Best Places To Eat In Dhaka, Bangladesh

1. Malancha Restaurant

This is a typical Bengali restaurant in Dhaka, as the name suggests. The place is popular with college students who flock to the restaurant and relish the biryanis and kebabs offered in buffet style. The place is also known for Bengali delicacies like Bhuna Khichuri and mutton and chicken curry. Prices are reasonable and the location is a busy part of Dhaka called Elephant Road, which contains elephant statues at the entrance of the road. The ambiance is kind of busy and friendly and the food offered includes mainly local and regional options. The restaurant is also located in a market area selling shoes, garments, leather and carpet items among others.

Malancha Restaurant

Address: Elephant Road 1205, Dhaka

Website: Malancha Restaurant

2. Roll Express

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The restaurant offers Indian style street food-like rolls that are like rolled round bread with filling, chaats or Indian spice concoctions and phuchkas or potato filled thin dry flour balls known in India as Golgappas. There are also burgers and Middle Eastern style tandoori or special oven baked dishes, as well as coffee and local versions of popular Indian snacks like bhel puri or puffed rice preparation and dosa or South Indian pancakes offered here with chicken and cheese. There are also indoor and outdoor seating arrangements similar to Western style restaurants in nice surroundings and offered at moderate prices with friendly customer service.

Roll Express

Address: House- 34, Road- 21, Banani, Dhaka City, Dhaka 1212

3. Spaghetti Jazz

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This restaurant in the city offers a slice of Italy in the country. The restaurant offers prominent Italian dishes like thin crust pizza and pasta. There are also regular Bengali and Bangladeshi style chicken cutlets, seafood besides beef mushrooms and sirloin steaks offered on a hot plate to make it sizzle and enhance the taste and experience. The ambiance and décor of the restaurant are also Western styles with posters of prominent jazz musicians to give an idea of foreign themed restaurants in the city. One should definitely come here to experience Italian food without the need to go to Italy, at a cheap price and in a local friendly environment.

Spaghetti Jazz

Address: 43 North Gulshan, Dhaka

Website: Spaghetti Jazz

4. Istanbul Restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Bangladeshis pride themselves on international knowledge and appreciation of international cultures and food. The Istanbul Restaurant is a slice of Turkey in the country and city and offers popular Middle Eastern dishes like hummus and bread besides kebab barbecues, lentil soups, rolls and meat platters. There is also the unique lahmacun dish that is like a Middle Eastern version of the Italian pizza besides kebabs like the doner kebab and adana kebabs. The restaurant is located in the upscale Gulshan area of the city popular with expats and international business executives. The restaurant has a Turkish origin chef to make the food more authentic as well as a balcony to hang out and drinks like green tea.

Istanbul Restaurant

Address: House-10, Road-113, Gulshan-2, Dhaka

Website: Istanbul Restaurant

5. Al Razzaque

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

This restaurant prides itself on serving authentic local Bengali dishes like mutton and chicken biryanis and Bengali fish curries like those of hilsa, shrimps, telapia and rohu fishe dishes. There is also Indian style nan bread as well as tea, coffee and sweet preparations. The restaurant is quite upscale with traditional cooking and cleanliness and a Muslim style juice bar and an upstairs residential hotel and accommodation facility. There are separate seating facilities for women and the restaurant is located in the old part of the town and popular with businessmen and luxury item seekers in the country and city.

Al Razzaque

Address: North South Road, Dhaka

Website: Al Razzaque

6. Samdado

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This restaurant honors the peace and friendship between Japan and Bangladesh and the international agreement that occurs between the countries. Japanese travelers and expats do come to Bangladesh because of trade agreements and Bangladeshis also show a fondness for Japan and the flags of the countries are also designed similarly. The Samdado restaurant brings authentic Japanese cuisine to Bangladesh without the need for Bangladeshis to travel to Japan. Staple Japanese food like sushis, udon noodles and tempuras are offered at the restaurant beside imported fish and Japanese style fish dishes. The place offers sleek design and bamboo décor and a great place for Bangladeshis to hang out and experience Japan in their own country.

Samdado Restaurant

Address: Road No. 35, House No. 27, Gulshan-2, Dhaka

Website: Samdado Restaurant

7. Star Kebab and restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The restaurant is part of the Star Kebab restaurant chain in the country and offers authentic local dishes that are popular with students and the brunch interested population. The place is clean and bustling with people and offers Bangladeshi breakfasts and brunches at reasonable prices and cozy environment. Popular items offered at the restaurant include mutton curries, raw style biryanis or meat with fried rice and soups made from the leg bones of cows and goats. There is also a local drink made from yogurt and spices besides kebabs of chicken and beef and pomfret fish. The place ranks for simple ambiance and budget priced food options in the Gulshan area.

Star Kebab and restaurant

Address: Banani 1213 Dhaka

Website: Star Kebab and restaurant

8. Pan Tau

Bangladeshis travel abroad and try to recreate their international experience in their own country. This restaurant is a similar endeavor that tries to recreate the Thailand experience in Bangladesh by offering Thai dishes made by a flown-in Thai cook. The typical fare offered at the restaurant includes authentic Thai dishes like Tom Yam soup with chicken and prawn, seafood soup and coconut milk and the Pad Thai specialty Thai noodles with chicken or prawn. There are also some Malaysian curries and the Thai favorite of sticky rice and mango.

Pan Tau

Address: House # 42 Road # 12, Banani Block E, 1213 Dhaka

9. Café Mango

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The restaurant offers a hip and trendy environment, Bangladeshi style. Coffee is offered here as this is a café and Western food is also offered in a natural style décor to give a soothing ambiance in the busy Dhaka city. There are indoor and rooftop seating arrangements and one can hang out here and relish dishes after watching some exhibition in the gallery located in the place. There is soft music and one can sit on the balcony or in the garden under trees and give an idea of urban hip Bangladeshi style café culture.

Café Mango

Address: House 60D. Road 131. Gulshan 1 1212 Dhaka, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh

10. Haji Biryani

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

This is a traditional restaurant in the city near a mosque and it offers a fine specimen of Mughal and Islamic culture in the country. The staple is mutton biryani besides Muslim style soft drinks with a Bengali twist.

Haji Biryani

Address: Road 11, Plot 67-D 1213, Dhaka

Website: Haji Biryani

Dhaka restaurants serve more than just Muslim halal

Dhaka offers plenty of places to stay and things to do for travelers. They also show an appreciation for international cuisine and fine culture. There is also a strong Bangladeshi style restaurant and cafe culture that seems to have been influenced by Western and Asian countries. Similar to Bangladeshis opening restaurants and food outlets in international cities like London offering Bangladeshi cuisine, the country also opens international cuisine restaurants in the capital to appreciate foreign culture and food to offer liberal Islam.