The best meal in Kathmandu

Scrolling through my phone photos, I can’t help swiping left—every frame of that Kathmandu dinner that erased all our fatigue deserves a closer look: roasted lamb on a brass plate still steaming 🍖, salmon’s orange hue against white porcelain 🐟, even the carved patterns on the soup bowl, all carrying the gravity of an old building. Who’d have thought this meal, which healed all our travel woes, was hidden in a former Nepali president’s mansion? 🛫 From "circling mid-air" to "stuck in mountain traffic": this dinner was the sweet surprise in the chaos The flight from Guangzhou to Kathmandu on September 27th was probably the most "thrilling" I’ve ever taken. A 4-hour journey turned into a 1-hour mid-air circle due to Kathmandu’s heavy rain—when the captain announced "fuel running low" ⚠️, the air in the cabin grew tense. When we finally diverted to Dhaka, Bangladesh 🇧🇩, I stared at the unfamiliar airport outside, thinking, "I’ve never even heard of this place." By the time we finally landed in Kathmandu, we were 5 hours late ⏳. The original plan to leave for Pokhara on the 28th was derailed by landslides from earlier heavy rains 🌧️, blocking the road. We insisted on heading out by car, only to get stuck in traffic for 5 hours halfway up the mountain—endless lines of vehicles 🚗, villagers selling momos by the road, raindrops slamming the windshield, frustration making me want to get out and walk. "Let’s go back to Kathmandu." My travel buddy finally gave in. On the way back, the car rounded a slope, and suddenly I spotted a red-brick wall lit up, with palace-like spires peeking through the iron gate 👀. "This place looks special." A quick check revealed it was a restaurant converted from a former president’s mansion—you need a ticket to enter. In that moment, all fatigue vanished: "This is it!" ✨ 🏰 Dinner in a presidential mansion: history by day, starlight by night The entrance fee (more like a visit charge) was 200 NPR per person 🎫, but stepping into the courtyard made it worthwhile: century-old red brick walls covered in bougainvillea 🌸, fountains shattered into golden sparks by light, wooden carved windows of the main building glowing warm yellow, even the moss on the stone paths carried the dignity of "once the president’s walking grounds." Later, we learned this was once a private mansion of Nepal’s former president, later opened to the public with most original features preserved. A waiter said: "Come by day to see peacocks in the garden 🦚, sunlight through stained glass, old photos on the walls telling stories." We came at night—though the dark hid much, the wind rustling through colonnades, clink of silverware, and distant city lights created a secret joy, like "sneaking into a royal banquet" 👑. 🍽️ Order freely! Under ¥200 per person for a feast, every bite a delight The menu was pricier than average Nepali eateries, but with three of us ordering a full table—lamb, salmon, steak, three soups—the bill came to over 12,000 NPR (≈¥600), under ¥200 per person. For a "presidential mansion" setting, it was a "value for money knockout" 💸. Roasted lamb stole the show! Served on a brass plate, its crust crackled when cut, the meat inside tender and pink (around medium-rare). Juices mixed with rosemary, no gaminess at all—we fought over sopping up the last bits with bread, making the waiter laugh 😆. Pan-seared salmon was fresher than expected in a mountain area: crispy exterior, translucent tender flesh, drizzled with local honey-lemon sauce, tangy enough to cut richness. We later learned the salmon is air-freighted daily from India—such quality in Kathmandu felt rare 👏. Steak was a minor letdown 🥩: ordered medium, it came overcooked and chewy. The waiter explained, "Nepali chefs prefer well-done," suggesting medium-rare next time for better tenderness. All three soups shone 🥣: lentil soup creamy, sprinkled with ghee and chili; tomato soup fragrant with basil, refreshingly tangy; the biggest surprise was Tibetan butter tea soup—salty-savory with milk curd, warming from throat to stomach, chasing away the chill from the traffic jam ❄️. My friend sighed mid-meal: "After all the curry and momos in Nepal, this meal finally ‘woke up’ my taste buds!" 😋 Leaving, the guard smiled: "Come back by day—the garden’s prettier than night." Looking back, the mansion’s lights glowed like a quiet star in the dark 🌟. It hit me: travel troubles—delayed flights, traffic jams—seemed to make this dinner feel all the more precious. If you’re in Kathmandu, don’t just stick to Thamel Street snacks. Pay the entrance fee, sit in this old building, let the aroma of roasted lamb and the scent of old wood remind you: the best trips always hide in "unplanned moments" 💕 #Nepal #Kathmandu #MustEatInKathmandu #KathmanduTravel #KathmanduFood