11 Best Restaurants in Hunza Valley

Welcome to the mountainous heaven of Hunza Valley. A place that boasts its mighty and rugged mountainous landscapes, huge glaciers, and breathtaking turquoise lakes that create a picturesque setting. But this is not the only thing that makes Hunza special; it is also a place where culinary delights await you at every turn. Dishes in Hunzai Cuisine are made from organic, pure and healthy ingredients. Their motto is tasty, locally grown and all organic. So don’t worry if you eat a little too much while in Hunza Valley.

Here is the list of the 11 Best Restaurants in Hunza Valley to satisfy your cravings for local Hunzai Food with a backdrop of awe-inspiring mountains of this region:

Best Restaurants in Hunza Valley:

1- Café de Hunza

First on the list of the 11 best restaurants in Hunza Valley is Café De Hunza, without any doubt. It was opened in 1994 by a local from Hunza, and now his son gracefully runs it. Café De Hunza has a warm rustic ambience with a blend of modern touch. You don’t want to miss this place when in Hunza. It is located in Karimabad Bazaar (market), which is the capital of Hunza Valley.
Café De Hunza is famous around the world for its scrumptious Walnut Cake. It has a sweet walnut filling, and the cake is a bit on the dryer side and tastes like heaven. The cake is made with honey, walnuts, eggs, butter and flour. It is their family recipe.

They have a huge price board above the order counter, allowing you to choose your food from a wide variety of dishes. They serve different types of omelets, French toast, brownies, shakes, and other breakfast options, some local delicacies and European-style snacks with coffee or tea options. Their sandwiches are the second best-selling item on their menu. The cheesy mushroom sandwich with a mug of coffee is my favorite. The traditional Hunzai dish like Giyaling (local pancake) is also available.
Talking about the building, it is a three-story building; the first floor has an order counter, and both the first and second floors have good seating with a perfect view of Hunza Valley. The ground floor is dedicated to a shop to buy souvenirs like shawls, gemstones and other traditional goods like honey, organic oils of walnut, apricot, and almond, and jams of apricot, cherry, plum, apple, and mulberry. You can also buy these products from their website. So, yes, Café De Hunza is a must-visit place for the list of Best Restaurants in Hunza.

2- Food Pavilion by Lal Shehzadi

Second on the list of the 11 best restaurants in Hunza Valley is Food Pavilion, it is located at a small corner in the Karimabad bazaar of Hunza. It’s a basic café with sitting on the floor as they sit traditionally in their dining areas and lounges. It gives you a pure local Hunzai vibe with both the culture and culinary delight.

A woman, Lal Shehzadi, runs the Food Pavilion, hence the name Food Pavilion by Lal Shehzadi. Lal is a mother of 5 children. She opened this café with a reputation for serving organic food. It is a small-scale café, but she has earned popularity around the world for introducing Hunza’s local dishes. Her confident and positive attitude is a prominent feature that attracts people to her café. She is an inspiration for women around the world, as she is independently running her business in such a remote area of Pakistan. Interestingly, all the staff at the café are women, creating a supportive and empowering environment.

The food is made fresh in front of you in their tiny kitchen, which is also a unique experience. You can have a chit-chat with the lady while she cooks for you. Daudo Soup, Chapshuro, Giyaling and Brushapik are some of their specialties. They also use walnut oil in their cooking, adding a unique touch to the flavors. Visit Food Pavilion can never be a disappointment.

3- Kha Basi Café

Third on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Kha Basi Cafe. This café is located in the foothills of 900-year-old Altit Fort. The café’s building was the colonial-era winter residence for the Mirs (royals) of Hunza, now turned into a café. There is a Royal Garden near Altit Fort named Kha Basi; hence, the name was given to this cafe. The café has an elevated wooden veranda for seating and absorbing the dreamiest view over Hunza Valley and its mighty mountains. When entering Altit Fort and the Royal Garden, you will see a board giving you a direction to go towards Kha Basi Café. You will know you are at the right place. So don’t miss Kha Basi Café when touring Altit Fort.
Kha Basi Café is run by a team of aspiring and dedicated women from Hunza Valley. They serve a few delicious local dishes from Hunza and also some Pakistani classics like beef and chicken handis, karahis and certain Chinese dishes to the guests. And obviously, a café menu is incomplete without coffee and tea, which they also have in there.

