Eat in Nepal

Rana-era Nepali dining set in the Babar Mahal Revisited heritage complex, with period furnishings and a formal set-menu experience.

Long-running traditional Nepali restaurant in Kamaladi, popular for set thali, raksi tastings and live folk music.

Traditional Nepali fine dining inside a restored 150-year-old Rana-era mansion, with cultural music and dance performances each evening.

Lakeside garden restaurant with a stage for nightly Nepali cultural shows and a long-standing bakery counter.

Casual Nepali grill in Jhamsikhel famous for sukuti, buff sekuwa and sandheko plates paired with local beer and raksi.

Hotel restaurant inside Buddha Maya Garden, the closest sit-down dining to the Sacred Garden of Lumbini.

Lakeside restaurant at Barahi Chowk with a garden and lake view, popular for its Thakali set and chicken khaja set at sunset.

Wood-fired Italian pizzeria on Lakeside Road with imported flour, fresh pasta and a popular tiramisu.

Pagoda-shaped restaurant on Taumadhi Square facing Nyatapola Temple, serving Nepali set menus with the best heritage view in Bhaktapur.

Rooftop café above a carved-window heritage building on Bhaktapur's Dattatreya Square, named for its famous 15th-century Peacock Window nearby.

Long-running courtyard restaurant just off Patan Durbar Square at Mangal Bazaar, serving Nepali, Newari and continental dishes since the 1970s.

Rooftop cafe overlooking Patan Durbar Square, serving Nepali, Indian and Continental dishes with the best stupa-to-temple view in Lalitpur.

French restaurant in the Babar Mahal Revisited heritage courtyard, a converted Rana-era palace complex, serving classic Gallic cuisine from seafood, duck and lamb to Alpine specialities like tartiflette and raclette. An extensive French and Italian wine list runs alongside breakfast-through-dinner service on a leafy garden terrace.

Garden cafe in Patan Dhoka inside a restored Newari home; live music nights and a strong contemporary Nepali menu.

No-nonsense steakhouse on Lakeside grilling imported buff and chicken steaks with peppercorn and blue cheese sauces.

Long-running Italian pizzeria near the old royal palace, with imported flour and an espresso bar.

Spacious Lakeside pizzeria known for authentic wood-fired oven pizzas and pasta, with Nepali and Indian dishes and room for large groups.

Sherpa-run German bakery in the centre of Namche Bazaar since 1996, a must-stop on the Everest trek for apple pie, cheese croissants and strong coffee.

Iconic hole-in-the-wall Newari joint on Patan Durbar Square, beloved for choila, bara and chiura since the 1960s.

Thakali restaurant at Tangal, part of the Capital Grill group.

Thakali restaurant in Sauraha near Chitwan National Park, known for its Thakali set, yak sukuti, sel roti and frozen momo.

Long-running Sauraha riverside restaurant on the edge of Chitwan National Park, with Western, Nepali and Indian menus.

Garden cafe set inside the Garden of Dreams (Swapna Bagaicha), the restored 1920s neo-classical garden built by Field Marshal Kaiser Shumsher Rana on the edge of Thamel. Run by the Dwarika's group, it serves coffee, cakes and continental fare across shaded pavilions, lawns and lily ponds, making it one of central Kathmandu's calmest heritage retreats.

Steakhouse on J.P. School Road in Thamel, serving grilled steaks and pasta.

Long-standing vegetarian restaurant on Lakeside, popular for South Indian thalis, masala dosa and live classical music nights.

Multi-course (6 to 22) ceremonial Nepali tasting menu inside Dwarika's heritage hotel, plated in copper and brass thali ware.

Upscale outdoor dining in Maharajgunj featuring European-Nepali fusion, famous for its weekend farmer's market and artisanal produce.

Open-air restaurant near the Lumbini master plan area, serving Nepali, Indian and Tibetan dishes for pilgrim and tour groups.

Lakeside Pokhara classic since 1992, with a wood-fired oven, big international menu and live acoustic nights.

Garden café in the brick courtyard of the Patan Museum, inside the former royal palace on Patan Durbar Square, run by the Summit group.

Long-running Durbar Marg institution with a bakery café and rooftop, popular for momo, sekuwa and Nepali snacks a short walk from the old royal palace.

Courtyard cafe tucked off Chaksibari Marg in Thamel, serving a wide international menu of soups, salads, Thai plates, char-grilled kebabs and steaks, including salmon and imported Australian lamb chops. A long-time expat favourite, it hosts live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evening.

Authentic Newari restaurant on a Kirtipur hilltop run as a community enterprise, famous for buffalo dishes, chatamari and bara.

Vegetarian and vegan Mediterranean-Israeli cafe on Mandala Street in Thamel, floor seating and a long-time backpacker favourite.

Lakeside outpost of the Thamel original — vegetarian Mediterranean menu, floor seating and a relaxed art-cafe vibe.

Historic Thakali-run lodge and restaurant in Jomsom under the Nilgiri Himal, serving traditional Thakali fare and dried-apple products since 1976.

Long-running Thamel bakery, a fixture of the neighbourhood's breakfast trade.

Boudha branch of the Roadhouse group, serving wood-fired pizza, pasta and coffee a short walk from Boudhanath Stupa.

Jhamsikhel branch of the Roadhouse group, serving wood-fired pizza and pasta in Lalitpur's restaurant quarter.

Popular wood-fired pizza chain in Thamel, known for thin-crust pizzas, pastas and a relaxed traveler vibe.

Garden-courtyard cafe in Thamel serving European comfort food, fresh salads and one of the strongest espresso programmes in central Kathmandu.

Mountaineering institution whose walls carry signed yeti-footprint boards from Everest expeditions; moved to Naxal after the 2015 earthquake.

Community-run Newari restaurant on the Kirtipur ridge near the Chilancho Stupa, in one of the valley's best-preserved Newar towns. It serves traditional samay baji, choila, bara and chatamari on brass platters, with sweeping views over Kathmandu and a menu built around the recipes and grains of the surrounding farming community.

Famous sweet-shop near Bhaktapur Durbar Square specialising in authentic juju dhau (king of yoghurt) served in traditional clay bowls.

Indian restaurant on Jhamsikhel Road in Lalitpur.

No-frills Lazimpat eatery serving classic Thakali set with timur-spiced dal, gundruk and seasonal pickles.

Set in a 19th-century Newari house, serving multi-course Nepali set menus with nightly cultural performances.

Restaurant inside a restored century-old Newari townhouse on Bandipur's traffic-free bazaar, with Nepali and continental menus and terrace Himalayan views.

Newari restaurant run by a women's cooperative in Pulchowk, serving samay baji and khaja sets on traditional platters with a cause-driven kitchen.

Multi-storey restaurant on Bhaktapur Durbar Square with one of the best rooftop views over the palace, temples and the golden Sun Dhoka gate.

Nepali and Newari restaurant in a converted villa with a garden courtyard in Lazimpat, a short walk from the old royal quarter. Known for choila, sukuti and Nepali platters served in a relaxed heritage-home setting, with live music on many evenings that make it a long-standing local dinner favourite.

Legendary family-run Tibetan eatery in Thamel, widely considered to serve some of the best momos and thukpa in the city.

Thai restaurant in the heart of Thamel, running since 1970 and known for authentic hot-and-spicy Thai cooking alongside continental dishes prepared with fresh ingredients. The elegant, tranquil dining room offers a calm escape from the bustle, with green curry and pad thai among the signatures.

Cafe at Gyan Mandala in Jhamsikhel, on Lalitpur's main restaurant strip.