Until I arrived in Nepal, I had no idea that Kathmandu has a thriving food scene.

There are dozens of great restaurants in Thamel, the tourist bubble. Meals are delicious and fairly cheap, plus most places have wifi. I delight in trying new spots night after night.

But let’s start with my favorite coffee joint — Himalayan Java.

There’s a few locations throughout Kathmandu, plus one in Toronto of all places (umm, field trip anyone?).

I love the main location in Thamel — I spend several mornings here.

This is their honey latte. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

And a plate of crispy bacon.

I find this place during my last week in Kathmandu and spend many mornings like this, indulging in crispy bacon, honey lattes, and wifi.

I stumble upon this bakery in Thamel (there are so many bakeries here!) and stop in daily to pick up a treat. Tip: they slash their prices in the evening. Wish I could remember the name of this place, but odds are you’ll see it while walking around Thamel.

Cute courtyard in back of the bakery:

A morning iced coffee and spiced bread:

Garden of Dreams serves up great coffee and sandwiches, too.

But hands down, my favorite restaurant in all of Nepal is Roadhouse Cafe in Thamel. I think I eat here seven times during my month-long stay in this country.

They serve the best pizza in town. I first hear about it via a tip on Instagram… thanks, @dmsnyc / Nomad Soul!

I rotate between the veggie pizza and the pesto pizza.

A chicken piccata dish:

A few more dishes from Roadhouse Cafe… chicken schwarma, sizzling brownie, and tiramisu.

And I find Black Olives Cafe almost by accident — it’s set farther back from the road. I dig this place because the food is good and they don’t charge tax, so I literally pay $3 for dinner and a drink, plus tip.

My favorite dish here is the Black Olive Bringal Salad — with grilled eggplant, tomato, onions, peppers, black olives, parsley, fresh lemon, olive oil, and chopped fruit. It’s served with warm naan for dipping. The plate is HUGE and delicious.

This is New Orleans Cafe. A solid choice for lunch or dinner.

Funny story: I order beef chili expecting, you know, a bowl of chili. But it’s literally beef with chili peppers. Still tasty.

Another great pizza spot is Fire & Ice, across from Garden of Dreams.

Burger and fries at Crazy Burger:

I think you’ve now seen all of my Kathmandu meals. Anyone tempted to go just for the food? I’m already eager to return for that honey latte and Roadhouse Cafe pizza.

Up next… my trek to Everest Base Camp!