There is a small intricate indoor seating also. The walls are mounted with picture frames of old Hunza Valley and their royals, a long sword, and a Rubab (musical instrument). In a corner, there are a few certificates placed on a shelf, most probably given to the café. Altit Fort’s rich history and the café’s simple and scenic interior create a blend of a perfect experience for you.

4- Ancient Sip Hunza

Fourth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Ancient Sip Hunza, located in the old town of Altit in Hunza Valley. It is a tiny one-room café and has a glass front door. Inside the café, you will see a well-decorated interior inspired by the European bars. It even has vine bottles and vine glass as decoration. On the left, there is a wall dedicated to the guests to leave sticky notes with comments, reviews, or anything special for the visitors after them; some also leave signed currency notes of their country as a memory.

There are a few other bits on the wall, like a Rubab, a traditional cap, some books to read, an old camera, markhor horns, and a few other detailed objects that add to the beauty of the café. It is a great place to refuel while exploring around. They also serve the famous walnut cake, different other cakes, brownies, local organic food, fresh juices, smoothies, coffee and tea.

5- Glacier Breeze Hunza

Fifth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Glacier Breeze, located in the heart of Passu Village of Hunza Valley. It offers dramatic 360-degree panoramic views of Passu Cones, Passu Glacier, Karakoram Highway, Shisper Peak, and the Passu Village.
You will have to climb too many stairs to get to the café. When you climb all of them, a beautifully carved wooden gate welcomes you. This door looks antique when you look at the carvings in detail, and through this door, you enter into a dining hall with many dining tables and picture frames mounted on the walls. It’s a great place to relax and unwind after a long day of exploring the valley.

Mr. Ahmad Ali Khan gracefully owns this café and their specialty is the mouthwatering Apricot Cake, which is their family recipe. Mr. Ahmed and his family have been making it for generations. It is sweeter and made with fresh apricots, eggs, flour, milk, butter or apricot oil, and other organic ingredients. It is a bit different from the walnut cake. You can enjoy a piece of cake with a cup of coffee and a dramatic view of Passu Cones in front of you.
They have an extensive menu where you can order other local, Pakistani and Chinese dishes. Glacier Breeze furthermore offers night stay facilities in a room, or you can even camp close to the café because they provide camping and trekking services to the nearby valleys.

6- Yak Grill Café

Sixth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Yak Grill, located in the Passu Village of Hunza Valley, just in front of the Glacier Breeze Café. Yak Grill, as the name suggests, is famous for serving dishes with yak meat.
People of Gilgit Baltistan have been using Yak meat for ages, but introducing it to the world, that too, in burgers and steaks, was a great challenge. Yak Grill has brilliantly launched fast food with a touch of yak meat.
Their thing is the Yak Meat smashed burger with a side of potato wedges and delicious sauce. They also serve Yak Stakes and Yak Chilli Dry, which you should try once in your life.

Like most of the cafes, Yak Grill also has a rustic and modern ambiance. They have mounted stuffed yak skulls inside and outside the café. So you will certainly know the animal you are eating. While traveling through Passu village on Karakoram Highway, you will see a board again with a yak skull having long horns mounted on a wooden board and “Yak Grill” carved on that board. That is the place, guys!
As you traverse inside the café, their counter and kitchen are on the left, and seating is on the right side. Order your food through the menu board, and you can entertain yourself by watching a few young men cook food for you. It is quite a show. It is a cozy little café shadowed by the monstrous Passu Cones. They also offer an outdoor sitting to feel these mountains in a better way.

