Best Places to Eat in Lahore, Ranked

Seven places and food streets to eat in Lahore, ranked, with what to order, where each one is and how to avoid the queues.

1. Butt Karahi, Lakshmi Chowk

Lakshmi Chowk, off McLeod Road, is the home of Lahore's karahi tikka, and Butt Karahi is the name most guides start with. You choose and weigh your meat, and the karahi is cooked in a tikka-style masala with little gravy; makhni karahi is also on offer. It ranks first because it is a single dish done well in a place that is easy to find, and Zameen records that Butt Sweets and Butt Karahi both began on this food street.

Several shops here carry similar names, including Butt Karahi Tikka, New Butt Karahi Tikka, Bhatti Karahi Tikka and New Bhatti Karahi Tikka, so check the sign before you sit down. Share a karahi between two or more people and order naan alongside it. Tribune suggests finishing with firni served in clay plates on nearby Abbot Road on the way back.

2. Fort Road Food Street

Fort Road Food Street is inside Taxali Gate, near the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort, and opened in January 2012. It serves barbecue and traditional cooking in restored old buildings. Cooco's Den, Haveli Restaurant, Andaaz Restaurant and Riwaj Restaurant are among the names listed, and several of them have rooftop seating with views of the mosque, the fort and the skyline. It ranks second because the setting is as much of a reason to go as the food. Go in the evening, when the rooftop views are at their best, and ask for a roof or terrace table when you arrive. Keep your plans flexible if you want a particular table, because rooftop seating depends on the restaurant.

3. Phajja Siri Paye, Kali Beri Bazar

Phajja Siri Paye is in Kali Beri Bazar in the Walled City, and it is known for siri paye, a slow-cooked trotter dish that Zameen lists among Lahore's richest breakfasts. The restaurant is listed as opening at 5:15 am, so it fits an early start before sightseeing. Arrive early to avoid long queues. Zameen's breakfast guide lists Phajja among the main Lahori breakfast places. It ranks third because it is a single-dish stop, rich and not to everyone's taste, but it sits in the Walled City close to the main sights.

4. Gawalmandi Food Street

Gawalmandi Food Street is on Chamberlain Road and is described as the oldest food street in Lahore. Families who moved from Amritsar after Partition set up food stalls in front of their houses, and the street grew from there. Dawn names Sardar fish, hareesa, barbecue, falooda and doodh-jalebi among its dishes, and Amritsari Hareesa, Haaji Sardar Fish and Yousaf Falooda are among the shops listed.

It ranks fourth because it offers the widest range in one place: a chairman of the street told Dawn it now serves more than 100 dishes. The street was shut in 2011 and reopened in 2013, so confirm current opening times locally. According to the street's chairman, quality control and fixed rates now apply across the street. Go with an appetite and share several dishes between you rather than ordering one large meal.

5. Waris Nihari, Urdu Bazar

Waris Nihari is at 7 Akbari Road in Urdu Bazar, close to Anarkali Bazaar, and serves nihari topped with desi ghee, best eaten with tandoori naan. It is listed as opening at 8 am. The dining area is compact and often crowded in the morning, so takeaway is the usual suggestion if you are travelling in a group. It ranks fifth because it is a single-dish stop with limited seating, so it suits a short visit rather than a long meal. Combine it with a morning around Anarkali Bazaar. If you want a quieter table, go earlier or later than the main morning crowd, and be ready to order quickly.

6. Old Anarkali Food Street

Old Anarkali Food Street is on Anarkali Road, part of Anarkali Bazaar near the Lahore Museum. It is known for barbecue, karahi and doodh falooda. Riaz Falooda and Yousuf Falooda are named by Tribune for falooda, rasmalai and rabri wala doodh, and Bukhara Restaurant and Quetta Namkeen Hotel appear in Zameen's list of the food street's restaurants. It ranks sixth because it is the best dessert stop in the guide, rather than a full-meal destination. Use it as a dessert stop after a meal elsewhere in the city.

7. Liberty Market and M.M. Alam Road, Gulberg

Gulberg is where you find Lahore's modern dining. Capri Restaurant at 34 Liberty Market, Gulberg III, is known for halwa puri, and Tribune lists paratha rolls and Iqbal Tea House at the market. M.M. Alam Road runs from Gulberg Main Market to Firdous Market and has Pakistani, Western, Thai, Chinese, Continental and Mediterranean restaurants, including Cafe Aylanto and Cafe Zouk. It ranks last only because the food here is less specific to Lahore than the rest of the list, but it is a practical choice if you want variety. Capri is listed as opening at 5:30 am, so it works for an early breakfast. For dinner, walk along M.M. Alam Road and choose a menu you like.

Where to stay

Browse the Lahore hotel pages on this site and compare each listing's map position against the places above. Staying close to the stop you care most about cuts the time spent in traffic, and you can check each property's own page for its location and facilities before you book.

Questions, answered

Where is Butt Karahi in Lahore?

Butt Karahi is at Lakshmi Chowk, off McLeod Road, in central Lahore. Several nearby shops have similar names, such as Butt Karahi Tikka and New Butt Karahi Tikka, so check the sign. Zameen records that Butt Karahi began on this food street.

What is the best food street in Lahore for first-time visitors?

Fort Road Food Street, inside Taxali Gate near the Badshahi Mosque, is the easiest first choice because of its rooftop views and mix of restaurants. Gawalmandi Food Street is the better choice if you want the widest range of dishes.

What should you eat for breakfast in Lahore?

Siri paye at Phajja in Kali Beri Bazar, nihari at Waris Nihari in Urdu Bazar and halwa puri at Capri in Liberty Market are all listed as breakfast favourites. Arrive early, as popular places have queues and some suggest takeaway.

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