EXCELLENT DINNING SPOTS

When it comes to eating out in Hyderabad, you'll be spoilt for choice With the many restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars that frequent Hyderabad's streets the only problem you are likely to encounter is being unable to make up your mind what to chose. You can find good restaurants, cafes and bars wherever you are, often in surprising places, so it's well worth taking time to explore. We have a list of Top 10 restaurants for you.

The geographical location of Hyderabad has been a major influence on its varied cuisine, which ranges from the Hyderabadi style with its strong Mughalai influence, to a pure Andhra cuisine - hot and spicy. Hyderabad also has a good number of places for Chinese food, and several Punjabi 'Dhabas'. Add to this live ghazals on weekends and chowki dinners on request, and the meal becomes well worth the money spent. The prices are reasonable with a meal for two coming to around Rs. 250 - Rs. 300 with the taxes. For a quick meal or a snack, one has a choice between western fast foods, Pizza, Burger, Sandwich, and the Indian 'chats'. The city has its ubiquitous Irani Hotels, serving thousands of cups of tea everyday. For the diet-unconscious, Hyderabad probably has the largest number of ice cream brands to offer. In addition, the city's main shopping areas are crowded with sweet shops offering a mind-boggling variety of sweet and snacks.

Dishes in the menu span the whole range of Mughlai, South Indian, Chinese and Tandoori along with regular Lime `n' Onion `Salads'. Kadai Murg stands out in the Mughlai non-veg section for its succulent bits of chicken, smothered with spices and cooked well. The biryanis are, of course, very much on the list and seemed to have that `dum ka' flavour preferred by the gourmets. Veggies can ask for the mild Malai Kofta or go for the more rugged flavour of Capsicum Masala. The Mughlai menu combines well with an assortment of fluffy parathas, rotis and naans available in the tandoor section.

Hyderabadi Biryani: For those who want a taste of the royal menu, there are a variety of Biryanis (a rice and meat preparation, seasoned with spices and flavourings). Hyderbadi Biryani is so popular that it takes a special mention in the world of food. There are 2 styles of preparing this variety. The Kachey Gosh Ki Biryani, where the meat is marinated in curd and then baked with rice, and the Pakkey Gosh Ki Biryani, where the meat is cooked with all the accompanying spices and then the rice is simmered with the resultant gravy redolent of mace, ittar and kewra in a sealed vessel with saffron and cardamom. It is accompanied by side dishes like Mirchi ka Salan, Dhai-Ki-Chatni and Baghare Baingan. Apart from this king of the delicacies, the entire Shahi Nizam cuisine is very popular for its rich and aromatic taste.

South Indian: The South Indian spread is well represented by the classic Gongura Mamasam, Royyalla Pulusu (sizzling prawn curry), Kakarakaya Pulusu (a bitter gourd preparation that uses a good dose of spice) and the more humble, but nevertheless lip-smacking, lentil-spinach dish of Palakura Pappu. Andhra Cuisine is distinct for its hot and spicy food with a range of chutneys, curries, meat preparations and pickles. One can also taste the cuisines of Karnataka (Udipi) and Tamil Nadu - the omnipresent dosas, idlis and vadas. For Dessert: One can have a pick from Double-ka-meetha (a bread and cashew-nut pudding); Qubani-ka-meetha (stewed apricot dessert); Anday-ka-piyosi (made with eggs, mild, almonds and purified butter); Badam-ki-jhab (marzipan) and Dil-e-Firdaus (a rich, milk-based sweet). The number of ice cream parlours seems an ever-expanding one, with popular brands such as Kwality, Dollops, Vadilal, Scoops, Yankee-Doodle, Jumani, Go Cool, Funn and many more. Most of these parlours have places to sit and enjoy your ice creams. In addition, the range of sweets and snacks available in the sweet shops - omnipresent in Hyderabad- is bound to make one's head spin.

Kababs (meat pieces or minced meat cooked in many different styles such as Boti Jhammi, kalmi, Shikampur, Sheek, Lagan-ke-kababs, Dum-ke-kababs) Khormas (either meat or vegetables cooked in a rich creamy gravy) and Lukhmi (pastry). Nahari is another speciality eaten very early in the morning and is a curried soup of sheep's trotters and tongue…sounds far worse than it tastes.

Pubs: Although many restaurants around the city serve liquor, the pub culture is new to Hyderabad. The Bier Keller (S.D. Road) for instance, is designed in the style of a German World War II Nazi bunker! One of the largest pubs is named 10, Downing Street! Other places worth mentioning are: Sailor's Inn (Paradise), Cloud 9 (Begumpet), Oaken Cask (Basheerbagh), Barrel House Street (Panjagutta), Beat Route (Park Lane), Pivot Pub (Punjagutta), Rock Castle (Banjara Hills), 10, Downing Street (S.D. Road), Black Cadilac (R.P.Road).

Chinese Food: Hyderabad also boasts of a number of Chinese restaurants ranging from the inexpensive to the exclusive.

Fast Foods: For somebody looking for a quick and filling snack, there are many western-style fast food joints which offer pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, etc. There are also several places serving Indian fast foods. For the adventurous, the Punjabi Dhabas on the outskirts of the city Moinabad, Medchal & (Hyderabad-Bombay Highway) offer a unique culinary  experience. These 'dhabas' are located on open tracts of land with benches and charpoys (a wooden cot with jute netting) to sit on. These offer the best in Punjabi foods - both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. A part from these, there are quite a few places which serve 'chats' (spicy snacks) like samosas, Mirchi Bhajji, Aloo Bhajji, bhelpuri, panipuri, tikki, pav bhaji, etc.

