For iftar in Lahore, most people buy pakoras, samosas, jalebi and fruit chaat from their neighbourhood sweet shop and eat at home, or book a buffet in Gulberg, on MM Alam Road or on Fort Road. For sehri, the city splits in two: the old city around Taxali Gate, Kali Beri Bazar and Gawalmandi for paye, nihari, hareesa and halwa puri, and the hotels and big restaurants of Gulberg and DHA for sehri buffets. Book buffets ahead, and go early to the old-city shops.
This guide is about the food itself: what Lahore eats in Ramadan, where to find it, and roughly what it costs. Our Lahore in Ramadan guide covers timings, opening hours and what the month does to a visit.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Ramadan 2027 | Expected to begin around 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting |
| Iftar staples | Dates, pakoras, samosas, dahi bhallay, fruit chaat, jalebi, sharbat |
| Sehri staples | Paye, nihari, hareesa, halwa puri, lassi, khajla and pheni with milk |
| Old-city sehri | Kali Beri Bazar, Taxali Gate, Gawalmandi, Tehsil Bazaar |
| Sehri buffets (2026) | About PKR 2,000 to 5,500 per person plus tax |
| Book ahead | Buffets in the first and last weeks, and every weekend |
What do Lahoris eat at iftar?
The iftar table in Lahore is the same in most homes. The fast is opened with a date and water, then comes a plate of fried things: pakoras made with potato, onion, spinach and aubergine in gram flour batter, aloo or keema samosas, and sometimes spring rolls. Alongside sit dahi bhallay, fruit chaat sharpened with chaat masala, channa chaat and a jug of red sharbat or lemon water. Jalebi is the usual sweet.
Pakoras are the item no one skips. One customer told Arab News, in a 2023 report on Ramadan pakoras, that "it's exactly what your body is craving for" after a fast, and they are cheap and quick to make. In Lahore, as elsewhere, sweet shops and bakeries set up frying counters on the pavement from mid-afternoon, and the queue is longest in the last hour before the call to prayer.
Where to buy iftar snacks
There is no single iftar street in Lahore. People buy from the sweet shop they always use, so the best advice is local: look for the counter with a queue and fresh oil. A few things help:
- Buy after 4 pm, not earlier. Pakoras fried in the morning and kept warm go soft.
- Ask for chutney separately if you are carrying food any distance.
- Pick up chaat and dahi bhallay at a chaat shop, not a bakery. Our guide to chaat in Lahore covers Lakshmi Chowk and the other established names.
- Leave 30 minutes spare. Traffic peaks just before iftar, and the roads empty the moment the azan sounds.
Where to have an iftar buffet in Lahore
If you want to sit down for iftar rather than eat at home, the choice is mostly hotels and large restaurants. Most open for iftar a little before sunset, serve dates, pakoras and drinks first, then a full desi and continental spread after the Maghrib prayer.
Spice Bazaar, which opened in 2015 in a converted house at 1-T Gulberg near MM Alam Road, is one of the better-known names, with branches in DHA. On Fort Road, Haveli Restaurant faces the Badshahi Mosque, and Fort Road Food Street fills up after iftar. Lal Qila in Garden Town, The Monal at Liberty Chowk and Chandni Chowk on Gurumangat Road all run Ramadan buffets.
Our Lahore in Ramadan guide lists 2026 iftar deals and prices, and our Fort Road Food Street guide covers the old-city option in more detail. Iftar buffets sell out early in the last ten nights, when families eat out more often.
Where to go for sehri in Lahore's old city
Sehri in the old city is what most Lahoris mean when they talk about Ramadan food. The shops that normally open at dawn for nashta start earlier and get much busier, and going out for sehri at least once in the month is a Lahori habit for many families.
Phajja Siri Paye, Kali Beri Bazar
Phajja, in Kali Beri Bazar near Taxali Gate, is the city's best-known paye house. ProPakistani lists its usual hours as 5:15 am to 2 am. In Ramadan that means it is open through the sehri hours. Expect beef or mutton trotters in thick gravy, eaten with khamiri roti or kulcha. Our guide to paye in Lahore covers what to order and the other paye houses nearby.
Nihari: Waris and Muhammadi
Waris Nihari, on Akbari Road off Urdu Bazaar near Anarkali, is the old name for nihari with a layer of ghee on top. Zameen's food guide gives its hours as 8 am to 2 am, which covers the early part of the night, and a newer branch in Allama Iqbal Town is also listed. Muhammadi Nihari House is the other name people mention. Nihari is heavy, so many people eat it at the start of the night and something lighter at sehri itself.
