When my girlfriend and I came to Kathmandu for 2 weeks, we only booked a place for the first few nights with the idea being we would visit various places and see what things were actually like, not what they look like online (as anyone traveling these days can attest, the gap between the virtual presence and the actual experience of places can be quite enormous). After visiting several places, we were delighted to find the hidden sanctuary of Cafe Mitra directly within the heart of Thamel. ||||Having been here for 4 days already (and planning more!), I can say unequivocally that even after making the educated choice of Cafe Mitra, it has far exceeded our expectations. Kunal is a Nepal local with a world-class understanding of hospitality. His staff is local, well-trained, and friendly. Keeping clean sheets and towels in the rooms, bringing us tea in the evenings, ensuring our gas heater works well (and that we have warm showers), and just helping with odds and ends like mechanical issues with a rented motorcycle, they are gems. Further, Kunal himself epitomizes the chic boutique hotel owner who offers stories and recommendations over a delicious (and provided) breakfast and whose design sensibilities and high-standards permeate the property. This attention to detail (quality of the comforters, sheets, mirrors, beds, etc) was so pleasant to discover and definitely leaves this as the nicest place we've stayed in over a month and a half in India and Nepal. ||||Honestly, the only hesitation I have in recommending this place is the caveat my girlfriend offered as I sat to write this review: "Be careful... I want to make sure Cafe Mitra doesn't get TOO popular... this is where we want to stay every time we come to Kathmandu!"