Restaurants - Chinatown

China Town
Building #8, 
Street 55, F 8/4, 
Islamabad.
Phone: 051-2854577


The food is usually very good, the accent being on fresh, clean flavours. The meal begins with a fiery peanut starter - peanuts are marinated in a combination of flaked red chillies and chilli oil - which is extremely delicious. For those who are not chilli addicts, thin slices of pickled cucumbers and carrots are also served complementarily. 

The Thai soup is an excellent way to start the meal - especially if the staff are reminded not to forget the crispy fried rice that goes at the bottom.
If you're feeling somewhat extravagant, the Peking duck is also highly recommended, complete with a fresh plum sauce, steamed pancakes, and sliced celery and cucumbers, to wrap into a delicious concoction.
If all goes well, China Town probably offers the best Chinese cooking in Islamabad.

Restaurants - Melody Food Park

MELODY FOOD PARK
Meldoy Food Park,
Near Aabpara, Islamabad

Melody Food Park is great addition in Islamabad and hundreds of people come here to enjoy food. Quality of food is good and service is just okay.


It is not a very high profile place to eat. But if you are looking for budget restaurant then you must go to Meldoy Food Park where there are around 25-30 different restaurants serving food dishes of your choice. In Rs. 100-150 you can enjoy really good desi food at Melody Food Park. So do try Islamabad this new specialty soon!!

Favorite Dish: Bone less chicken Handi and Seekh Kabab at Jahangir's shop. Sufi's chappal Kabab and Savor Food's Muragh Plaoo with Shami Kabab.

Restaurant - Pappasallis

PAPPASALIS
13-E, Jinnah Super Market, 
Islamabad
Phone: 051 - 2650550

Pappasallis is Islamabad's oldest but mot popular Italian restaurant. If you want to enjoy real Italian food and also want to party then Pappasallis is the place for you. Move around on dance floor and then enjoy delicious food.

I would only say that PAPPASALLIS IS SIMPLY A MUST!!!

Favorite Dish: Almost every thing Pappasallis offers is delicious and my favorite. Try their Pizzas, Steaks and Pastas. In just Rs. 150 ($ 3 appox) you can enjoy delicious hi-tea twice a week from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. So try delicious Italian good at Pappasallis and feel the difference!

Restaurants - Subway

SUBWAY RESTAURANT
Shop 3 & 4, 64 West Masco Plaza,
Blue Area
Islamabad, 44000
Phone: 051-287-7248

Subway is a worldwide chain and don't get me wrong. I love the food. Now, some tips on getting the best possible experience here: 1. Check the sub of the day menu. It is much cheaper than the regular deal. So, u can either go on a day when the sub of the day is your choice. 2. I have seen people asking the staff to put everything (all sauces) on the sub. My advice: Don't do that. Seriously, the taste will be messed up if u put everything from mustard sauce to mayo. Select the taste, u want to try and go for it. 3. I have tried to get the sub extra-crispy. Make sure, they make it a bit brown. Its waaay to yummy this way but don't do that if u are planning on taking it out and eating later. 4. The drinks here are too expensive. Better bring them over and then get the sub. A good trip could include getting drinks from somewhere, coming here to grab the sub and eat it maybe at daman e koh. :)

Restaurants - Majlis

MAJLIS
4, Hill Road
F-6/3
Islamabad, Pakistan.
Phone: 051 - 2828099

Hey guys if you wanna take ur girl out on a nice romantic dinner? Then this is definitely a good pick for a cozy date and good food...though its gonna be quite heavy on ur pockets so make sure u have to have loads of cash b4 embarking on mission "Majlis" :)

Restaurants - Ye olde Hangout

YE OLDE HANGOUT
King Arcade,
Jinnah Super Market,
F-7 Markaz
Islamabad
Phone: 051-2650238

Its a small place with a lot of people smoking sheesha, Sheesha is good though just would appreciate if it was open air. Also, they charge 200rs - 300rs for first time visitors. I have had better in Islamabad.

Restaurants - Virsa Cafe

VIRSA CAFE
Gate No. 1, Lok Virsa, Garden Avenue,
Shakarparian
Islamabad, 44000
Phone: 051-2558552

Virsa - The Heritage Cafe, located next to Lok Virsa / Shakarparian, provides Pakistani cuisine from all over the country. The fare is mainly Pakistani, so expect to find Kebabs, Mutton Deig, Chicken Barbecue, and the like on the menu. Bright colors and pin-ups rule the decor, while the staff, dressed neatly, wait on you with a smile. Best place for Iftar and dinner. An experience that you would never forget. Make reservations on weekends.

Restaurants - Usmania

USMANIA RESTAURANT
13-West, Blue Area
Islamabad, 44000
Phone: 051-2873245, 2872535

It is pretty much competitive in desi food. With good food and karahi is just mouth watering. Their sweet dishes are very delicious.

