Eateries all over Pakistan have something special to offer during Ramazan. PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/ KARACHI: Ramazan calls for rejoicing in the warm circle of family and friends and devouring on delectable delights at Sehri and Iftar.
From the fussy foodies to the casual eaters, there is something for everyone in the eateries around Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar. Here are the top five picks from each city that are guaranteed to give you the grand iftari experience.
Karachi
Café 76
Located in old Clifton area, this café offers four kinds of different deals with a price ranging between Rs650 and Rs1,100. Chicken stuffed potatoes, soups, pastas, burgers and sandwiches are also a part of this menu. Either sit inside or under the moonlit shade of large trees, the choice is yours.
Forty4
This Asian restaurant is located right off 26th Tauheed commercial area, offering honey glazed BBQ wings, prawn tempura, beef satay, stuffed chilies, shiitake spring rolls, mango yogurt and mint lemonade — all for Rs1,244.
The Cakery
Also located in Tauheed commercial area is The Cakery. This eatery offers hunter beef sandwiches, roast chicken subs, spaghetti Bolognese, a variety of shakes and frosty chillers. Prices vary from Rs225 to Rs425 per item.
Koel Café
For a quiet Iftari visit Koel located off 26th Tauheed commercial area, whish seems to be a hub of great restaurants. The café offers a platter for two priced at Rs825. This includes dahi bharay, chicken wontons, vegetable tempura served with garlic bread, chicken and cheese stuffed chilies, paneer and soya roll, fruit salad and chana chaat.
The Lantern
This Chinese restaurant is located in the same premises as Café 76. They are offering soup and Chinese fried rice with a selection from the main course for Rs699. The main dishes include fish in garlic sauce, Kung Pao chicken, beef with bamboo shoot and chicken chili dry.
Lahore
Cosa Nostra
This fine restaurant is offering a great feast for iftar. From lemonade, plum juice and peach juice to spring rolls, fruit chaat and mini samosas, they have it all. Some other dishes include pastas, fried fish, roast with black pepper sauce and much more for the price of Rs1,790.
Salt n Pepper Village
A buffet menu at Salt n Pepper is bound to fill you up. In the price of Rs1,275 they offer 60 items including samosas, dahi bhallay, chaat, pakoray, chicken karhai, BBQ, kofta chana, biryani, paye, egg fried rice, lamb roast and much more.
Yum
This place offers fun drinks, fruit chaat, special iftar basket, chicken wings, soup and Yum restaurant specials, all in the price of Rs1,730. Their other must-haves are chicken with black bean sauce, beef with black bean sauce, fish with chilies and onions, red curry and chicken chow mien.
Veranda
Indulge yourself during iftari with 16 entrees from Veranda’s daily menu which rotates daily. From dates, samosas and soups to 10 salads, 10 desserts and entrees, which include seafood, chicken, beef and pastas, you have a deal for only Rs1,550.
Andaaz
Being one of the most popular places in town, Andaaz offers a complementary iftar menu with their dinner. Iftari includes dates, chaats, lemonade, lassi, papri chaat, chana chaat. along with ala carte priced at Rs 1,200.
Islamabad
The Lime Tree
Either place an order or eat in, this joint offers delicious items on their menu. Iftari deals priced at Rs295 includes a variety of chaats and samosas to choose from, with other items being dates, dahi baray, tea and juice. Lime Tree’s dinner menu is priced at Rs695.
Atrio Café and Grill
With barbeque, sandwiches, steaks, pastas and pizzas on Atrio’s menu, the iftar and dinner platter is priced at Rs 750. Also, the restaurant offers sehri ala carte menu from midnight till fajr time.
Tuscany Courtyard
Being one of the favourites, this place offers Italian, Mediterranean and Thai dishes with three-tier iftar platters. The customers have a range of items to choose from, however, Tuscany Courtyard did not share their price.
House of Bombay
This authentic Indian restaurant offers an Iftar and dinner buffet for Rs999, excluding tax. It’s a steal-deal for anyone craving good food for a good price.
Andaaz Restaurant
This restaurant offers a complementary iftar menu with their dinner. Iftari includes dates, chaats, lemonade, lassi, papri chaat, chana chaat along with ala carte priced at Rs 1,200.
Andaaz Thali includes daal, vegetable, chicken, BBQ, rice and raita.
