Clifton is an upscale residential area in Karachi that is known for its picture-perfect settings against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea and a plethora of trendy restaurants.
People who buy a house in Clifton usually make the decision based on easy accessibility to a number of amenities, including top-notch restaurants. These establishments attract food-lovers from across the city. Restaurants in Clifton can broadly be divided into four categories: 1) breakfast and brunch haunts, 2) high-end cafés, 3) budget-friendly desi restaurants, and 4) places serving Pan Asian cuisine. Without further ado, let us check out the list of the best restaurants in Clifton Karachi, which include:
List of famous restaurants in Clifton Karachi
- Xander’s
- Food Street at Boat Basin
- Café Flo
- Café Aylanto
- BBQ Tonight
- Tao
- Zaoq
Let us now discuss each of these restaurants in Clifton based on the categories discussed above.
The best restaurant in Clifton for breakfast or brunch
There are quite a few options for people who wish to dine out for brunch on a lazy Sunday. Have a look at what we have picked for you.
Xander’s
It is a popular gourmet café, located in Block 4, Clifton. Simple, fresh and tasteful is what Xander’s aims for via its food. They serve ‘All Day Egg Breakfast,’ hand-tossed pizzas, open-face sandwiches and freshly brewed coffee. The ambience, light music and wi-fi make it one of the best places to dine out in Clifton. So, the next time you want to hang out with friends over a cup of coffee or a bowl of spaghetti, come straight to Xander’s.
Location: C 32 E St, Block 4 Clifton, Karachi
Specialties: Chicken Chipotle Tacos and Almond crusted red snapper
Timings: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Food Street at Boat Basin
Enjoy some of the most scrumptious parathas at Boat Basin. People from all over the city throng the place on weekends to grab their favourite halwa puri, cheese paratha, aloo paratha, chicken cheese paratha and qeema paratha. Don’t mind the extra bit of ghee on top, if you value taste over calorie consumption. You can wash it down with a hot serving of doodh patti tea.
Some of the best cafes in Clifton
Clifton boasts some of the trendiest cafes in Karachi. These restaurants offer some of the best culinary experiences with a nice ambience and flavoursome food. However, you should be prepared to splurge if you’re visiting any of these places.
Café Flo
Cafe Flo is one of the most expensive restaurants in Karachi. The moment you step into this café, you are swept away by the beautiful ambience. It is roughly based on the rustic French country kitchen model. The food is equally tasty. They offer Profiteroles – a dessert having cream puff with a filling of ice cream, garnished with chocolate sauce. One of the most popular dishes at Café Flo is Seared red snapper reduced in crab bisque. Their yogurt granola with fresh strawberries is a winner!
Location: C 32 E St, Block 4 Clifton, Karachi
Specialties:Profiteroles and Red snapper in crab bisque
Timings: 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Café Aylanto
Among the list of cafes in Karachi, Cafe Aylanto is one of the most contemporary ones. It brings a fresh Mediterranean countryside escape. Their superstar dish is the Flame Grilled Tenderloin — a juicy steak served with rocket leaves, generously drizzled with garlic infused olive oil and served with mushrooms. Or maybe you can try The Fiery Chili Sole. It is a grilled fillet of sole fish marinated in roasted garlic, red chili and vinaigrette. The Pan Seared Norwegian Pink Salmon has won hearts of many foodies who visit the place. It has a garlic crust, served with cauliflower mousse and asparagus and ginger kabayaki sauce.
Location: C 32 E St, Block 4 Clifton, Karachi
Specialties:Australian Wasabi Tenderloin and Grilled Lobster with Garlic Butter
Timings: Weekdays 12:30 PM – 12:30 AM| Weekends & Holidays 12:30 PM -1:00 AM
Best Desi Food in Clifton
There are a few popular desi restaurants in Clifton for lunch.
BBQ Tonight
You will never find any dish at BBQ Tonight that doesn’t taste divine. Their menu is carefully designed to tantalize the taste buds of every desi food lover. If you are into Pakistani cuisine, you can check out our blog of the best desi food restaurants in Karachi. Their Mutton Ribs and Mutton Chops are succulent and delicious. You can also try Palak Paneer, Katakat and Chicken Jalfrezi.
Location: Block-5, 5/1, Boat Basin, Clifton
Specialties: Mutton Ribs
Timings: 12 PM to 12 AM
Zaoq restaurant – Dolmen Mall Clifton
Zaoq in Dolmen Mall, Clifton, offers a wide range of lip-smacking dishes. They claim to have introduced Pakistani cuisine in Doha, Qatar. Their makhani seekh kebab is succulent that just melts in your mouth. Their best-seller, however, is Chilman Biryani. Since it’s situated in Dolmen City Mall, you can also go shopping before or after having lunch, brunch or dinner. Plus, you can enjoy the views of the Arabian Sea from the comfort of your table. Zaoq easily qualifies as one of the best restaurants in Clifton.
Location: Clifton Block 4, Dolmen Mall Karachi
Specialties: Chilman Biryani
Timings: Closes 3 AM
Best Pan-Asian cuisine in Clifton
People who rent a house in Clifton cant miss out on some of these best restaurants in Clifton that serve pan-asian cusine.
TAO
Among the list of best restaurants in Clifton, Tao is the best restaurant serving Pan-Asian cuisine. From a delectable variety of sushi to garlic fried lobster, they have it all. It opened in January, 2015, and within a span of three years, the restaurant has won a place in the list of top five Chinese restaurants in Karachi as well as in the hearts of its patrons. They have a delivery service, but the chefs recommend people to dine in so as to enjoy freshly prepared food, straight from the kitchen.
Location: Kehkashan, Zone C – Block 7 Zone C Block 7 Clifton
Specialties: Sushi (assorted nigiri) and steamed lobster
Timings: Closes 12 AM
China Town
China Town is, hands down, one of the best Chinese restaurants in Karachi. It’s also one of the oldest such establishments in the city as it has been around for nearly 35 years. Prawn balls, Chopsuey, Qonton soup are some of its most recommended dishes. A family bowl of Chinese Wonton soup is quite filling. But you should leave some room for their most-recommended main: King Prawn Stir Fry.
Location: Service Ln, Block 2 Clifton, Karachi
Specialties: Fried wonton, King Prawn Stir Fry and Kung Pao Chicken
Timings: Closes 12 AM
Here’s a list of best restaurants in Clifton. People from all over Karachi keep coming back to these restaurants not only for their delicious food but also for the spectacular ambience. In case you’re a Pan-Asian food connoisseur, you might want to check out our list of the best Chinese restaurants in Karachi. For more updates, stay tuned to best lifestyle blog in Pakistan.
