Ramadan Dining: Cashless edition

With the month of Ramadan in full swing, it's getting around the time when we start venturing out of our homes for iftar. Don't get me wrong, though. Iftar at home, with your family, always makes for a special evening. However, an occasional outing to a restaurant for iftar can be quite refreshing, too.

Now, there are a great many restaurants in and around Dhaka that have ongoing iftar offers, but a great place to start would be to look at offers specified by your banks and mobile financial service (MFS) providers.

For example, Mastercard has a Buy One Get One (BOGO) iftar offer with Smoke Music Cafe and Golden Tulip – The Grandmark Dhaka. Additionally, they are offering a BOGO sehri offer at Tastebud Gulshan.

These are just a few that I came across this week on social media. If you spend a bit of time researching online and through your debit/credit card catalogues and brochures, I am sure you will find many more.

In order to make the process even easier, I have included some of the more notable offers below.

City Bank cardholders can avail BOGO buffet offers across various hotels and restaurants such as The Westin Dhaka, Intercontinental Dhaka, and Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka. Additionally, 10 to 20 percent discount offers are available for City Bank card users in numerous other restaurants.

Users of Visa Platinum, Signature, and Infinite credit cards of Eastern Bank Limited (EBL) can enjoy BOGO offers at Holiday Inn, InterContinental Dhaka, Radisson Blu (both Dhaka and Chattogram), Sheraton Dhaka and a few others. However, one should note that these offers are only available during the weekend.

Additionally, all Mastercard and Visa cardholders of EBL can avail various Buy One Get One, Buy One Get Two, and Buy Two Get Three offers at 138 East, Canary Park, Dhaka Regency, Tarka, etc.

Standard Chartered Bangladesh (SCB) offers BOGO offers for its credit card holders at the Amaya Food Gallery in Amari Dhaka, Latest Recipe in Le Méridien, Cafe Bazar in Pan Pacific Sonargaon, The Garden Kitchen in Sheraton Dhaka, and in many other restaurants and hotels throughout the city. While these aren't exclusive to Ramadan, they are definitely offers worth checking out this holy month.

Moreover, this Ramadan, SCB cardholders can avail BOGO offers at Platinum Grand, Lakeshore Hotel, Tarka, Shaw's Steakhouse, etc. SCB cardholders also get a 20 percent discount on iftar takeaways at The Garden BBQ & Cafe.

BRAC Bank cardholders can treat themselves to BOGO iftar buffet offers followed by dinner at Abacus, Amari Dhaka, Best Western Plus Maple Leaf, Golden Tulip, Hotel Sarina, Shaw's Steakhouse, and many others. They also offer a Buy One Get Three buffet iftar followed by dinner offer at Grand Oriental Hospitality, Innotel Hotel and Six Seasons Hotel.

Furthermore, BRAC Bank cardholders receive 20 percent discount on all items at Secret Recipe, 15 percent off on the à la carte menu at Tastebud, 15 percent off the à la carte menu at El Toro, and 15 percent off all menu items at The Manhattan Fish Market and Tony Roma's.

This Ramadan, MFS giant bKash also has many offers for its users including a 10 percent cashback offer at Bao, and 20 percent cashback offers at Secret Recipe and The Munch Station.

Now, while I have definitely given you a wide range of offers to consider, if you're still hesitant, with the traffic and rush hour on your mind, then food delivery services such as Foodpanda and Pathao Food can be a great way to order in and enjoy delicious meals in the comfort of your own home.

Through these apps, you get the food at your doorstep without having to make a fuss about cash, as well as receive multiple offers from restaurants for cardholders and bKash users. Alongside this, you can also receive discounts using coupons and promo codes from Foodpanda and Pathao.

Ramadan is the time to have iftar with friends and family. So, whether it is at a restaurant or in the comfort of your own home, go cashless and add some delicious dishes to mark the occasion.