20 Best Places to Eat in Bangladesh: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Bangladeshi cuisine is a rich, flavorful world defined by aromatic mustard oils, fresh river fish, slow-cooked Mughal biryanis, fiery bhortas (mashed relishes), and delicate milk desserts. From centuries-old Old Dhaka eateries to modern fusion dining, tasting Bangladeshi food is an adventure.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

Make sure to taste these iconic Bangladeshi culinary staples during your journey:

Kacchi Biryani: Tender raw mutton marinated in yogurt and spices, layered with basmati rice and potatoes, sealed and slow-cooked over wood coals.
Ilish Bhapa & Sarson Ilish: Hilsa (the national fish of Bangladesh) steamed in mustard paste, green chilies, and mustard oil.
Bhorta Platter: Spicy mashed relishes made from eggplant, dried fish (shutki), lentils, or potatoes pounded with mustard oil, onions, and red chilies.
Beef Bhuna: Rich, dark slow-roasted beef curry cooked down with caramelized onions, garlic, ginger, and aromatic garam masala.
Mishti Doi & Rasagolla: Creamy caramelized sweetened yogurt set in clay pots alongside soft, syrup-soaked cottage cheese sweets.

20 Best Places to Eat in Bangladesh

1. Sultan's Dine

Cuisine: Traditional Kacchi Biryani & Mughal Feasts
Location: Dhanmondi, Gulshan & Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Kacchi Biryani Platter with Borhani and Jorda
About the Place: Sultan's Dine is famous across Bangladesh for its grand wedding-style feast platters featuring tender mutton kacchi biryani, roast chicken, and spicy borhani yogurt drink.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Sultan's Dine

2. Haji Nanna Biryani

Cuisine: Heritage Old Dhaka Biryani
Location: Bechi Roza Lane, Chowk Bazaar, Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Traditional Mutton Morog Polao and Kacchi
About the Place: A legendary Old Dhaka culinary institution operating since 1911, famous for serving fragrant, slow-cooked biryani served on tin plates in historic alleyways.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Haji Biryani

3. Star Kabab & Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Bangladeshi & Mughal Grill
Location: Banani, Dhanmondi & Kawran Bazar, Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Mutton Chaap, Beef Sheek Kebab, and Paratha
About the Place: Star Kabab is an institution loved by generations of locals for spiced mutton chaap, crispy flaky parathas, falooda, and hot milk tea.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Star Kabab

4. Kasturi Restaurant

Cuisine: Authentic Bengali Home-Style Cuisine
Location: Purana Paltan, Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Sarson Ilish, Chitol Fish Muitha, and Vorta Platter
About the Place: Operating for decades, Kasturi is renowned for serving authentic Bengali comfort food, fresh river fish curries, and traditional vegetable bhortas.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Kasturi Restaurant

5. Bismillah Kabab Ghar

Cuisine: Old Dhaka Street Food & Kebabs
Location: Nazira Bazar, Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Beef Gurda (Kidney) Kebab and Brain Fry
About the Place: Located in the street food hub of Nazira Bazar, Bismillah Kabab is famous for charcoal-grilled spiced beef offal kebabs and hot rumali rotis.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Bismillah Kabab

6. Al-Razzaak Restaurant

Cuisine: Heritage Old Dhaka Mughal Specialties
Location: North South Road, Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Glazed Mutton Kacchi and Shahi Tukda
About the Place: Al-Razzaak is an Old Dhaka icon frequented by night owls for rich mutton kacchi, brain masala, and traditional sweet desserts.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Al-Razzaak

7. Izumi

Cuisine: Fine Dining Japanese
Location: Gulshan 2, Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Sashimi Platter and Black Cod Miso
About the Place: Tucked inside a courtyard garden in upscale Gulshan, Izumi is considered one of South Asia's top Japanese restaurants, importing fresh seafood directly from Japan.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Izumi

8. Panshi Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Sylheti Feast & Vorta Spread
Location: Zindabazar, Sylhet
Must-Try Dish: 30-Variety Bhorta Platter and Duck Bhuna
About the Place: Operating 24 hours a day in Sylhet, Panshi is world-famous for serving over 30 varieties of fresh bhortas, local freshwater fish, and spicy duck curry.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Panshi Restaurant

9. Poushee Restaurant

Cuisine: Sylheti Regional Specialties
Location: Zindabazar, Sylhet
Must-Try Dish: Shatkora Beef Curry and Boal Fish Vorta
About the Place: Poushee specializes in traditional Sylheti dishes cooked with Shatkora (a wild citrus fruit endemic to Sylhet) that gives beef curry a citrus flavor.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Poushee Restaurant

