Café Review: The Feel Boutique Plaza in Muscat

The Feel Boutique Plaza in South Ghubrah, Muscat, is much more than just a café. It’s a cultural and educational space, a sensory experience. 

I landed in the Feel Boutique Plaza by chance…and loved it! It’s fairly new (only opened in March 2003) and is in one of the central areas of Muscat (South Ghubrah).

I was first struck by its combination of  polished wood, pastel colours (light green everywhere) and creative atmosphere. I felt good in the place.

Address: No.1906, Way 53, South-Ghubrah, Muscat

Visit Website: https://www.feelplazamuscat.com

Price of Spanish Latte: 2.80 OMR

Opening hours: 1 pm to 1 am every day

1) 3 Reasons why you should visit this place:

• An experience that caters to all the senses – and more: the Feel Boutique Plaza is a beautiful café, an art gallery, a flower shop, and an educational space. It also has different kinds of music playing to fit the vibe of the different parts of the building.
• Special attention to detail: you feel that nothing in this space is there by chance. The logo, the tiles, the place of the mirrors, even the types of flowers on the tables…
• Very friendly staff: I’ve been several times and have always received a very warm and attentive welcome.

2) Getting there

It is located in South Ghubrah about 6 minutes drive from Grand Mall and Avenues Mall.

For a link to Google map, click here.

3) Why the name ‘Feel Boutique Plaza’?

The word ‘Feel’ connects with the senses. It points to the importance of ‘having a good feeling’ in the space. Interestingly, the word ‘elephant’ is pronounced ‘Fil’ in both Arabic and Farsi. And this explains the choice of ‘the elephant’ as the emblem of the place!

The word ‘Boutique’ is a reference to a place of ‘quality.’

Finally, why ‘Plaza’? The Feel Boutique Plaza is situated in an old house in the middle of a square. It was redesigned to become a ‘meeting place’ with different activities: the flower shop, the gallery, the café, the educational space.  I love the way the building combines strong Arabic shapes with a modernist feel.

4) Highlights

4.1 Healthy salads and original drinks

I was curious as it appeared on the table with the name ‘The Magic Spice drink’. 5 spices (cloves, cinnamon, aniseed, mixed spices, black pepper and cardamom), sparkling water, lemon juice and honey. As soon as I tried it, I was hooked! Refreshing and tasty 🙂

Like many items on the menu, it caters to Middle Eastern tastes by including spices – a long tradition in the whole area of the Gulf and Iran. As Houtan Marhami, the Barrista of the Feel Boutique Plaza, explains, ‘We want to cater to local tastes but with a twist. For example, we offer date cake – which is traditional – but we add a modern touch.’

I also tried their chicken salad which included fresh ingredients with a yoghurt sauce. Once again, the spicy element – although not strong – was present.

4.2 The Gallery

The art gallery upstairs is a beautiful open space which presents paintings and art work by Omani and Iranian artists.

4.3 Cosy Private Meeting Rooms

I wandered around and discovered small and large private rooms. These can be rented for meetings, to relax or to study.

I love the way the building combines strong Arabic shapes with a modernist feel.

4.4 The educational Space

For the moment, this is at a project stage. They plan to open a ‘coffee workshop’ which will teach about coffee making. There will also be yoga classes and more.

During my visits, I had different conversations with the staff about coffee and how it connects with our cultural background. So, I will definitely be interested in joining their ‘coffee academy’ when it opens.

This blog post was a full review of the Feel Boutique Plaza in Muscat. For more Café reviews, see Café Review: Kadm Café and Bait Muzna Gallery.