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The first time I visited Salon De Kathmandu Cafe and Bistro was five years ago, on a friend’s birthday. I loved the place. So recently, I thought of giving it another visit. To my surprise, the place has changed completely. It’s even better than what it used to be. It’s livelier. The garden, which used to be empty, now has a bar right in the middle. At the corner, there are two chambers built aesthetically for group dining, and a quaint little coffee shop called ‘Bhawana’.  While we were waiting for our food, I happened to meet Lakpa Sherpa and Jennifer Lan, who are now running Salon de Kathmandu Cafe and Bistro in Lazimpat, Kathmandu, a few blocks away from Hotel Radisson. They have been running this restaurant for the past three years. They told me about their first visit to Salon de Kathmandu, and how they enquired if the building was for sale. “The former owner trusted us to maintain the reputation they built,” says Sherpa. I believe they have surpassed the former owner’s expectations. Salon de Kathmandu is definitely unique. It’s one of the rare places where you’ll find many unique specialties. “We switch some items in the menu every three-four months in order to let our customers try some of the seasonal foods,” he says. Take the Fried Snack Platter for example. The dish’s components were rather different from other platters I have tried so far. There were four different types of appetizers: fried sausage, fried pork cheese, fried chicken teriyaki and salads dressed in balsamic vinegar, served with ketchup and mayonnaise. Everything was delicious. No wonder why it’s one of the best-selling dishes at the cafe. For the main course, we went with Korean BBQ Pork Steak. It’s a must try. The sticky rice is served along with tantalizing marinated pork, salads. and freshly grilled onions. For me, the dish didn’t taste like Korean until I tried the spicy Korean soybean paste that came along with it. It had an authentic Korean flavor. The texture and spices were on point. The bistro’s Creamy Pumpkin Soup is another top seller. Most people are reluctant to try pumpkin at a restaurant. But the earthy flavor, velvety texture, and delicate sweetness of pumpkin are all very soothing to the palette. Multigrain bread came alongside in a bamboo basket. For those who are lactose intolerant, I recommend seeking out other alternatives from the menu. This might not suit you best. The dish tastes amazing, but the overwhelming creaminess made it quite challenging for me to finish it all by myself. After a heavy meal, I wanted to have a salad, and they had some good options. I went for Harvest Salad. Salon de Kathmandu has organic green veggies growing in their garden, and that’s what comes to the table. With fresh greens, seasonal fruits and vegetables, crunchy walnuts, quinoa, cheese, pumpkin and pomegranate seeds as well as other toppings, it’s a dish that you must try.  If you browse the menu, you will be tempted to taste everything there. The manager and employees are quite helpful. Your choices will be catered to, and they will explain each item carefully. While we’re talking about staffs, I can’t overlook how well-dressed the staff was. Their uniformity made the atmosphere even more classy. The aesthetics of the restaurant is immaculate. The food was served in cute pastel and minimalist ceramic plates. Also, for drinks, they provided us with woven coasters. They have both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Inside, you can enjoy fairy lights and the aesthetic decor of plants and light. While outside, you get to see the panoramic view of the garden. After 6:00 pm, the staff lit the candles on the tables.  Salon de Kathmandu is a perfect eatery to go on a date or catch up with friends. The atmosphere is calm, fresh, pristine, and the food is splendid. Also, you needn’t worry about parking. What more can one ask for?   Their Specials:

