Food · Pokhara · Nepal
What to eat in Pokhara
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Pokhara, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Utsab Raj Giri, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Dal bhat, Thakali khana set and Momo. Order a full Thakali khana set and let the server keep refilling the dal, rice and curries, the way trekkers celebrate getting back down. Most Lakeside restaurants add a service charge and VAT, which can add about 20% to menu prices.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Dal bhat
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Restaurants usually add a 10% service charge.
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish · Vegetarian
1.Dal bhat
Nepal's everyday meal: rice with lentil soup, vegetable curry, pickle and often meat curry, with free refills of rice and dal. Trekkers live on it, and local eateries offer it as an all-you-can-eat set.
Where: Local restaurants in Old Pokhara and Lakeside; many tourist restaurants serve a set version.
Dish
2.Thakali khana set
The refined dal bhat of the Thakali people from the Kali Gandaki valley, served on a brass plate with black lentil dal, buckwheat dishes, gundruk (fermented greens), spicy pickles and meat curry.
Where: Thakali restaurants along Lakeside and in town.
Street food
3.Momo
Steamed or fried dumplings filled with buffalo, chicken, pork or vegetables, served with tomato-sesame chutney. They are Nepal's favourite snack, with Tibetan origins.
Where: Momo shops all over Pokhara, from Lakeside cafés to local eateries near Mahendrapul.
Dish
4.Thukpa
A Tibetan noodle soup with vegetables and meat in a spiced broth, warming after a day in the hills.
Where: Tibetan restaurants in Damside, Lakeside and the Tibetan settlements.
Street food
5.Sekuwa
Skewers of marinated meat — chicken, mutton or buffalo — grilled over wood fire and served with chutney, beaten rice and pickles.
Where: Grill restaurants in Lakeside and evening stalls in town.
Dish
6.Lake fish fry
Fresh fish from the lakes and fish farms, rubbed with spices and deep-fried until crisp, served with rice or beaten rice.
Where: Small restaurants by the dam at Begnas Lake and around Phewa.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
7.Gurung bread
Puffy deep-fried bread, also called Tibetan bread, eaten with honey, jam or eggs at breakfast in tea houses and Lakeside cafés.
Where: Breakfast menus in Lakeside and in trekking lodges.
Snack · Vegetarian
8.Sel roti
A ring-shaped, slightly sweet rice-flour doughnut fried in oil, made in large quantities during the Tihar and Dashain festivals.
Where: Street stalls and sweet shops, especially at festival time.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Masala chiya
Sweet milky tea boiled with cardamom, ginger and other spices, drunk throughout the day.
Where: Tea stalls everywhere, and every café in Lakeside.
Bakery · Vegetarian
10.Lakeside bakeries
Decades of trekkers have given Pokhara a bakery culture: cinnamon rolls, apple pies and brown bread, plus locally grown coffee from Nepal's hills.
Where: German-style bakeries and cafés along the Lakeside road.
Food experiences
Thakali dinner
Order a full Thakali khana set and let the server keep refilling the dal, rice and curries, the way trekkers celebrate getting back down.
Fish lunch at Begnas
Restaurants by the Begnas dam fry fish caught that morning from the lake, eaten at tables looking over the water.
Momo-making class
Cooking schools in Lakeside teach momo, dal bhat and curries in short hands-on classes.
Quick bites and street food
- Momo — Momo shops all over Pokhara, from Lakeside cafés to local eateries near Mahendrapul.
- Sekuwa — Grill restaurants in Lakeside and evening stalls in town.
- Gurung bread — Breakfast menus in Lakeside and in trekking lodges.
- Sel roti — Street stalls and sweet shops, especially at festival time.
- Lakeside bakeries — German-style bakeries and cafés along the Lakeside road.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Dal bhat, Gurung bread, Sel roti, Masala chiya and Lakeside bakeries. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Most Lakeside restaurants add a service charge and VAT, which can add about 20% to menu prices.
- Dal bhat is the best-value meal, with free refills of rice and lentils.
- Eat where food is cooked fresh; peel fruit and avoid uncooked salads in simple eateries.
- Many restaurants serve buffalo ('buff') meat rather than beef, which is not eaten by Hindus.
- Use refill stations for water rather than buying plastic bottles; many cafés offer them.
Tipping
Restaurants usually add a 10% service charge. Trekking guides and porters are customarily tipped at the end of a trek, often around 10–15% of the trek cost shared among the crew.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Namaste | Hello / greetings |
| Dhanyabad | Thank you |
| Kati ho? | How much is it? |
| Mitho chha | It's delicious |
| Pheri bhetaunla | See you again |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Pokhara famous for?
Dal bhat, Thakali khana set, Momo and Thukpa. Nepal's everyday meal: rice with lentil soup, vegetable curry, pickle and often meat curry, with free refills of rice and dal.
+Is Pokhara good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Dal bhat, Gurung bread and Sel roti.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Pokhara?
Restaurants usually add a 10% service charge. Trekking guides and porters are customarily tipped at the end of a trek, often around 10–15% of the trek cost shared among the crew.