Hello fellow Nepal lovers and those who still want to become Nepal enthusiasts. And welcome to another blog entry brought to you by Nature Trail.
My name is Kristina and I am currently an intern with Nature Trail in Kathmandu. The other day I was thinking that besides reading about the latest trekking adventures, you might also be interested in the food culture and “nightlife” here in Kathmandu. So here I am, a huge foodie myself, writing about my culinary adventures the last couple of weeks. I have eaten my way through Thamel, where the office is located and where you will most likely be staying during your time in Kathmandu. This city is a culinary paradise with various restaurants to choose from. In the narrow streets of Thamel you will find a diverse cuisine, ranging from local Nepali and Tibetan food to Indian, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Mexican, German… you get the idea.
So, I better get to the point. Below you’ll find my personal favorite places for breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. I of course haven’t been able to try all the restaurants here in Kathmandu, so feel free to leave a comment with your personal favorites!
Pumpernickel
I like to come here for breakfast but also lunch. They have very good coffee and I really like the omelet sandwich for instance. Staff is super friendly and all in all it is just a relaxed place, no rush, you can read your newspaper or make use of the free Wifi while enjoying some coffee, sandwich or cake (the veggie quiche is also great if you ask me). They have tables in and outside. No service charge and VAT is included in prices which is always a plus point for me.
Phat Kath
Just down the road from Roadhouse Café. You have to look closely to not miss the sign that reads “Phat Kath Gallery” on the left hand side coming from Roadhouse Café. The restaurant is almost like a tree house – that said, try to get the spot at the tree, it’s really nice especially during the day when the sun is shining. The menu is written on chalk boards inside and includes various types of food ranging from crepes, to burgers and steaks as well as Nepali food. I’ve had the veggie momos, a crepes and a burger here and really liked everything. The atmosphere is great and from 3-8pm they have a happy hour; buy one cocktail and get one free.
Yangling
I often come here, especially for lunch, for really good and inexpensive momo’s and noodle soup (each about 1US$). Everybody I have been talking to about this agreed that this is their favorite place in Thamel for momo’s. It is always packed with both locals and tourists, so that’s a good sign, too. Enjoy the chicken, buff or veggie momo’s – steamed is the traditional way, but fried is not too bad, either. See for yourself what you like best.
Places
This is my absolute favorite place. It is a fairly new vegan/vegetarian restaurant but even for me (I really like meat), I didn’t miss anything. The food is superb and the atmosphere is very relaxed. You have to take your shoes off when sitting down on the ground that is made very comfortable with many pillows around. This and the fact that it’s an artsy place add to the atmosphere they want to create there. Moreover, they have a few fun events going on. Once a month (at least for now – maybe more often in high season) they organize a pubquiz that anyone can join and they also show movies on their rooftop from time to time. For more information, check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PlacesKathmandu
Yin Yang
Go there for good, authentic and affordable Thai food. People say it’s the best in town and I can definitely agree that it’s very good indeed. I can’t really tell what my favorite dish is, because I’ve only been here once but just go and decide for yourself.
Northfield Café
This place has such a nice garden area and I could spend all evening here making use of the free Wifi or chatting with friends. The Mexican food is very good, I really enjoyed the wraps and enchiladas but I am sure that no matter what you choose, you will like it. I also heard and read that this is supposed to have the best value-for-money breakfast in town – I should probably check it out, too!
Roadhouse Café
You know, every now and then I think everyone, including me, craves a good pizza. Roadhouse Café is maybe not the coziest place in town compared to Places or Northfield Café for instance but they have good stone oven pizza and other delicious snacks. Recently a friend told me they had “sizzling chocolate cake” – sounds interesting, no?
Electric Pagoda
This place is my favorite place for drinks. The garden area is fantastic and you feel comfortable from the moment on that you enter it. I have been there on a Wednesday and there was live music which was very nice because it was very good music and not too loud so that having a conversation was still possible. I’m not sure if they have live music every Wednesday, though. But it is also worth it to go there other nights; Fridays for example are busy and you will find many tourists as well as locals enjoying a beer or cocktail there. They also offer food, I haven’t tried it but the menu looked promising.
Sam’s Bar
This is a very chilled out dive bar with very nice staff. You’ll get free popcorn with your drinks and it is easy to meet fellow travelers as well as locals here. There is a fireplace on the terrace that you can sit around to warm up – okay, not really necessary in Spring/Summer but right now as nights still get quite cold this was a nice opportunity to stay warm even with a cold beer in the hand. I think this place is also popular with trekking groups and their guides to reminisce about their adventures trekking in the Himalayas.
So, this is a small choice of my favorite restaurants in town. There is still so much more to explore – Or2k and Third Eye Restaurant for instance are still on my list of places to eat. I am certain that you will find a great place that serves your favorite food or a place that you can broaden your culinary horizon. Enjoy your time in Kathmandu and your Trekking Adventure with Nature Trail!
Best wishes,
Kristina
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