The end is here: Pak ‘GoT cafe’ braces for finale
Rawalpindi: Ali Abbas, 27, sits proudly for a photograph on a mock up of the Iron Throne.
A diehard Pakistani Game of Thrones fan, he says it is a “treat” to visit the cafe inspired by the hit American television series in the suburbs of Islamabad.
The restaurant, aptly named King’s Landing, was launched in January by four college friends who were surprised to see fans coming in with their families, despite the sometimes very violent and explicit nature of the series.
Abbas, on holiday from eastern Lahore, is surrounded by heraldic banners, dragon eggs and a menu that features homages such as Cersei’s Vanilla Poison — a toast to the evil sovereign of Westeros. Meanwhile in a tavern-like basement, a screen displays gory, blood-stained combat scenes and autopsies.
Abbas says he is thrilled to see it all “with my own eyes”. “I’m here on vacation so when I came to know about this cafe, so I thought that I should visit it because I’ve been following the show since the very start ... it’s a great experience,” he said. The
fantasy medieval saga produced by US cable network HBO tells the struggle of several families to conquer the “Iron Throne”.
It has more Emmy Awards than any narrative show in history and has become a worldwide success, including a massive fan base among English-speaking Pakistanis. “GoT is very big here,” said another patron, Haseeb Mahmood.