Dining etiquette in Pakistan comes down to a few habits: eat with your right hand, wait for the eldest or the host to start, take what you are offered, and don't waste food. Many meals are eaten with the hands and shared from common dishes, and hosts will keep pressing more food on you. Nobody expects a visitor to get everything right, and small efforts are noticed and appreciated.
This guide covers eating with your hands, sharing, being a guest, hosting, restaurant manners and a few things to avoid. For what to order, see our Pakistani food guide.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Hand to use | Right hand for eating, passing and serving |
| Start eating | After the host or eldest begins, often after "Bismillah" |
| Bread | Roti or naan is torn and used to scoop food |
| Second helpings | Expect them; refuse politely or accept a little |
| Tipping | Not compulsory, but a small tip is normal in restaurants |
Do people eat with their hands in Pakistan?
Often, yes. Roti, naan and paratha are used as a scoop, and rice dishes such as biryani and pulao are commonly eaten by hand at home, though many restaurants provide spoons and forks and nobody will mind if you use them. The rule that matters is the hand. It is considered bad manners to pass, serve or bring food to your mouth with the left hand, which is traditionally kept for other uses. Use the left hand to hold a plate or a glass, or to help the right.
To eat with your hand, tear a piece of bread with your right hand (the left may hold the bread steady), use it to pick up a mouthful, and bring it to your mouth using your fingertips. Wash your hands before and after; a basin and soap are usual at the table or nearby.
Who starts first?
Wait for the host or the eldest person to begin. Many Muslims say Bismillah ("in the name of God") before eating, and you may hear it as the meal starts. You need not say it, but wait for the moment. In a shared meal, serve older people first and leave the choice pieces for others rather than taking them yourself.
How does sharing work?
Dishes are often placed in the middle and everyone takes a portion, or the host serves you directly. Use the serving spoon provided rather than your own, and take from the side of the dish nearest to you. Take a modest first portion; you can always go back.
If a dish is passed around, use your right hand. Don't reach across the table; ask for it to be passed. When several people eat from one platter, as with sajji or a large karahi, stay in your own area of the dish.
What if you are a guest in a home?
Guests are treated with great generosity. The full details are in our guide to visiting a Pakistani home, but the dining points are:
- Expect a lot of food and repeated offers. Hosts will insist on second helpings. It is acceptable to refuse, but the host may insist, and it is often easier and more polite to accept a little.
- Say something kind about the food. "Bohat lazeez hai" (it is delicious) goes a long way.
- Don't refuse tea or sweets outright; take a sip or a small piece.
- Bring a small gift, such as sweets (see traditional sweets of Pakistan) or fruit.
- Mention dietary needs early. If you don't eat meat, or have an allergy, say so politely before the meal.
- Compliment the cook, and thank the host as you leave.
How to host Pakistani guests
If you are the host, expect to do more than you think. Offer tea and something to eat as soon as guests sit down, serve guests before yourself, and keep offering. Have halal food on the table and no alcohol, and remember that some guests may not eat pork or non-halal meat. Sweets to finish are customary.
What about restaurants?
- Sharing the bill. The person who invited usually pays, and there may be a friendly argument over who does. If you are the guest, offer once and accept graciously.
- Tipping. A service charge is sometimes added; if not, a small tip of around 5 to 10 percent, or a few hundred rupees at a simple place, is a common habit. Tipping is not required.
- Family sections. Some restaurants have separate family areas, and some places have separate seating for women; follow the staff's guidance.
- Ordering. Dishes usually arrive as they are ready. Ask for bread to be brought as you go, so it stays hot.
- Don't waste food. Leaving a large amount is frowned on; order less and ask for more.
What about Ramadan and shrines?
During Ramadan, don't eat or drink in front of fasting people; see our Ramadan travel tips. At shrines and mosques, follow the rules of the place; langar (free food) at shrines is offered as a gift and eaten with the right hand. Our guides to shrine etiquette and mosque etiquette cover the wider behaviour.
Things to avoid
- Eating or passing food with the left hand
- Starting before the host or eldest
- Blowing your nose at the table
- Refusing food flatly rather than politely
- Asking for alcohol in a Pakistani home
- Touching shared food with a hand that has been in your mouth
- Photographing a meal or hosts without asking
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to eat with your hands in Pakistan?
No. Restaurants provide cutlery and hosts will give you a spoon. Eating by hand with roti is common, and trying it is appreciated.
Why is the right hand used for eating?
Custom, and religious teaching, treat the right hand as the one for eating, greeting and giving. Keep the left hand for holding or supporting.
Is it rude to refuse food in Pakistan?
Refusing once is fine, but hosts will offer again. Accepting a small portion, or thanking them and explaining you are full, is the polite answer.
Should I tip in Pakistani restaurants?
It is not compulsory, but a small tip is normal, unless a service charge has already been added to the bill.
What should I bring when invited to dinner?
Sweets, fruit or flowers are a good gift. Avoid alcohol, and check for dietary needs if you can.
