New Restaurants in Multan (September 2026)

TL;DR

• 🍕 Pizza Hut is coming to Multan in 2026 through Rustam Foods, adding an international chain to a dining landscape that has been largely local
• 🏨 Arena DHA Multan is now operating under Pearl-Continental Hospitality, including a new Bakers Boutique with fresh breads and pastries daily
• 🍽️ DHA Multan Food Court, open since January 2022, has become a solid family dining destination anchored by the Tree House restaurant
• 🍬 The sohan halwa belt in the old city — Ahmad Sohan Halwa, Hafiz Ka Multani Sohan Halwa, Al-Khair Sweets and Bakers — remains unmatched as Multan's signature food experience
• 🌙 Sabun Wali Gali near Haram Gate draws early risers and late-night visitors alike for nihari, halwa puri, kulchey, and lassi

Multan's Food Scene in September 2026: Where Things Stand

Multan has always had two dining cultures running in parallel. The old city — its winding lanes around shrines, covered bazaars, and medieval gates — carries a food tradition rooted in generations-old recipes: mutton kunna cooked overnight in sealed clay pots, sohan halwa crafted in the same family workshops for decades, nihari simmering on wood fires before dawn. The newer parts of the city, particularly DHA Multan, have spent the last several years adding a different layer: cafes, pizza chains, multi-cuisine family restaurants, and formal event dining.

The gap between these two food worlds has narrowed. In September 2026, the more interesting story is not just what's new but how the two sides of Multan's eating culture are each maturing. Here is what is worth paying attention to right now.

DHA Multan: The Arena and the Food Court

The most significant institutional development in Multan's organized dining scene over the past year is Arena DHA Multan shifting to professional hospitality management. In late 2025, the Hashoo Group — operators of the Pearl-Continental hotel chain — signed a management agreement to run Arena under the Pearl-Continental Hospitality umbrella. The complex, which has over 1,500 seats across its dining and event spaces, a mini cinema, and 27 hotel rooms including executive suites, was already the city's largest single hospitality venue. The PC Hospitality partnership has formalized and standardized its food offering.

The most visible addition to come out of the arrangement is Bakers Boutique by Pearl-Continental. The bakery produces freshly prepared breads, cakes, and pastries on-site each day. For a city that has had limited access to consistent, quality bakery products outside of home kitchens and a few sweet shops, the Bakers Boutique fills a real gap. It is accessible to walk-in visitors and does not require event bookings.

The main restaurant at Arena DHA Multan has also been brought under PC Hospitality's operating standards. That should translate to more consistency in service and food quality than the venue managed previously.

Separately, the DHA Multan Food Court — which opened on 1 January 2022 — has settled into its role as one of the city's most reliable family dining destinations. The complex includes the Tree House restaurant, family hut-style dining areas, a coffee house, and the Dancing Fountain, which gives the space a recreational character that pure restaurants lack. The combination of varied dining formats, outdoor areas, and managed facilities makes it a default weekend outing for families across DHA and the wider city.

The Old City Still Sets the Standard

For the most distinctly Multani eating experience, the old city remains without rival.

Sohan halwa is Multan's most recognized food export, and the belt of specialist shops around the old city is where it is made best. Ahmad Sohan Halwa, Hafiz Ka Multani Sohan Halwa, and Al-Khair Sweets and Bakers are all long-standing establishments that draw visitors specifically from Lahore, Karachi, and overseas. The sweet itself is a dense, slightly crunchy confection made with corn flour, sugar, cardamom, and desi ghee — slow-cooked in large copper pans until it sets. No two shops make it identically, and regulars have firm views on which version is correct.

All three shops do a strong trade in pre-packaged boxes that travel well and have become Multan's most recognizable edible gift. They see hundreds of visitors on busy days — around Eid and on winter weekends, the queues outside are a spectacle in themselves.

Sabun Wali Gali, the food street running near the historic Haram Gate of the old city, is the place to be for breakfast and late-evening snacks. The stalls run long — halwa puri with channay, nihari, kulchey, trotters, brain masala, kheer, and tall glasses of doodh soda and lassi are all available from dedicated vendors. The street has operated as Multan's most atmospheric eating experience for decades without needing formal development to justify it.

