Lunch at Al Bustan

I have been wanting to go to Al Bustan, a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Muscat.  On Friday, we went for the lunch buffet.

The view from the front of the hotel

The lobby inside.  Gorgeous!

Lots of beautiful flower arrangements

I found this one especially interesting.  These water-filled tubes held individual flowers that were suspended from the top of the box.

My view as I sat down to my table on the terrace.  The weather in Muscat right now is perfect for outdoor seating.  Actually, the weather is perfect for anything outdoors.  Low to mid 80's, low humidity, and tons of sunshine!

The view as I turned my head

Are words really necessary?  :)

The restaurant inside was beautiful too.

Here is my salad plate.  Shrimp salad, lobster salad, fatoush salad, and couscous.

There was a selection of steaks, chicken breasts, and red snapper fillets, just waiting to be freshly grilled.

A selection of sauces

My dessert plate demonstrates a large amount of self-restraint!  Lunch was very good, but I have to say, the lunch buffet at Al Tanoor at the Shangri La was better.

A display of Arabic coffee pots and typical Omani couches

As we were leaving, we heard the pianist and violinist in the lobby.

I couldn't resist throwing in these pictures taken at the Sammak restaurant in Jebel Sifah.  I have blogged about this restaurant last December, but it is worth repeating.  The 45-minute drive through the mountains is worth the trip.

And you get to eat freshly-caught Shari fish.  Watch out for the fish bones, though!  :)

This is the perfect time of year to eat outdoors!