On the recommendation of Salalah-based blogger, DhofariGucci, we decided to check out “Tomato“, the Italian outdoor restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel. (I had asked people for a list of their favorite spots to have dinner outside now that the weather is just starting to get bearable in Oman.)
Tomato is located on the groundfloor in the back of the Intercon. I was quite surprised at how spacious the hotel grounds are.
Tomato is definitely a great place to enjoy an autumn evening out in Muscat.
The complimentary bread they serve is quite good, so if you’re not that hungry you can pass the appetizers/soups and go straight to the main course! Appetizers range from 5 to 10 OR. They only have 2 soups (5 rials) on the menu: Light chickpeas soup and tomato soup.
We were pleased with our appetizer, Zuppetta di Pesce. It consists of Jumbo prawns, King fish, and mussles soup with tomato sauce and served with Toscano bread croutons. (RO 8.5)
There’s plenty of seating to choose from at Tomato. Some of the chairs directly in front of the kitchen window are higher up like barstools and offer a better view of the live music. With all the tables there, it’s not hard to find a quiet spot if you want to enjoy a quiet evening out with a loved one.
The main course I chose was Grigliata al Naturale which is supposed to be “Grilled mixed seafood served with crunchy salad and roasted potatoes”. When I order “mixed seafood”, I assume there will be lobster, shrimps, prawns, calamari or oysters. This dish should more aptly be named “mixed fish” as the seafood in it is entirely fish. It was very good; it just wasn’t what I thought I had ordered. (RO 12)
My wife loves lamb so it was a no-brainer for her main course. The official name of this dish is “Costata di Agnello arrosto con salsa ai pepercni rossi” (quite a moutful!). “Oven baked lamb rack with red capsicum sauce served with roasted potatoes, pan-fried zucchini and gravy”. (RO 8.5)
The main courses range from 7 to 14 Omani rials. The cheapest main course available is the calamari & shrimps (7 RO) and the most expensive is the grilled beef tenderloin (14 RO). They have pastas (6-10 RO), pizzas (5-9.3 RO), and steaks (8.5 RO). Some of the pizzas contain pork.
This is “Tortino morbido al Cioccolato” – Chocolate Fondant served with raspberry sauce. (RO 4) I enjoyed it but my wife didn’t. Besides this dish, there are 3 other desserts available: Tiramisu, Italian Gelato, and daily home-made cakes from their pastry chef. All desserts are 4 rials.
One of the highlights of dining at Tomato is the live music provided by the talented Argentinian performer, Aliana. She performs 6 nights a week from Sunday to Friday, 7-10:30pm. (Saturday is her day off!) She’s on contract at the Intercon till at least May of 2012 and sings just about everything, especially easy listening or light rock. She also does requests. Some of the songs we enjoyed hearing her sing included Bob Marley, “Every Breath You Take”, Cindi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “In My Life” (by the Beatles), “How Do I Live Without You?” and “You’re Beautiful“. Here is a video of her singing”I’m Yours”:
Tomato is right next to the incredible Intercon pool. The restaurant is open for lunch 11am-5:30pm (talk about a late lunch time, haha!) and open for dinner from 7pm-10:30pm. Only pizzas are available between 5:30 and 7pm. Tel: (+968) 24680000 Ext. 8464 As at most of the major hotels, 17% tax is added to your bill. Our total bill came to 33.93 RO and that was with an “Entertainer Oman discount coupon”) Thanks again, Nadia, for the recommendation! 🙂 We really enjoyed our evening out at Tomato! We will definitely try to make it back here!
Andy in Oman 