“The best biryani you could have in Hyderabad is at a Hyderabadi wedding. The catch is that you have to be invited to one. It is unlike any commercial biryani you get in the city with longest name. Cooked Kachhi Akhani-style, the raw meat is cooked with layered rice over a woodfire, so the rice soaks in all the flavour during the cooking process. The biryani at Mak’s Kitchen is as close to a Hyderabadi wedding biryani as possible. The rice is aromatic and the meat is juicy and tender. It is simply mind blowing.” Ahmed Ashfaq
Address: Mak’s Kitchen, 10-3-76, 4th Floor, Above KFC, opposite pillar no 3, Pvnr Expressway, Mehdipatnam Rd, Jyothi Nagar, Humayun Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Meridian Restaurant
“The best spots are actually Hyderabadi weddings, because biryani can’t be made in small portions. It needs to be made in big quantities. What you get in restaurants is commercial biryani. But a spot I love for commercial biryani is Meridien. It’s a small restaurant in Panjagutta, and is as close as one can get to authentic mutton biryani.” Shaaz Mehmood
“Meridien hotel at Punjagutta has been my favourite for many years. The consistency has been too good and they have not changed the taste, the portion size or the quantity of meat over the years. As a result it is a place that I recommend to everyone and anyone. Per legend, Meridian was supposedly started by a butcher who had his shop on the same lane where the biryani shop is. This reflects in the cuts of meat used in the biryani and makes it stand out from the others. Also, the cook who makes the biryani has been here for over two decades now and has been using the same recipe without changing one thing and that makes it perfectly consistent.” Mohd Zubair Ali, food blogger
“Meridian serves the quintessential OG Hyderabadi Kache Ghosht ka Biryani. The archetypical outcome of whole spices, fried onions, great marination and dum. This is not the fancy descendant of the Nizami Bawarchikhana but the flavour packed “people’s biryani”. It’s an old school Irani restaurant.”** Chaitanya Muppala**
Address: Meridian Restaurant, 6-3-697, 1, Mumbai Hwy, RTC Cross Road, Punjagutta, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Biryaniwalla & Co
“For the past several years, my answer to the best biryani in Hyderabad has been Biryaniwalla & Co. A good plate of biryani is contingent on an astounding number of factors, from the tenderness of the meat to the aroma to the ratio of each layer that the server scoops from the handi. On a good day, there are many places that can match, or even excel, Biryaniwalla in those things. However, the consistency with which the latter gets things right makes it a top pick. Order the double gosht biryani as its regular servings are very economical with a good quantity of meat.” Pallab De
“Without a doubt, this is one of my favourite places in Hyderabad for biryani—especially mutton biryani. This place has very rarely disappointed me and the dish is very consistent here. It’s also very fragrant. That’s a major plus, considering how saffron is seldom used these days due to increasing costs. I’d say Biryaniwalla is one of those places where biryani is closer to the traditional biryani we are served at weddings (which, by the way, is a big compliment around here).” Yunus Lasania
Address: Plot No 100, Banjara Hills Rd Number 3, Beside TV9 office, SBI Executive Enclave, Green Valley, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana.
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