Iftar buffet is served daily in the Holy month of Ramadan in the Indian Ocean facing Dolphin Beach Restaurant. This open air restaurant in Crowne Plaza Resort is one of the best places in Salalah to dine with family and loved ones.
Contents
The Iftar Dinner Venue:
Overall the ambiance is very nice and there are many good locations to choose to sit and have Iftar.
1. Private Gazebos: There are four private gazebo setup made at the pool side offering a unique experience of a great Iftar dinner in a private tent. These gazebos are eloquently designed for the occasion. On the lush green grass is laid a beautiful carpet, over which is placed the dinner table, covered with elegant design curtains and matching top. The table has Arabic theme mats.
2. Overlooking the Beach: This is where we sat and had our Iftar dinner. The view of the Indian Ocean is great and looks very enchanting.
3. Iftar tent: This tent, having traditional decor, is laid specially for this Holy month. It gives a true Ramadan feeling. There are nice chandeliers hung from the top. Each table has candle, Arabic design mat, glasses and plates.
4. Covered Siting Area: Those who want to sit with family in an isolated place with covering around the table, they can also find a right choice.
The Food
There was a good variety of food to choose from, spread across various locations. Each table was provided with a pouch full of dates to break the fast in the preferred way.
Nuts Section
The nuts section has a variety of pistachio, almond, apricot, walnut, raisins, Pine nuts (chilgoza) and many other to choose from. Pine nuts is uncommon in usual Iftar Buffets, but we were glad to find these here.
Drinks
Crowne Plaza has arranged a nice selection of drinks, including Rooh Afza (flower drink), Laban, Jallab (made from carob, dates, grape molasses and rose water) and Tamarind, for fasting Muslims who abstain from food and drink until sunset. As the body loses liquids during the day, Muslims need to drink more after Iftar in order to avoid dehydration.
Rooh Afza is a must try.
Salads and Soups Station
The colorful healthy vegetables for salad were irresistible choice.
Lentil Soup and Cream of Mushroom were available.
Main Course
There were approximately 9 to 10 main dishes and were covering sea food, lamb, chicken, beef and vegetarian item.
Our Top three picks from the main dishes are Fried Chicken Wings, Mixed Barbecue Grill and the Lamb Kabsa.
Dessert Station
The dessert section is our favorite 🙂 and we were glad to have a good variety to choose from Konafa Bel Jaban, Arabic Sweets, Fruit Salad, Lukaimat, Rice Bel Halib, Um Ali and cakes. Missed the ice cream though.
Say ‘Hi’ to the Camels
Other than these well arranged seating places, some notable features of the Ramadan decor are two camel sculptures and a mini water fountain.
Prayer Areas for Ladies and Gents
For the purpose of prayer, 2 separate tents are fixed besides Dolphin Beach Restaurant. One is dedicated as male praying area while the other one is for females to pray.
Highly Recommended
This Iftar dinner is Highly Recommended for the following:
- Those who want to break the fast in open air setup with a nice view of Sea and traditional ambiance.
- Who have an appetite for good food and want to eat a nice variety of food. You cannot taste all the options available 🙂
- Family with young kids who will find enough space for the kids to play around while the parents break the fast.
- Couples with a nice view of the beach and candle on the table.
For How Much is Iftar Buffet at Crowne Plaza?
The Iftar buffet at Crowne Plaza is priced OMR 12 net per person. There is also a promotion for staying in Crowne Plaza inclusive of Sahoor and Iftar buffets for as cheap as OMR 55.
Thanks Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah for inviting us for this memorable Iftar dinner. All opinions and photographs remain our own.