5 most popular restaurants, Lahore.
Many of us travel for business on a regular basis. When visiting a city for work purposes, my focus is usually on the job at hand. However, after a decade of traveling regularly for business, I've figured out ways to both have my cake AND eat it — in other words, have fun and explore local restaurants when I'm not working.
That's right, it's possible to do touristy stuff even when you're on a business trip and here's where I love to go:
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Dumpukht Pearl-Continental
The signature restaurants at Pearl-Continental Hotel Lahore offer local and international cuisines. From buffet, breakfast, lunch, dinner and hi-tea along with à la carte options, they have all tastes covered.
Let yourself be transported to the Mughal era as you step into Dumpukth. The restaurant serves unique Mughal dishes prepared with original recipes and authentic cooking methods to pamper you with meals fit for royalty.
The traditional restaurant is a revival of the ancient art of cooking, which involves slow-roasting food over a low fire in a sealed pot, known as a handi . A combination of two Persian words “dum” and “pukth”. Dumpukth literally means “to breathe and to cook” in reference to the traditional cooking method. In this cooking method, meat slowly roasts and braises in its own juices inside the pot, which is sealed with a dough crust and herbs are intensified, adding layers to the final dish. I was blown away and surprised how good it was!
Enjoy the various variety of central Asian cuisines.
Must try:
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Soup Samundri Shorba, seafood soup topped with puff pastry crust and baked in oven.
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Curry Murgh Makhan Wala, boneless tandoori chicken poached in rich tomato sauce and seasoning with fenugreek leaf.
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Assorted sweet with green tea.
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Murgh pukhraay: chicken cooked in yogurt, saffron, Afghan spices and garnished with edible silver paper, delicious!
Enjoy this restaurant…
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Café Zouk … JUST ZOUK IT!
Café Zouk is Lahore's first boutique style restaurant. Known for its ambience and ever-changing tasteful decor, that is lavishly kept up to date by the management of Shahzad Khokhar. Its food offers an extensive selection of nouvelle cuisine, which is served in generous portions with smart, professional and warm friendly table service.
The restaurant Café Zouk transports their clientele to a far away magical place. Eating on white linen under the soft glow of Murano lamps, you have left the City of Lahore and could be dining in style in Bruges or Ghent. During the dining experience, the guests are on a journey, which is complemented with global standards of food and service. To be seen at Café Zouk you become part of the elegant urbane jet-set of the City of Lahore.
Café Zouk has a menu boasting more than 200 items. Each item is meticulously prepared to a savory perfection. Not to mention the famous special drinks and a wide variety of seasonal fresh juice.
Must try:
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Filet Mignon with béarnaise sauce: marinated fillets of beef gently grilled to your preferred tenderness in the good old-fashioned way. Served with baked potatoes and sautéed vegetables.
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For dessert: fresh mangoes with ice cream. Pakistani mongooses are the king of fruits!
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Cappuccino: Espresso and steamed milk, topped with a thick layer of foamed milk.
You just can't miss it… SO KEEP ZOUKING!
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Cafe Aylanto
With its flavorful Mediterranean dishes and casual ambiance, Café Aylanto is one of Lahore's trendiest and classiest restaurants. Café Aylanto offers a unique dining environment. You can choose to dine in the lounge area with plush sofa seating and low lighting. There is also an outside patio where you can dine under the stars while enjoying the pleasant evening breeze.
Must try:
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Penne Arabiatta with grilled chicken.
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Crème brullé with hazelnut drizzle.
Enjoy this restaurant...
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Freddy's Café
Freddy's Café is a quality retro-style restaurant with a clean and beautifully decorated interior that serves steaks, burgers, hot-dogs and other fast-food staples. The idea of healthy and hygienic cuisine experiences makes Freddy's Café distinct from other restaurants in Lahore.
It's also offering one of the best Hi-tea menu in Lahore but reasonably priced. The time for Hi-tea varies from late afternoon until evening. Hi-tea is a meal which includes tea with other items such as sandwiches, pastries, jams, salads, donuts, toasts, … Hi-tea menu at Freddy's includes continental, Thai and Afghani cuisines and dessert. It indulges in a range of mouthwatering food items coupled with a beautiful interior for the perfect experience.
