Pakistan tea house (formerly India tea house) is a historical place that hosted several important events. Here are facts, history, menu with prices, address, location, contact information, and others that you need to know about this ancient locality.
Pakistan Tea House Lahore
The history of the city of Lahore mentions innumerable buildings which are a reflection of its timeless cultural heritage. Lahore is known as the city of gardens and welcomes tourists for its countless historical places to visit in Lahore city.
There is a tyre market on both sides of the road leading to the Blue Dome in Lahore, Pakistan. Suddenly my eyes fell on the board of "Pak Tea House" with a closed tyre shop. After reading the text on the board, I asked my friend if this is the same famous Pakistan tea house that used to be the abode of writers and poets.
My friend nodded in affirmation and all of a sudden the faces of Manto, Faiz, Amrita, Sahir, Ashfaq Ahmed, Intezar Hussain, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, A. Hameed, Nasir Kazmi, etc. started moving in front of my eyes.
Owners of Pakistan Tea House
Before the partition of India, the owners of Pakistan Tea House included Boota Singh, Surtej Singh Bhalla, and Qaiser Singh Bhalla, and came under the ownership of Sirajuddin Ahmed after the partition.
Every time I think or read about the Pakistan Tea House in Lahore, I think of imaginary pictures of them.
It is said that the two real brothers Surtej and Qaiser not only owned the tea house which was called "India Tea House" in the old days but also the "India Coffee House" in front of it. The place where India Coffee House used to be had now been replaced by a bank.
See also:
Sightseeing bus in Lahore for tourism
Army museum Lahore, perfect for family entertainment
Attractions in Lahore for tourists
Interesting event about Pakistan tea house
The famous Pakistani writer A. Hameed writes somewhere that Sirajuddin once told him that one day while I was sitting at the counter of his Pak Tea House, I saw a man on the other side of the road who seemed to be a Sikh. He was constantly looking at me standing there.
I got up from my seat and went to the door and called (asked) that man to come inside Pakistan Tea House and he came in.
After the initial remarks and conversation, he said that before the year 1947, my brother and I not only owned this tea house but also the building in front of it which was called India Coffee House was also ours, where a bank is visible (located) now.
He also said that we moved to Delhi with our family and then we set up two similar restaurants there.
Pakistan Tea House Location
Pakistan Tea House is located at the confluence of Anarkali Bazaar and Blue Dome Bazaar near Lahore High Court on a very busy and famous highway named Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province in Pakistan. This road is also called "The Mall Road".
Pakistan tea house address
Abkari Road, New Anarkali, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam near YMCA Hall, Lahore, Punjab Pakistan 54000.
Pakistan tea house contact info
Contact at +923034000048
Ownership of Pakistan Tea House
Pakistan Tea House was started by Botha Singh in the Al-Farid Building on the famous Shahra Mall Road in Lahore which was then known as India Tea House. The building was owned by YMCA and was known as India Tea House.
When did its name change?
It was renamed Pak Tea House in the early days of 1950 and since then it has been known as Pak Tea House. Zahid Hussain was also the former owner of the Pakistan Tea House.
Siraj-ud-din and his services
From the fifties to the seventies, Pak Tea House hosted innumerable parties and at that time Pakistan Tea House owner Sirajuddin Ahmed was very kind and generous to every customer who came and went regardless of his profit or loss.
Siraj-ud-Din Ahmed was a very generous man. This generosity of his was also played by his son Zahid Hussain after his death.
An example of generosity is that whoever came to Pakistan Tea House, whether he had money or not, could have enjoyed the tea and cigarettes there.
Famous Facts of the old era
It is an open fact that the period from the founding of Pakistan to the seventies was not a time of glamor and fashion. The element of simplicity was prominent in the society and the poets and writers of that time generally faced economic difficulties as there was no permanent source of employment for these creative people.
If someone ever wrote a ghazal, poem, or fiction and it became an adornment of a magazine or newspaper, the writer used to get some money.
In those days, only a few writers were financially stable, such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, A. Hameed, Ashfaq Ahmed, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Intezar Hussain, etc. were financially strong enough.
Unfortunately, the owners of Pakistan Tea House were forced to close or change their business due to low income for about three decades. This is the bitterness I saw in Yusuf Hassan's writing.
Pakistan Tea House administrated by the City Government of Lahore
The Pakistan Tea House was taken over by the Lahore City Government from the possession of Zahid Hussain on February 2, but then they obtained a stay order from the court stating that I have a rental agreement with the "YMCA".
After several court appearances, the stay order was quashed by court order in June, in favor of the City Government of Lahore. After that, the town administrator of Data Ganj Bakhsh signed an 11-month lease agreement with the YMCA on behalf of the city government. According to this agreement, the rent here was fixed at ten thousand rupees per month.
The plight of Siraj's family
I think the revival of Pakistan Tea House is a tragic consequence of a Manto fiction in which a family from generation to a generation brought to light the scientific, literary, and cultural activities of Lahore in exchange for not only deteriorating their economic conditions but also their place of business was also taken away from them.
When the Pakistan Tea House reopened, writers across the country were seen expressing happiness, but the family that kept the Pakistan Tea House alive was financially distressed.
Pakistan tea house menu with prices
No. Item Prices
1- Tea 25
2- Special Mix Tea Cardamon 50
3- Green Tea 25
4- Special Coffee 120
5- Black Coffee 90
6- Cold Coffee 150
7- Cappuccino Coffee 120
8- Chicken Shashlik 150
9- Chicken Biryani 130
10- Chicken Haleem + 2Naan 80
11- Chicken Seekh Kabab 50
12- Chicken Sandwich 100
13- Club Sandwich 150
14- Chicken Burger 120
15- Chicken Burger + Fries 170
16- Fries 60
17- Zinger Burger 150
18- Zinger Burger + Fries 200
19- Chicken Petti Burger 120
20- Fresh Juices 60
21- Chicken Patties 60
22- Chicken Shami 25
23- Chicken Roll 40
24- Chicken Pizza 170
25- Pastry Brawny 150
26- Pastry Donuts 80
27- Cake Plate 40
28- Biscuit Plate 25
29- Water Bottle 1.5 Ltr 60
30- M. Water 30
31- Soft Drinks 30
32- Banana Shake (Disposable) 100
33- Mango Shake (Disposable) 100
34- Apple Shake (Disposable) 100
35- Strawberry Shake (Disposable) 100
36- Ice Cream 80