Game of Thrones-themed café opens in Islamabad

[Devil Soul]

There’s A Game of Thrones Themed Cafe In Rawalpindi That ‘You Know Nothing’ About!

By Tazzo Man
Posted on February 3, 2017

Themed cafes are opening up in Pakistan, and the trend is absolutely marvelous! At first, there was a Breaking Bad themed café and now there is a Game of Thrones themed café as well. Fans always want to live the tiny details of their favorite shows.





For example, wearing a fur robe just like Lannisters and Starks, sitting on the Iron Throne, or perhaps even drinking from a chalice just like Tyrion does, and cafes like these offer just that. There is so much to do in such restaurants apart from dining-in and walking out. The idea is a unique one, and so far people are loving it.

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

The King’s Landing Café is the talk of the town in Rawalpindi these days. Opened just a few days ago, anyone can guess by now that the place is based on Game of Thrones. An exceptionally sized place with an ambiance that matches the dark theme of Game of Thrones.

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

We happened to come across one of the partners who runs the place and decided to ask them a few questions that everyone would love to know about. Here they are:

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

1) WHAT GAVE YOU THE IDEA OF OPENING THIS CAFE?

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

“Within a year of graduation from university, our team members, whether employed or not, found themselves equally disappointed. After tons of brainstorming sessions, we had concluded that an entrepreneurial venture was the only way to fulfill our need to succeed and gain control over our destiny. We knew that the repetitive and routine nature of working 9 to 5 for another entity’s benefit couldn’t feed our burning passion for creativity and innovation. The urge to explore the unseen took over gradually and we embarked on the adventure with each other’s moral support. Having seen the recent escalation of startup culture in the twin cities, we had put all sorts of options on the table but the concept of a Game of Thrones style cafe always overshadowed the others. So after conducting a market feasibility study with positive results we unanimously decided to start working on it.”

2) WHO ARE THE FACES BEHIND THIS CAFE? IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A PICTURE OF THE WHOLE GANG?

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

“The team behind this cafe was actually formed on the back benches of one of Islamabad’s esteemed higher education institutions. Given the competitive nature of our industry and the safety of our private lives, we consider it best to stay behind the lens but should you plan to visit us at Bahria Town, Rawalpindi you’ll always find us at your service.”

3) ARE YOU HUGE GOT FANS?

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

“Any man who says ‘I am a GoT fan’, is no true GoT fan.”

 

[Devil Soul]

4) HOW’S THE RESPONSE SO FAR? AND IS THERE A FLAGSHIP MEAL?

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

“Interestingly enough our cafe was so well anticipated that we had to serve walk-in customers before our official launch. Ever since the opening day, we have had an overwhelming response from the customers. The Mountain challenge, in particular, has gathered a lot of attention. For those of you who don’t know, it involves a huge beef burger that you have to finish in the given time and in the case of success you get 50% off on it. Furthermore, your name gets on the board of fame listing last 5 successful challengers and as long as you stay on it, you get 10% off on all of your future bills.”

5) HOW OLD ARE YOU GUYS, AND WHAT EDUCATION HAVE YOU RECEIVED?

Courtesy: Qasim Ben Tariq

“We’re all early 90s kids and we bonded together after enrolling in FAST-NU Islamabad for their Electrical Engineering program in 2010. Since we were studying in the same university, same program, same batch and often the same hostel room; we found ample opportunities to see through each other’s skins and thankfully stood the tests of time.”
https://www.parhlo.com/game-of-thrones-themed-cafe-in-rawalpindi

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

PHOTO: KING'S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

 

[KAL-EL]

Not a fan of the show.. But that looks very cool.

Now if it was a Battlestar Galactica themed Cafe, then I would be geeking out lol

Curious as to how much a cup of coffee would cost in u.s. dollars there?

 

[Devil Soul]

Not a fan of the show.. But that looks very cool.

Now if it was a Battlestar Galactica themed Cafe, then I would be geeking out lol

Curious as to how much a cup of coffee would cost in u.s. dollars there?

Their is one in Lahore, but not as elegant as Islamabad one....
Menu For Lahore :

 

[Winchester]

There is also a Harry Potter themed cafe near-by.

Not a fan of the show.. But that looks very cool.

Now if it was a Battlestar Galactica themed Cafe, then I would be geeking out lol

Curious as to how much a cup of coffee would cost in u.s. dollars there?

Normally around $3 for a medium size cup in these sort of places but its shitty.

 

[.]

Do we get naked red heads like the fire lady?
I'm in

 

[ADIL SHERDIL]

Well this cafe is located near pwd gate and its to be very honest quite isolated. They shoud have opened it in Islamabad because Bahria is very un-predictable market. It look good from inside i have seen it couple of time from outside. Good initiative and good luck with this venture.

FYI they should screen GOT episodes all the time and live when they are released it will be a huge advantage as i know many follow this season. including me

 

[Jugger]

Their is one in Lahore, but not as elegant as Islamabad one....
Menu For Lahore :

The menu looks good, how is the food? Anyone been there?

