The Story of Shahi Dastarkhwan
What began as a five-table corner shop in Gulberg is now Lahore's most decorated Pakistani restaurant — but our soul has not moved an inch.
From corner shop to copper handi
A five-table corner shop
Chef Adnan opens a tiny kebab counter on a side street in Gulberg, Lahore. Twelve seats. One karahi. Real charcoal.
First copper handi
We move to a 60-seat space on MM Alam Road and introduce our slow-cooked biryani in copper handis.
Voted best in Lahore
Named Lahore's best Pakistani restaurant by the Pakistan Hospitality Awards — a title we've held three years running.
Heritage menu launches
We dig into family archives across the four provinces and revive 14 forgotten dishes — including our 32-spice nihari.
Today
Over 1,200 guests a day. Forty signature dishes. Still hand-rolling every kebab.
Chef Adnan, 49
Born in old Lahore to a family of cooks, Adnan trained in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta before returning home to open a tiny kebab shop in 2014. His grandmother's hand-written recipe book still sits on a shelf in our kitchen.
He believes Pakistani food deserves the same reverence as the world's great cuisines — and refuses any shortcut that would betray that belief.
"We don't serve food. We serve memory."
A kitchen of forty
Real flame. No shortcuts. Every kebab is hand-rolled, every karahi is fired over real coal, and every spice is pounded the morning of. Our pit masters average twenty-two years of experience each.
Chef Adnan
Founder & Head Chef
Master Iqbal
Karahi Pit Master
Akram
BBQ Pit Master
Sara Mahmood
Pastry & Desserts
Awards & accolades
Best Pakistani Restaurant
Pakistan Hospitality Awards
Lahore's Top Biryani
Dawn Food Critics' Pick
Heritage Kitchen of the Year
South Asian Culinary Council
Best BBQ in Punjab
Karandaaz Food Awards
Come share a meal.
A table at Shahi Dastarkhwan is a seat at our family's dastarkhwan. We can't wait to host you.