LONDON, United Kingdom — Taste of Lahore, the Pakistani restaurant with sites in Bayswater, Harrow, Watford, and Wembley, has built a strong following among Londoners looking for genuine Paya — the slow-cooked trotters dish that has been a staple of Pakistani breakfast culture for generations.

While Paya has long been eaten across Pakistan — particularly at Eid mornings, winter gatherings, and family celebrations — finding a version in London that matches what people grew up eating has been difficult. Most restaurants that offer it treat it as a secondary dish. At Taste of Lahore, it's taken seriously.

The kitchen slow-cooks the Paya overnight, using halal meat and a spice balance that stays rich without becoming heavy. The gravy has the kind of texture that comes from time, not from shortcuts. It's served with naan baked fresh in the tandoor, and the combination is close to what you'd find at a proper Pakistani household breakfast — the kind where the pot has been going since the night before.

"For a lot of our customers, this is the closest they've found to what they ate growing up," said a spokesperson for Taste of Lahore. "Paya is a dish that takes hours to get right. We don't try to speed that up."

The dish has attracted attention beyond the established Pakistani community in London. Food bloggers and people new to Pakistani cuisine have been ordering it, often after recommendations from friends or online reviews. The restaurant reports that Paya orders have increased noticeably on weekend mornings — the traditional time to eat it.

Taste of Lahore has been operating since 2004. Over that time it has expanded to four London locations while keeping the same kitchen approach across all sites. The menu covers a wide range of Pakistani dishes — Nihari, karahi, biryani, seekh kebabs, lamb chops, halwa poori — but breakfast dishes including Paya and Nihari have been consistent draws, particularly at weekends.

The restaurant also offers delivery and collection across all four sites through its website at tasteoflahore.co.uk, which means the Paya is available to customers who can't get to a restaurant location.

Pakistani breakfast culture has grown in London over the past several years. Dishes that were once only known within the community have found broader audiences, and restaurants that do them well have benefited. Taste of Lahore has been part of that shift not by changing what it cooks, but by cooking the same dishes consistently.

For anyone who hasn't tried Paya — or has tried a version elsewhere that didn't deliver — Taste of Lahore's is worth a visit. The beef version in particular has drawn the most repeat customers.

Taste of Lahore can be found at:

Bayswater, London
Harrow, London
Watford
Wembley, London

Website: https://www.tasteoflahore.co.uk