Its Friday afternoon on a late November weekend in Muscat; the weather is beautiful and breezy with cool winds laced with ocean waters caressing you as they pass by while dark blue billow clouds creating a salubrious climate. What excuse do you need to get away from home and head to the beachfront to indulge in a sumptuous bubbly and brunch!

Courtesy my daughter Christine, (a social media blogger and influencer @hearmyshoestory) who’s been invited by Al Bustan Palace-Ritz Carlton to spend a weekend afternoon at their Beach Pavillion- Bar and Grill, I enjoyed a sumptuous, long and lazy Friday afternoon.

Al Bustan Palace-Ritz Carlton is, without any doubt, one of the most sought after high end luxury hotels on the secluded beachfront locale in Muscat and the Beach Pavillion, as the name suggests, is at a pretty idyllic setting at the waterfront overlooking the Sea of Oman.

A bit of a walk from the main lobby to the beachfront through well-manicured grass and palm tree gardens, the Beach Pavillion welcomes you with their ever-smiling staff in attendance. What grabs your immediate attention, as you enter, is the sea-food bar through which you meander your way to the alfresco dining area outside! The sea food bar with generous spread of lobster Thermidor, grilled Lobsters and king fish, fried calamari, tasty crabs, squid, jumbo prawns and a selection of sushi and sashimi, foretells what’s in store! There’s also indoor seating if you prefer!

We took a waterfront seating and before we could blink our eyes and stretch, came a steward offering sparking Prosecco to begin our gastronomical experience! The place was vibrant with lots of in-house guests and local visitors (like us) chatting and laughing, while a three-member band was crooning some cool numbers making the atmosphere truly bonhomie!

I started off with a lobster thermidor – a perfect accompaniment for Proseco- the lobster meat, well cooked with a creamy sauce and cheese and nicely placed on the shell, was simply incredible! I also tried the shell-grilled lobster – the meat was bit chewy but tasted as original as it would. A dash of salt and pepper made it even tastier.

Apart from the indoor seafood station, the outdoor area was dotted with several beverage counters offering a variety of mocktails and cocktails as well as ethnic cuisine counters offering Turkish, Indian and Chinese varieties from lamb kebabs, biriyani, naans, daal to forked and honey chicken. With stewards pamper you with unlimited servings of Prosecco or select wines, hot seafood grills and flavorful food, its pure indulgence!

Meandering around the live cooking stations, picking up my food now and then, I chatted with the chefs and appreciated the passion and love gone into creating such mouthwatering delicacies!

Wait! Its not over yet; when food and wine is done, can dessert be far behind! The Beach Pavillion has created a separate bar for the dessert experience! Tastefully decorated, the dessert bar was superlative in every aspect. As you browse through the variety of chocolate cakes, fondant, pastries and cheesecakes, I bet you can’t control drooling!

I picked up a chocolate fondant, an exotic Cheesecake (as its named), and a piece of dame blanche and needless to say it all melted into my mouth!

If you want to spend a long and lazy Friday afternoon or Relax, unwind and enjoy your weekend with friends over delectable bubbly and freshly grilled meats mouthwatering dishes. The Beach Pavillion is THE place.