Fodor's Expert Review Kargeen Caffe

Tucked away behind a strip mall in the posh Madinat Sultan Qaboos neighborhood, this popular restaurant is a tranquil place to spend the evening dining on Arabic and local specialties, sipping on an infused tea from their extensive beverage menu, or to have sheesha. The garden, softly lit with hanging lanterns, is ideal in the cool evenings. Though the huge menu features everything from Arabic mixed grill to pasta, they also serve a great version of the Omani specialty shuwa, lamb rubbed with spices and oil then slow-cooked over embers in an underground pit overnight. Their za'atar bread is also fantastic, and it is one of the only places around where you can sample infusions of simmered cinnamon bark, ginger, or clove. The service is unbelievably slow, so this is not the place for a quick bite; be prepared to have a long, leisurely meal.