It has never been easy for a ‘health-focused’ eatery to survive in Karachi. When a longing for indulgent halwa puri breakfasts and loaded smashburgers is what moves the city, it’s hard to find a substantial customer base when your menu consists of soups and salads. It isn’t for lack of trying.

A few years ago, restaurants called “Pesto” and “Garden Bistro” offered “clean” meals, vegetarian options and calorie-counted food. Neither lasted. Recently, a shop called SaladTox opened with “mixed bean salad”, “lentil crackers” and sugar-free desserts on its menu. It is no longer there.

For many years, the only restaurant in Karachi that seemed to offer a “healthy-leaning” menu was Evergreen. This changed recently.

‘Sweet Greens’ is a new restaurant that quietly opened last month in Defence Phase 8. While their physical location is new, Sweet Greens is no stranger to Karachi’s food scene.

Sweet Greens has survived where several health-focused eateries have not. Its new restaurant offers calorie-counted meals alongside pizzas, pasta, coffee and desserts

It debuted as a stall at the Karachi Eat food festival in 2019 and became famous for its red chilli tacos, named for their bright-red, crispy shells made from a corn tortilla and fried chicken. The stall drew long queues, with people eager to try a really spicy taco.

But instead of opening a restaurant right after its success at Karachi Eat — as many others, including Basic, 2Guys1Grll and, more recently, Fuse have done — Sweet Greens settled into being a takeaway and delivery spot, providing weekly meals to people with dietary restrictions.

It remained under the radar for almost seven years but even a quick glance at the restaurant’s social media pages showed that there was always something compelling in the menu — whether you were watching what you ate or not. There was the occasional post about mocha cheesecake, made from dark chocolate and kept sugar-free, and their drunken noodles, a Thai stir-fry noodle dish that became one of their best-sellers. During Karachi winters, you could also find hot chocolate.

Now that they have a physical location, with a well-lit interior, spacious seating and the signature green as their branding, I went there expecting menu items that, of course, would include caesar wrap and a burrito bowl (consisting of beans, grilled chicken, corn, dips and tortilla chips) but also have a few stir-fry and noodle dishes. It turns out, Sweet Greens has that and more.

Currently, Sweet Greens’ menu has a breakfast section. In addition to healthy bowls and wraps, there are also pizzas (albeit, wholewheat) and a dedicated menu for pasta. It also has the popular dessert latte — served with a slice of tiramisu over a glass of iced latte. The restaurant version comes topped with its own desserts: the mocha cheesecake, the molten lava made of dark chocolate or blondies.

As someone who enjoys exploring the menu of a new place in its entirety before deciding whether I like it or not, I ended up visiting Sweet Greens four to five times because of the vastness of the menu.

Our table opted for the roasted garlic soup, which had a creamy, brothy warmth and, thankfully, no aftertaste of corn flour. I went for pasta with turkey bacon and garlic, which I can say is going to become one of their best-sellers. It takes the usual “creamy white sauce” pasta and elevates it with its choice of toppings, while holding back on the sauce, so you can enjoy the slight chewiness of the penne.

On my second visit, I limited myself to their coffees. They were strong but left no lingering burnt taste — something many people have experienced at other cafes when ordering their coffee “strong”.

Not everything works equally well, though. The grazing platter, for instance, comes with three dips and chips, but it can offer more in terms of condiments to build flavour. Currently, the tzatziki dip outshines the other two — French onion dip and hummus.

Their pizzas take some getting used to because the base is made out of wholewheat, but the adjustment doesn’t take long.

The experience suggests that Sweet Greens has identified what would appeal to a broader audience while also keeping its concept focused on healthy, calorie-counted meals. It is willing to jump on a viral trend but, at the same time, if you are looking for a trusted place for a nutritious meal, it is right there.

Healthy menus don’t last in Karachi but this one just might.

The reviewer is a food writer and a digital content creator. Instagram: @GirlGottaEat

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 13th, 2026