If like us you too are wary of food recommendations, we hear you, because it’s three years on and we still haven’t forgiven the person who told us Karachi-based Grub had the best comfort food. It did not.

But hear us out: we take food super seriously and would never lead you astray when it come to picking something that’s so important to us. Here goes:

Arz Lebanon,
Islamabad

There’s plenty of shawarma and hummus going around Pakistan, including Islamabad itself, but the shawarma at Arz Lebanon was a whole head and shoulders above all the others. The sauces tasted more layered, with a more defined depth of taste, the hummus bil lahm - hummus with meat - is a great, light, in-between meal, and the lentil and clear soups were hearty and warming.

The Burger Co., Islamabad

Burgers are tough to get right, specially when they’re loaded with sauces and pickles, with every burger joint trying to outdo the next. TBC burgers were a delicious surprise, the patty was cooked to genius juiciness, and the burgers, including the one with beef bacon and BBQ, had just enough frills, but held their own in terms of taste.

Mews, Karachi

We don’t know if you’ve been there lately, but Mews has upped their game with the new menu, of which, what wouldn’t we recommend! From the spaghetti puttanesca to the chicken in plum sauce to the very comforting doughy chunky chocolate cookie to the ever so slightly elevated fish and chips, we’re sold on the menu at large.

Yuan Tung, Karachi

If what you’re looking for is old-school Pakistani Chinese, this is your guy. Situated by the buzzing Tariq Road, Yuan Tung gets the basics so right you will hold them up as the yardstick by which to measure other Chinese restaurants. Don’t miss the hot and sour soup and chowmein, which sound more than basic,but taste better than we’ve had anywhere else.