This ultimate foodie guide to Pokhara shares the lowdown on the best restaurants and cafés in Pokhara, and what menu items you definitely need to try while you’re there.

Pokhara may be a mecca for adrenaline junkies traveling in Nepal, but I think it’s equally suited to insatiable foodies! Of all the places we traveled to during our month-long stay in Nepal, Pokhara takes the cake (pun intended) when it comes to food. The city is filled to the brim with hidden gem restaurants, vegan-friendly cafés, and magical momo-filled menus. No matter what your dining budget or preferred cuisine, Pokhara has endless eateries that serve something for everyone.

After hiking to Annapurna Base Camp, we spent a lot of time in Pokhara trying to give our legs a break by exploring its unexpected food scene. During the heat of the day, you could find me and Luke chilling at a local café, fueling up with dal bhat, or chowing down on momos down one of Pokhara’s alleyways.

I’ve created this mega food guide with all the best places to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Pokhara so that you can save time searching and get straight to eating. Mouthwatering meals await!

foods to try in nepal ↴

Much of Pokhara’s food scene is made up of smoothie bowls, pizzas, and momos to cater to international traveler expectations. However, while you’re in Nepal, you should absolutely make sure to try local Nepali favorites. There are plenty of Nepalese restaurants across Pokhara that serve the staple dishes listed below, and I can attest to them being delicious.

dal bhat | a plate consisting of a heaping pile of white rice surrounded by smaller portions of curry, lentil stew (dal), fresh vegetables, something pickled, and a papadum.

momos | a Tibetan dish, similar to dumplings that are filled with various seasonal vegetables and occasionally meat. These are traditionally served steamed but often found fried.
gundruk | often regarded as the national dish of Nepal, it’s an assortment of pickled, leafy greens not too dissimilar from kimchi.
thukpa | a winter delicacy that combines meat stock with vegetables and noodles to create a warm stew-like dish that will warm your bones, sometimes referred to as “Tibetan noodle soup”
wo | pancakes made with ground green or black lentils, usually made during the Newari festival of ‘Sti Nakha.’ Wo is typically vegetarian, but versions exist that add ground chicken and egg to the batter.
gurung bread/ Tibetan bread | variations of deep-fried bread, typical as a breakfast food at teahouses
sel roti | a treat that lies somewhere between a doughnut and a bagel that is made during the Tihar and Dashain religious festivals. Rice flour is deep fried in a ring shape so that it becomes crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside.

dining culture in Pokhara ↴

Key areas for dining in Pokhara are Central Lakeside and North Lakeside. Central Lakeside is a bit more commercialized, while North Lakeside feels very backpacker-heavy. Foodservice in Nepal is slow relative to what some tourists might be used to. This is because a large majority of the food served is made fresh to order in homestyle kitchens. A lot of the places we ate at in Pokhara took roughly 30 minutes to cook food, with a few spots taking closer to 45 minutes. Keep this in mind if you are running short on time!

where to eat in pokhara ↴

breakfast

Ayurvedico Café

A blend of smoothie bowls and traditional thali sets, the menu at Ayurvedico Café was designed with health in mind. For those who don’t know, Ayurveda is a form of holistic medicine that’s focused on promoting balance between your body and mind. An Ayurvedic diet is based on the five elements and is said to create specific physiological functions. Whether or not you believe in that kind of thing, the food at Ayurvedico Café is inarguably a fresh-tasting start to your day.

Perky Beans

Coffee shakes, fruit bowls, full fry-ups, and more— Perky Beans offers patrons breakfasts that the likes of British and American visitors will likely recognize. Perky Beans has a reputation for its American-style pancakes, but the coffee is consistently good here too. Perky Beans was busy every time we walked past, and after eating here I understand why. I recommend popping in for breakfast if you’re looking for something filling that’s an alternative to a smoothie bowl.

Little Windows

Don’t let the powder pink walls fool you into thinking Little Windows is some influencer-heavy café that’s lacking anything of substance on its menu. Vegetarians, vegans, and celiacs can all find options at Little Windows thanks to its widely varied menu. I suggest Little Widnows for breakfast in this post, but you can find an equally appealing lunch and dinner menu at this spot. Their cacao smoothie bowls are great, as is their avocado toast (more like a platter of avo, steamed veg, and a large toasted baguette).

