Xander's — Restaurant in Karachi Division

I would rather rate it as 4.5/5

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Xander’s, and overall, it was a delightful experience with some standout dishes and a couple of misses.

Hands down, the Babar Pasta was the highlight of my meal. It’s easily one of the best pastas I’ve had in Pakistan in recent times. The pasta was perfectly cooked, with a rich, creamy sauce that had just the right balance of flavors. The seasoning was spot on, and each bite was a satisfying blend of textures and tastes. The portion size was generous as well, making it a filling and indulgent choice. Next, I tried the Gouda Burger, which did not disappoint. The burger was fresh, with a juicy patty and a deliciously melted Gouda cheese that elevated the whole experience. Loved the rest of the filling. The bun was soft and held everything together without being overly greasy. The freshness of the ingredients really shone through, and I loved the overall balance of flavors. While most of the dishes were fantastic, the Fish and Chips didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I found the batter and fish to be a bit bland. The chips were fine, but I think the fish could have used a stronger seasoning or perhaps a more flavorful batter to really make it stand out. Dessert was a highlight, especially the Signature Chocolate Cake. It was rich and decadent, with a smooth, velvety chocolate flavor that melted in your mouth. What really set it apart, however, was the subtle hint of blueberry jam, which added a refreshing tang and a touch of sweetness. Unfortunately, the Hot Chocolate didn’t quite meet my expectations. The flavor was decent, but it wasn’t rich enough to provide the comforting warmth and satisfaction I was hoping for on a chilly day. Overall, Xander’s offers a fantastic dining experience with a few standout dishes. I’d definitely return to try more items from the menu and hope that the hot chocolate...

Xander’s has earned a reputation which is justified by its outstanding quality of food, wide range of cuisine made to perfection and the ability to provide such good customer service. We ordered • Feta and roasted tomato chicken: 4/10 It was really really tender and juicy, it was filling. However, the way its marinated could be worked on. The spices werent absorbed well into the chicken itself, when you ate it, it was extremely bland and the sauce it came with did absolutely no justice to the chicken itself. It was basil or something grinded. The flavour should be worked on especially because its topped with Feta which overpowers any good flavouring.

• Babar Pasta: 10/10 despite being to Xanders numerous times, it had never dawned on me to order one of their most renowned dishes. Voila! I craved and dreamed of the Babar pasta for the next one week. It was so so flavourful. Italian cuisine is usually just a combination of cheese and other buttery stiff with no tangy tastes whatsoever but good lord, whoever worked out the spices and sauce was divine intervention.

• Loaded Sriracha fries: 10/10 Nothing can ever go wrong with POTATOES. Despite being an appetiser, the sriracha fries were so so filling, they were full and Xanders made sure to put the ingredients till the bottom of the bowl so not one morsel goes uncovered.

Overall, not a bad experience. The customer service was amazing, the staff was friendly and nice. We first got to the place to celebrate a friend’s birthday but turned out celebrating wasnt allowed in there so we came back after a little while but the staff recognized us and treated us like friends! The bill wasnt too bad for the amount of stuff we got either. The waiting is a headache though and the noise messes with...

I’ve been a loyal customer of Xanders since it first opened in 2011 or 2012, and have introduced many friends and family to the place over the years. The quality has always stood out, and I usually frequent the E Street branch. However, I recently had a deeply unfortunate experience at the Tipu Sultan location. On Monday, I ordered the open-face honey chicken sandwich and ended up with a severe stomach infection that required hospitalization. Even while eating, I had a sense that the chicken might not have been fresh. Based on the symptoms and timeline, it felt like a Shigella-type infection possibly from improperly handled vegetables or salad. I was in crippling pain, on IVs and hooked up to ECGs in the ER.

I fully understand that occasional mishaps can occur in the food industry, but this was on a different level. It felt like a serious lapse in hygiene, perhaps something as simple (and dangerous) as someone not washing their hands properly.

That said, I don’t want this to come off as a takedown. I’m sharing this not to hurt Xanders — a brand I genuinely admire — but to raise awareness so such incidents can be avoided in the future. I’ve had incredible meals at Xanders over the years. I’ve met Sikander and deeply respect his vision. His other restaurants, like Evergreen and more recently Colette, are fantastic as well.

This feedback comes from a place of concern and loyalty. I hope it's taken constructively — for the sake of both the team and the customers who love what Xanders brings to the table.

P.S. I do feel that Xanders’ quality has dipped slightly over the years, while Colette now offers noticeably higher quality food. Just sharing this as...