Numerous restaurants have opened in recent years, but many people retain the habit of dining at hotels - in Muscat at least. There is a wide variety of cuisine on offer, including Arabic, Indian, Oriental, European and other international dishes. Traditional coffee houses and international-style chain coffeeshops are popular. In other parts of the country, except in Salalah and Nizwa, most people eat at home so the main options for dining are small coffeeshops, occasional Lebanese or Turkish restaurants and roadside shwarma (shaved meat) stands.

Things to know: Waiter service is usual. Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol, but most hotel bars and restaurants have a bar for guests. Visitors are only allowed to drink alcohol if they purchase drinks from licensed hotels and restaurants. To buy alcohol for home consumption, Western nationals must obtain a licence from their embassy.

National specialities:
• Shuwa (meat cooked slowly for up to two days in underground clay ovens, marinated with herbs and spices).
• Mashuai (spit-roasted kingfish served with lemon rice).
• Maqbous (rice dish with saffron cooked over spicy red or white meat).
• Halwa (sticky, gelatinous sweet made from dates or sugar and flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rosewater).
• Lokhemat (balls of flour and yeast flavoured with cardamom and deep fried, served with sweet lime and cardamom syrup).

National drinks:
• Kahwa (coffee; strong, bitter and flavoured with cardamom, served with halwa and lokhemat).
• Mixed fruit juice (mango, pomegranate, orange and avocado layered in long glasses).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: Becoming more common; 10% should be given in hotels and restaurants with licensed bars but is not expected in more casual restaurants.

There are a few nightclubs and bars in Muscat; most nightlife is to be found in hotels and several modern cinemas in Shatti Al-Qurm and in Ruwi showing Arab, Indian and English films. There is very little in the way of nightlife in other Omani towns with the exception of Salalah: during the khareef (rainy season in July and August) it comes alive with festival activities.

The newly expanded Muscat City Centre mall boasts over 140 shops, with many designer goods for sale. Other malls include Markaz Al-Bahjah and the Lulu complexes. More modern shops are centred around Shatti Al-Qurum. Qurum itself was hit badly by the 2007 cyclone Gonu, and may take some time to return to full capacity. The two main traditional souks (markets) are located in Muttrah and Nizwa, although most towns have a souk of some description. Traditional crafts include silver and gold jewellery, khanjars (Omani daggers), coffeepots, saddles, frankincense (the sap of a tree that grows in Dhofar in the south of Oman), handwoven textiles, goat hair carpets, baskets and camel straps. Antique khanjars (over 50 years old) may not be exported. It is wise to check with the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture for the necessary documentation before purchasing.

Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0800-1300 and 1600-2000. Souks open 0800-1100 and 1600-1900. Many shops close on Friday. Opening hours vary during Ramadan with many shops closing all afternoon but opening until late (about 1000) in the evening.