Italian Restaurants in Kathmandu: What Pizza and Pasta Actually Cost

Italian food in Kathmandu spans a wider price range than almost any other cuisine in the city. The same margherita pizza is Rs 650 in Thamel and Rs 780 in Patan, while a plate of spaghetti carbonara costs Rs 495 at one restaurant and Rs 1,440 at another twenty minutes away. This guide uses the menu prices restaurants publish on KTMenu, so you can see the spread before you sit down.

What a Pizza Costs in Kathmandu

Across the restaurants listed here, pizza runs from Rs 330 to Rs 995. That range covers two different products. At the bottom sits the everyday pizza served in neighbourhood kitchens and banquet cafes. At the top sit wood-fired and imported-cheese pizzas in Thamel and Patan, where a single pie is close to a thousand rupees.

The margherita is the honest comparison, because almost every Italian kitchen makes one and the recipe leaves nowhere to hide. OR2K in Thamel charges Rs 650. Roadhouse Cafe, also in Thamel, and Jimbu in Patan both charge Rs 780. The Rs 130 gap buys a wood-fired base rather than more toppings.

King Cafe is the outlier, and worth explaining. Its cheese pizza at Rs 330 is less than half the Thamel margherita price, because it is a banquet kitchen serving a local neighbourhood rather than a dedicated pizzeria. If price is the deciding factor, that is where the money goes furthest.

What a Plate of Pasta Costs

Pasta runs from Rs 465 to Rs 1,640, a spread of more than three times. Jimbu in Patan anchors the bottom, with penne arrabbiata, spaghetti bolognese and tagliatelle alfredo all at Rs 465 and carbonara at Rs 495. Roadhouse Cafe sits in the middle at Rs 620 to Rs 750. Chez Caroline on Durbar Marg sits alone at the top, with its spaghetti dishes at Rs 1,440 and Rs 1,640.

Carbonara is the clearest example of what you are paying for. The Rs 945 difference between Jimbu and Chez Caroline is not a difference in portion size. Chez Caroline is a French kitchen on Durbar Marg with imported ingredients and a dining room priced to match.

Where to Eat, by Budget

Five kitchens is a price reference, not a complete survey of Italian food in Kathmandu. Use the figures to judge whether a menu you are handed is priced fairly for the area it sits in.

What to Check Before You Order

• Whether the quoted pizza price is for a personal size or one meant to share. Menus rarely state the diameter.
• Whether the cheese is local or imported, which is most of the gap between a Rs 400 and a Rs 800 pizza.
• Service charge and VAT, which are usually added on top of the menu figure in Thamel and Durbar Marg.
• Whether pasta is made in house. At the lower end it is generally dried and imported, which is not a fault, just a different dish.

Prices come from each restaurant's own menu as listed on KTMenu and change without notice. Check the restaurant page for the current figure before you go.