Akshara

Before jumping on my fifteen hour flight to Kathmandu, I didn’t really expect to go on a semi-cullinary journey & eating half my body weight in momos, however, my taste buds went on a flavourful journey…

OR2K:

When I was still planning my trip, I read a few blogs & watched a few Youtube videos & most suggested to try Or2K, so on my last day in Kathmandu I treated myself to a long, delicious & filling lunch. Or2K is an Israeli vegetarian/vegan restaurant with an amazing spread of dishes perfect for breakfast or dinner. All seating is on the floor, you have to take your shoes off & the overall vibe is super chill. Also, the menu is so cute, each page is hand drawn & full of colour.

Because dinner for me was going to be aeroplane food , I was sure to eat a heavy lunch. For entree I ordered hummus & naan, for mains I had a goats cheese pizza & to drink an ice tea. The hummus was super creamy, naan was fresh & I walked out with a smile & left over pizza for the flight (I accidentally dropped the pizza at the airport)

PUMPERNICKEL BAKERY:

I heard about Pumperickel Bakery through a Youtube video & also read this was a popular spot for tourists. I didn’t have any meals here, only pots of tea, delicious cakes & fresh pastries. I ate the black forest, chocolate cake & an apple pastry, which blew my mind! This place was perfect for an afternoon of tea, cake & a great book.

YALA CAFE & COFFEE SHOP:

My last day in Kathmandu, I was keen to try somewhere new. Again, this places was highly rated on TripAdvisor, popular with tourists & overall a sweet little spot. Plus, the staff are super friendly & were playing music easy to the ears in the morning.

FRENCH BAKERY:

Bored of the lack options at the hotel, I googled ‘breakfast places near me’ & popped up the French Bakery. Its a cute, central cafe with plenty of vegan/gluten free options & also has Vegemite! I ordered a standard breakfast – eggs, toast, jam & butter.

MO: MOLA PALPASA COFFEE:

An absolute hidden gem! This place took me a few minutes to find, but definitely worth the visit, I had to go back again. Here I ate spinach & paneer momos & the next morning ate french toast. They have books & a typewriter available if you’re there to to chill or to kill some time.

THAMEL DONER KEBAB:

At around seven – thirty in the evening, I was having major hunger pans & wanted something quick to take back to my hotel room, so I could watch Friends for the fourteenth time.  I went out & grabbed a falafel role & oh my goodness, it was DELICIOUS! Inside was a creamy avocado hummus & they also give you pickles!

BOTA MO:MO:

Bota Mo:Mo is a fast food joint with a wide variety of momos, burgers & fries. You can’t really go wrong with momos & this place was great for a quick pit stop.

CHEZ CAROLINE:

Situated in Baber Mahal Revisted, Chez Caroline is a French Restaurant which feels as if you’re not in Kathmandu, away from all the bustle. I was nestled in a little corner & treated myself to a long Saturday lunch, accompanied by a little Netflix. I ate spaghetti pesto, what seemed like a chocolate lava cake & absolutely demolished the bread basket & condiments. Also, special mention to the dessert menu for being three pages long, I was, for the first time, overwhelmed by the dessert menu.

THAMEL MOMO HUT:

In my best effort to eat as many momos as I could, I came across Thamel Momo Hut for lunch & oh boy I was not disappointed. They offer a range of momos & the waiter suggested I try the cheese & garlic filled momo & I also had the veg thali!

CHICK ‘N’ FALAFEL:

Again, heard about this place from a Youtube video & of course had to give it a go. I was extremely hungry & this falafel roll did do the job. The red marks are my lipstick.

YOU & I:

Hiding from the rain & looking for breakfast, I stopped at You & I. I had a standard breakfast – eggs & toast, with organic peanut butter. Extra points for the cute as fuck menu.

KRAZY GECKO:

Long story short, I had spent the day a little hungover in bed & my body needed some grease & an Advil. Krazy Gecko was super close to where I was staying & the menu had some decent options. I went for the nachos & the pad thai. I LOVED the nachos, especially the fried chips, the pad thai was okay. Also, the set up is really nice, offers great views of the lake, especially if you go around the afternoon/evening.

THE JUICERY:

Oh The Juicery, has a special place in my little heart. At the front of the cafe, they make fresh juices & smoothies, at the back there is the actual cafe. Just to give you an indication of how much I loved this place, I ate there for six days straight, making sure to try different meals, pastries & muffins. They’re an all vegan/gluten free place & I could not recommend this place anymore. If the pictures don’t win you over, they allow dogs to roam around freely & have a great lakeside view.

AYURVEDICO CAFE:

I stopped at Ayurvedico Cafe for some tea & also to hide away from the rain for a bit. If you’re interested in ayurveda, then this is the place for you. They offer a range of vegan options & what I found the most interesting is they offer a range of smoothies based on chakras. This cafe was sweet, had a relaxing vibe & also a bookshelf to help you learn more about ayurveda.

Bonus pics of a few random places I ate at & KFC:

-A