Must try:
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Barbecue chicken sandwich.
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Fish balls.
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Tiramisu.
Enjoy Freddy's…
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Haveli Restaurant
Haveli Restaurant is located in the historic Haveli Khalil Khan , which is an architectural landmark of the Fort Road Food Street in Lahore. Nestled in the lap of history, Haveli offers incomparable and outstanding views of the famous Badshahi Mosque built by the Moghul emperor Aurangzeb in 1673.
Haveli's didn't take their prime location just for granted. The amazing view on the Badshahi Mosque is unique and spectacular. What's there to be said about it? All the stories you've heard about people being stunned at first sight art true. The fascinating view from the rooftop is just amazingly beautiful!
Then there's the antique balcony and furniture. All wood and iron, and all handcrafted. It represents the authentic crafts of Pakistan.
Must try:
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Barbecue or chicken.
Enjoy this restaurant, and its spectacular view…
Tip:
Chicken tikka is one of the most popular foods in Pakistan, both for its taste and its nutritional value. It is a sizable portion of chicken slathered in traditional spices and then grilled to perfection.
Pakistani food is rich in tradition, packed full of marvelous spice, generous with ghee and unbelievable tasty.
One of the most burning questions we always ask: “Is Pakistani food always very spicy?”
And it's probably a question that may make or break your decision when it comes to choosing the restaurant or type of food you want to eat.
When you think of Pakistani food, you're probably thinking it's hot, it's spicy, it's full of fat and grease, it's really unhealthy for you. But in fact, Pakistani cuisine is so varied and, believe it or not, is super healthy!
Pakistani cooking involves using a lot of spices in the production of the individual dish, but it doesn't always mean the end dish is going to blow your socks off!
Pakistan is generally regarded as a bread culture , with meals being eaten with the right hand and naan bread or roti used to scoop up curries and accompaniments as is the practice in Muslim culture. Other popular breads include chapati and parata (fried bread stuffed with dhal or meat and vegetable mixtures.
Pakistan is also the birthplace of the tandoor oven, which is used to cook many of the breads as well as meats like chicken, lamb or fish. The rice in Pakistan is regarded among the best in the world with long grain basmati rice especially prized and used in the classic biryani, a spectacular combination of spiced rice that is usually cooked with meat but can also be vegetarian.
Sweets are abundant, using generous amounts of ghee, sugar and nuts such as pistachios and almonds. Halva is one of the most popular sweets and can be made with flour or semolina but can also be made with carrot or pumpkin. Many sweets are also infused with fragrant essences like rosewater.
Must do:
In the evening, after dinner in one of these restaurants, do treat yourself with a delicious dessert at The Sweet Factory!
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The Sweet Factory
Ice cream, Waffles, Brownies, Cookies & Molten Lava Cakes.
A treat for your taste buds.
28 flavors of pure dairy ice creams, crispy Belgian waffles, fresh Dutch pancakes, delicious brownies, molten lava cakes and ice cream shakes. The answer to your sugar cravings.
The Sweet Factory is where science and deliciousness meet. It uses liquid nitrogen to prepare customized, handcrafted ice-cream in an exciting and exhilarating way right in front of the customers.
Must try:
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Crispy Belgian waffles: Belgian waffles, drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with double scoop of pure ice cream.
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Charcoal ice cream.
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Fresh orange juice.
Enjoy this ice cream bar…
Even the most intense work trips are sure to have a bit of downtime. Sneak away to see a historic site during your lunch hour, take an early evening tour before dinner, or book tickets to a weeknight play. If you are moving around a city (or country) for work, figure out where you'll be in relation to interesting sights and activities and plan out the best ways to use your downtime each day.
Local people might have ideas of interesting restaurants to see and do that you didn't even know about. The last time I was in Lahore for work, a businessman took me to a restaurant for dinner. I would have never gone there on my own, and we ended up having a blast! We even had a few celebrity sightings (and brought back great stories at home)!
Try to identify ways to cut down on the time you spend working without sacrificing the quality of your work. By staying organized you can shave off precious minutes and spend more time enjoying your location.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you head off to Lahore for work or even for pleasure. Chances are you'll get much more out of the experience.
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If you need advice, or you know a good restaurant in Lahore, contact me:
See you in Lahore!