Our Story

Before Cosa Nostra there was Paola: an Italian mama who moved to Lahore and set in motion our family history and also our love of food and hospitality. She was an adventurer and an entrepreneur, creating a cosy, buzzy restaurant in the heart of Main Market that was one of Lahore’s most popular dining places in the 1970s. A woman with a big heart and an indomitable spirit, Paola made Lahore her home, and until she passed away in 1979, she remained a loved and admired member of the community, cherished for her humor, her warmth, and her grace.

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With Paola’s Cosa Nostra, we return to our roots: reimagining Cosa Nostra, a much loved Lahori institution, with the addition of an Italian flare and flavor that are part of Paola’s legacy. Our renovated restaurant in Gulberg captures some of the old-time charm and warmth that was such an integral part of Paola’s life. Alongside ‘Paola’s Cosa Nostra’ restaurant in Gulberg, the company also runs two seasonal pop ups. Our winter pop up, ‘Paola’s Asian Diner’, is situated in the courtyard of COMO, the Museum of Contemporary Art. And in the summer, our main restaurant’s first floor dining space, called Paola’s Upstairs, becomes home to ‘Roman Holiday’, a four-course Italian culinary extravaganza, with an antipasti and focaccia bar, a handmade pasta station and a carvery featuring Australian steaks.

Paola’s also specializes in catering for high-end events, from intimate formal dinners to thousand people wedding receptions. With an extensive and beautifully curated menu of Pan-Asian, Desi, and Continental items, we have established ourselves as innovators and market leaders in the catering space. Paola’s is a woman-led business, co-owned by Paola’s daughter and grand-daughter, Yasmin and Zahra Khan. They can be found chatting with guests on the bustling floor of the restaurant, or otherwise working alongside the team of over a hundred talented people who together enable Paola’s to deliver truly exceptional dining experiences.