 

[ADIL SHERDIL]

@Jugger not yet but will definitely go their.

 

[Devil Soul]

The menu looks good, how is the food? Anyone been there?

No idea.... me is a visitor to Pak... been inn & out of Pak for years.....

 

[MultaniGuy]

Interesting. I would love to take a tea in that cafe.

 

[Devil Soul]

Game of Thrones-themed café opens in Islamabad
By Hafsah Sarfaraz
Published: February 6, 2017
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PHOTO: KING'S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Ever wondered what dining like the Lannisters would be like? People in Islamabad and Rawalpindi don’t need to wonder, they can now experience it. A Game of Thrones-themed café named King’s Landing Cafe & Grill opened in Phase 4, Bahria Town Islamabad recently.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

The café is a brainchild of five young graduates – Qasim Ben Tariq, Ali Saif, Moiz Hashmi, Hammad Anwar and Arslan Sajid who graduated from FAST University with engineering degrees. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Tariq said they are a bunch of young playful students with a diverse skill set.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

“The current job market for engineers is so disappointing that we were left with no choice but to put our creativity to good use. So we started our quest for an appropriate entrepreneurial venture and all options were put under consideration. After research, we identified that the formula for success is to provide the modern day consumers with a unique experience and memories associated with a product or service,” he said.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Restaurant review: Ambrosia is a cut above the rest

Tariq also mentioned that they didn’t want to open just another café and hence decided to explore the theme of Game of Thrones (GOT). “One of the biggest challenges was to coordinate scheduling and implementation of tasks assigned to local contractors in appropriate sequence and within designated time; our labour force has a tendency to not meet their deadlines. The entire GOT merchandise was ordered from international online retailers and sometimes the items delivered were not in the perfect condition,” he shared.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Quality – 3/5

Without any surprise, the menu at King’s Landing Cafe & Grill is specifically tailored according to the show. There are items named like Little Fingers, King of the Andals, Valar Spaghetti Pasta, Sand Snake Pasta, the Cheesy Khaleesi, the Red Keep, the Hound’s Chicken and many others.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

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The Cheesy Khaleesi has butter-fried chicken topped with hard cheese and served alongside fries and coleslaw; this is a perfect snack for the evenings. The Taragoryen Chicken is one of their specialties, which is so delicious that it lives up to its reputation. It has grilled chicken topped with creamy tarragon sauce served with sautéed vegetables. The steaks are where this café needs to work. The Mexican steak we tried was absolutely bland but then again steaks are hard to perfect and this café focuses more on the experience and the ambiance.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

An interesting feature at the café is the Mighty Mountain Challenge, which is named after the character of Gregor Clegane nicknamed The Mountain in the GOT series. Essentially, this is a giant beef burger and the challenge to finish it in a given time gets you an exclusive 50% discount on it. As an added benefit, the winner gets their name on the café’s Hall of Fame wall and keep getting a 10% discount on all their future bills until someone else knocks their name off the list.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

 

[Devil Soul]

Considering this is a themed café and the owners have no experience in food, the quality is decent and the prices are very affordable. Most of the items are priced within Rs300-600 range keeping in mind the youth clientele of the café.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Review: Chop Chop Wok is all fired up

Atmosphere – 5/5

This is where the café wins all its points. As soon as you enter the café, you feel like you are exported to a different world altogether. The atmosphere and ambiance show that immense effort has been put in this café and it is rather inspiring to know that there are five young people behind it all.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

While the front door indicates the GOT theme, it does not encapsulate all that is inside. A wooden staircase with GOT quotes painted on each step takes the visitors upstairs where they find themselves in a different world. A room of brick walls with posters of characters from GOT and a roof adorned with chandeliers made of thick ropes and bulbs welcome the diners. The lighting inside is dim and the walls are creepy just as per the theme.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

The most interesting feature of the café is the throne from GOT. It’s made to such perfection that one completely forgets that it’s not real. Not only does it make the theme look much more real but is also a great prop to take photographs with. GOT swords are also available at the café to be used as props for pictures.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Kudos to the team for making the atmosphere as real to the show as possible.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

Verdict – 3.5/5

If you’re craving for the best tasting food, this might not be the perfect place to dine but if your soul is craving for an experience like no other, the King’s Landing Café & Grill is like no other.

PHOTO: KING’S LANDING CAFE & GRILL

 

[VCheng]

Not a fan of the show.. But that looks very cool.

Now if it was a Battlestar Galactica themed Cafe, then I would be geeking out lol

Curious as to how much a cup of coffee would cost in u.s. dollars there?

One wonders if any of these "themed" cafes are actually legally permitted to use such copyrighted logos and material?

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

One wonders if any of these "themed" cafes are actually legally permitted to use such copyrighted logos and material?

What's HBO going to do wait 70 years for a verdict from a Pakistani Court?