Paan: No meal in Hyderbad is complete without Paan (betel leaf wrapped around a mixture of betelnut, aniseed, cloves, cardamom, gulkand). There are paan shops, almost one every few metres - quite a few of them an extension of the innumerable Irani Hotels. These shops sell a variety of paans- the most popular being 'Meetha Paan', 'Ram Pyari', 'Meenakshi', etc., Offering paan is a tradition in Hyderabad and most Muslim household still keep the 'Paan - Daan' a specially crafted silver container meant to hold all the ingredients for making paans.

Other Foods Worth Trying: During the month of Ramzan, one gets to taste Haleem (a pounded wheat and meat preparation). For those who prefer more homely food, there is Kichri (a rice a lentil preparation); Kheema methi (minced meat with fenugreek); Nahari ( stew of tongue and lamb trotters); Rumali Rotis (bread as thin as a handkerchief) and Chakna (a spicy dish of meat).

Hyderabad Top 10 Restaurents & Fast Food
Centers: 

Biryani & Non-Veg Restaurants	Veg & Non Veg Restaurants	Fast Food/Pizza & Burger Spl
1) Paradise Food Court Paradise Circle, SD Road Open: 11 - 12am. Average meal for two: 200	Chutney’s Veg- Restaurant Shilpa Arcade, Road No 3 Banjara Hills Open: 7am - 11pm. Average meal for two: 270.	Pizza Hut (5 Branches) 1.RNK Plaza, Banjara Hills 2.KPR House, SP Rd Sec-Bad 3.Madhapur Rd, Hitech City  4.Ground Flr, Hyderabad Central 5.Eat Street (only Take Away), Necklace Rd Open: 11am - 11pm.
The Jewel of Nizam Hotel Golkonda Masab Tank Average meal for two: 520	Malgudi My Home Tycoon Begumpet Open: 11.30am - 3.30pm & 7 - 11.30pm. Price Details: Avg meal for per person veg Rs 130, non veg Rs 180 + taxes.	Domino's Pizza (4 Branches) 1.Divyasai Enclave, Rd No 5, Jubilee Hills 2.Himayathnagar, opp Telugu Academy, Beside Bassera Hotel, 3.Raj Bhavan Rd, Somajiguda 4.Madhapur Rd, Hitech City Open: 11am - 11pm.
Gufaa, Ohri’s Cuisine Court, Opp. Gandhi Medical College, Basheerbagh Open: 11.30am -3.30pm & 7pm - 12am. Average meal for two: Rs 450.	Copper Chimney Hyderabad Central, Punjagutta Rd, Open: Lunch 12 - 3pm, dinner 7 - 11.30pm. Average meal for two: Rs 800.	1. Pizza Corner Rd no 3, Banjara Hills, 2. May Fair Complex, SP Rd, Secunderabad 3. Tarbund X Rd, Secunderabad 4. Giant Hyper Market 5. Prasad's I-Max Average meal for two: Rs 200
Ohris  Banjara Hills. Open: Lunch 11 - 3.30pm, dinner 7pm - 12am.	Our Place, Charan Pahadi, Rd No 10, Banjara Hills Open: Lunch 12 - 3pm, dinner 7.30 - 11pm. Average meal for two: Rs 600	Baker's Inn 23 Amrutha Mall, Somajiguda Rd Open: 9.45am - 10.30pm
Mehfill Hotel Baseraa, S D Road Open: 12noon - 11pm, Average meal for two: Rs 400 on weekdays & Rs 500 on Sun.	Southern Spice, Road No 3 Banjara Hills, Average meal for two: Veg - Rs 260 Non Veg - Rs 360 + 8% tax.	Cake Shop Taj Banjara, Road No 1, Banjara Hills Open: 10.30am - 10.30pm.
Firdaus, Taj Krishna, Road No 1, Banjara Hills Open: 12.30 - 3pm & 7 - 11.30pm. Average meal for two: Rs 1050.	Kamat Veg Restaurant, Opp ramkrishna Theatre Abids,	Country Oven Greenlands, Ameerpet Road 2341-0198, 5566-2400.
Dum Pukht ITC Kakatiya Sheraton Open: 7.30pm - 11.45pm, open daily. Average meal for two: Rs 1134	Mainland China 1st Flr, GS Plaza, Road No 1, Banjara Hills Average meal for two: Rs 500.	Belgique Chocolates Opppsite Vengal Rao Park, Road No1, Banjara Hills.
Hyderabad House Opp JNTU Masab Tank Open: 11:30 to 22:30 Average meal for two: Rs. 150 - Rs. 200	Chinese Pavilion Road No 1, Banjara Hills, Opp. Vengal Rao Park Average meal for two: Rs 600.	Barista Coffee Pub Ground Floor, Reliance Classic Building, Opposite Care Hospital, Road No. 1 Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
Spicey Venue Road No 10 Jubilee Hills Open: 12 - 3.30pm & 7 - 10.30pm. Average meal for two: 300.	Cinnabar Road No. 1 Banjara Hills Open: 12.30 pm – 4 pm 7 pm - 11.30, Average meal for two: Rs 400	Cafe Coffee Day Upper Ground Floor, Vintage Boulevard Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad.
Zafraan, Somajiguda, Opp Skoda Showroom Average meal for two: lunch Rs 300; dinner Rs 600	Kuchipudi- Telugu Speciality Restaurant Fortune Katriya Hotel By Welcomgroup, Raj Bhawan Road, Somajiguda Meal for two : Rs 275 per head	California Pizzeria Opp Iranian Consulate, Road No 7 Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.