When travelling to Kathmandu, chances are you will end up in Thamel at some point. Thamel is a great area full of shops and tourist hotels. It is often considered the best place to stay in Kathmandu (although I do not necessarily agree – read more about this in my article about the best places to stay!).
When in Thamel, you might want to try out some of the restaurants in the area. To help you find the best restaurants in Thamel, I have compiled a list of the best Thamel restaurants so you will know exactly where to eat in Thamel!
IMPORTANT: This article is constantly edited. Whenever I find a good restaurant in Thamel, it will be added to this list.
Forest and Plate is a well-known restaurant in Thamel, attracting locals, tourists and ex-pats alike. Forest and Plate offer a mix of both traditional Nepali food and international dishes such as pasta or large salads.
When looking at the menu of this Thamel restaurant, you will find quite a lot of healthy salads at reasonable prices. They also serve chicken, steak, pasta and Nepali specialities such as a khana set or chicken Sadeko and chicken choila.
Forest and Plate restaurant, Thamel is a cosy restaurant with a nice terrace. The terrace is such a great place to sit in spring and autumn (the best time to visit Nepal might surprise you!), and from here, you will have a nice view over the other roofs in Thamel.
Forest and Plate is the perfect restaurant in Thamel for those looking for nice salads and healthy food or those who want to drink a beer or a cocktail on a nice rooftop in the centre of Thamel. As mentioned before – Forest and Plate attracts all kinds of people. Those travelling solo through Nepal are sure to strike up a conversation here!
Roadhouse Café Thamel
You might sometimes want to go for something quintessentially European (or American!) when travelling abroad. Although Nepal does have a few Western chains (KFC and Pizza Hut), the quality of the food served is not necessarily on par with the flavours and quality at home. I had to learn this the hard way…
Luckily, Kathmandu is home to many amazing pizza places such as 4 corners pizza and Roadhouse Café. Roadhouse Café is probably one of the best pizza restaurants in Thamel, offering amazing thin-crust pizza and a nice variety of starters, pasta, and starters.
When heading to any of the many Roadhouse cafes in the city, I love ordering the BBQ pulled pork pizza or the Farmhouse – depending on how healthy I feel. When it comes to pasta, I often go for the cheesy mushroom pasta and a large glass of sangria (they even have pitchers!).
Roadhouse Café Restaurant Thamel is located on Chaksibari Road. It is clearly marked on Google Maps. If you are on the other side of Thamel, you could also walk down to Roadhouse Mezze which has a few different (and amazing) pizzas on the menu. This Thamel restaurant is located on Durbar Marg in the building next to 1 Durbar Mall. You will also find a beautiful Himalayan Java Coffee and the London Pub.
OR2K
Our relatives and friends are always incredibly surprised by the number of different cuisines you can find in Kathmandu. OR2K is a great Thamel restaurant serving Middle Eastern and Lebanese food. If you are heading to Pokhara after you visit Kathmandu, I would recommend heading to OR2K in Pokhara as it has an amazing view of the lake.
Anyway, the Thamel restaurant of OR2K offers a menu filled with amazing choices such as pancakes, middle eastern snacks, salads and soups. OR2K is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and can be found on Mandala Street in the centre of Thamel.
This restaurant in Thamel is a real recommendation for those looking for a light lunch. As mentioned before, this restaurant also has a branch in Pokhara. If I had to choose between visiting the Thamel restaurant or the Pokhara restaurant, I would prefer the Pokhara one. Nevertheless, OR2K is still one of the best restaurants in Thamel.
The French Creperie Thamel Restaurant
My husband and I do not often go into Thamel as it can be quite busy (and people can be quite pushy). However, The French Creperie Kathmandu is probably my absolute favourite Thamel restaurant to visit. As you might have deduced from the name, French crepes, the French Creperie serves. The French Creperie restaurant Thamel serves both savoury and sweet crepes. My favourite is the savoury crepe with bacon, tomato, mushrooms, and cheese. You can also go for the goat’s cheese crepe if you are vegetarian or one of their many vegan crepes.
If you are thirsty, order one of their amazing cocktails. The cocktails at the French Creperie restaurant Thamel are very cheap and very nice. Try their local mojito or their local long island iced tea.
Another reason why you should consider going to the French Creperie restaurant in Thamel because it is a bit off the beaten path. It is mostly very calm, with a few tourists reading a book and snacking on a crepe. The restaurant is not that easy to find and lies away from the busy road. It is often very peaceful and quiet without too much city noise.
It sadly is quite hard to find this Thamel restaurant. Look the restaurant up on Google Maps and head to the location on Google Maps. Then take the little road where you can see signs pointing you into the direction of the French creperie. Take the little backroad past hotels and guesthouses until you finally arrive at the French Creperie.