• Korean BBQ Pork Steak

• Fried Snack Platter

• Harvest Salad

Bars are a dime a dozen in Thamel in Kathmandu. There are at least a few in almost every street. Most of the bars in this party zone are nice and have their own unique points. But it would be fair to say that only some are really outstanding and thus popular too. One of them is the Shisha Lounge and Bar. The place is always packed, especially on the weekends. The food is great. The drinks are even better. And the music is loud and gets you in a happy mood.  While enjoying my drink, I spoke briefly with Kiran Shrestha, co-owner of the bar. He talked about how his hunt for and love of good bars pushed him to start his own. But he didn’t want to serve just drinks. As the name suggests, Shisha, or hookah as you may know it, is one of their specialities. “While visiting a bar, I met an Iranian guy who suggested I get into serving hookah,” says Shrestha. Eventually, Shisha Lounge and Bar was established in 2006 and till now has the reputation of being one of the best places for hookah in Thamel. “We were one of the first places to start serving hookah,” he says.  The place is also popular for their daily live music performances. It’s true that not everyone enjoys loud music. But the seating arrangements here ensure those who want to talk to their friends instead of listening to music can easily do so. You can sit outside where the music won’t bother you, but you aren’t completely cut off either and will be able to enjoy a song or two, should you want to.  “We make sure the music is good and we complement it through good food, drinks, and cocktails,” says Shrestha. And I couldn’t agree more.  One of the popular drinks at Shisha is the Aperol Negroni. It’s a Negroni cocktail that uses Italian Aperitif Aperol rather than the usual Campari. It’s served on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass showcasing its vibrant orange hued. It comes with big round ice and spiral orange peel. Every sip packs a zesty punch. A blend of bitter citrus, herbs, and aperol with ice is refreshing, and a really great choice for summer.  Choco Martini is a good cocktail to try if you’re just getting started. It’s a decadent drink that mixes the classy flavors of a martini with the rich and velvety texture of chocolate. It’s like a liquid dessert. It has martini, vodka, Baileys, and a touch of chocolate syrup. The martini glass makes it look like a premium cocktail.  Whiskey Smash is another great choice. Those who like whiskey won’t be disappointed by this drink. You can even customize it according to your preference. Just tell the staff how you want it to be.  Another one of my favorites is Chinese Blue. It’s light and fragrant and the blue hue makes it look so majestic. If you’ve never had a cocktail before, start with this one. Hot Chicks on the Rocks is a spicy summer cocktail that you could try if you want something you’ve never had before. It’s a tequila based drink that has chili in it. But the Cucumber Mojito is unquestionably the best choice for hot summer days. White rum is mixed with lemon and cucumber slices are added to it.  Shisha Lounge and Bar also has a good selection of food to complement their drinks menu. Also, in an area as busy and crowded as Thamel, parking can be a nightmare. But Shisha has its own parking space right next to the bar. So, what are you waiting for? I’d suggest you head to this vibrant place the next time you want to grab a drink.  Their Specials:

• Aperol Negroni
• Chinese Blue
• Whiskey Smash

There aren’t that many places that provide good food at reasonable prices. But Universal Café, which has been in operation for 15 years, serves tasty food without shocking you with the cost. There is a lot on the menu—the majority of the options are Indian or Nepali dishes. The good thing is it’s also a nice place to gather for celebrations or a lazy day hang-out session with friends. It has outlets in Maharajgunj and Sukedhara in Kathmandu and Satdobato and Bagdol in Lalitpur. Keshar Bahadur Shrestha, co-owner of the Universal Cafe, says they have a lot of regulars, and even first-time visitors compliment them on their delicious food and fast service. One of the many dishes that people like the most is their Chicken Sizzler. It comes with a steak, and a side of noodles and mixed vegetables like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and green beans. The sauce that is generously drizzled on top wonderfully ties all the ingredients of the dish. It would be a mistake to skip having their Butter Naan. It’s luscious and melts in your mouth. You could order a curry from the curry section, which includes paneer, chicken, chana butter masala, and more, to enjoy with the naan.   The Spicy Chicken Wings is a must-try as well. It has a hot smoky smell to it and it’s glazed with mouth-tingling red sauce. I have to admit that the food presentation could have been better, but the marination, balanced spices, and grilled/tender texture of the meat more than make up for it. The cafe will also not let you down in terms of portion sizes. We needed a break to finish our food so we got a chance to scan the place. There is some creative furniture in the cafe, which I thought set it apart from the other cafes. The tables are glass-topped with coffee beans below them. Those who enjoy the smell of coffee should definitely visit this cafe. You can sit indoors or outdoors depending on your mood. There are more than enough fans to keep you cool during the hot summer months. We also tried some Nepali food. We found it difficult to choose a dish to select since there were many options. Eventually, we decided on Chicken Sekuwa and Mutton Taas. The sekuwa was amazing, but I didn’t particularly enjoy the mutton taas. It was a little salty and dry. Both dishes were served with puffed rice, fermented radish pickle, and salad. Sekuwa is often served with chiura (beaten rice), but I was glad that they had puffed rice instead. Owing to the sekuwa’s popularity among customers, Shrestha claims to have accomplished his goal of preserving the culinary heritage of Nepal. To soothe our parched throats, they got us some wonderful summer drinks like the Lemonade Honey and Fresh Fruit Smoothie. They were both really good and just what we needed to wash down our meals. Universal Café stands out for a few reasons. First, their service is really fast. Second, the staff is polite and none of their outlets are very noisy despite being centrally located. The music choice and the décor could have been better but that’s just personal preference, I guess. All in all, it’s a nice place to spend some time indulging in some good food. It’s also where you can go when you are famished. They will take care of you in a jiffy. Their Specials:

