Hyderabad’s Hotel Nayaab: A 4 am breakfast like no other

For most people, breakfast means idli, dosa, poori, upma, eggs, or toast. But in Hyderabad’s Old City, breakfast can mean a plate of kheema, a bowl of paya, or a serving of gurda — and it can begin as early as 4 am.

Hotel Nayaab, near Charminar, has built a reputation since 1986 around its early-morning non-vegetarian spread. The restaurant is listed as operating from 4 am and currently features dishes such as khichdi-khatta with kheema and bhaji gurda among its breakfast specials.

Tucked into the narrow lanes of Hyderabad’s Old City, the eatery has been serving food under the “Since 1986” tagline. By around 5 am, the breakfast crowd starts building, with customers arriving for dishes that are far removed from the usual morning menu.

Breakfast spread

At Nayaab, the traditional breakfast includes kheema, paya, gurda, bheja, and kaleji. Its current menu also lists gurda fry, bheja preparations, malai paya, and other mutton dishes, while its breakfast specials include khichdi-khatta with kheema and bhaji gurda.

Paya is one of the highlights. Made with goat trotters, the dish is slow-cooked to create a rich broth. Nayaab’s menu lists both paya fry and malai paya, while nihari paya is another traditional preparation associated with the restaurant’s breakfast offering.

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Then there is mutton kheema — minced meat cooked with onion, ginger, garlic, and spices — which can be paired with roti, sheermal, or khichdi. For those looking for something more distinctive, the menu includes preparations such as dum ka kheema and malai kheema.

Khichdi and more

Khichdi-khatta brings together soft lentil-and-rice khichdi with a tangy accompaniment, paired with either kheema or bhaji gurda. The combination is one of the restaurant’s signature breakfast choices.

For more adventurous diners, there is bheja masala, gurda fry, and kaleji-gurda. Nayaab’s current menu specifically lists goat brain in its bheja masala, while gurda preparations use goat kidneys.

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And breakfast is not necessarily a one-dish affair. Customers can mix and match different preparations, turning an early-morning meal into a spread of multiple Hyderabadi meat specialities.

Beyond breakfast

Nayaab is not only a breakfast destination. Its kitchen serves food through the day, with a much larger menu covering starters, main courses, breads, desserts, and beverages. The current menu includes dishes ranging from butter chicken and Apollo fish to dum ka mutton and biryani.

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Hyderabad’s food identity is often associated with biryani and Irani chai. But in the lanes around Charminar, the city’s culinary story begins much earlier in the day — with steaming bowls of paya, plates of kheema, and preparations such as gurda and bheja.

So, the next time you are in Hyderabad, would you trade your usual breakfast for a 4 am plate of kheema, paya, or gurda?