The Best Restaurants and Cafes in Patan, Nepal, Patan, Nepal

Patan, a small city, just a half hour drive outside of Kathmandu is known for its beautiful architecture. Its little windy alleyways and colorful shops draw visitors from all over Nepal. But, when I looked online for restaurant recommendations, the lists seemed repetitive and to be honest, not that great. Most recommended the same five restaurants that surround the popular Patan Durbar Square. After eating a less than mediocre meal at a few, I decided to investigate and find some better options. Here are my picks for the best restaurants in Patan and Lalitpur.

My pick: Roasted veggies salad, sweet potato and turbar fries, rikikur (potato pancake), and batuk with chukauni (lentil patties with a local style potato salad)

I went to Raithaane with a friend who lives in Lalitpur at her recommendation. Let me tell you, this place is awesome. It’s tucked away behind a back alley and its appearance is unassuming with simple tables set in a garden, but the food speaks volumes. This restaurant takes traditional Nepali cuisine from all over the country and elevates it to a fine dining experience minus the fine dining price tag. Most of the dishes range from 200 – 350 rupees ($2 to $3.50 USD). We chose to share 4 plates including the roasted veggies salad, sweet potato and turbar fries, rikikur (potato pancake), and batuk with chukauni (lentil patties with a local style potato salad). The rikikur was amazing and by far the best potato pancake I’ve had in all of Nepal. The dipping sauce that came with it which was described on the menu as “serkam spring onion achar” was phenomenal. I highly recommend this as one of the best restaurants in Patan, but also as one of the best places to try Nepali cuisine in Nepal. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).