Insider Tip: The nihari stalls in Sabun Wali Gali work on early timing — the best ones often sell out before 10 AM on weekdays and considerably earlier on Fridays. If you want nihari here without waiting in a queue or being told it's finished, aim for 7:30 to 8:00 AM.

Chain Arrivals in 2026

Pizza Hut Multan is among the most anticipated restaurant arrivals of 2026. Rustam Foods — which operates Pizza Hut Pakistan under franchise — announced an expansion plan that includes a Multan outlet as part of a broader national rollout. The Multan restaurant will carry the brand's updated global design and menu. Rustam Foods has so far opened outlets in Lahore and Islamabad; Multan represents the push into Punjab's secondary cities.

For a city that has had limited presence of international fast-food chains, the Pizza Hut opening will land as a significant addition to the commercial dining strip. Local food writers and residents have noted the gap — the informal café and fast-food sector in Multan has been growing, but branded international options have been slow to arrive.

Among the newer independent spots, Devour and Masoom Cafe have both established consistent followings in Multan's contemporary café circuit, primarily among younger crowds and families looking for sit-down coffee and light meals with a reliable product. 14th Street Pizza Multan has similarly filled a niche in the sit-down pizza category that the city lacked a few years ago.

The Heritage Dining Projects

Two heritage dining concepts were in development as of mid-2025, and their current status is worth checking locally.

A Heritage Cafe at Haram Gate was announced as a dining space inside the historic gate compound, with a focus on traditional Multani food in an architectural setting. An opening around August 2025 was hoped for, but confirmed operational status as of September 2026 remains unclear. If open, it would be among the more distinctive dining settings in any Pakistani city.

The Multan Tea House, a planned literary cafe inside the Multan Arts Council complex, was also proposed as a space combining food and cultural programming. Both projects deserve a check before planning a visit around them.

What the Scene Still Needs

Multan's dining landscape in September 2026 has clear strengths and one persistent gap. The sohan halwa shops are exceptional and specific to this city. The old city food streets are genuinely atmospheric. DHA Multan has added organized family dining. But there is still no mid-market restaurant that bridges old city flavors and contemporary presentation consistently — a sit-down mutton kunnah place using proper clay-pot preparation, or a serious Multani mutton chaamp restaurant with proper dining infrastructure. Several food commentators have noted the gap. Whether Arena DHA Multan's restructured operations under PC Hospitality take a swing at it remains to be seen.

FAQ

Q: Has Pizza Hut Multan opened yet? A: As of September 2026, the Rustam Foods expansion to Multan is in plan as part of their Pakistan-wide rollout. Confirm the opening date directly with Pizza Hut Pakistan's location listings, as timelines may have shifted.

Q: Is DHA Multan Food Court worth visiting? A: For families wanting variety, outdoor seating, and a consistent experience, yes. The Tree House restaurant and family hut dining format make it a strong weekend option.

Q: Which sohan halwa shops should I visit in Multan? A: Ahmad Sohan Halwa, Hafiz Ka Multani Sohan Halwa, and Al-Khair Sweets and Bakers are the three most established names in the old city. Each has a slightly different recipe, and sampling more than one is a reasonable exercise. Pre-packaged gift boxes are available from all three.

Q: What time should I visit Sabun Wali Gali? A: Before 8 AM for the nihari and halwa puri experience at its best. Friday mornings are the busiest; weekdays are quieter. The street is also active at night for snacks.

Q: What is Bakers Boutique at Arena DHA Multan? A: It is a bakery cafe added to Arena DHA Multan under Pearl-Continental Hospitality's management. It produces fresh breads, cakes, and pastries daily and is open to walk-in visitors.

Bottom Line

Multan's food scene in September 2026 has more going on than it has had in some time. The sohan halwa belt and Sabun Wali Gali are as compelling as ever — and for any visitor to the city, those remain the most distinctly Multani choices available. DHA Multan's arena and food court development has added family dining infrastructure that the newer parts of the city needed. The incoming Pizza Hut and the formalization of Arena under PC Hospitality suggest the organized dining sector will keep growing. But if you have one meal to plan with deliberate care, breakfast at Sabun Wali Gali and sohan halwa from Ahmad Sohan Halwa is still the most honest answer Multan can give.