Restaurants - Jahangir Restaurant

JAHANGIR RESTAURANT
64/E, Masco Plaza, Blue Area
Islamabad
Phone : 051-2270554, 051- 2271367, 051-2876365

It is one of the best restaurants in town. The bar b.q stuff is simply astonishing. The rest of desi food is just awesome. I love to dine at Jahangir. Jahangir's chicken karahi is one its specialities. It is famous all over the twin cities. Other than just desi food the Islamabad branch also offers continental food which is also worth it. But mainly they are famous for their desi food.

Restaurants - Espresso Lounge

ESPRESSO LOUNGE
10-12 Trade Centre,behind 7th Avenue,
Jinnah Super
Islamabad, 44000
Phone: 051 - 2652943

Coffee Bar and Lounge Espresso Lounge - for everyone who loves the coffee there ... For those of you who crave something other than coffee we have a selection of traditional and herbal teas, fresh juices and delicious fresh-fruit smoothies. Our chef mixes up a feast of delicious sandwiches, Pastas and mouth-watering salads to keep you going throughout the day. And, once again for the health-conscious, we offer an array of Weight Watchers sandwiches and wraps.

Restaurants - Khiva

KHIVA RESTAURANT
64, Main Margalla Road,
Sector F-6/3
Islamabad
Phone : 051-2823343

Khiva is a dining place with a difference. Serving traditional food from from Central Asia, the management have intelligently blended their menu with the mouth watering fare from our North West Frontier. One has a choice of dining indoors in a cosy, 'easy to move around arrangement ' or enjoy the rear lawn with its lily pond. There are other attractions in the form of a pool table and an informal area near the front entrance, but these are so located so as not to disturb the dining patrons. The good thing about the place is the quiet efficiency of the waiters and the presence of its pleasant owner Attique, a dynamic young man with a lot of pzzazzz. No visit to this wonderful eating place would be complete if one doesnt try their 'Shorbas'. In all Khiva is a very good addtion to Islamabad's top class dining places and definitely warrants a visit by the family. When you enter Khiva, you will feel like you are in a local craftsmen outlet. With locally made artwork and crafts decorating the entire area. Of course this is part of the great feeling of Khiva which has excellent service and good food.

Khiva has built a successful business by serving excellent food accompanied by good service, at reasonable prices, in a clean, well-maintained facility. Khiva’s quality standards ensure that guests remain loyal and visit our restaurant again and again.

Restaurants - Habibi

HABIBI RESTAURANT
I-8 Markaz Executive Center
Islamabad
Phone : 051-4448222
051-4448555

By far the best seated dining option available in I-8. The restaurant is nicely decorated, and has a spacious seating arrangement. The food is excellent and reasonably priced.

Their special mixed platter (serves 5-6) is a desi food masterpiece and has all their specialty dishes including seekh kabab, chicken tikka, fish kabab, lamb chops, and even batair, all served on top of kabali palao rice with fresh carrots and raisins.

Restaurants - Kabul Restaurant

KABULI RESTAURANT
Jinnah Supermarket, 
F-7 Markaz
Islamabad
Phone: 051 - 2650953

A friend of my mine took me to Kabuli Restaurant on her birthday in Jinnah Super, Islamabad. The food here is the closest you can get to Afghan Cuisine in Islamabad. The restaurant is fairly spacious and has considerably large seating area.

 

The interesting part is that they serve you the beef tikka and kababs on the skewers and the quality of meat they use is excellent. The food not spicy and their specialty is kabuli pulao.

Restaurants - Monal

MONAL ISLAMABAD
Pir Sohawa
Islamabad
Phone: 03074577739


MONAL (Pir Sohawa) Islamabad. The Monal is 32kms from the Islamabad International Airport which will take approximately 45-50 minutes of drive and 11kms from the Jinnah Super Market (F-7) which will take approximately 25 minutes of drive till the top.

It is basically built on the concept of open air terraces, with ample space, the terraces are on different levels. We went there on eid and the place was jam packed. Fortunately we found a really nice, quite secluded and on extreme edge (lower terrace) a place to get accommodated, we settled in, gave our order!


It was chilly, a female singer with such toneless and emotionless voice was signing in the background and the view was totally breathless.


A great place to visit with family and on weekend. Food too long to come but it was worth eating.  Garlic naans are great and highly recommended. The best thing to eat was barbecue platter. A must eat if u r barbecue fan. 

Restaurants - Cave

CAVE
Awan Arcade, Blue Area
Islamabad
+92-51-2270595

We had a family lunch at the Cave diner last week. The prices are reasonable and the pepper steak I ordered was okay and the service is decent. The decor - as the name suggests - is that of a cave however it is really dimly lit. A little more light in the room wouldn't hurt anyone!

