Frequently Asked Questions

We are open every day from 4:30 AM to 1:00 AM — a little over twenty hours a day.

The early hours are busiest for Irani chai and breakfast. Biryani is served from midday onward, and lunch between 1 PM and 3 PM is the busiest stretch of the day.

We are in the Madina Building on Pathergatti Road, in Ghansi Bazaar, Hyderabad’s Old City — a short walk north of the Charminar.

The full address is H.No. 21-1-1040, 1045, Madina Building, 1072 to 1078, Pathergatti Road, Ghansi Bazaar, Charminar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500002. The Google plus code is 9F9G+C6 Hyderabad.

Full directions, landmarks and transport options.

About 800 metres — roughly a ten-minute walk. Pathergatti Road runs north from the Charminar, and we are on it, inside the Madina Building.

Walking is genuinely the fastest way to cover that stretch at most hours of the day. It also takes you straight through Ghansi Bazaar, which is worth seeing in its own right.

Honestly, parking here is difficult. The lanes around the Charminar are narrow and congested through most of the day, and there is effectively no dedicated parking on Pathergatti Road itself.

Two things work well: use the paid parking areas near the Charminar and walk the short distance, or simply take an auto-rickshaw to the door. The second is what most regulars do.

Early morning is calm and is when the chai is at its best. Lunch, roughly 1 PM to 3 PM, is peak biryani time and also the busiest. Evenings are lively.

During Ramadan the restaurant is extremely busy for haleem, particularly around iftar. Come early or expect to wait.

No. Madina is a walk-in restaurant — come in whenever you like and we will seat you.

We do take bookings, though, and they are worth making in two cases: a large group, or lunch, which is our busiest stretch. A phone call in advance is all it takes.

Yes to both. We have a dedicated family seating area that also works well for larger groups, and families with children have eaten here for three generations.

The restaurant suits solo diners equally well — a great many of our regulars come in alone for chai and breakfast.

We have wheelchair-accessible seating inside the restaurant.

Be aware that the approach is harder than the restaurant itself: Pathergatti Road and the lanes of Ghansi Bazaar are narrow, crowded and often uneven. If you are arriving by wheelchair, call us on +91 90520 63454 before you set out and we will help you plan the last stretch.

In 1947, the year of independence, in the Madina Building on Pathergatti Road — where we still are today, three generations on.

Read the full history.

Three things: our Hyderabadi mutton dum biryani, our haleem, and our Irani chai.

We are also widely credited with bringing haleem onto an everyday commercial menu in Hyderabad in 1956, when it was still largely a dish of palace kitchens. More on that story.

Yes. Haleem is on the menu every day of the year — you do not need to wait for Ramadan to eat it here.

Demand does peak enormously during Ramadan, particularly around iftar, when the queues are at their longest. Outside that month it is quieter, and arguably a better time to sit down with a bowl of it properly.

Most guests spend around ₹200 to ₹400 per person.

Individual dish prices are listed on our menu page. They are taken from the menu board in our air-conditioned hall and are shown before 5% GST. Prices move with the market, so the rates displayed at the counter are always the current ones.

Yes, a proper selection — not an afterthought. There is veg biryani, a run of paneer curries, dal, aloo gobi, mixed vegetable curry, veg fried rice and noodles, and the full range of breads. See the menu.

Madina is a meat-forward kitchen and always has been, so if you are eating vegan rather than vegetarian, ask at the counter — ghee, butter and cream are used freely in this style of cooking, and the kitchen will tell you which dishes are made without them.

Yes. All the meat we serve is halal, and our certification is displayed on the premises.

Both. You can take food away from the counter, and we deliver — including no-contact delivery if you prefer it.

Biryani and haleem travel well and are what most people order to take home. For delivery you can order from us on Zomato.

Yes — you can order online on Zomato for delivery across the Old City and beyond. You can also call us on +91 90520 63454 and collect from the counter.

Please note that the prices shown on delivery platforms include their own charges, so they will not match the rates at our counter.

Yes. We accept cash, credit and debit cards, Google Pay and other UPI apps, and contactless (NFC) payments.

Yes to both. We cater, and we have a private dining room for groups who want a quieter table than the main hall.

Both need arranging in advance — call us on +91 90520 63454 and tell us the date, the numbers and what you would like cooked.

You can call us on +91 90520 63454, or find us on Google Maps.

Full contact and location details.