I am sure most Pakistani readers have at least heard of Monal. If you haven’t, let me introduce it to you.

It is a restaurant that serves local and international food in Islamabad. But not just anywhere in Islamabad! Monal is situated at Pir Sohawa road, atop a mountain in the Margala Hills.

There is no other word to describe the experience at Monal, other than mesmerizing!

You start off by driving uphill on a winding road that cuts through the beautiful greenery of the Margala Hills. Along the road you can see monkeys running around and can enjoy a lot of other amazing scenery.

The View

The restaurant serves excellent, but pricey food. However, the real attraction of Monal, isn’t just the food, it’s the view from the restaurant which is to die for, literally! Because if you fall off you are D-E-A-D!

The restaurant gives you a panoramic view of the whole city of Islamabad in all its splendor, with the Faisal Masjid adding to the beauty. The best part is that you never really get bored of the view because Islamabad is very different in all four seasons, and the view from the top reflects this.

Everyone knows that when it rains in Islamabad it pours, and one can just imagine standing on top of a mountain and looking down at the city during the rain. That’s what Monal has to offer.

Simply the World’s Best!

In my humble-yet-slightly-Pakistan-biased opinion, it is the finest view a restaurant can give in the entire world. Even better than the view offered by the under-the-ocean restaurant of the Maldives, or the view offered by the top of the Eiffel Tower restaurant in Paris, or the view offered by the restaurant located at the remote, snowy location, 7,700 feet above the ground in Canada.

I mean, how long are you going to look at fish before getting bored? How exciting is it to eat while you are freezing? Well, the Eiffel tower restaurant does come close but it’s not on a mountain is it?

You have to go to Monal to understand how it feels eating at the edge of a mountain and looking down at a beautiful city.

Sure, I know there will be people commenting on this post, with their own opinions on which restaurant offers the best view. But hey, this is my blog post, my choice, and I say that Monal has the best view in the world, period! :)

Photo Credit: BlackShirt Photography