Where to Eat in Thamel, Kathmandu: Menus and Prices

Three Thamel restaurants have their full menus and current prices on KTMenu. Every figure below comes from those menus, so you can check the bill before you sit down.

What a Meal in Thamel Costs

A margherita is Rs 650 at OR2K and Rs 780 at Roadhouse Cafe, a few streets apart. Neither price is wrong. Roadhouse has fired its pizzas in wood since 1992 and builds its menu around them; at OR2K pizza is one line on a vegetarian Mediterranean menu.

Across the three menus the cheapest item is butter naan at Rs 100 and the dearest is a BBQ chicken pizza at Rs 980. A main course runs Rs 280 to 480 at OR2K, Rs 620 to 980 at Roadhouse, and Rs 440 to 680 at Third Eye. Anything much above that in Thamel is paying for a view.

Best Meals by Time of Day

Breakfast in Thamel

Most Thamel hotels include breakfast, usually eggs, toast and tea. Eating out, the better options are South Indian breakfast (idli, dosa, sambar) at the small South Indian places near the main chowk, or a tea shop (chiya pasal) with roti and tea for Rs 50 to 80. OR2K serves shakshuka at Rs 450 if you want a sit-down breakfast at a price you can check first. Portions at the bakery-style Western breakfast places on the tourist drag are small for what they cost.

Lunch in Thamel

Lunch is the best value meal in Thamel. Dal bhat sets at local restaurants run Rs 200 to 350 with refills of rice and dal. A plate of momos at a sit-down place costs Rs 150 to 250. Walk away from the main tourist streets: Jyatha road and the lanes south of Garden of Dreams are cheaper, and a handwritten or Nepali-language board is a better sign than a photographed menu.

Dinner in Thamel

Dinner is where prices climb. Rooftop restaurants charge Rs 600 to 1500 a main and sell the view more than the food. Third Eye's curries run Rs 440 to 680 and its tandoori dishes Rs 650 to 850, which is what dinner costs at a kitchen that has been open since 1989. Eating earlier, before the evening rush, gets you better food at the same price.

How to Spot a Tourist Trap Restaurant in Thamel

• The menu has photographs of every dish. Locals do not need a photo to know what dal bhat looks like.
• Staff wait outside and try to walk you in. The better restaurants in Thamel do not need to.
• One menu covers Nepali, Indian, Chinese, Italian and Mexican. No kitchen does all of those well.
• Prices are listed in dollars or euros as well as rupees.
• It sits directly on the main Thamel road. One block in any direction is better value.

What to Order in Thamel

• Dal bhat, at places that serve it as a set with unlimited refills rather than a single bowl.
• Jhol momos, steamed and served in broth. Anything over Rs 350 a plate is overpriced.
• Thakali thali, the set meal with several curries, ghee and achar.
• Tibetan thukpa, filling and cheap, best at the Tibetan-run restaurants at the northern end of Thamel.
• Fresh juice. Pomelo, sugarcane and mango run Rs 40 to 80 at street stalls.

Practical Tips for Eating in Thamel

• Most restaurants open 7am to 10pm. A few run later, though the kitchen winds down before the room does.
• Cash is preferred. Many places take no cards, and those that do often add 3 to 5 percent.
• Tap water is not safe to drink. Order mineral water or stick to hot drinks made with boiled water.
• A 10 to 13 percent service charge plus 13 percent VAT is added at many restaurants. Check the menu before ordering.
• Cart food is generally safe where turnover is high and it is cooked in front of you.