Its a great place for couples and youngsters who are interested in sheesha.

Restaurants - KC Grill

KC GRILL
81 Bhittai Road,
Sector F-7
Islamabad, 44000
Phone: (051)-2872721, 2826927, 2274941

Kitchen Cuisine Grill is located on the top floor for the Kitchen Cuisine bakery located in F-7. The restaurant has good service, and the meal starts with complimentary tortilla chips and soup bread which is always warm and fresh. The soups are quite good. I've tried the Mushroom steak there and enjoyed it a lot - they offer sides of fries or baked potatoes, and boiled vegetables come on the side, their specialty include chicken with cashew nuts which is a serving of chicken with vegetables and chashew nuts with a serving of garlic rice. 

A decent restaurant with good food, nice atmosphere especially if you are sitting outside in cool weather. It is a great place to have italian food, continetal, pakistani food and great desserts.

Pakistan Monument

The Pakistan Monument in Islamabad, Pakistan, is a national monument  representing the nation's four provinces and three territories. After a competition among many renowned architects.  The blooming flower shape of the monument represents Pakistan's progress as a rapidly developing country. The four main petals of the monument represent the four provinces, while the three smaller petals represent the three territories (Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas). The Monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country and depicts the story of the Pakistan Movement, dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for future generations.

From air the monument looks like a star (center) and a crescent moon (formed by walls forming the petals), these represent the star and crescent on Pakistan's flag.

Dam e Koh

Daman-e-Koh, about 3000ft from sea level and almost 1000ft higher than City of Islamabad, is a viewing point and hill top modern garden, popular among the residents as well as the visitors to this capital town of the nation.

This viewpoint is north of Islamabad at the foot of and in the middle of the Margalla Hills. This extra-ordinary garden has two wings known as the "north" and "south" viewpoints and is accessible by road or on foot.

Daman-e-Koh is a midpoint for tourists on their way to the higher view point Pir Sohawa which is located at the top of Margalla Hills at an elevation of about 5000ft. There is a plan to construct a chairlift from Daman-e-Koh to Pir Sohawa. It is speculated that this plan would start materializing in the near future.

Car parking facility is provided close to the Northern Spot where a cafe and some small tuck shops cater the needs of guests. A restaurant is located on the Southern Spot overlooking the city. The Southern Spot is the main attraction as it provides a panoramic view of Islamabad. Telescopes are installed for keener observers. A board displaying basic information about Islamabad is installed for the people coming from outside the city.

There is a view of Faisal Mosque, the newly constructed "Seventh Avenue" and Rawal Lake poses a nice glittering view in southeast.

The place is a haven for bird watchers. More than 70 different native as well as migrating bird are seen here during various parts of the year. Monkeys are a common sight during winter. It is little risky trying to play or negotiate with or feed these otherwise friendly creatures. Cheetahs are (frequently) reported as seen in these foothills, mostly during winter. They are believed to descend from higher hills of Murree in snowfall days.

Pir Sohawa

Pir Sohawa is an upland scenic rural location, at an elevation of about 5000 ft, popular for recreational walk and picnics in Islamabad  and is located close to Monal village which exists on the slope towards Islamabad city.

A restaurant named as "Monal Restaurant" is located at Pir Sohawa site. Monal Restaurant was completed in 2006. Its spaceous terraces provide a breathtaking view of Islamabad in clear day light and a stunningly beautiful show of the city lights at the bottom, after sunset. One can enjoy the breeze and fragrance, especially during summer's hot days, of thick forest present all around.

Rawal Dam

 

Rawal Dam is about 23 kms from Islamabad.This glistening man-made lake covers an area of 8.8 sq. km. The terraced garden and the lake are ideal for picnic.

The highest point in the garden commands a panoramic view of the lake, Margallah and Murree hills, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Rawal lake is an artificial resevoir & one of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi's sources of water.The area around the lake has been planted with flowering trees & laid out with gardens, picnic spots & secluded paths. The best places to picnic are on the north side of the lake; turn right from the Muree Road on the way towards Murree. You must come here to enjoy the beautiful weather & a romantic sunset.

Faisal Mosque

The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and one of the largest mosques in the world. It was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 to 1993 when overtaken in size by the completion of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. Subsequent expansions of the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia during the 1990s relegated Faisal Mosque to fourth place in terms of size.

Faisal Mosque is conceived as the National Mosque of Pakistan. It has a covered area of 54,000 sq ft and has a capacity to accommodate approximately 300,000 worshippers. Although its covered main prayer hall is smaller than that of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (the world's third largest mosque), Faisal Mosque has the third largest capacity of accommodating worshippers in its adjoining grounds after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.[1]. Each of the Mosque's four minarets are 80 m (260 ft) high (the tallest minarets in South Asia) and measure 10 x 10 m in circumference.