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Top of the World Coffee, one of the first coffee shops in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, was started by an American in 2007. It’s now managed by Sumili Subba Juharchan, who used to be the chief of cabin crew at Nepal Airlines. She has been running the cafe for eight months and is now adding new services as well.

When we strolled into the cafe, we were hit by an amazing aroma of coffee. The space looked really cool with hanging lights and comfy chairs. They had a nice display of coffee too. You can even work there as they’ve set up special tables with plugs for your laptop. 

The coffee shop is known for its coffee beans, which come in a variety of flavors. Unlike using syrup to flavor the coffee, they actually add the flavors during the roasting process, giving it a more natural taste. They offer takeaway options in various sizes. What’s even cooler is that you can buy their flavored coffee beans at Pathao Bazar.

We decided to taste flavored cappuccino and americano in hazelnut and caramel flavors. The aroma was really nice, with hints of freshly brewed caramel and hazelnut. The sweetness of the flavors was enough for us and we didn’t need to add extra sugar. 

In addition to serving coffee and breakfast, the cafe now offers a variety of baked goods, refreshing mocktails, craft beer, and main course meals. They are open from seven in the morning until 10 at night. They even have breakfast options at affordable prices. We tried their popular Avocado Toast and were impressed by the generous layer of creamy avocado filling. It had a perfect balance of seasoning with salt and pepper and the toast was wonderfully crunchy. The poached eggs on top were cooked to perfection and dressed with vibrant grated carrot, red onions, and greens.

For the main course, we ordered Kothey Pork Momo, a dish that is not commonly found at cafes. If you’ve not tried momo there, you’re missing out. The dish came on a rectangular ceramic plate with different dipping sauces, a chili based one and another tomato based. The dumplings were generously sized and filled with well-seasoned and juicy pork. 

The menu is limited but there are some appealing salad options for lighter appetizers. We opted for the Avocado and Grilled Chicken Salad, a great choice if you’re looking for something healthy. The bowl was brimming with tender grilled chicken, diced avocado, tomatoes, and fresh veggies like lettuce and olives. It was drizzled with a light and tangy vinaigrette dressing, making it incredibly fresh and flavorful.

We couldn’ resist treating ourselves to some desserts. We decided to try the Lemon Tart and the Spiced Almond Cake with chocolate topping. The Lemon Tart had a tangy lemon flavor with a creamy filling and a crispy crust. It wasn’t too citrusy and overwhelmingly sweet. 

As for the Spiced Almond Cake with Chocolate Topping, it became our instant favorite. The subtle flavor of cinnamon and almond were incredibly satisfying, especially with the glossy layer of chocolate drizzled on top. It’s a comforting dessert and definitely worth trying. 

The staff were welcoming and there was soft music. The prices were reasonable. There’s a small parking corner across the cafe. You have the option to sit indoors or outdoors or even grab your order to go. 

Their specials: 

Flavored coffee

Avocado Toast

Pork Momo

Avocado and Grilled Chicken Salad

Lemon Tart

Location: Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur

Meal for two: Rs 1500 

Opening hours: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm 

Contact: 9704510426

Online Payment: Accepted

Parking: Available but limited​​​​​​​

Luma Restaurant, in Boudha, Kathmandu, is one of the first Asian fusion restaurants in Nepal. Run by Pranaya Limbu, the restaurant is located at the Boudha complex and offers a breathtaking view of the surroundings as well as delicious food to enjoy with it. The setup is cozy and comfortable, and you can choose to sit indoors as well if you are so inclined. 

The B.O.B Bao is the restaurant’s most popular food item. It’s a basket filled with six baos in pork, oyster mushroom, katsu, oyster buff, shiitake, and black bean tofu. The presentation is spot-on. The colorful arrangement is a visual treat. The fluffy steamed white buns look lovely.  The buns taste a little bit like biting into a cloud. We must say each bao was a surprise package of deliciousness. But our personal favorites were pork, shiitake, and oyster buff. 

The buns come in a variety of textures—from perfectly cooked pork with a crispy exterior to tender chicken with a crunchy coating. Vegetarians have the option to savor the earthy goodness of shiitake mushrooms with its umami-rich flavor. The subtle seasoning and rich savory base make it clear that the ingredients used are of good quality, justifying the price. 

We tried their famous Hot and Sour Noodle dish, in the buff option. It was served in a huge sleek black bowl. The broth had an amazingly tangy flavor, and a bit of chili pepper kick with just a hint of citrus. We enjoyed the Pressed Chicken Fried Rice as well. It came with a garnish of spring onions and the crispy texture perfectly complemented the fluffy rice. Adding a dash of chili sauce brought out even more flavor. It was well cooked and not overly greasy as fried rice often tends to be. 

The Chilli Garlic Prawns arrived in a stunning blue porcelain plate, adorned with generous portions of prawns, fresh lemon slices, and garnished with coriander. The presentation was enough to whet our appetites. The prawns were incredibly fresh and juicy and the chili coating was even. It didn’t overwhelm us with its spiciness. 

The restaurant has a rooftop bar and coffee counter as well. They’ve got a wide selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including some Asian beverage options like Tepache and Kombucha. Their mocktails are really good too. We tried the Pineapple Ginger Beer which is made with fresh pineapple and non-alcoholic beer.

Luma restaurant is a good place to hang out with friends and family. The food is delicious and you’ll want to keep coming back for more. And it’s affordable. Parking is a no-fuss. You can park at the Kimchi Korean restaurant’s parking lot a stone’s throw away from the restaurant.

