Food, Drink & Entertainment in Kathmandu
Got a few days to kill in Kathmandu either side of your Everest Base Camp challenge? Here, we compile our favourite dining, drinking and partying spots the Nepali capital!
Café Mitra
Very close to your accommodation in Thamel lies the charming Café Mitra, with its delightful roof terrace, and both in- and outdoor seating. Mitra serves a wide variety of international and Nepali foods - all at very reasonable prices - and is ranked by Trip Advisor as one of the best places to get dessert in all of Kathmandu!
Top picks from Mitra's varied menu include their homemade guacamole, their roasted chicken and excellent range of mocktails, cocktails and fruit juices.
Pumpernickel
Pumpernickel is rated as Kathmandu's top bakery, and it's not hard to see why. A fantastic place to stop for brunch whilst exploring the hustle and bustle of the city, the menu here serves a wide variety of fresh baked and dairy products, as well as breakfasts, teas, coffees and juice.
Nepali art and photographs of Nepal's beautiful landscapes adorn the walls in what is certainly a cosy and quaint little bakery - and again, it's only a few streets from your accommodation in Thamel!
This photo of Pumpernickel Bakery is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Momo Hut
You may well have heard of momo, the classic Asian delicacy. Well, Thamel Momo Hut is the best place to get momo in all of Kathmandu - hands down.
These delicious steamed dough-balls come with a variety of fillings, including both meat-based and veggie options, and are usually served with at least one dipping sauce. Momo's immense popularity in Nepal has seen the food craze spread like wildfire all over the world, but nothing beats filling up on momo direct from its homeland here in Nepal.
Momo Hut, being a specialist momo restaurant, serves a wide variety of tasty momo options, but also takes great pride in its wide selection of craft beers!
Gokarna House
Gokarna is a great location for an evening meal, with a troupe of lovely wait staff serving a variety of tapas-style local delicacies. Whilst the food is delicious, what really sets Gokarna House apart is the entertainment.
Every 10-15 minutes throughout your evening, entertainers in costume enter the stage area to dance, sing and drum to traditional Nepali music, and tell tales of Nepali history and culture. There's also some amount of audience participation in their shows - so don't be afraid to join them onstage.
Purple Haze
So you've had your fill of momo and coffee - where next to let your hair down?
Purple Haze is a rock bar with attitude. The bands they book to play their live concerts (which happen most nights of the week) are kick-ass, usually rock and metal outfits - and they make a special effort to sprinkle their setlists with a weird and wonderful mixture of throwback cover songs.
While their wide selection of (responsibly consumed please!) beers and spirits is a little more expensive here, if you like the sound of spending an evening rocking out to throwback bangers in a chilled yet gritty atmosphere, then you can do no better than Purple Haze.
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