• Butter Naan with curry
• Chicken Sekuwa
• Spicy Chicken Wings

Who doesn’t love good breakfast food? It’s light, soothing, and if it were up to me, I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I found a perfect place that serves you breakfast food all day round. Over Easy BnB in Bansbari, Kathmandu, is an all-day breakfast restaurant that serves you good food at a reasonable price. It’s quite popular for the Over Easy Eggs and its exclusive menu.  The place looks aesthetic. There is a pretty garden too. I was captivated by the villa-style decor with abstract artwork on the walls. The modest decor and vibrant artifacts kept the mood upbeat. Warm lights and beige teak wood interiors lift the ambiance even more. The counter is adorned with a large clock. In the garden, there are fairy lights strung across the trees and hedges.  The experience of visiting this restaurant is incomplete without trying out their Over Easy Special. It’s an innovative dish, with multigrain toast and two special toppings. One comes with two delectable over-easy eggs and smashed avocado, and another with a fine coating of peanut butter and pomegranate spread on top. It has a subtle balance of sweet and sour flavor. To make it more appealing, they serve it with fat juicy sausages, bacon, and lettuce. The other dish you need to try is Florentine Eggs. It’s one of those fancy dishes that not only looks good but is also delicious. The dish has an earthy flavor from poached egg and spinach. It’s served with some bacon strips and freshly made chips on the side. It’s served on a pink earthenware plate making the aesthetic appeal of the meal hard to ignore. They prepare soft multigrain bread by letting the dough rise overnight and baking it the next morning. Every dish is made from scratch, so it’s understandable why their service is a tad bit slow. Most of the ingredients used are grown in their garden.  Besides food, this restaurant is also popular for its fruit smoothies. Unfortunately,  a smoothie bowl wasn’t available at the moment so we asked for The Breakfast Cake. The ingredients include three soft pancakes, sliced bananas, and chopped apples. They’ve included their signature over-easy eggs, bacon, and lettuce to make the dish nutritious.  I’m glad the Chicken Wrap we ordered wasn’t a bad pick after knowing it’s made with spinach. It’s a rolled-up mix of spinach and chicken in tortillas. The spinach is neatly packed so it doesn’t get messy while eating.   I also liked how the restaurant shortlists its specials every day. You can find them scribbled on a blackboard. It’s quite helpful for people who are indecisive about what to order. And it’s interesting how they have included different cultural foods for breakfast on their menu. You can select from classic Indian, classic Nepali, and mountain madness with sherpa bread for your breakfast meal.  Over Easy BnB is all things classy and cozy. The place puts you at ease and the food makes you happy. Plus, there is plenty of parking space for both two- and four-wheelers so you don’t have to worry about that either.  Their Specials:

• Over Easy Special
• The Eggs Florentine
• The Breakfast Cake