Their specials: 

B.O.B Bao

Pressed Chicken Fried Rice

Chilli Garlic Prawns

Hot and Sour Noodle

Location: Boudhanath Road, Boudha Complex Rooftop, Kathmandu

Meal for two: Rs 2,000 

Opening hours: 11:00 am – 10:30 pm 

Contact: 9813059827

Online Payment: Accepted

Parking: Available​​​​​​​

I love breakfast. The idea of it makes me happy. A Pinterest-worthy elaborate spread of toast, muffins, eggs, sausages, bacon, pan-fried potatoes, tea (for my husband), and coffee (for me) is what I aspire for on the rare occasions when our schedules allow us to indulge in a breakfast or brunch session. I don’t enjoy cooking very much but putting together breakfast is something I’m more than capable of. It doesn’t seem like too much effort. And I love how different textures and tastes come together for a satisfying meal.

Chikusa in Thamel, Kathmandu, used to be our go-to brunch spot. Then we moved and Thamel is so out of the way that we rarely ever go there. Now we occasionally try out new restaurants, in hopes of finding a place that serves a nice breakfast. We haven’t been lucky. I thought it would change when we decided to go to Mr. Breakfast in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, on Christmas this year. I had heard quite a bit about it from my colleagues. Though the reviews were mixed, I was looking forward to it.

The place looks nice and has different kinds of seating arrangements that are visible right from the road. There’s even a cute balcony with a wrought iron table and two chairs. We thought we would sit there but it was a bit cramped and the chairs weren’t very comfortable either. We chose to sit on the bigger veranda space that had rattan furniture.

The server came quickly with the menus, which we appreciated because we were famished. A glance at it made us believe we were in for a treat. There was quite a range of options, from all the usual breakfast items to grilled chicken and other heavier meals. We took our time to decide as everything sounded really good.

We settled on a breakfast set and pancakes to start with. The set had eggs benedict, croissant, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, potatoes, sausages, bacon, baked beans, a bowl of lettuce with dressing drizzled on top, and a bowl of fruits dipped in yogurt. It came with a choice of tea or coffee. They even let us select one from the available teas on the menu. My husband chose the tulsi tea instead of the regular milk tea. I ordered a cappuccino.

Good things first: The cappuccino came within minutes. It was what you would expect while ordering a cappuccino. They didn’t make a fuss about changing the tea that came with the breakfast set to one that’s available à la carte. And they did it at no additional cost. The server was nice, refilling our glasses of water without us even having to ask. The food was on the table within 20 minutes or so. It was plated nicely and looked delicious.

There’s nothing that can go wrong with set breakfasts. Toast is toast, unless you burn it but nobody will serve you charred bread. Fried sausages and bacon are always sinfully delightful. Grilled tomatoes taste the same everywhere. The eggs benedict, on the other hand, can be a game-changer. I was looking forward to digging into some lusciousness. But the bread was stale and the whole thing felt off. I pointed this out to the server who said they don’t bake their own bread. I didn’t know what to say to such a silly excuse. He told me he would get me a feedback form and he didn’t.

I’m a sucker for pancakes. I could have them for dinner. So, I ate my share without any complaints. There were two pieces on one plate. My husband thought it was a bit too doughy and stuck to the roof of your mouth.

We ordered grilled chicken with mashed potatoes since the breakfast wasn’t very filling. This we enjoyed. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the chicken was juicy and tender. The vegetables on the side had just the right amount of crisp. We should have just skipped breakfast and gone straight for the mains instead.

Our verdict was that Mr Breakfast wasn’t trying hard enough to stand out. It’s serving the same kind of items at similar prices. It has to work on its menu to give its customers a reason to go back. It has a lot of potential as it’s located in a nice area and the stakeholders seem to have put in a lot of thought in decorating the space to make it feel calm and relaxing.

We came across Feels in Jhamsikhel, Lalitpur, right before Tihar when we were looking for a place to have brunch on the Saturday right before Laxmi puja. We had a great time. The restaurant was stunning. The food was great. We ended up staying for five hours, chatting and sipping on all kinds of hot beverages. Turns out, they had only had a soft launch back then. According to their Instagram page, they formally opened their doors a few days before Christmas.

 Feels is a restaurant we highly recommend. It’s aesthetic. The food is delicious. You really can’t go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. You could close your eyes, place your finger anywhere on the menu, and order that item and you wouldn’t regret it. We had the breakfast platter, chicken meatballs, tortilla wrap, and peri peri fries.

 The best thing about them all, apart from the fact that we couldn’t find anything to complain about in terms of taste, was just how beautifully they were plated. The dishes used were heavy ceramic pieces in pastel shades that made the food stand out even more. Wooden trays were used for the platters. The fries came in paper cones in mental holders, atop a plate. The orange juice came in champagne flutes. We pretended they were mimosas. 

The prices are reasonable, given the portion sizes. Three of us ordered almost two drinks each (non-alcoholic) and four food items and the total bill was still a little less than Rs 5000. We also didn’t feel bad about parting with the money because we had enjoyed our time there.

There are plenty of seating options at Feels. We haven’t been there since the official launch but going by some friends’ posts on Instagram and Facebook, there have been quite a few upgrades and additions. And all of it looks quite lovely.

There’s a post on Feel’s official Instagram page where the founder talks about wanting to open a place that wasn’t just a restaurant, but a space where you could relax and have a good time without feeling obliged to keep ordering. Five different sections of the restaurant include a brunch area, study area, bar, boho-themed section, and a 90s space.

The brunch area has hues of blue and gray. The study area doubles as a co-working space. The bar is interestingly done, and there are some mean cocktails on the menu. The boho-themed area has plants and white macramé décor whereas the 90s space has interesting knickknacks sourced from the founder’s family and friends. We had fun looking at tape recorders and one of those chunky phones where you have to spin the wheel to dial a number. It was all very nostalgic.

 All in all, Feels stood out as a spectacular restaurant. We loved it. We will definitely be going back and we urge you to give it a try as well. You won’t regret it.