid it if you are looking for a stylish venue.

Safari Club, Habana, and John Barry in the Grand Hyatt

Within the Grand Hyatt Hotel, there are 3 different nightlife venues:

The Safari Club is a typical expat bar with a kitsch African theme. It has live music, pub food, and pool tables. It is famous for always having some ladies of the night.. Attached to it, Habana is more laid-back and perfect for watching sports.

Finally, the John Barry Bar is more stylish. It is more appropriate for a date or a quiet drink with its live piano music nights.

Trader's Vic in Intercontinental Qurum

Trader Vic's is a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants and the self-proclaimed inventor of the Mai Tai cocktail. It is surprisingly very present in the Middle East, with branches in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Bahrein.

I find it a bit touristy, but if you are a bit old-fashioned, you might enjoy it there. They have live music, exotic cocktails, and a relaxed atmosphere. Beware that shorts and sandals are not allowed.

Other expat pubs in Muscat

There are many British/Irish/American pubs in Muscat. They are quite similar to each other so I thought it was useless to describe each of them. I rank them below starting with my favorites:

Thibaud

thibaud@jakarta100bars.com

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