Hareesa and murgh channay
Amritsari Hareesa, at Qila Gujar Singh on Nisbat Road near Gawalmandi, is listed as opening at 6:30 am in normal months. Hareesa is a winter dish of wheat and meat pounded to a paste, which makes it a good fit for the February Ramadans of 2027 and the next few years. Ghousia Murgh Channay in Tehsil Bazaar is a morning shop for chicken and chickpea curry with naan. Ask locally whether each opens earlier in Ramadan, because hours change from year to year.
Halwa puri
Halwa puri is the classic Lahori sehri for anyone who wants something sweet and fried. Taj Mahal Sweets at Taxali Gate is listed by ProPakistani as opening from 3:30 am in normal months, which is about as early as Lahore gets. Sadiq Halwa Puri in Wapda Town is listed from 4:30 am. Our halwa puri in Lahore and Lahori nashta guides cover the full list.
Which restaurants do sehri buffets in Lahore?
For a sit-down sehri with parking and family seating, the big restaurants of Gulberg and DHA run buffets from about midnight until shortly before the fast begins. A Top10s.pk list from February 2026 gave these per-person prices before tax:
| Restaurant | Area | Sehri buffet (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Arcadian Café | Sir Syed Road, Gulberg II | PKR 5,490 |
| Spice Bazaar | MM Alam Road | PKR 3,495 |
| The Canvas | DHA Phase 6 | PKR 3,018 |
| Junoon | Gulberg III | PKR 2,995 |
| Haveli | Fort Road | PKR 2,995 |
| The Monal | Liberty Chowk, Gulberg III | PKR 2,895 |
| Lal Qila | Garden Town | PKR 2,390 |
| Chandni Chowk | Gurumangat Road, Gulberg III | PKR 1,999 |
These were 2026 prices and they rise most years, so treat them as a guide and check the restaurant's own page before you go. Most buffets mix desi dishes such as paye, nihari and murgh channay with an English breakfast counter, which suits families with children who won't eat curry at 3 am.
What are khajla and pheni?
Khajla and pheni are Ramadan foods you will rarely see the rest of the year. Pheni is a nest of very fine fried vermicelli made from flour or semolina stretched with ghee. Khajla is a flaky fried bread made from similar dough but not pulled into threads. Both are soaked in warm sweetened milk for a few minutes and eaten at sehri, and both keep you full for a long time because of the ghee.
Sweet shops and bakeries across Lahore stack them in the window from the first day of the month. Buy from a shop with a steady turnover, since they go stale once opened. Prices vary widely between plain and desi ghee versions, so ask before you order by the kilo.
Is Ramadan a good time for a Lahore food trip?
It depends on what you want to eat. For paye, nihari, hareesa and the late-night atmosphere of the old city, Ramadan is a good time to come, and the 2027 to 2029 Ramadans fall in cool weather. The old city after taraweeh, with shops lit up and people eating at 1 am, is something you don't see in other months.
It suits less well if you want a normal lunch, because many restaurants close or screen off their seating in the day, or if you dislike crowds, because Fort Road and the big buffets are packed after iftar. Families with small children may find the late nights hard. If you are not fasting, eat at your hotel during the day and be discreet. For the rest of the year, our Lahore street food tour is the better starting point, and our food and culture experiences page has more ideas for a Lahore trip.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place for iftar in Lahore?
For a sit-down iftar, Fort Road near the Badshahi Mosque gives the best setting, while Gulberg and MM Alam Road have the most buffets. Most Lahoris buy pakoras and samosas from a local sweet shop and eat at home.
Where can I eat sehri in Lahore?
The old city around Taxali Gate, Kali Beri Bazar and Gawalmandi has paye, nihari, hareesa and halwa puri shops that open early, and Phajja Siri Paye is the best known. Restaurants in Gulberg and DHA run sehri buffets, which in 2026 cost roughly PKR 2,000 to 5,500 per person before tax.
How much is a sehri buffet in Lahore?
In 2026, listed sehri buffet prices ran from about PKR 1,999 at Chandni Chowk to PKR 5,490 at Arcadian Café, plus tax. Prices usually go up each year, so check before booking.
What time does Phajja open in Ramadan?
Phajja Siri Paye's listed hours are 5:15 am to 2 am, so it is open for the early part of sehri. Ramadan hours can shift, so phone or arrive early.
What do people eat at sehri in Lahore?
Paye, nihari, hareesa, halwa puri, parathas and lassi are the traditional choices, along with khajla and pheni soaked in warm milk. Many people eat heavier food early in the night and something lighter just before the fast.
Do I need to book an iftar buffet in Lahore?
Yes, at the popular restaurants, especially on weekends and in the last ten nights. Turn up without a booking and you may wait until well after Maghrib.
