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Top 5 Restaurants In Islamabad

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badmashkhan

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Hello i am going to Islamabad in july after almost 15 years. Was wondering if people here can recommend restaurants to eat. mix of street food to hi end. chapali kebabs on peshawar moor were great :ibutt
 
1 place you should try is Melody food street between Abapara and Blue Area.
 
badmashkhan said:
what about tha tha lemonsoda. do peopel still make that. i miss that the most :Sami
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I was there two years ago and there were bunch of lemonsoda stands all over Islamabad.
 
Monal.

Sitting over 5K feet over the capital city while eating chicken tikka lol. Food is decent, atmosphere is amazing. Go at night with a big group and you'll never forget it, the whole city lights up infront of you.

800px-Pir_Sohawa.jpg



The drive up there is also an interesting experience.
 
Monal definitely, the brunch is also really good if you wanto go during the day....papa salis, the afghan one is called Kabul restaurant i think...Heng Chang for chinese food...there was also an italian restaurant but it might be closed because there was a bombing there last year....PC also has a nice dinner buffet if you wanto shell out and go someplace nice
 
badmashkhan said:
is that damneko restaurant
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It's Pir Sohawa not Damneko. You will find Damneko on your way up to Pir Sohawa.

Monal restaurant is a phenominal place to have dinner, what an electric atmosphere it has in nights!!! Lovely place!

You should go there one night. It's a must place to visit.
 
Ok so these are the famous hi end places. What about low end classics. Like the chapalis kebabs at peshawar moor or the tha tha lemonade in G-10-4 market.
 
If you want dessert I think Gelato in f7 is better. Rendezvous is also there but the foods not that good to be honest. Eclipse is supposed to be really good too.
 
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In Sector G-9, go past Jamal Shah's Hunarkada towards the Siraj Covered Market. When you reach the old abandoned parliamentary lodges, you'll see a khokha. Stop there for tea. Ask for the full malai version.

Soon enough this decrepit old Faqir will show up with a harmonium. Not only will he sing you the qawwali of your choice, he will sell you some nice herbs.

Its a better experience than all those fancy shmancy restaurants.
 
Nostalgic said:
In Sector G-9, go past Jamal Shah's Hunarkada towards the Siraj Covered Market. When you reach the old abandoned parliamentary lodges, you'll see a khokha. Stop there for tea. Ask for the full malai version.

Soon enough this decrepit old Faqir will show up with a harmonium. Not only will he sing you the qawwali of your choice, he will sell you some nice herbs.

Its a better experience than all those fancy shmancy restaurants.
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Ditto that. (the experience)
 
Oh by the way, back when Jamal Shah was living in sin with Angeline Malik, we would try to peek over the Hunerkada walls to catch a glimpse of... I don't know, something.

One day we saw several nude sculptures drying in the courtyard. My buddy insisted Angeline had been the model.
 
Khiva, in F-6, is really good if you're into food from the western half of Pakistan(KPK and Balochistan). If you like Chinese, China Town in F-8(top notch food for a fairly reasonable price) and Wang Fu in Blue Area are by far the best in the city.
 
DW44 said:
Khiva, in F-6, is really good if you're into food from the western half of Pakistan(KPK and Balochistan).
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Sounds like heaven on earth. Charsi dumba sajji, Charsi dumba dam pukht, Charsi dumba tor rosh, Charsi dumba spin rosh, Charsi dumba namak gosht.

Basically Charsi dumba everything. Heaven on earth. It never existed during my day, which is probably a Zionist conspiracy against me.
 
Nostalgic said:
Sounds like heaven on earth. Charsi dumba sajji, Charsi dumba dam pukht, Charsi dumba tor rosh, Charsi dumba spin rosh, Charsi dumba namak gosht.

Basically Charsi dumba everything. Heaven on earth. It never existed during my day, which is probably a Zionist conspiracy against me.
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Charsi Tikka is the name of an eatery in Peshawar, not a kind of food. That said, the name is apt since few things, if any, acompany chars as well as their food (or that from any other establishment on that street).
 
Nostalgic said:
I know. It's sort of a running joke here. ;)
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For some reason, I'm obsessed with making sure people get it right. How the Lahore food street is more famous than the street that Charsi is on has to be up there with 'are we alone?' and 'the purpose of life' as one of life's great mysteries.
 
I doubt Khiva can even come close to the real food of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These fancy restaurants can't cook all those dumbas and roshes like our local guys do. You got to visit Peshawar to taste it.
 
Hawkeye said:
I doubt Khiva can even come close to the real food of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These fancy restaurants can't cook all those dumbas and roshes like our local guys do. You got to visit Peshawar to taste it.
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True. They are very inferior.
 
Hawkeye said:
I doubt Khiva can even come close to the real food of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These fancy restaurants can't cook all those dumbas and roshes like our local guys do. You got to visit Peshawar to taste it.
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I'm from Peshawar originally. I know what the real thing tastes like and Khiva is as good as it gets without having to drive to Peshawar or Quetta.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 
I really like that Afghani restaurant in Islamabad. Don't know its name. :msd
 
DW44 said:
I'm from Peshawar originally. I know what the real thing tastes like and Khiva is as good as it gets without having to drive to Peshawar or Quetta.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
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I've been to Khiva. It's definitely the closest in quality and taste.
 
There was a good one at Peshawar Morr as well. Across the road from the Hazara tandoor.

I don't know if it is still there. It's been eight years since I left.
 
