This article is from hungerist.com

There was a time when Karachiites would be seen in the posh suburbs of Clifton and Defence because some of the best restaurants were located there.

Times have changed and in the recent decade, the “other side of the bridge” is now competing with Defence and Clifton in Karachi to become the food hub of the city by the sea

I’ve lived in the Tipu Sultan Road area all my life and it was just a busy street with only Dunkin Donuts there as the nearest food spot. Today, the place has transformed. It could very well be the next Zamzama. That spot may already have been taken by Sindhi Muslim but Tipu Sultan isn’t far behind.

Dunkin Donuts is still there but in a nicer and bigger building. It’s right next to a Habbitt store and Espresso Coffee shop. Espresso was always in Defence in two locations: Zamzama and Shahbaz Commercial. Its arrival at Tipu Sultan gave rise to several other casual dining places and cafes. On both sides of the street, there are quite a few places such as Bella Vita, Cocochan, The Kitchen 2, and more. Chop Chop Wok had first opened in Defence’s Khadda Market and later on Badar Commercial and  has now been open for a month already on Tipu Sultan Road.

One of Karachiites’ favorite cafes, Xander’s, is also set to open on December 18, we’ve been told. Xander’s first location was in Tauheed Commercial in Defence and later Bukhari Commercial.

Restaurants such as Xander’s and Bella Vita seem to have realized that there is a huge market of high income foodies outside of Defence.

The aforementioned Cocochan is an example. Cocochan is a fine dining Mandarin and Thai cuisine restaurant that’s become a very popular destination. For most of us living in this area, we don’t have to drive much at all to dine at these places. One can even walk to some of these places depending on the location.

One of the other reasons why Tipu Sultan looks like a lucrative place for such restaurants may be due to several major companies having offices on that very road

Bosch, Interflow, and Ogilvy and Mather are some of the companies located on either side of the street. The new restaurants would appeal to employees of these companies who would visit during lunch hours and to relax after wrapping up work.

It’s great to see other parts of Karachi getting upscale restaurants that won’t require a commute to Clifton or Defence. The appeal of Defence and Clifton shall remain but it will be equally matched by commercial areas outside of it. That’s a great thing for Karachi’s dining scene.

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re trying to make dinner plans but can’t decide which restaurant to go to, then you should check out hungerist.com

Cover image via: Abdul Aziz – SWOT’s Guide for Karachi’s Restaurants, Cafes, Dhabas, Khokas and Take-outs / Gulp.pk