Alhamdulillah Hotel, located in Nampally near Dargah Yousufain is a famous hotel serving quintessential Hyderabadi delicacies over the past three decades. Roads here were not designed with cars in mind so easy access is possible only by two-wheeler. However, parking even for two-wheelers would be limited during rush hours.
The nearest metro station is Nampally Metro Station, you’ll be able to take an auto rickshaw from there to reach this restaurant.
This restaurant is famous all over Hyderabad for its spicy “tala hua gosht” which translates to “Fried Meat”. Now this restaurant was on my bucket list for quite some time, so this article was finally a good excuse for me to go try it out.
Determined to explore this restaurant, I grabbed my friend along and navigated the gullies of Nampally and Mallepally to reach the restaurant. The scene was of an old Irani Café with laminated plywood benches and tables. We led ourselves to a table under the fan, as there was no air conditioning. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by a waiter asking us for our order. We ordered the famed tala hua gosht along with Rumali Rotis.
The gosht arrived sizzling hot topped with mint leaves served along with a side of sesame chutney (til ki chutney). As the aroma wafted through the air, we couldn’t wait to dig in!
It was delightful, the curry leaves add a subtle bitterness further enhancing the rich flavors of the meat. The mint leaves on top added a layer of freshness to the otherwise spicy meat and the side of sesame chutney subdued the spices to a certain extent perfectly complementing the meat. A sign of tala hua gosht done wrong is that the meat is rubbery. But here, the meat was super tender and juicy, cooked to perfection.
To complete the experience, sliced onions and a small slice of lemon were served along with the tala hua gosht, adding an extra layer of tanginess and crunch to the dish, the plating can be seen in the image below.
The next thing we ordered was Chicken Biryani, unlike its contemporary alternatives, the biryani was mild and not overly spicy numbing your taste buds, the rice was flavorful and had two pieces of chicken (drumstick and breast) which is unheard of in your average hotel. The chicken was juicy and tender and nearly fell off the bone. Though the quantity of rice was not fulfilling for two people, for the price it was still a good meal nonetheless.
Since the mutton biryani was not available when we ordered, we had to wait to finish our meal and order it as a takeaway. The takeaway experience was pretty straightforward. Though there remains an inconsistency in the sides, we were not served the dahi ki chutney (raita) along with our chicken biryani, but there it was, packed along with the mutton biryani.
In contrast to the chicken biryani, the mutton biryani was spicy. The number of mutton pieces was generous and the basmati rice was long, separate, and flavorful. We enjoyed the biryani and were satisfied with the spiciness and quantity offered. Although the dahi ki chutney was quite watery with a one to one hundred ratio of dahi (curd) and water, it was nevertheless delicious.
I would also recommend you try and find yourself a table away from the cash counter to avoid hearing expletives being hurled at the waiters by the cashier. Even the ventilation is limited, so a place under the fan is a must. Despite the presence of a designated family section, I wouldn’t suggest families visit this location. It would be preferable to place a takeaway order and enjoy it at home.
Coming to the ambience, if I were to judge it based on modern-day standards, I’d rate it a minus five. However, Alhamdulillah Hotel isn’t a modern-day restaurant serving the latest fads in food. Ambience has only become a major part of eating out in the past twenty years or so, before that, people went to a restaurant only to eat, and eat they did.
There isn’t much to say about the hygiene as it was the same as at any other restaurant.
The pricing was competitive and a decent meal for two cost us only around three hundred and fifty rupees. Most of the Hyderabadi cuisine like biryani, haleem, nahari-paaya, and tala hua gosht can be found here, and much of the menu does taste incredible. However, the atmosphere and lack of ventilation decreased the quality of the whole experience.
On a scale of ten, I would rate this restaurant a solid six and a half, and I would come back, particularly for the tala hua gosht.
Despite the below-average ambience, Alhamdulillah Hotel’s importance to Hyderabadi culture cannot be overlooked. It has become a crucial component of the city’s identity and a place where people can connect with their roots and celebrate their heritage.
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