Among other things, Lahore is known for the variety and quality of food it offers to its citizens and guests from other places. There are still many areas, especially within the Walled City, where people hardly prepare breakfast at home. On any given day or time, one can see people, including children in the streets, heading to shops to buy home some food. There are others, in even larger numbers, who throng these places to avail their dine-in facilities.

Thanks to this very culture, more and more food outlets are coming up in the city, and the existing ones are extending their timings.

Another trend is that the shops owners now offer different varieties and many of those that would open at night serve breakfast and lunch as well.

There is good news for food lovers: They do not have to wait for the shops/markets to open in order to satiate their gut or answer their late night cravings. There are several places in the city that are now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offer delicious food.

Visit the Railway Station, Badami Bagh Lorry/Truck Adda or Bund Road and what you see is a part of the city that never seems to sleep. The shops here mostly cater to the needs of the drivers of heavy vehicles and passengers who can arrive any time.

In addition to these, there are several similar options that one can avail in residential, commercial and semi-commercial areas of the city.

Malik Imran, the owner of a 24-hour service restaurant in Township, is of the view that apart from the increasing number of customers, the convergence of businesses is also promoting the trend. Explaining his point, he says he has rented out his shop to another person who sells breakfast when his working hours end. So they both are there for half a day each but the impression others get is that it’s run by the owner during all these hours.

TNS presents a lowdown on some of Lahore’s best 24/7 food bets:

The menu is valid throughout

Hafiz Hotel at the Railway Station is one of the most popular eateries for night birds. It is open round the clock and especially has an exhaustive assortment of dishes for the diners. Here you can have kari pakora, chicken or beef liver, biryani, brain masala, palak, daal etc at even seven in the morning and halwa puri all night long. The availability of a particular food variety is not linked with the time at which it is served. The menu is valid throughout.

They’ve never had the shutters down

Zahoor Shaheed Hotel, at the entrance of Taxali Bazaar from the main road leading from Yadgar Chowk to Data Darbar, has been around for many decades. The locals say they have never seen the shutters down. If they are not serving food, like in Ramzan, they are busy preparing and selling it in packed form for takeaway purposes.

Tariq Iqbal, a resident of Karim Park, says this restaurant is a blessing for the whole area because in case of unexpected arrival of guests at odd hours they can get food of all types from here.

Where no one is asked to leave, after they have finished their food

Mozang Paratha House is another popular eatery, which is open round the clock. It is situated next to the recently constructed Clock Tower, near Qartaba Chowk, at the confluence of Jail Road and Ferozepur Rd. Earlier, the place was housed in a shop close to the gate of the Bahawalpur House. It was moved because of the construction of Metro Bus Station at Qartaba Chowk and also the widening of roads on both the sides.

Haji Tariq, the owner of this paratha shop, says that throughout the day "people from different walks of life come here to try our tasty parathas, tea, yogurt, and many dishes we offer." There are labourers, lawyers, journalists, factory workers, policemen, solid waste management company staffers, truck drivers, temporary visitors to the city, club and mohalla level cricketers, families etc who visit the place at all sort of hours.

According to Tariq, it is the variety of parathas -- chiefly chicken paratha, mooli paratha, aaloo paratha, gobhi paratha, and qeema paratha -- that makes his outlet the first choice for his customers. "If you come here during the wee hours of the day, you will find people having food inside the shop, on chairs placed on the roads, and even while sitting inside their cars," he says.

"It’s also become a meeting spot as people sit here for hours and make their plans. We don’t ask anyone to leave after they have finished their food."

The regulars at the outlet are mostly residents of Garhi Shahu, Mozang, Ferozepur Road, Bahwalpur Road, Multan Road, Gawalmandi, and Krishan Nagar. It’s also a favourite place for students living in hostels, "because our prices are very economical."

A favourite with those who love to talk about revolution

Then there is the famous Yaseen Tea Stall, located in Old Anarkali, which offers breakfast in the morning and different varieties of food throughout the day. Gull Khan, who has been working here for around five years, says that this is a popular place for activists and "people who love to talk about revolution. They sometimes come here at night and engage in long discussions, and eventually leave well after dawn."

Khan admits that he doesn’t know much about ‘revolution’ but has quite often heard his visitors talk at length about their role in different movements against dictators. The items served here are tea, anda tikki, toasted/fried bread, rusk etc.

Apart from the activists, it’s the students of Punjab University (PU), Government College University (GCU), and the University of Education (UoE) who come here in large numbers. Of course, the labour community takes to Khan’s stall because of the quality of tea.

Set up 50 years ago, this café has remained open since

Café Gulfishan, located on Alamgir Road in Krishan Nagar (renamed Islampura), is quite a happening place. It’s always packed with people, though at night time it literally glows. Baba Jani, the senior waiter at the hotel, says the place was set up over half a century ago, "Since then, it has remained open."

Dining is discontinued in Ramzan but takeaway option is there. Jani says that it’s a place that the locals have especially taken to, "They step out of their homes, whenever they want to, and meet and chat with their friends over cups of tea, or puffs of cigarettes. They also share cold drinks and meals."