7- Hidden Paradise Hunza

Seventh on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Hidden Paradise, located in the Karimabad bazaar of Hunza Valley. Hidden Paradise, formerly known as the Ultar Restaurant, is one of the oldest cafés in the region and one of the pioneers in serving the local dishes of Hunza to tourists with the concept of introducing them to authentic Hunzai dainties. It was established in 1983 by the late Mr. Lutfi Ali, the restaurant’s founder. With 40+ years of experience, Hidden Paradise Hunza has become a masterful restaurant serving the best of traditional Hunza cuisine.
This place is your Pinterest-inspired café in the remote mountains of Hunza, with a warm and welcoming interior with the backdrop of massive mountains and intricately carved wooden structures all around. Their tranquil sitting area with a beautifull garden area makes it an ideal place to dine at.

They serve some really pleasing organic delicacies of Hunza Valley. There is a good variety of options on the menu to choose from, and relish your time while chatting with your friends or family. They also have a store to buy local and organic Hunzai goods. Add this café to your list if you want to enjoy local food while gazing at the mountainous landscape of this valley.

8- Pizza Pamir

Eighth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Pizza Pamir. It is a famous pizzeria in Hunza Valley, with over 3 branches at Karimabad, Aliabad, and one at the Attabad Lake. Their most visited branch is in Karimabad Bazaar. When you see a big bright red sign displaying Pizza Pamir, you are at the correct location. Pamir Pizza prides itself on bringing the organic flavors of mountain herbs from the Karakoram ranges to its pizzas.

Their specialty is their Yak Pizza, a cheesy and juicy pizza heaven that offers the unique experience of having yak meat in a Pizza with its natural herb-infused taste. It’s worth noting that Yak meat is not easy and takes a bit longer to cook, so a little patience is always a good choice. The staff’s demeanor is also appreciable and makes your stay even more delightful.

9- Mountain Cup Café

Ninth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Mountain Cup Café, located at the Fort Chowk Karimabad Bazaar and was opened in 2020. It has a nice modern and cozy ambiance, perfect for a more upscale dining experience and an incredible view of the rugged mountains. They have indoor, terrace and a rooftop seating; all offer panoramic front views of the mountains like Rakaposhi Peak, Diran Peak, Golden Peak, Baltit Fort, and Ultar Peak.

The restaurant’s extensive menu includes a variety of coffees, cold drinks, juices, teas, sandwiches, cakes, burgers, and some chef-special items on the menu. Their food is both appealing and mouth-watering.

10- Café Culture Hunza

Tenth on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is Café Culture Hunza, which is another local family-run café located in the Altit Village of Hunza Valley. It was opened in the year 2015. The owners are very kind and mannered. This café was constructed using eco-friendly materials like stones, mud and wood. The wooden counter is like the ones on the beaches, serving drinks and mocktails in Western countries, which is the main attraction of this café. The details on each nook and corner is mind blowing.
All the food is homemade here, and they offer some freshly prepared food like uniquely rose dumplings (their specialty), almond and cheese chapatis (Bru shapik in the local language), pasta, pizza, soups, and pancakes, paired with juices, rose tea and different other types of teas. The prices are also very economical as compared to others in Hunza.

The café focuses on providing a farm-to-fork experience. It has a small farm for homegrown vegetables and fruits, like cherries, potatoes, strawberries, apricots, and plums. They also plan to expand it to a co-working space for digital nomads. Sounds interesting?

11- Ginger Fort Café
Eleventh on the list of Restaurants in Hunza is the Ginger Fort Café. It is another cozy café in Hunza located in Karimabad bazaar. The exterior of the café is quite appealing, with a stone and wood rustic structure and locally made rugs hanging on its stone pillars, attracting people who crave the cultural side of any place. The cozy and inviting atmosphere of the café, with its charming wooden decor, adds to the overall experience. When you visit, try their refreshing ginger ale, which visitors highly recommend.

There is a small store on the ground floor where you can buy souvenirs like shawls, caps, gemstones and traditional clothes from Hunza. The café also offers a good view of Hunza Valley. The food here is also too good to miss.

Whether you are a traveler looking for a cool spot to relax and unwind from all the exploring around or looking for a pleasing food experience and eager to try the local delicacies, these restaurants in Hunza have got you covered.