As you walk through the arched entrance, you’re greeted by smiling staff members, a whiff of roses wafting through the air and music from the classic Indian film Pakeezah almost whispering in the background. This is The Mughal Court, one of the restaurants at Avari Hotel on The Mall, Lahore. Formerly popular as Lakhnavi, the eatery had fallen prey to the Covid-induced economic crunch as did hundreds of businesses across the world. However, the management decided to reinvent, rename and relaunch it, and it reopened its doors once again a few weeks ago.
A fine dining restaurant, it reflects a modern take on the Mughal era through various elements — from the interior and names of the dishes to the servers’ wardrobe, the engraved copper utensils to the welcome gestures and the music — all lending legitimacy to the theme. The interior is minimalistic and very formal with a generous use of wood, a lot of arches to hark back to the Mughal era, sofas and tables organised across the marbled space, a large glass window overlooking the kitchen where chefs twiddle with BBQ skewers, and a large fountain flowing outside.