Choosing the right restaurant, especially in a foreign country, takes work. We offer several basic parameters to help you avoid an awkward situation and get maximum gastronomic pleasure.
Kitchen
Most people go to restaurants to eat well. That’s why the cuisine is often the defining criterion for the best restaurants in Lahore. Visiting establishments that offer local dishes is most interesting when traveling abroad because gastronomy is part of the country’s culture. Some countries have local products that you can only try in one region or village.
When traveling around Pakistan, choose the cuisine that you like. Don’t go to an Indian restaurant if you dislike spices or a Japanese restaurant if you don’t like fish. If you invite guests to the establishment, it’s essential to consider gastronomic preferences and allergies. Find out in advance if there are any vegetarians, allergy sufferers, or people on a strict diet among them.
Menu
Pakistani restaurants often offer menus the size of an encyclopedia, where you can find sushi, pizza, and borscht. The variety is excellent; everyone will find something they like in such a menu. However, imagine how difficult it is to maintain such a range. After all, all the products must be available and retain their freshness and taste. Therefore, today, even in Pakistan, we increasingly see compact restaurant menus with 5-6 appetizers, 3-4 hot dishes, and a couple of desserts. This concept came to us from Europe, where it is a long-standing practice. There, chefs are accustomed to working with local suppliers and specialize in only one type of cuisine, sometimes adding variety with seasonal products and foreign techniques. Guests always ask the waiters for the “dish of the day” or “chef’s dish,” knowing that it will always be prepared from the freshest local ingredients.
There are dangers, however, abroad too. Avoid restaurants where the menu is illustrated with photographs of the dishes, translated (often with ridiculous mistakes) into several languages , and contains all the clichés of national cuisine. Such establishments are designed for less inquisitive tourists. If you go a little away from the central streets, you will find a place with tastier food and lower prices.
Chef
Chefs are the new rock stars. If you are a gourmet and follow gastronomic trends, you know all the famous Pakistani and world chefs by name and face. A visit to the restaurant of an outstanding chef can be the most memorable event of the trip. And Pakistan has something to be proud of. To visit a world-class haute cuisine restaurant today, you only need to see the Best Restaurants in Lahore Gulberg.
Ratings
Ratings of top restaurants in Islamabad are controversial, but they remain essential for restaurateurs and guests. Even though professionals do not always agree with Michelin inspectors’ assessments, the rating remains the most influential globally. It is worth focusing on if you want a high-level restaurant with proven cuisine and classic service.
Reviews
As in other areas, reviews in the restaurant industry are very subjective and only sometimes reliable. Once upon a time, unscrupulous restaurateurs used to write negative reviews of competitors, but today, this is being actively combated. You can read other users’ opinions about the establishment you are interested in on TripAdvisor, Google or Yandex maps, or restaurant aggregator sites. Remember that people tend to complain publicly much more often than to praise so that negative ratings may prevail. Please pay attention to the adequacy of reviews, their relevance (time of writing), and the attached photos. This will help you form your correct opinion about the establishment. And if you still go to this restaurant and like it, be active when writing good words. Restaurateurs will be very grateful to you!
