Real food for real prices. Where the locals actually eat.
Gilgit doesn't have the culinary reputation of, say, Karachi. But it has something Karachi doesn't: fresh river trout, local apricot-based dishes, and the GB highland cuisine that most visitors miss because they're eating at "tourist restaurants" near the airport.
The rule is simple: eat where locals eat, which means the Saddar Bazaar area. If a restaurant has a sign in English specifically targeting tourists, skip it. Everything in Gilgit is cheap by national standards — there's no reason to overpay.
| Sardar Restaurant | Saddar Bazaar. The most reliable cheap local meal in Gilgit. Daal, rice, karahi, chapati. Rs.350–500/person. Always full of locals. |
| Hunzai Food House | Local GB cuisine. Order chapshuro (spiced meat in flatbread, Rs.150–200), diram phitti (buckwheat bread), apricot oil dishes. Rs.500–900/person. |
| Kargah Restaurant | Near Kargah Nala, ~10km from centre. Specialises in Gilgit River trout (Rs.800–1,200 per fish). Grilled fresh from the river. Worth the trip. |
| PTDC Motel restaurant | Sit-down, tablecloths, full menu. Rs.800–1,500/person. Reliable, good for groups, slightly slower service. |
| Ittehad Bakery | Fresh naan from 6am. Tandoor-baked, Rs.30–60 each. Queue in the morning. |
| Chai dhabbas (everywhere) | Pink Kashmiri chai or regular milky chai. Rs.30–50/cup. Order with local biscuits. The correct way to start any morning in Gilgit. |
Chapshuro — A stuffed flatbread filled with spiced minced meat (usually lamb), baked in a tandoor. It's GB's version of a hand pie and it's genuinely excellent. Rs.150–200 each. The best I've had is in Hunza, but Gilgit versions are solid.
Gilgit River trout — Fresh-water trout from the Gilgit and Hunza rivers. Ask for it grilled (grilled is better than fried — the flesh is delicate and holds up better dry). Seasonal — best in summer and autumn. Rs.800–1,500 per fish depending on size.
Dried apricots and apricot oil — Not restaurant food exactly, but the Saddar Bazaar dried fruit shops sell local apricots (sweeter and more flavourful than anything you'll find packaged in a supermarket) and cold-pressed apricot kernel oil (used in cooking and as a skin oil). Buy some to take home.
Shorba — A thin meat broth, usually lamb or beef, served with naan. Comfort food for cold evenings. Available at most bazaar restaurants for Rs.200–300.