10. Jhawban Restaurant

Cuisine: Coastal Fresh Seafood
Location: Laboni Point, Cox's Bazar
Must-Try Dish: Charcoal-Grilled Coral Fish and Red Crab Fry
About the Place: Located steps from the ocean in Cox's Bazar, Jhawban lets guests select fresh live catches of coral fish, pomfret, and crabs cooked over open grills.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Jhawban Restaurant

11. Beauty Lassi & Falooda

Cuisine: Traditional Historic Drinks & Desserts
Location: Johnson Road, Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Chilled Sweet Lassi and Special Royal Falooda
About the Place: Serving thirsty locals since 1922, Beauty Lassi is famous for its rich yogurt lassi churned by hand and topped with crushed ice and sweet syrup.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Beauty Lassi

12. Kazi Farm Kitchen / Seasonal Tastes

Cuisine: International & Organic Fine Dining
Location: The Westin Dhaka, Gulshan
Must-Try Dish: Live Seafood Buffet and Tandoori Salmon
About the Place: Set inside The Westin Dhaka, Seasonal Tastes offers high-end international buffet spreads featuring live cooking stations, pan-Asian sushi, and local grills.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Seasonal Tastes

13. Handi Restaurant

Cuisine: Indian & Chittagong Mughlai
Location: Dampara, Chittagong & Gulshan, Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Chittagong Kala Bhuna and Handi Biryani
About the Place: Handi is famous for perfecting Chittagong Kala Bhuna—a black-roasted, caramelized spicy beef curry slow-cooked with aromatic spices.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Handi Restaurant

14. Mezzan Haile Ayun

Cuisine: Traditional Chittagong Mezban Feast
Location: Chittagong City
Must-Try Dish: Authentic Chittagong Mezbani Gosht and Noli Nali
About the Place: Dedicated to preserving the traditional "Mezban" community feast tradition of Chittagong, serving spicy yellow beef gravy, beef bone marrow soup, and plain rice.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mezzan Haile Ayun

15. Grand River View Restaurant

Cuisine: Riverfront Bengali Fine Dining
Location: Padma River Bank, Rajshahi
Must-Try Dish: Fresh Padma River Ilish Fry and Rajshahi Mango Desserts
About the Place: Overlooking the Padma River in Rajshahi, this restaurant specializes in serving freshly caught Padma Hilsa fish paired with river views.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Grand River View

16. Voot Restaurant

Cuisine: Themed Dining & Traditional Bengali
Location: Dhanmondi, Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Sorshe Ilish and Bhuna Khichuri
About the Place: A unique ghost-themed restaurant serving authentic Bengali comfort food, including comfort bowls of spiced lentils and rice (khichuri) with fried hilsa.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Voot Restaurant

17. Salimar Hotel & Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Barisal River Cuisine
Location: Sadar Road, Barisal
Must-Try Dish: Chingri Malai Curry and Chitol Fish Curry
About the Place: An authentic culinary institution in Barisal, famous for fresh jumbo river prawns cooked in coconut milk gravy and local freshwater fish curries.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Salimar Restaurant

18. Mermaid Cafe

Cuisine: Eco-Friendly Beachside Dining
Location: Pechar Dwip, Cox's Bazar
Must-Try Dish: Wood-Fired Seafood Pizza and Grilled Lobster
About the Place: An organic eco-cafe set along a quiet beach channel in Cox's Bazar, serving healthy seafood, fresh juices, and wood-fired pizzas under bamboo roofs.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Mermaid Cafe

19. Bismillah Halwa Puri

Cuisine: Traditional Street Breakfast
Location: Chawkbazar, Old Dhaka
Must-Try Dish: Hot Fried Puri with Halwa and Chana Masala
About the Place: Famous for traditional Old Dhaka breakfasts, serving piping hot puffed puris paired with sweet semolina halwa and spiced chickpea curry.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Bismillah Halwa Puri

20. Marry Brown & Local Rice Tea Stalls

Cuisine: Street Tea & Seven-Layered Tea
Location: Sreemangal, Sylhet
Must-Try Dish: Famous Seven-Layered Tea at Nilkantha Tea Cabin
About the Place: Created by Ramesh Ram Gaur in Sreemangal, this world-famous tea cabin serves a glass with seven distinct layers of tea, each with its own flavor and color.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Seven-Layered Tea

Featured Image

Traditional Kacchi Biryani & Bengali Feast