If you want to celebrate Mother’s day in Lahore here’s something to help you along.

Mother’s Day is around the corner and that means this Sunday Facebook is going to be filled with lengthy mommy appreciation posts and cute collages. If like me you’re a sucker for the holiday and are wondering how best to pamper your mother, the answer is food. The answer is always food if you’re a Pakistani. Here are some of the best food deals for mothers day in Lahore, and some other recommendations that come without a discounted deal. For more restaurant recommendations and reviews, head over to Hungerist.

1. Chit Chaat

There’s never a better time to be a mother than on Mother’s Day. All mommies eat for free at Chit Chaat this Sunday. When I heard that, I said I may be eating off my momma’s plate, just sayin’ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Chit Chat responded by editing their deal and adding disclaimers: All moms accompanied by their children eat one meal free of cost.

Bummer. Still good enough, no?

2. Daar Cheeni

Daar Cheeni’s festive Sunday brunch from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm is the perfect way to kick-start Mother’s Day. The menu includes all the classical desi nashta favorites like halwa puri, beef nihari, mutton paye and khageena to name a few, meanwhile also catering diverse entrees like Kung Pao Chicken, Grilled Fish With Tarragon Sauce, Penne Pasta and some desi classics as well as an entire selection of deserts.

3. Scafé Bistro

Definitely on the pricer end, but hey, when you celebrate your mother you don’t cut corners. Scafe boasts to be the best restaurant in the city, and after tasting their food we have to attest that their claims are in fact based on reality. Their creme brulee is essentially a piece of art. Heavy on the wallet but worth every dime. Your mother would definitely be impressed.

4. Karachi Kanteen

From Hunter Beef Bun, stuffed Chicken Tikka Naan, Khaw Suey Beef to spicy Qourma that I can’t get enough of, Karachi Kanteen offers a delectable selection of desi food items that appease people from every generation. Whether your mother likes Daal Ka Halwa or Sticky Toffee Pudding, she’ll have a variety of things to opt from and so would you. Karachi Kanteen is definitely more low key, but very hip and trendy and the food here is the bomb.

5. Spice Bazaar

If you want fancy, high-class desi food with ambiance as sophisticated as your momma, this is where you need to go. Their handis, tawa dishes, and bbq are all the rave, but the vegetarian options are just as delightful. Do try their daal makhani and palak paneer, both mommy certified. The prices are steep but the food well worth it. They also have a great Sunday Brunch Buffet and a High Tea Buffet if all-you-can places are more your thing.

6. Andaaz

May might be too hot for rooftop dining and Andaaz is a little further away from the usual dining spots, but if you venture out to the inner city, there is one plus side (apart from great food and delicious cheese and garlic naans)- your mother’s meal will be absolutely free of cost on Mother’s Day. Reservations are recommended.

7. Urban Kitchen

This new kid on the block is here to stay and make us fat with their hard-to-pull-away from comfort foods. I will never shut up about how amazing their appetizers and desserts are. True story: I make a main course by ordering a combination of their delicious appetizers. Their butter chicken thali and grilled salmon are great hits with the aunties. Bonus brownie points to the Urban Kitchen because they’re celebrating Mother’s Day by picking the check for all mommies. You know what’s better than a free meal? A free meal paid for by the restaurant themselves.

8. Ginsoy

This isn’t your watered down Pakistani Chinese but actual “Extreme Chinese” as the owners like to put it. With plentiful family sized servings and some of the most authentic flavors, Ginsoy offers great food befit for a Mother’s Day celebration. The additional 30% on Mother’s Day also serves as a great value for money.

9. Fuchsia Kitchen

Pakistani’s generally love spicy pan Asian cuisine and while there are many contenders, Fuschia Kitchen is a clear winner for me for it offers the most authentic Thai curries. Their dim sum menu is also great but it’s their Thai green curry that steals the show. The restaurant is quite large with ample seating befit for a bigger Mother’s Day celebration.

10. Chaaye Khana

Maybe a whole meal isn’t your deal and you’d much rather take your mother shopping and follow that up with some chai and desserts. Well, all mothers can enjoy free tea and a brownie at Chaaye Khana on Mother’s Day. Mein to kehti hon Chit Chat k muftay k baad Chaaye Khana chalo. If however, you’re interested in the whole dining experience I recommend their Moroccan Chicken. Alternatively, their brunch would also be a great option. Chaaye Khana brunch hack: Pair any Omelet with their deliciously creamy Mushroom Toasts. You’ll thank me later.

11. The Kitchen

Speaking of warm beverages, if you dine in at The Kitchen, your mother will receive a complementary selfieccino. Instead of posting a basic mashup of pictures of your momma on social media, how about you get an adorable picture of the two of you printed on your coffee (selfieccino), take a photo of that photo wali coffee (photo inception) and post that on your socials. Thora complicated hai but it’s ingenious- do it for the gram!

12. Qabail

Bring your mother to eat at Qabail from 11th-13th May and enjoy 10% off on the entire bill and receive a special gift for your mother- which in all likelihood is probably something useless. I just hope it’s food- hey, if I was a mom, I could dig a takeaway order of their infamous lamb Khaadi Kababs that are barbecued in an underground charcoal oven. Not to put a price on mumta, but if you must, make it a good one.

13. Eataly Ristorante

You get a car. You get a car. You get a car. Except that the car is actually just a complimentary dessert and not everyone gets it- only mommies who have ordered entrees. The food here gets mixed reviews, sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s mediocre pasta pretending to be top notch Italian food ??‍♀️ The place in itself is a cozy little joint with great ambiance, so there’s always that. Did I mention the free dessert?

14. Tuscany Courtyard

Tuscany Courtyard offers some of the finest Italian, Continental and Thai options available in the city. As I type this, I can imagine my colleague exhale sharply through their nose and let go an exasperated sigh as he explains for the umpteenth time that Tuscany Courtyard is basically a lower end version of Aylanto. But hey, what he really means is that it offers everything Aylanto offers for a lower price. Not sold? Yeah, that wasn’t a great pitch. You also get Mother’s Day freebies- delicious free dessert on ordering any main course on Mother’s Day. Also, the place is very spacious which means you won’t have to endlessly wait for a seat or make reservations.

15. Rivoli

Rivoli kept it real- as per their offer Mother’s get an option of either a complimentary dessert (that they don’t need, cause hello every mother is on a diet) or the more realistic salad. *Slow clap* Good job Rivoli. Their salads do look very good btw. Just because they’re free don’t think you’re getting a kachumbar salad. These bad boys have fancy shmancy ingredients like beet chips, edible flowers, quinoa, and kale.

16. Asian Aroma, Park Lane

This deal isn’t personally my favorite because I have a very small family but hey, other’s may like it. If you come as a family of 4, mothers can dine in for free at Asian Aroma. The joint specializes in Pan Asian and Japanese cuisine and has a live a teppanyaki station.

While naysayers will say that every day should be Mother’s Day and an obligatory commercialized annual display of gratitude is hard to endure, I refute their cynicism with an extremely obvious eye roll and say that it is nice to have a dedicated day for mothers who dotingly do so much for their children every day, year after year, tirelessly and selflessly. Sure, we should be respecting and honoring our mothers every day of the year but it’s nice to have a particular day set aside for celebrating moms and all that they do. So go, shoo, make a big deal today about your mother. Pamper her silly.

Let us know in the comments below where you’re taking your mother for a celebratory Mother’s Day meal. This list will be constantly updated to depict any new deals that stem up. Tag your cheap sibling(s) and make a plan already. Happy Mother’s Day!

Hungerist’s Guide To The Top Restaurants For Celebrating Mother’s Day In Karachi