Despite this city’s current mood being chai dhabbas and comfort food joints, the fine dining scene seems to thrive on with new eateries bringing new flavours to the classic continental menu. Newest on the block in the clustered Khadda Market in Karachi is London Grill, bringing fine dining amid a sea of desi fast food grubs and juice corners. I make my way to the Grill for a late (and lazy) lunch on a Sunday afternoon with a friend. The opening area is small reception and a couple of table, leaving me quizzical if that was it but to my satisfaction, we were led via a narrow staircase to a basement dining area. A dim lit and wonderfully curated dining area featured tables and dark teal couches and leftover Valentine’s Day celebratory balloons, making it perfect for an intimate and quiet dinner pick. Browsing through the menu, we were told to not miss out on their steaks! With taste buds craving something spicy, we settled on the Rib Eye Steak.

From the starters featuring multiple continental staples, we opted for the new entrant on the block: Chicken Tupplo. The burger connoisseur in me doesn’t skip the burger section and the Bacon Cheese Burger came with strong recommendation and from the rice bowl section we settled for the Fire Cracker Chicken. Our starters made it to our table within a wait of five minutes; deep breaded chicken pieces with a side of cabbage and beetroot salad and honey mustard sauce, looking appetising and a fitting starter to a lazy weekend lunch. The chicken was tender and mildly marinated and I was particularly happy that the dip was not too-mustardy. The large steak platter followed and what an Instagrammable presentation it was! The steak itself was cut into strips with whole roasted garlic, potato wedges, corn on the cob, roasted mushrooms and my personal favourite, cream and spinach topped with Parmesan shavings. Easily shareable, my friend and I dig into it, overwhelmed by what to try first.

The spinach and cream was a surprise highlight on the platter with the roasted mushrooms a close second. As for the star of the platter – the steak – was cooked perfectly to the medium rare we requested and unbelievably juicy. It’s a science that the taste develops a couple of bites in; while it was adequately marinated, it fell short of satiating the spice that we were craving. Next to trial was the burger with a generous serving of wavy fries. Layers of a thick beef patty, tomatoes, cheese slice and beef bacon, the burger visually lived to my expectations. Biting into it, the beef patty was perfectly seasoned without too much going on and beef bacon stood out as the best element of the burger. The Fire Cracker Chicken sat on the table, rice centered with saucy gravy, chicken cubes and bell peppers around it. We only picked at the entrée, too full from our previous heartily indulged in entrées; the chicken was tender cooked and the sauce was the right consistency without tasting too over-powering. Never one to miss desserts, we settle for the option which is widely loved but less found on eatery menus: Three Milk Cake. It arrived after a short wait, a gorgeous looking slice of vanilla cake topped with chocolate shavings and the mixture of condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream oozing out of it. Forking in, we were overtaken by the sharp sweetness, chilled as it should be and a perfect end to our lunch.

Address: Plot no 3-C, Stadium lane 2, Khadda Market, Phase 5, DHA, Karachi, Pakistan
Average cost for 2: Rs 3000

TASTE

With a little more focus on taste, the eatery has potential to thrive in the food scene.

SERVICE

Servers were standing on their toes and guiding us through their menus. Special mentions to speedy service.

AMBIENCE

Dim lit, soothing music and comfortable seating, the interior looks cosy without being OTT.

PRESENTATION

Bonus points for all the plating keeping up with current trends. 

VALUE FOR MONEY

Priced according to fine dining standards and all portion sizes were big enough for two.