Lahore takes its food seriously, and its fine-dining rooms prove it: contemporary Pakistani tasting menus, refined Mughlai cooking, Italian and Asian kitchens and elegant heritage settings, many clustered around MM Alam Road, Gulberg and DHA.
These are the restaurants Lahore books for celebrations and business dinners — consistently rated for cooking, service and a sense of occasion.
Spice Bazaar
The Gulberg flagship of Spice Bazaar, off MM Alam Road, a busy desi restaurant known for its hi-tea and buffets, mutton kunna, mutton chops, finger fish and gulab jamun, with walls lined with photos of cricket and hockey greats.
Basilico by Sara
A cosy, dimly lit European restaurant in Gulberg's T Block, known for its pastas — fettuccine alfredo and rigatoni in its sunset sauce — Napoleon chicken, chicken parmigiana and tiramisu, plus a popular breakfast menu. Service is warm and attentive.
Veera 5 Thai and Chinese Restaurant
A modern, bi-level Thai and Chinese restaurant in DHA Phase 5, known for Thai green and red curries, bang bang prawns, Thai clear soup and spring rolls, with a complimentary appetiser and attentive service.
Café Aylanto
The MM Alam Road original of Café Aylanto, a sophisticated, long-running restaurant known for steaks, lamb chops, Moroccan and tarragon chicken, spinach dip and bread pudding. It's on the expensive side and good for special occasions.
Paola's Cosa Nostra
An Italian restaurant in a leafy house in Gulberg's H Block, famous for its gelato and cloud cake, with thin-crust pizza, smash burgers and sizzlers on the menu. It's cosy and homely, though tables can be tightly packed.
Mystique Restaurants Lahore
An elegant fine-dining restaurant in Gulberg's L Block with a rooftop and live music, known for chicken cordon bleu, pepper and parmesan chicken, steaks and mojitos. It's on the pricey side, but the setting and service make it a special-occasion favourite.
RARE
A steakhouse on Gulberg's Main Boulevard with rooftop seating, known for its range of beef steaks, surf and turf and roasted bone marrow, plus strawberry mojitos and cheesecake.
Meet Me In Paris Raya
A restaurant at Raya Fairways in DHA overlooking the golf course, known for chicken roulade, three-cheese crusted chicken, chicken parmigiana and Louisiana chicken pasta, with desserts like the chocolate dome. It's popular for birthdays and dates.
The Observatory
A stylish fusion restaurant in the FRED hotel building on Ghalib Road, Gulberg, known for chicken Kiev, stuffed chicken, bucatini, lasagne and its baked Alaska, in an aesthetic room with rooftop seating.
Poet Mughlai
A Mughlai restaurant at the Lake City roundabout known for its dinner buffet and hi-tea — shami kebabs, chicken handi, biryani and roghani naan — with à la carte and an iftar buffet in Ramadan. Reviews of the buffet are mixed.
Caviar Club
A dinner-only fine-dining restaurant at the Polo Lounge on Golf Lane, set amid the polo grounds, known for blackened chicken, roasted bone marrow and tenderloin steaks. Portions are small and prices high, but the setting is lovely.
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