The Verdict
Paola's Cosa Nostra is the family restaurant that grew out of Cosa Nostra, widely described as Lahore's oldest Italian kitchen. It began with Paola, an Italian who settled in Lahore; today it is run by her daughter and grand-daughter, Yasmin and Zahra Khan, who have kept the dining room in Block H, Gulberg and reworked the menu around fresh pasta, wood-fired sourdough pizza and seafood. Dawn's Images reviewed the room favourably, and it holds a 4.2 rating across more than 4,000 Google reviews.
It is a continental restaurant first and a date-night room second: the fried burrata, the truffle-mushroom conchiglie and the Diavola sourdough are the dishes regulars come back for. Prices are upper-tier for Lahore — signature pizzas run roughly PKR 1,550 to 2,200 — but the cooking is consistent and the service attentive.
The Kitchen
There is no celebrity chef; the kitchen is overseen by owners Yasmin and Zahra Khan, who inherited Paola's recipes and run the pass themselves. The Italian core is genuine rather than fusion: handmade pasta, a wood-fired oven for the sourdough pizzas, and seafood handled simply. The fried burrata starter and the truffle-mushroom conchiglie are the dishes most often singled out, alongside the Diavola, topped with pepperoni and a jalapeno relish.
The Room
The setting is a warm, classic Gulberg dining room — low lighting, linen, and a mix of couples and family groups rather than a scene. It seats a busy weekend crowd and gets loud at peak hours, so request a corner table if you want to talk. All food is halal.
Best for a Family Dinner or Date
Paola's works for a celebratory family dinner, a relaxed date or a long catch-up over pasta and pizza. The menu is broad enough to cover fussy eaters and the portions suit sharing, which makes it an easy choice for mixed groups marking a birthday or a homecoming.
Not For
Not for a cheap weeknight bite or a quick lunch — this is a sit-down continental restaurant at the top of Lahore's price band, and the room is too busy at weekends for a quiet, intimate conversation. Diners after authentic Pakistani or Mughlai food should look elsewhere in the city.
Reservations
Paola's Cosa Nostra takes reservations and fills up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead for weekend dinner or larger groups. Walk-ins are possible early in the week. The restaurant is in Block H, Gulberg; parking is available but tight at peak times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Paola's Cosa Nostra in Lahore?
Paola's Cosa Nostra is a family business owned and run by Yasmin and Zahra Khan, the daughter and grand-daughter of its founder Paola, an Italian who settled in Lahore and started the family's restaurant tradition. They oversee the kitchen and the dining room in Block H, Gulberg themselves rather than employing an outside celebrity chef.
What are the signature dishes at Paola's Cosa Nostra?
The dishes regulars return for are the fried burrata starter, the truffle-mushroom conchiglie pasta and the Diavola sourdough pizza topped with pepperoni and jalapeno relish, plus seafood and continental mains. The kitchen works from a wood-fired oven and makes its pasta fresh, keeping the cooking closer to traditional Italian than fusion.
How much does dinner cost at Paola's Cosa Nostra?
Paola's sits at the upper end of Lahore's dining prices. Signature sourdough pizzas run roughly PKR 1,550 to 2,200, with pasta, seafood and continental mains priced to match, so a full two-course dinner with drinks is a treat-night spend rather than a casual one. All food is served halal.
Is Paola's Cosa Nostra really Lahore's oldest Italian restaurant?
It is widely described as Lahore's oldest Italian restaurant, having grown out of the original Cosa Nostra, a long-standing local institution. The current restaurant carries that lineage forward under the Khan family, and was reviewed by Dawn's Images, which praised its authentic Italian cooking and dining-room atmosphere.
Also in Lahore
Lahore's upscale dining runs from continental rooms to Mughlai courtyards. Compare Cafe Aylanto for Mediterranean, or Andaaz and Haveli for rooftop Pakistani cooking near the Badshahi Mosque.