Peshawar
Lasania
Located on University Road, the restaurant offers their iftar deal for Rs999. The items include hot chicken wings, pakora, kheer and fruit chaat. Also offering a dinner deal for Rs999, Lasania’s specials include roasts, chicken manchurian, kababs, salads and desserts for Rs999.
Usmania
This place serves a wide selection of Pakistani, bbq, Chinese and fast food items at Rs 790 per person. Pulao, fried mutton, roast, mutton handi, seekh kabab are also specials at Usmania.
Balana
Also located on University road, Balana’s Ramazan deal offers various cuisines and bbq items with salad and raita for Rs999 per person. You will find comfort in their variety of iftar items.
Celeste Restaurant and Café
Celeste announced their Ramazan Iftar buffet priced at Rs999. The menu for Iftar includes Arabic stuffed dates, vegetable pakoray, hot chicken wings, fruit chaat and dahi baray. The dinner items include chicken, fish, lamb and beef entrees.
Pearl continental Hotel
PC iftar features traditional staples and festive cuisines along with special Ramazan drinks and a great selection of desserts all for Rs1,150. They also offer a Sehar buffet priced at Rs600 per person.
Dunkin Donuts
For Rs450, Dunkin Donuts is offering a Ramazan iftar deal which includes two sandwiches, two Pepsi drinks and two donuts. For an iftar deal for one person, the place offers a box which has one Boston Burger, one pepsi and one donut, priced at Rs180.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (12)
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@Middle Class People: sir when reading about these SO CALLED DEALS, Kaffirs like me think that Pakistan is so rich that she does not HAND OUTS OF ANYONE in the world. however equivalent of ONE DEAL, I would have had shared my daal roti, at least with four KAFFIRS like me.
how much can you normally eat at iftar time plus a lot many people like me never take dinner during Ramazan so it's a waste of your precious money and you just end up filling the coffers of restaurant owners
Although, I can very easily afford the aforementioned prices at these eateries, I don't see why I should splurge on such extravagance which defeats the the very spirit, essence and raison d'etre of Ramadhan.
My Iftari is set with a few dates, a glass of freshly squeezed lime lemon water and fruit chaat. That's it. 45 minutes later, I would partake in a small hot meal. After 30 days, not only have I undergone a physical and mental detox, but also a spiritual one.
BTW, great publicity for the restaurants mentioned in this article.
WOW I'm from Holland/the Netherlands food is even cheaper here, I can't imagine people paying 10 to 15 euros for food in Pakistan I thought food was cheaper there. They need to mass produce things man and more healthy competition. Food sounds good the prices are not though except for a few.
Omar is right. Lahore is outlandish. I have moved to Lahore from Karachi a few days ago. Everything is priced much higher from food to services like plumber, electrician etc. Whats going on?
All the Karachi offers are in Defence/Clifton. I suppose restaurants outside these areas weren't willing to pay as much to advertise their deals.
Lahore is theee most expensive among all cities in Iftar offers...
I should have read this piece after iftar...
the best food is in Quetta - I feel so sorry for u for not knowing!!
Can you please compile a list of things that people who are less affluent can afford? This is great for people who can spend Rs. 1000+ on a single meal but surely there are some better deals out there? I mean I don't see why something that costs Rs. 1500 is a great deal..... how much does it cost when it is not Ramzan? Please try to not waste money on these things and spend it on feeding those who can't afford anything. There are so many of them. Go to eat some cheap roadside food and give the money you save to Selani foundation or whatever it is called. They give Iftari to people at three locations in Karachi or something like that. It's so much better than eating at these expensive places, which is in my opinion against the spirits of Islam and the holy month of Ramzan. But this is only my view and I don't want to impose it on people. It is just a suggestion. Please reflect before you join the bandwagon and visit these posh places. It might seem fun but you are just killing your soul by doing so, because deep down, if you are still humane, you will not be able to leave behind those starving children. Thank you for reading this. Please share my message but not my words as English is not my most fluent language. But it's not a problem. I'm going to eat 2 chicken rolls today for iftari for Rs. 200 and give the Rs. 1000 i saved by not going to Forty4 to a soup kitchen. Please join me in this. I cant afford to give thousand rupees away daily but if you are reading this article and making reservations at all these fine establishments, it means you can give away Rs. 1000 without thinking much. So at least give it to those who were not lucky enough to be rich like you, or middle class like me. Thank you again.