Peshawari Qehwa: Where to Drink It in the Old City

Peshawari qehwa is green tea brewed with cardamom, served without milk, from a brass samovar. The place to drink it is Qissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar's old city, where a handful of qehwa khanas, some more than a century old, still serve it the way they always have. A small pot costs only a little, and sitting over one is as much the point as drinking it.

This guide covers what qehwa actually is, how it is made and served, where to find it in Qissa Khwani, and what to expect if you stop for a cup.

What is Peshawari qehwa?

Qehwa is green tea, not black tea, brewed strong with cardamom and sugar and drunk without milk. It is closer in spirit to the qahwa served across Afghanistan and Central Asia than to the milky doodh pati found elsewhere in Pakistan, which reflects Qissa Khwani's history as a stop on the caravan routes north and west.

It is served hot, in small glasses or cups, from a teapot that has been kept warm on a brass samovar. Some places add a little extra sugar on request; nobody adds milk.

Qissa Khwani: the storytellers' bazaar

Qissa Khwani means "the bazaar of storytellers." Caravans travelling between the Indian plains and Central Asia used to stop here, and professional storytellers entertained the merchants camped for the night. The tea houses that grew up to serve those travellers are the ancestors of the qehwa khanas still open today. The bazaar has its own long history, including the killing of unarmed protesters by British troops here in 1930; our guide to Qissa Khwani Bazaar covers that in full.

Today the storytelling is gone, but the tea survives. A few qehwa khanas remain along the bazaar and the lanes near it, most of them simple rooms with benches, a samovar and little else.

The old Qehwa Khana

The best-known qehwa khana sits near the western end of Qissa Khwani, and it has been serving tea for well over a century, by the family's own account close to 120 to 130 years, run for decades by the same family. In recent years the shop has been kept going by a proprietor in his late sixties who inherited it from his father and has run it himself for more than half a century. It draws local regulars, traders on a break, and visitors from as far as Japan and Europe who come specifically to see how the tea is made.

Expect a plain room, wooden benches, a low hum of conversation, and the samovar hissing in the corner. It is not set up for tourists; it is a working tea house that happens to be famous.

How the qehwa is made and served

1. Water heats in the samovar, a tall brass urn kept on a low flame or coals, with a tap near the base.
2. A metal teapot is filled from the samovar and set to boil again on its own small stove or ring.
3. Green tea leaves, sugar and crushed cardamom pods go into the pot, and it is left to brew until it turns the deep amber-green colour that marks it as ready.
4. The tea is poured into small glasses or cups, usually with the pot left on the table so a second or third cup can be poured without waiting.

A small pot, enough for about two cups, costs around PKR 50 (2026); prices change, so treat this as a rough figure rather than a quote. Nobody is in a hurry to move you along, and pot after pot for a long conversation is normal.

When to go and what to expect

Late morning through early evening is the easiest time, when the bazaar is at its busiest but not overwhelmed. Avoid Fridays: most of the old city, including many food stalls, closes for Jumma prayers. During Ramadan, qehwa khanas in Qissa Khwani have traditionally stayed busy from iftar through to sehri, since qehwa is a common way to break the fast gently before a heavier meal.

Dress modestly, as you would anywhere in the old city; the bazaar is conservative and mostly male in its public spaces. Cash only, and small notes are easier for a purchase this size.

Making it part of a longer visit

A stop for qehwa fits naturally into a longer walk through the old city. Our old Peshawar walking tour routes through Qissa Khwani on the way to the Mahabat Khan Mosque, Sethi House and Gor Khuttree, and our guide to places to visit in Peshawar sets the bazaar in the context of a full day. If you are working through Peshawar's food as well as its history, our guide to Peshawar's famous food covers what else to eat nearby.

Is it worth seeking out?

Yes, and it costs almost nothing in money or time. The tea itself is simple; the reason to go is the room, the samovar and the sense of a trade that has barely changed in a century. If you only have time for one stop in Qissa Khwani beyond walking through it, this is a good one.

It is a small, quiet experience rather than a sight, so anyone expecting a polished cafe will be disappointed. Go with modest expectations of the tea and real curiosity about the place, and it delivers.

Frequently asked questions