DW44 said:
the name is apt since few things, if any, acompany chars as well as their food (or that from any other establishment on that street).
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I wonder if there's a name for this phenomenon in Urdu or Pashto. In English they call if the munchies: the irresistible urge to eat something after indulging in the herb. Except people are oblivious to dumbas and instead ingest copious amounts of crisps and cookies and whatnot. Their loss of course.
 
Nostalgic said:
I wonder if there's a name for this phenomenon in Urdu or Pashto. In English they call if the munchies: the irresistible urge to eat something after indulging in the herb. Except people are oblivious to dumbas and instead ingest copious amounts of crisps and cookies and whatnot. Their loss of course.
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Not that I'm aware of but then my Pushto isn't that great.
 
Nostalgic said:
I wonder if there's a name for this phenomenon in Urdu or Pashto. In English they call if the munchies: the irresistible urge to eat something after indulging in the herb. Except people are oblivious to dumbas and instead ingest copious amounts of crisps and cookies and whatnot. Their loss of course.
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Not restricted to the herb but we say "peet main chohe dorna". I somehow never got the munchies after using the herb, in fact eating food used to take away the effect so I preferred to stay hungry.
 
This Monal place is after my time. But there was a khokha up in Pir Sohawa that served what the Washington Post called "the best chicken dish in the world." Like most good things in Pakistan it is probably gone.
 
saadibaba said:
Not restricted to the herb but we say "peet main chohe dorna". I somehow never got the munchies after using the herb, in fact eating food used to take away the effect so I preferred to stay hungry.
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I never got the munchies either. I did like a good cup of chai with malai. Or a diet coke.
 
Seen Monal before looks a good place.

Islamabad is one of the beautiful city in Pakistan.
 
By the way, the drive up to Pir Sohawa became notorious in the early 90s when that young lady killed her SSG Commando fiancé on a drive one night. Legend had it that the road was cursed. In reality the lady was a psychopath.

Edit: was it Shakarparian and not Pir Sohawa? I think that was what Arshed Bhatti was referencing in the Beghairat Brigade song:

Gall sonay di laryaan ne
Dateaan Shakarparian te
Bin pe ke jo chariyan ne
Teray pehloo mein jo mem hai
 
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Des Pardes is nice. If it's the one in Saidpur village. Good atmosphere with some old vintage style seating etc

You should try some of the lesser known cafes in ISB also that have been retrofitted in houses with designer clothes shops. Went to a pizza joint there the other day and it was pretty decent.
 
Watsupdoc said:
You should, it is amazing! And the lunch after a good hike is priceless :))

It is a little over crowded at times though.
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No worries - used to over-crowded places. Been to Kolachi (a restaurant in Khi), and boy, was it over-crowded! :afridi
 
For "desi Chinese" soup, there is (or was) the guy in Karachi Company. Excellent homemade hot & sour soup. If you're lucky, you may also get to cross eyes with ladies of questionable repute who come there to eat soup with their younger brothers in tow.
 
I just realized that my recommendations are all on the seamy, proletarian side of the divide. The rest of you must be spoilt rich kids.

I hate you all. Inquilaab Zindabad.
 
Des Pardes is probably the best restaurant in Islamabad. There food is just amazing. Use to go their with my dad almost every weekend.

Al Habibi use to be a good restaurant, but now it sucks

Nandoes is the best if you want to move on from the local cuisine.
 
Saqs said:
Des Pardes is nice. If it's the one in Saidpur village. Good atmosphere with some old vintage style seating etc

You should try some of the lesser known cafes in ISB also that have been retrofitted in houses with designer clothes shops. Went to a pizza joint there the other day and it was pretty decent.
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those retrofitted restaurant houses also have retrofitted recipies. They don't make their food with original recipes, just copy it off from the net. Haven't come across any good retrofied house restaurants...
 
Major said:
That restaurant is full of Pathans and Afghani's.. My parents liked their food, but i vowed never to return to that restaurant.. Hated it
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Why, what's wrong with Pathans?

PS. Des Pardes(the one in E-11) sucks, why is everyone recommending it?
 
DW44 said:
Why, what's wrong with Pathans?

PS. Des Pardes(the one in E-11) sucks, why is everyone recommending it?
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nothing.. it was like the only race their..

I don't like their food. Full of fat.... unhealthy........
 
I would also recommend going to Tuscany - a little bit on the expensive side, but the dishes are pretty good.

Then there is the famous Chaaye Khana, which is pretty amazing for breakfast.
 
DW44 said:
Khiva, in F-6, is really good if you're into food from the western half of Pakistan(KPK and Balochistan). If you like Chinese, China Town in F-8(top notch food for a fairly reasonable price) and Wang Fu in Blue Area are by far the best in the city.
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China Town is awesome
 
Monal looks amazing. If I ever visit Pakistan, will definitely go there at night.
 
Major said:
That restaurant is full of Pathans and Afghani's.. My parents liked their food, but i vowed never to return to that restaurant.. Hated it
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DW44 said:
Why, what's wrong with Pathans?

PS. Des Pardes(the one in E-11) sucks, why is everyone recommending it?
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Major is right because the crowd there is quite cheap. Nothing wrong with Pathans and Afghans but most of them are immature and indecent. Not a very good place to go with family.
 
Nostalgic said:
I just realized that my recommendations are all on the seamy, proletarian side of the divide. The rest of you must be spoilt rich kids.

I hate you all. Inquilaab Zindabad.
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:))

Probably, savour also got started after you left Pakistan.
 
Forgot about that one, Savour rice and chicken is really good but its extremely crowded especially during office lunch hours.
 
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