The Juicery Café

By far my favorite breakfast spot in Pokhara was The Juicery Café. Everything from the food to the setting of the café is immaculate. When I walked into the café, I immediately noticed the large glass windows that were open wide with views of the lake. We nabbed a sofa seat right by one of the aforementioned windows and went all out ordering cold brews, french toast, and the most colorful peanut butter and cacao smoothie bowl. This was the best breakfast we had in Pokhara, and had it not been so far from our accommodation, we likely would have returned every morning.

Vegan Way

Vegan Way is another lakeside healthy food haven, and there are heaps. On any given afternoon in Pokhara, you can find backpackers hanging out in hammocks or yogis taking a Vinyasa class at Vegan Way. The menu is filled with flavorful vegan food that varies from smoothie bowls to seasonal salads. I highly recommend trying the PB Bowl for a fresh and filling breakfast bowl. Be sure to check out the onsite yoga classes offered- this is also a great way to make friends!

lunch + dinner

TARA’S NEPALESE VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT

The laminated menus at Tara’s are covered in scribbled reviews from adoring customers; confirmation that the food here is something to write home about. I went for dinner at Tara’s and sat at a wooden table covered with woven cloth. The hummus wraps didn’t look like much when they arrived at our table, but they were a taste sensation. Don’t miss the chocolate momos for dessert!

ROSEMARY KITCHEN

Dim lighting, jazz playing over speakers, and the smell of fresh food wafting from the kitchen is the best way to describe Rosemary Kitchen. This eatery serves a mix of western and Nepali food, but on the night that I visited, I opted for the veggie burger. The burger was big and made fresh in a kitchen that was visible from the comfy outdoor seating in the gorgeous courtyard.

THE KEBAB KING

The Kebab King’s exterior makes it look like the restaurant isn’t anything to write home about, but the delicious Indian food here will have you drooling. The eatery looks like someone’s kitchen which, in my opinion, is the first sign that the food is good. You might even walk right past this place were it not for the restaurant’s signage. Made fresh to order, the curries and (massive) naan bread here still haunt my dreams. Dinner for two here will run you less than USD $5, making it as affordable as it is delicious!

CAFFE CONCERTO

Caffe Concerto makes most people’s lists of delicious places to eat in Pokhara. Established in 1987, Concerto has a long-standing tradition of serving Italian and Nepali cuisine to hungry tourists. The produce here is a point of pride for the owners, as it’s all organic and homegrown. Have a sweet tooth? Don’t miss the gelato here or the special dessert pastries being sold at their onsite bakery, Dolce Bakery!

MO2’S DELIGHTS

One of the best momo restaurants in Pokhara is without a doubt Mo2’s Delights. Momos, which are Tibetan dumplings, can be found throughout Nepal for a reasonable price and are usually served in big portions. The homemade Darjeeling Momos and Alu Dum are considered the signature dishes at Mo2s, but nothing I tried off the menu here was anything less than scrumptious.

MOONDANCE RESTAURANT + BAR

Moondance has a great reputation built around friendly staff and delicious food. Owned by the Lama (Tamang) family, this place can serve up to 200 people at a time over its two-level restaurant. Despite its size, the ambiance of Moondance teeters on romantic thanks to its wooden, treehouse-esque setting. The western food Moondance serves (pizzas, pasta, etc.) is fantastic, but the Nepali cuisine (the curries, dal bhat, etc.) is also appetizing. You’ll spend a bit more at Moondance, but I found it was worth the extra cost for the service and quality of the food.

Fresh Elements

Fresh Elements is located below Middle Path Spa, and the relaxing vibes definitely transfer. You can opt to dine inside or outside, but you’re sure to be comfortable regardless. The WiFi is really good here, and that paired with the soothing surroundings makes it a good location for remote workers. The menu here is incredibly eclectic, and typically that would be a red flag for me since, in my experience, restaurants that try to do too much don’t do anything well. Luckily, our meals were decent and the overall atmosphere made Fresh Elements a place I’d recommend trying.