Restaurant Review: 'The Loft' in Islamabad satisfies your cravings in a cool and comfortable ambience

ISLAMABAD: With summer dawning upon us, one can’t help but crave for cool and chic places to hangout. Since so many people are working on the go and meetings are being held at cafes, the need for creative spaces has increased in the recent past. The Loft in Islamabad seems to cater to this need precisely. Here is a rundown of how the experience of trying this place unfolds.

Quality 3/5

We started off with the classic French toast, which was the quintessential golden French toast glazed with maple syrup.  With perfectly crispy and brown outsides and a lighter and fluffier inside, this French toast tastes good but the lack of whipped was disappointing especially when the menu clearly stated so.

Moving on to one of the mains, the American Burger was one of the best items I tried. The Loft does not have a huge variety of burgers. This is probably the only burger on the menu with an option of chicken and beef and the chicken American burger was delicious to say the least. Though a litter smaller than one expects it to be, the taste makes up for its size.

Out of the pizzas, the Feta and Spinach Pizza is worth raving about. Topped with tomato sauce, wilted spinach, black olives, feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, parmesan and fresh basil, this pizza had the perfect thin crust that stayed crisp.



The Khaoseuy wasn’t as good, considering the management highly recommended it but then it is a tricky dish to begin with. It did not give that tinge of coconut in its flavour and comprised minced meat instead of boneless chunks. Moreover, the lack of condiments added to the disappointment.

The Chicken Jalapeno sandwich was palatable but nothing worth raving about but the crisscross fries that come with it make up for everything. These are probably the most delicious and unique fries available in Islamabad and are perfectly air fried and light.



The Ribs and Wings platter is one of the most expensive items on the menu with a price tag of Rs1, 200 one can’t help but expect a lot from it. With six pieces in the platter, neither the ribs nor the wings were anything but ordinary.

The Bang Bang Prawns, which were deep-fried topped with homemade siraccha chili sauce atop a bed of fresh iceberg lettuce definitely lived up to the bang. Tangy and a bit spicy, these are definitely recommended!

Atmosphere 5/5

A black board stating The Loft in capitals with wooden stairs and a newspaper themed wall welcome you to the cafe and take you upstairs, where the seating area is. The space has a very chic American dinner vibe to it; colours like yellow, blue and white add immense energy to the decor and huge windows ensure enough sunlight gets inside during the day. The indoor plants, lamps and a huge vintage clock on the brick wall add character to the space. On a particularly hot afternoon, the air conditioning makes it a perfect space to loosen up with friends.

Service 3/5

The staff at The Loft is extremely friendly; they keenly recommended items from the menu. There was a slight delay in the serving of the order but it could also be because lunch time hadn’t really started and we had ordered a whole lot of things. The two things that The Loft needs to work on in terms of service are investing in a high-speed internet connection and payments through cards.

Verdict: The Loft is a lovely place: the food is good, the service is charming and the atmosphere bon vivant. If you’re looking for an inspiring place to work, this is one of those places that will get your creative juices flowing!



Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.

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