Islamabad - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Extra care has to be taken in order to avoid food poisoning. Therefore street food has to be avoided at all costs. Pizza is of unacceptable quality by western standards - partially due to the lack of decent cheese at reasonable prices and total lack of sausages, ham, etc. There are some chicken/beef substitutes but again the result is disappointing. There are venues of McDonald's and KFC whose food is edible - but not comparable to the one offered in other countries. Local food is spicy but quite tasty. On the other hand after a while it becomes boring, since there are a few certain dishes offered almost everywhere. With the help of locals you can find tasty and fresh grilled mutton and the Afghani/Persian/etc venues offer some variety. - Oct 2023
Your Pakistani friends from Lahore and Karachi will tell you there are no decent restaurants in Islamabad. They are snobs. There are a few pretty good ones. The Thai restaurant at the Marriott is well-liked, and the pan-Asian restaurant in the Serena is very popular for lunch with diplomatic corps contacts (though all of the Serena food establishments are crawling with ISI, so a lot of Pakistani contacts won’t meet there). Outstanding Neopolitan style pizza, awesome ice cream, and fancy hipster coffee shop in Shaheen Market in E-7. Perennial favorite Loafology on the compound and in the Blue Area. There’s a new sushi restaurant in F-6 markaz that even my snobbiest foodie friends love. Or you can just do Taco Tuesday at the American Club. Your choice. - Jun 2022
You can order anything to be delivered, however if you live on the Embassy compound only can order food from the few restaurants that are located within the diplomatic enclave. - Feb 2019
There are a lot of restaurants with many types of food. - Jan 2017
There are mobile food ordering apps (Pakistani version of seamless) that will bring a plethora of restaurants to your doorstep, a couple that started a great Thai delivery service (the wife is Thai and regularly travels home for ingredients). There are a number of restaurants in Islamabad and new ones opening all the time. - Sep 2016
There are about 8 to10 good restaurants in town, including major hotels (Serena and Marriott), with a reasonable variety (Indo-Pak, Italian, Chinese, Lebanese), and very low prices - you'll seldom pay more than US$15 for a delectable dinner in a top restaurant. But alcohol is never sold, except at the Marriott (in both the Chinese restaurant and a hidden bar in the basement) and at the occasional clandestine Chinese joint. So you have to bring your own booze and hope they'll let you have it! You will also find McDonald's and a very spicy. - Sep 2015
Most fast food is $2-$6 per plate. Pretty much all restaurants deliver. - Aug 2015
A few decent restaurants and coffee shops. - Aug 2015
I know there is a Hardee's but I haven't been. - Apr 2014
There are lots of great restaurants in Islamabad. Everything ranging from street food up to fast food (McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Hardeez, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, and Dominos Pizza) to nice bistros such as Street 1 Cafe and Tuscan Courtyard, to places in Saidpur Village such as Polo Lounge and Des Pardes, Monal in the Margalla Hills, Dynasty at the Marriott Hotel, and the restaurants at the Serena. Costs are very reasonable, with meals not exceeding the US$50 range at the nicest places. - Feb 2014
A variety of fast food restaurants: McDonald's, KFC, Hardees (Carl's Junior), Pizza Hut and local street food. The Western places are at U.S. prices or more, while the local food is cheap. Many good real restaurants are about half the price as in the U.S. for the same quality. On the Margalla hill try Montana (instead of Monal), in Saidpur, try Andaaz (best Pakistani food in the country - same restaurant in Lahore) on top of Polo Lounge (Western food), in the city House of Bombay for good Indian food, safe sushi at the Marriott, etc. Many good restaurants to choose from. In some restaurants you may bring your wine bottle and they either ignore it (example at the Polo Lounge we placed it on the floor but they provided us with wine glasses) or they pour it in a tea pot. So you can bring your bottle and ask politely what is allowed (except at Monal where they confiscate it!). At the Embassy while some people only go to Club or Cafeteria, we tried every option available and liked it: the LES cafeteria (Pakistani food only), the TDY rotisserie (delicious grilles chicken or pizza), Club 21 (the French restaurant in front of the U.S. Embassy, 3-course meal under US$10), Cordon Rouge (another French restaurant, a bit further but only 10-minute walk by the Consular door). There is also a woman catering good sandwiches and salads. - Dec 2013
A variety of Western (McDs, KFC, Hardees, Pizza Hut) and local. The Western places are at or just under U.S. prices, while the amazing local food is cheap. - Mar 2012
A Hardee's just opened. We also have a Pizza Hut, a Domino's, and a KFC. Don't know the prices -- I have never been in any of them. - Aug 2011
The government just shut down the McDonald's in Islamabad (there is still one in Rawalpindi about 20 mins away).Islamabad has:Subway- which is terribleDunkin Donuts- Donuts are okay only if you get them first thing in the morning. Coffee is okay. KFC- plentiful. Pizza Hut- okay but greasy. Dominos- Not too bad at all when you need a pizza fix. - May 2011
There are actually a lot of really good restaurants in Islamabad ranging from Chinese to French. The higher end restaurants are around $12-$20/person. Some allow you to bring in wine to have with lunch or dinner, but only a few sell alcohol. The food can taste really, really good, but I often get some bacterial infection from eating out a lot. Part of living in Pakistan. - Jan 2010
All kinds. It is expensive for some things, but cheaper meals are also available. - Oct 2009
The food is excellent - particularly good concentration of restaurants in the area around Jinnah Supermarket (Sector F7). - Oct 2008
